1. Does Compass have bus
transportation?
2. Do you provide busing for kindergarten students?
3. How do I get my student into Compass?
4. What are my chances of getting in?
5. Do you provide sports?
6. Are you part of the Meridian School District?
7. What are your class sizes?
8. Aren't your classroom sizes large in comparison to other public schools?
9. How much homework will my student have?
10. Are you leasing from Cherry Lane Christian Church?
11. Does Compass charge tuition?
12. What is the difference between a "traditional" school and a charter
school?
1. Does Compass provide bus transportation?
2.
Do you provide busing for
kindergarten students?
Answer: Yes, however it is only one way. Morning
students are picked up for school, but parents are responsible for picking
them up from school. After-noon students are dropped off by their parents
and then bus transportation is available to take them home.
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3. How do
I get my student into Compass?
Answer
: As a charter school,
Compass must follow the state law of holding a lottery for student
enrollment. If you are interested in enrolling then you must complete an
application to enter the lottery or to go on the waiting list if the lottery
has already been held.
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4.
What are my chances of getting in?
Answer: You always improve your chances when you submit an
application. Chances are all based on the number of openings available in
that class, the number of siblings, the number of applicants for the grade
level, etc. There are many things that play into what your "chances" are for
enrollment. All those things are out of your control and vary year to year
and grade to grade. The only thing you can control is the actual submission
of an application. Don't let the idea that you won't have a chance deter you
from applying!
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5. Do you have any sports programs?
Answer: Yes. We do provide sports opportunities
for our middle school students. Due to the limitations of the facility, we
are only able to provide girls volleyball, boys & girls basketball, and
cross-country track. We play local schools with similar student body size.
Implementing a high school sports program is cost prohibitive, so we
encourage our students to contact their "assigned public high schools to ask
about their sports program. Several Compass families have been successful
with this approach and Compass does schedule P.E. for high school students
as the last class of the day so that
students participating in another school's sports program will be able to
attend practices, games, etc.
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6. Are you part of the Meridian School District?
Answer: No. Compass Public Charter School's
charter was authorized by the Idaho State Public Charter School Commission.
They have oversight of our program and we function as a LEA. This means we
are our own school district and is recognized as such by the State
Department of Education.
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7. What are your class sizes?
Answer:
Kindergarten has two classes of 15 students each (total 30).
First through 3rd grades have 28 students, however due to the
enlarged kindergarten class size we do enlarge our first grade to
accommodate, however if a student leaves during first through third grades
we do not fill their seat until the class falls below 28 students. Fourth
through fifth grades have 33 students each and beginning
in 2007 we doubled our 6th grade to two classrooms of 33 each. In subsequent
years we will be adding an additional seventh and eighth grade classrooms
which will result in two classrooms of each grade(6,7,8)with 33 students.
Ninth grade currently is designed to accommodate 35 students, however, in
the coming years this will expand to include all students who continue
through the double middle school grades.
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8. Aren't your classroom sizes large in comparison to other
public schools?
Answer: Yes. However, we don't see that as a disadvantage rather as
an opportunity to provide a challenging education to a maximum number of
students. Because of the Harbor Method, class room management is not a
concern. Also educational assistants (E.A.) work with classroom teachers to
meet the needs of the students. The younger classrooms have an E.A. assigned
to that specific classroom. As older classrooms become more independent
learners they have a part-time E.A.. in their classroom. Parent volunteers
work in the classroom as well and this support to the classroom teacher and
students makes a large class a successful class. (BACK TO TOP)
9. How much homework will my student have?
Answer: Beginning in kindergarten your students will have homework
assignments each evening of the week. The amount is consistent in grades
K-5. Each night your student will have reading, math, and spelling homework.
Of course the amount of time it takes for your student to complete the
homework varies with the student, however we estimate 15 min. per grade. For
example a 3rd grade student would have approximately 45 minutes of homework.
Beginning in 6th grade the homework level will increase with added projects,
assignments, etc. Homework is considered an extension of the classroom
learning. Compass uses a direct teaching method in the classroom, which
means learning takes place in a group setting. Homework gives each student
an opportunity to "practice" what they have learned in the classroom.
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10. Are you leasing from Cherry Lane Christian Church?
Answer: No. CPCS owns the former Cherry Lane Christian Church
facility. Prior to the purchase of the church CPCS did lease from Cherry
Lane Christian Church. The church is now in the process of building a new
facility at Franklin and Ten Mile Roads. Until their new building is
complete, they will continue to use the CPCS building in the evenings and on
weekends.
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11.
Does Compass charge tuition?
Answer:
12.
What is the difference between a "traditional" school and a charter school?
Answer: