How it works
Three steps. No meetings required.
Look at the events
Everything below is something the school has on the calendar or something the Dads Club is building. Each one says what it is and what dads actually do there.
Pick something
Set up, tear down, an install crew, a carpool morning, a build day. Big or small. One event or five. Whatever fits your schedule.
Sign up on the Parent Portal
Sign-ups run through the Compass Parent Portal (log in with your Compass Google account). If you know you can make it, sign up. If not, make a game-day decision and just show up.
Open the Parent Portal →Events and dates
In order through the school year. Some things are social, some are service, some just need muscle. You don't need to make everything. Find your thing.
Pave the Path assembly
What it is: Build day for the new 100-foot paver path between carpool and the school, so kids get a welcoming walk in instead of a stretch of dirt. Welcome arch, flowers and landscaping, and pavers decorated by the students.
Dads carpool + pathway ceremony
What it is: The morning after the build, the kids walk the new path for the first time. Dads at carpool, DJ, bubble machine, dance party. A proper opening.
Picnic table assembly
What it is: Compass has new picnic tables arriving flat-packed. They need assembling.
Pothole at the NW Hwy exit
What it is: A pothole has opened up in the gravel right where you exit the parking lot onto Northwest Highway. Ilya flagged it and offered to help fix it.
Open House (Lower School)
What it is: Prospective families tour the school. First impressions matter.
Carpool with a Cause: VNA Holiday Gift Bags
What it is: Same carpool, different mission. We collect donations from the carpool line for VNA Holiday Gift Bags: toothpaste, shampoo, soap, washcloths and socks.
Casino Night
What it is: The Social Club and Dads Club have joined forces for our first Casino Night. Real tables, real dealers. The venue is locked and the location is under wraps. Think Fiesta, after dark, in Monaco. Black tie optional, parents only, $125 per person, 6 to 9 PM.
Fall Festival
What it is: The big all-school fall party. Games, food, booths, the works.
Thanksgiving Feasts
What it is: Three feasts over three days: Pre-K to 1st on Tuesday, 2nd and 3rd on Wednesday, 4th and 5th on Thursday.
Dads Game Watch
What it is: We take over a local sports bar to watch the Cowboys beat the Seahawks on Monday night. Location to come.
Welcome-back carpool
What it is: First day back after winter break. Same as the first-day-of-school welcome we did on 8/19.
Police Officer Appreciation
What it is: We continue the tradition of honoring the officers who serve our campus and community. See Better Dallas.
International Night
What it is: Evening celebration of the countries and cultures in the Compass community. Food tables, displays, performances.
Carpool with a Cause: Coats & Blankets
What it is: We collect coats and blankets from the carpool line for Austin Street Center. Parents get the ask in advance.
Pancakes with Dads (Fri) · Soccer with Dads (Sat)
What it is: School-run dad events. Friday 2/19 is the Gratitude Gathering and Pancakes with Dads for Pre-K and Kindergarten. Saturday 2/20 is Soccer with Dads for 1st through 5th.
Grandfriends Day
What it is: Grandparents and special friends visit classrooms. Lots of older guests, lots of parking and walking.
Farmer's Market
What it is: Compass hosts a Saturday farmer's market. Vendor tents, tables, families.
Dads Hold Court
What it is: Pickleball for the dads. Venue and date being finalized.
Bikes for Kids
What it is: We get our kids out for a bike ride, then get to work building bikes for kids in need. Dates and details coming soon.
Dad Prix
What it is: We close out the year at K1 Go Karts to see who's fastest around the track.
Chess & Cheeseboards
What it is: A Compass evening event. Date not yet on the school calendar.
Set up and tear down, explained
Most of what the school needs from us is this. It's simple, it's a couple of hours, and it's the most useful thing a dad can do.
Before the event
Arrive before the event starts, usually 1 to 2 hours ahead. Come early. Stay late. Lift something heavy.
- Unload and carry: tables, chairs, tents, coolers, boxes
- Put things where the event lead wants them: tables, chairs, tents, signage, decorations
- Run extension cords, set up speakers or games if there are any
- Help vendors or teachers get their stations in place
- Check in with the event lead when you arrive and before you leave
After the event
Come back at the end (or stay through). Usually 1 hour, sometimes less with enough hands.
- Fold and stack tables and chairs, drop tents
- Bag trash and recycling, wipe down surfaces
- Load everything back into storage or vehicles
- Walk the space so it looks like we were never there
What to bring, what to expect
- Wear the Dads Club shirt if you have one, closed-toe shoes
- Gloves and a folding hand truck are never a bad idea
- Kids are welcome at most set-ups if they can carry a chair
- You don't need to stay for the whole event unless you want to
- Slots are small on purpose: 3 to 6 dads per shift. If a slot is full, pick another event
Service projects
Things the Dads Club is building or fixing for the school. Bigger than a shift, and each needs a few dads to lead.
