The Compass School, Ashburn

The mission of The Compass School is to provide a safe and nurturing environment that promotes your child's depth of knowledge while inspiring a life-long love of learning. Through the Reggio Emilia-inspired approach, children are given the tools and support to steer through their own distinct paths of discovery. Our project-based curriculum encourages children to be active participants in the learning process and to develop the skills needed to explore their ideas, interests, and questions in a meaningful way.

True Reggio-inspired programs give appropriate attention to the look and feel of the learning environment both within the classrooms as well as in the common spaces of the school. Environment is often referred to as the “third teacher.” By giving consideration to how materials and documentation are displayed, the goal is to create an atmosphere that fosters creative exploration and demonstrates respect for children’s work.

Here are a few highlights of The Compass School’s environmental guidelines for teachers and administrators: - Classroom environments should be a reflection of the children, parents, and teachers who live and learn there. Items, objects & resources should be arranged in an enticing, imaginative, inviting, and/or thoughtful way- the environment should not feel cluttered or institutional. - Environmental emphasis on natural, every day, and “real life” materials - Documentation should be interesting rather than decorative, serious (not cute), engaging (not entertaining). - Visible documentation should be present to reflect work currently in process. Focus of documentation on displaying the creativity and thinking of children as it happens, as opposed to viewing documentation as a finished product. - Parents entering The Compass School for the first time consistently comment that the look and feel of the school is unlike any other preschool or child care center that they have visited. By adhering to basic principles and more, The Compass School strives to offer children a uniquely warm, inviting and child-centered school environment in which to explore, discover, and grow.