Compass School celebrates its 20th birthday with open house

WESTMINSTER — Serving students from more than a dozen towns in New Hampshire and Vermont, Compass School invites the community to come help celebrate its 20th anniversary with dinner and socializing May 31 from 5 to 9:30 p.m.

Over the past two decades, Compass has “grown into an established educational option with consistent and ambitious goals for all students - they support every child to develop not only as a good student, but also as a good person,” according to a news release.

The school's educational mission “encompasses knowledge and academic skills, but also the development of skills to become community-minded, culturally aware, responsible, healthy, and self-directed. It is an environment where every child has the opportunities and support to find success.”

From the very start, the driving ideals for the Compass School were “to be accessible to all, to value student voice and choice, and to build a learning community based on respect.”

As a result of this philosophy, the school says that “many of the founding teachers continue to teach at Compass and the learning community continues to produce excellent results - graduates enjoy college acceptances with impressive scholarship offers, and the roster of alumni continues to grow into examples of young adults who have the confidence to pursue their dreams and make a positive difference in the world.”

In addition to academic requirements, all Compass students are required to participate in a balance of activities that includes experiential, hands-on projects, traditional lecture formats, outdoor adventures, community service, and artistic representations of learning.

The 20th birthday celebration includes a free barbecue at 6 p.m., a panel reflecting on 20 years of Compass's history at 7 p.m., and a bonfire with music and conversation at 7:30 p.m. RSVP to [email protected] or call 802-463-2525.

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