Joyous. That is the one word I would use to describe the Compass Schoolhouse located at 125 Elmer Street in Westfield, NJ. It was a grey and rainy Monday morning when I visited. Elsewhere in the world people were feeling the Monday doldrums - but not here. At Compass Schoolhouse, the teachers, staff, parents and students all arrive like it is the Best. Day. Ever.
Because it is. And it will be again tomorrow.
It does not take long for me to understand why everybody is so excited. At exactly 8:40 AM every day, the doors to this adorable white historic schoolhouse open to a stream of families doing “dropoff”. Elsewhere in the world this process is programmatic, stressful and hurried - but not here. At Compass Schoolhouse the entire staff of teachers and administrators is out front ready to greet every single student with what feels like their own personal ticker tape parade. There are smiles, hugs, and personalized check-ins: “How was Pittsburgh this weekend?”, “Did you feed your new puppy this morning?” “Happy Birthday Juliette!” “Wipe your feet so you don’t slip.” The familiarity is obvious, as is the mutual adoration, as each student is personally escorted into the building to their classroom by a Compass professional. It is clear that the teachers and staff are engrained in the lives of the families they serve. They know these kids. They love these kids. These are "Compass Kids".
The joy I witness is authentic - but also intentional. It is the result of over four decades of purposeful community building. Bonds formed not only between teachers and students but across the entire staff, between the students themselves and among the parents, many of whom become lifelong friends. Perhaps most notable is the strong sense of community Compass Schoolhouse has created within Westfield and the surrounding towns. Director Shelly Wyand, a Scotch Plains resident, explains that the support of the community around the schoolhouse is pivotal to the core values they strive to instill in each student. She describes the "Compass Cares initiative" which focuses on giving back to the greater community as a means of demonstrating the school’s commitment to a family-centric environment. Staff, students and parents work together to support local non-profit organizations like “Moms Helping Moms” with diaper drives and fundraising. They participate together in activities like rock painting for hospital patients, and this May they will host “Playfest.”
I did not want this high energy, happy (still rainy!) Monday morning to end, so I invited myself in to indulge in more of the joy being served by Shelly and Assistant Director Elayne Edmonds (another Scotch Plains resident). The two women share an equally positive disposition - the kind you feel from someone that loves the work that they do - and the people they do it with. “I started as a Volunteer in the lunchroom and then as the Enrichment Coordinator before taking on the role of Director in 2020,” says Shelly. She credits Elayne with being the “heartbeat” of the school and I catch nearby staff nodding in agreement. Over half of the 55 staff members at Compass Schoolhouse started as parents before moving into professional roles and Elayne is no different. Her first child enrolled in 2014 and she’s been there ever since. In between impromptu student visits to their office (Little Joey lost his first tooth and HAD to show them!) Shelly and Elayne start my lesson. I learn that Compass is a Preschool, not a daycare; There are 155 enrolled families and 188 children. And while Compass Schoolhouse just celebrated its 10-year anniversary, the programs that preceded, have existed since 1982. They relay all the ways Compass Schoolhouse is special - and intentional. Even the word “schoolhouse” was chosen to reflect the small, home-like environment purposefully designed for children encountering their first learning experience. Kids between 12 months and 5 years enjoy age appropriate, play based classrooms for math, science, dramatic play, music, and creative art. Teachers inspire children to explore, make choices, and gain independence. "A lifetime of learning comes from a love of learning," says Elayne. Compass wants students’ early development and education to be a time of fun, warmth, security, exploration, and discovery. Foundational to their curriculum is “the power of play” where children make discoveries, build knowledge and learn to self-regulate and interact with others in socially appropriate ways. This approach sets all Compass kids up for success as they transition to kindergarten and beyond. But make no mistake “play is serious work,” laughs Shelly.
I see this firsthand when I sit in to observe Head Teacher Stacy Gunther’s classroom for 3-year-olds where the kids are just sitting down to Circle Time. There is a star on the carpet for every child; a means of providing visual direction, consistency and order. They are playing “Find the Lucky Card” (which is the number 12 today) and Ms. Stacy places a pile of white index cards face down on the carpet in a pile. Each student takes a turn picking a card (thereby teaching them how to wait their turn) and reporting back to the class the number they picked. They must then place the card face UP in chronological order as a clever means of teaching them numbers and counting. Ms. Stacy has been a teacher at Compass for over 25 years, yet she interacts with her class with the joy of a first-year teacher. Her expertise and experience is obvious, yet somehow still outshined by the love and care she shows each child. When I meet with her outside of the classroom she confirms her love not just for the students, but for her colleagues (“we look after one another” she says) and for the families. “I was at dinner last night and ran into three moms whose kids attended Compass nine years ago. They have been the best of friends since they met here, and while their kids go to different schools now, they remain the closest of friends too. This is the community we pride ourselves on - a community that creates lifelong friendships.
A Community of Parents.
In the spirit of intentional community, Compass organizes family events and parent-only nights, like the annual Casino Night Fundraiser. I am lucky enough to score an invite to this event, complete with table games, food, drinks, raffles and tricky trays. In between poker hands and roulette spins I ask parents what they like most about Compass Schoolhouse. Mom Kami S says, “I trust them. My children are safe," and then gushes when she says, "It literally feels like they are making the world a better place.” Jessica Cohen, mom of two from Scotch Plains says “the teachers are phenomenal, nurturing and engaged - always bringing in new ideas.” And Lauren Riccio, mom to three Compass students (aged 5, 3 and 1) reiterates the one thing I heard from every single parent I spoke to “they treat my kids like their own.”