Creating The Class Oath - A Student Perspective

This school year at Compass Academy we decided to create an oath to become better, more positive students. The high school students helped create it and make it a great oath. We started on the first week of school and it is now in play. After eighteen rough drafts, we finally have a neat, nicely worded oath.

We worked on the oath every day until it was fully complete. It took us about a week to collect all the information. We went through the oath and corrected all of our mistakes. We pledge to this oath daily. The reason we pledge to the oath is because it is very important. We can learn a lot from it.

Why are oaths important? If you follow these simple rules you can become a great/successful student. Our school oath we practice every day. By reading it daily we will understand it better.

Oaths are very important.

Brandi M.

Student Oath

One of the tasks given to the Compass Academy students at the beginning of the school year was to create a student oath or creed. This is not a simple process. Each day during the first two weeks of school, at least one period was spent in creating their oath.

The first few days were spent in group discussions about the importance of having goals or principals to use as benchmarks for measuring our success as students. Other Oaths and Creeds were read and examined. The Athenian Oath, The Boy Scout Oath and Law, Essays by Plato and Aristotle, and Charge of the Light Brigade were some of the written words examined.

Brains packed with knowledge, the students broke into small groups to start creating potential oaths. Drafts were read and shared. Merging of drafts led to a functional oath. The unified draft went through another week of heated debate. Motions were made. The importance of each word was discussed. Phrasing was debated. Votes were taken and the oath was sent back to the writers for further revision. It was an arduous process.

The process ended with a student meeting in which a unanimous vote was made to ratify the Student Oath for the 2016/2017 school year. Student's signed the new document and committed to try there best to meet the ideals set forth in their new oath.

Student Writing - Creed

In the start of the 2016 school year, we were working on an oath and a creed. Jarrod Shaffer wrote a heartfelt alma mater or creed. We had several discussions (3 students). We wanted changes but he made his own adjustments, fixed, and perfected it. Everyone liked how it turned out and didn't see any need to change anything because it had a nice rhyme to it.

Allen B. and Jarrod S.

Basketball Court

One of the exciting improvements that happened over the summer at our Mount Carmel Academy was the construction of a paved half court for basketball and other outdoor activities.

Students have already worn in the new court and basketballs. Obviously, this new addition has been a 'slam-dunk' with the students.

Flashback to last years basketball game versus Williamsport Compass Academy

Tony requested that I put up last years basketball video. Here it is.

Hopefully this Fall we will be able to redeem our academy and defeat the Williamsport students in flag football.

First Day of School

The first day of school. It is always an exciting time, even for parents and teachers. Check your Facebook feed. Everyone is posting pictures. For many, there are new shoes and clothes. Others have to deal with starting in a new school in which they may not have any friends. Excitement and, often, stress.

I'm happy to say our first day of school was relatively stress free. We have seven returning students and three new students. And we took the obligatory "here's our first day of school" picture.

Students and staff went over the student handbook, discussed the level system, participated in team building activities, read some essays about values, and learned about Jupiter Ed. (Jupiter Ed is the online service Compass Academy is using for grades and online services. Students should have brouught home a sheet with login instructions for parents.)

We also played some basketball after lunch on the new court that was constructed over the summer. 

Open House / Awards Ceremony

As the school year draws to a close, Compass Academy is excited to graduate three students from the academy this year. 

Will Costello, Damian McDonald, and Josh Dinklocker completed their Senior year while attending school at JWYC's Alternative Educational Program.

Dan Heit, the President and CEO of Justice Works, attended the graduation and awards ceremony.