While January did do a wonderful job of reminding us what winter really means, I can feel the earth softening, the roots waking to the light and the little creatures stirring around us. There are new calves on the farm, daffodils are sprouting, and Spring is on the way. The Compass Center Foundation and Compass Academy are both entering their third year in operation.
For those of you who weren’t with us, we started out in the cold, yet majestic, pole barn on the other side of 810, next to the Henley Orchard retail shed. Making ourselves at home in the Blue Farmhouse and Garden has been a journey… definitely still in progress. We have made so much change, yet there is still so much I want to do to transform this space into the magical space that it can be for these kids.
Why are we here?
As Compass Academy grows and evolves, we are seeing the beauty in being on the farm. Not doing, not searching, not exploring – but being. I began working for the Henley’s two and a half years ago when I desperately needed a life change. I saw the magic of childhood come to life when my kids followed me around, looking after the animals. They soaked up every new sound, sight, touch, and taste. They took ownership and responsibility for the farm and its animals. They enchanted the farmers and wooed the horses. They worried when we worried, they problem solved, and rejoiced, and they fully immersed themselves in the experience. They were mini farmers, explorers, scientists, business owners, contractors, landscapers, and everything else farmers do! And now I see this happening for all the children enrolled in our programs.
There is nothing like being on a working farm.
This is the first year we have enough older children to group into ages for certain activities. The Sprouts have always been our preschool age group. We now have a group of Honeybees, our K-1 age group. And our Farmers are the 2-3 age group. When we have enough 5-6 grade children, they will enter into the Silver Maple group, in honor of the majestic Silver Maple tree at the entry to our garden.
One of the aspects of Waldorf education that inspires us is the hesitation to introduce formal reading and writing instruction in kindergarten. We do introduce and offer many pre-reading skills at the younger ages, and we have seen that many kids are motivated to pursue them. As we all know, children are wired to learn!
Teaching mixed ages sometimes contradicts that pedagogy, especially when introducing something like word families around the lunch table, with preschoolers listening in! However this dynamic has also provided the children of younger ages the wonderful opportunity to see what’s available to them, and what they can learn when they are ready. It has also given the teachers insight into which children are ready for more reading and writing support even if they are in the younger age groups.
One piece of advice in parenting and homeschooling that has really stuck with me is this: When a child reveals that they are ready to learn something, through curiosity or pursuit, then it is time, but not until that time. And every child will be different. At Compass Academy, we honor that difference in each child because we know that it is what will create the space for a child to grow into their unique strengths.
This winter we said goodbye to three teachers, two of whom have been with us from the beginning. We have been so fortunate to have teachers stay with our program for a long time, and who want to continue visiting and substituting when possible. If, like Jillian you have also been with us since the beginning, then you know how surprised I was that she stuck with us for so long. The unschooling queen has finally taken off to pursue even wilder days. We will still see her (and Lucille) at Compass Academy as a sub, and she is still very involved as a consultant offering guidance for our growth, parent communication through monthly emails, and regular Instagram posts about our days with the children.
Zoe started as a volunteer teacher a few months into our story. She and her husband have offered so much love and support to our community. Zoe has spent the last year with us carving out a more formal food and nutrition program. She has been in the kitchen creating new dishes to inspire and excite the young taste buds! She may return in a different way in the future, but for now she is focusing inward on home and family, as well as her budding health coaching business.
Jenny was planning to be here this spring, but as well all know, life can demand that circumstances change, regardless of how hard it may be. Over winter break Jenny faced the truth that she needed to release some commitments this spring so that she could be more present for herself and her family. We will see Jenny and Calvin back for visits here and there, and most hopefully again in the fall.
Right now we are honored to have Tessa and Casey continue as our lead Sprouts teachers. Tessa is in her second year with us, and Casey has been with us since our first summer at the Blue Farmhouse. I am serving as the main Compass Co-op teacher. We will be hosting a variety of guest teachers this spring to support me in this role. We can’t wait for you to see the fun that’s coming for the kids!
This month we said hello to a wonderful new teacher, Alexandra Simonin. She is offering French language to the kids and they have been loving it!
Where are we headed with this homeschool co-op?
As we prepare to hire new teachers for the next school year, this has been a question that I’ve revisited many times. My vision for Compass has been strong from the beginning, yet impossible to explain to others without the power of telepathy. Compass Academy will become a living breathing model of an idyllic lifestyle – health, community, peace, financial freedom, homesteading and abundant opportunity.
Children will “major in” their own strengths and become completely self sufficient, yet interdependent in the most thorough and beautiful way. Teenagers will graduate having had the opportunity to build a business that can sustain them financially, and they will have every practical life skill they will need to care for themselves. I can’t show you what this school looks like because it’s not in existence yet, but the growth is happening in divine order. This is what children need, and so it must come to pass.
I can affirm that one of our most important core values is to model and express deep respect for our fellow human’s individual experiences and wisdom, including a mutual exchange of kindness, compassion and forgiveness between the adults and children. In creating this environment of safety for children, we will be healing the parts within ourselves that were broken by the system in which we grew up.
Get Involved!
The time has come to invite parents and community members to take more ownership in our growth. So we will be announcing planning meetings with the opportunity to become a voting member of the community. If you want to be part of creating this learning homestead, then I hope you will join these upcoming meetings.
- March
- May
One of our short term goals is to grow our community of like minded families, not only through Compass Academy programs, but through events and offerings from The Compass Center Foundation as a larger organization. This is an area that has been underdeveloped in our first few years, but will become a bigger part of our operations over the next few years.
I’m always here for conversation and questions.
With appreciation for your attention,
Robin Shirley
Founder/Director
The Compass Center Foundation