Many thanks to all of our Compass Middle School students who participated in the dance on Friday. It was a positive experience for both the students and staff involved - winning!
I'm also happy to share that our hosts at the North Beach Clubhouse were impressed by our students' behavior and care for the space. Our Compass middle school has been invited back again next year - yahoo!
K-4th Grade Family Dance Update
Now that the middle school dance is checked off the to do list, let's talk about the K-4th grade dance. For those who are new to Compass, each of our K-4th graders are invited to attend the dance with a special adult in their life (typically a parent). Historically, this event has been held at the Towers in Narragansett.
This year, however, the Towers has been closed all winter for renovations. I've been in contact with them and we've been hopeful that they would be able to reopen in time to squeeze in our Compass event in before their wedding season starts, but they confirmed this week that it is not in the cards.
So...we problem solve and pivot because that's what we do! The challenge is that now it's Spring so there is a lot of competition with weddings for dates and we need a pretty large venue because with our K-4 students + a parent each, we average 200 people for this event.
Thankfully, our friends at Camp Hoffman are able to accommodate us! You might be thinking, "Ms. Brandee...isn't Camp Hoffman the girl scout camp?" Indeed, it is! They have a dining center with vaulted post & beam work that is a wedding venue! Check out the pic below where the space is dressed up for a wedding.
What's more...did you know that at one time in our Compass history our school was located at Camp Hoffman?! Truly, that happened! Before Compass came to our Old North Rd campus, it had two prior locations - Fishing Cove in North Kingstown and Camp Hoffman on Ministerial Road.
Once upon a time, Compass students (who are now adults) attended classes in the very building where we'll be dancing! Given that this year is Compass' 20th anniversary this year, it seems like it was meant to be that we'd be returning to our roots at Camp Hoffman for our dance!
Here are the essential details:
Event: K-4th Grade Family Dance Description: A fun social event with dancing with a DJ, a photo booth, pizza and a candy bar Guest List: Compass K-4th grade students and a special adult (typically a parent) Location: Camp Hoffman: 2850 Ministerial Rd, South Kingstown, RI 02879
Date: Thursday, March 23rd (2 weeks from today!) Timing: 5:00 - 7:00 pm
As you add this event to your calendar, you may notice that the 23rd is on a Thursday night. Like I said, I had to get creative in order to secure a venue pivot since the Towers is still being renovated. However, Thursday night works well because the next day (3/24) is conference day and it will not be a typical school day for students.
3/24 Conference Day:
No School For Students - only attend school for your conference time
We tried something different in the fall by having conference day be a school day and a conference day at the same time. It was a doozy of a day.
For a variety of reasons, we're going to go back to the classic format with the upcoming Student-Led conferences on Friday, 3/24/23. Students will only attend school during their conference time.
Ms. Julie will release the Sign Up Genius to register for your conference slot time this Sunday Night at 7:00. We request that families who have the most availability in their schedule hold off until Monday to give the families with the least availability or multiple children an opportunity to secure slots that work best for them first.
To Recap :)
K-4th Grade dance will be at Camp Hoffman from 5-7 pm on Thursday, 3/23/23 (2 weeks from today).
Student-Led Conferences on Friday, 3/24/23 will be in our classic format - no school for students until they come with their family for their conference time.
The Sign Up Genius will be available THIS Sunday at 7:00 pm to register for your conference time.
I'm looking forward to seeing you at these upcoming events!
A Moment of Gratitude
Each year as we prepare for the dances and we see our students' joy, I take a moment to pause and be grateful to the Renzi family.
It was their inspiration that these dances originally came to be and through their financial support with the annual golf tournament that we are able to host such fancy experiences for our students.
Thank you Renzis for your investment in our school both with your inspiration and your financial support. You are appreciated.
