School Overview

2011 Washington DC Trip

Six students from four different towns enjoyed the annual Kip Sowpel Washington DC trip this year. Students saw the Capitol building, the Supreme Court, the Air and Space Museum, the National Mall and monuments, as well as taking in a Washington Nationals baseball game. Students expressed their excitment in the oppurtunity to have new experiences, with some students taking this fully to heart, even trying a new food or dish at every meal. The group really enjoyed their week's experience.

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Quote:

"I found it easy to get used to things here. I just kept doing what I had to do. You just have to do your best and make it work."

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Anastashia ('Staya')

Anastasia has been a longtime COMPASS student. Like most of our students Staya comes from a troubled background. But now upon graduation she looks forward to a bright future, thanks to her own hard work and perseverance and our staff's insistence that everyone can overcome their circumstances, along with our wrap-around services philosophy. Her recent accomplishments include being awarded the John P.Santry Sportsmanship Award in June of 2008 for her skill and leadership on the basketball court. In June of 2009 she was awarded the Dr. Tom Frank Personal Growth award for her improvement in maturity and focus. Staya has been awarded a full residential scholarship to study automotive mechanics at Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology.

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COMPASS' 2010 Violence Prevention Day Celebration

On Wednesday, June 9th, students, parents/guardians and staff celebrated COMPASS' Violence Prevention Day with a theme of "Violence Prevention Through a Recognition of Success," a day which provided an opportunity to recognize achievements in COMPASS' four school and famiily based programs. All attendees were given t-shirts which featured the creative expressions of students who participated in designing a message and/or artwork for this year's event. Students were rewarded with a $25 gift certificate to a store or restaurant of their choice.

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2010 Washington DC Trip

The Annual 'Kip Sowpel' Washington DC trip kicked off in late June with a Washington Nationals baseball game. Students were filled with excitement during the long road trip down, talking about the different things they wanted to do and see. The six students chose several museums and monuments to explore while in Washington. Some highlights included a trip to the National Zoo, the International Spy Museum, the American Art Museum, and a night tour of the National Mall and Monuments. Students marveled over seeing the White House and Capitol Buildings, asking questions and taking advantage of photo opportunities. The trip concluded with a nice dinner out where everyone joked, laughed, and shared stories of their favorite parts to the trip.

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Summer School Joins with Habitat for Humanity

4 COMPASS high school students worked with the Boston Area Habitat for Humanity Program this summer, helping to construct a garage door and ceiling in low income housing in Dorchester. Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, Inc. is a Massachusetts charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to building simple low-cost homes by forming partnerships with low-income families in need of decent and affordable housing. The organization believes that homeownership is a vital step to help families break the cycle of poverty and contributes to pride in families and communities.

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2012 Violence Prevention Slogans Announced

The contest was open to COMPASS students and the winners were awarded gift certificates. The slogans will be used in publicity and fundraising materials for the event, and featured on t-shirts and other giveaways to friends and families at this year's Violence Prevention Ceremonies. Other entries included:

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COMPASS Welcomes Wider Horizons Intern Gareth McAlinden

COMPASS is happy to welcome Gareth McAlinden, a resident of Ireland, to assist COMPASS School staff in their work with high school aged students. Gareth was one of 21 participants selected for the Wider Horizons Program. He described his placement at COMPASS as a great experience that provided a good opportunity to bond with students through basketball, something that so many of them are good at.

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Quote:

"I liked reading and history most. 'The Outsiders' was one of my favorite books. I also liked going to Washington DC and Gettysburg. We went to Holocaust Museum, the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington. I got to see part of history."

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"When my son... was having emotional difficulties in his early school years, COMPASS and its faculty were the only ones to really care about a child's education. They were devoted to giving these children an education by helping them overcome their problems. They are caring and loving people whom really came across to me as being there to truly help and not just for a paycheck. Thanks to COMPASS, my son has gone to college and become an outstanding young man. They even influenced him to follow a career path in helping other youths that may be headed down the wrong roads of life. They are amazing!"

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