🌿 Pave the Path
A 100-foot paver path between carpool and the school. Built Sunday, September 13 and opened by the kids Monday, September 14 at drop-off, with dads at carpool, music and a bubble machine. Here is what went into it.
- 30 pavers, 24" x 24", from Outdoor Warehouse Supply (Plano or Lewisville)
- River rock for edging, larger stones preferred. Know a good source? Speak up.
- Welcome arch at the school end, flowers and landscaping along the way
- Pavers or rocks painted by the students with the art teacher, possibly its own kid event
- Truck: pavers and rock picked up
- Install crew: Sunday 9/13, half a day
- Accessories: arch, plants, bubble machine
- DJ for the ceremony-morning dance party
- Carpool crew in Dads Club gear, Monday 9/14
🚗 Carpool mornings
Dads at carpool on the mornings that matter: first day of school (done 8/19), the pathway ceremony (done 9/14), the January 5 return, and more dates through the year. Open doors, greet kids, keep the line moving.
Also in the works: a carpool safety plan. Kids are crossing lanes in front of cars at drop-off. The Dads Club is proposing barriers and a better lane flow to the school's security lead. Dads with traffic, safety or construction experience are wanted.
Sign up →🪑 Picnic table assembly
New picnic tables are being delivered to the school flat-packed. A couple of dads with drills can knock out several in an hour or two. Not an event, just a job. Delivery date to be announced.
Sign up →🏠 Treehouse build
Shelly wants a treehouse in the kids' play area. This is the big one: a real build over one or more weekends, and a great dad-and-kid project. Compass may fund materials; dads may sponsor a beam or a plaque.
Safety is the whole point: railings up top, no climbable roof, screwed together well, anchored to the tree or the ground. We need a dad who builds for a living to lead it.
Sign up →🕳️ Pothole at the NW Hwy exit
There's a pothole in the gravel right as you exit the parking lot onto Northwest Highway. Every car hits it twice a day. Ilya raised it and volunteered to help, which is exactly how this is supposed to work.
The plan: clear it with the school, then a quick morning fix: shovels, a rake, a tamper and a few bags of gravel or road base. If it keeps coming back, we'll look at a proper patch.
Sign up →🧰 Whatever needs doing
Pave a path. Clean something up. Build something. Set up or tear down an event. When the school needs something, we bring the crew. If you see a need at Compass, tell Rich or Charlie and it'll show up here. That's how the pothole got on the list.
Better Dallas
Taking things dads already do well and putting them to work for the city.
🚗 Same carpool, different mission
Twice this year the carpool line becomes a collection point. Parents get the ask in advance; dads gather it through the car windows.
- Oct 23: toothpaste, shampoo, soap, washcloths and socks for VNA Holiday Gift Bags
- Feb 11: coats and blankets for Austin Street Center
👮 Police Officer Appreciation
We continue our tradition of honoring the officers who serve our campus and community: the ones at carpool, at events, and on the streets around the school.
- Date being finalized between Jan 8 and 9
- Food, gift and card contributions once the format is set
- Hands on the day
🚲 Bikes for Kids
We get our kids out for a bike ride, then get to work building bikes for kids in need. Dates and details coming soon.
Sign up →Dads only
The dads voted. Here's the lineup: one marquee night plus three reasons to get together through the year.
🎲 Casino Night
The Social Club and Dads Club have joined forces for our first Casino Night. Bring your spouse. The venue is locked, the location is under wraps, and a few secret agents from the Parent Association are turning up the heat. Black tie optional, parents only, $125 per person.
You may have heard rumors. Maybe true. Maybe a bluff. We're not saying. Yet.
Get tickets → Details →🏈 Dads Game Watch
A local sports bar, the Cowboys, the Seahawks, and a room full of dads. Location to come.
🏓 Dads Hold Court
Pickleball for the dads. Venue and date being finalized. More to come.
🏎️ Dad Prix
We close out the year at K1 Go Karts to see who's fastest around the track.
Want to host something smaller in between? Tell Rich or Charlie.
Some things are social. Some things are service. Some things just need some muscle.
You don't need to make everything. Find your thing. Help when you can. We'll send the reminders.
Sign up on the Parent Portal →Full school calendar 2026–27
Compass School of Texas, August 2026 – June 2027. Times Central. Green rows are Dads Club dates; gold rows are events where the school may need dads.
| Date | Day | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08/19/2026 | Wed | All day | First Day of School · Dads Club carpool welcome ✓ |
| 09/02/2026 | Wed | 6:00 PM | Curriculum Night: Pre-K, Kinder, 1st |
| 09/03/2026 | Thu | 6:00 PM | Curriculum Night: 2nd–5th |
| 09/07/2026 | Mon | All day | Labor Day (No School) |
| 09/16/2026 | Wed | All day | Picture Day |
| 09/18/2026 | Fri | 8:30 AM | Gratitude Gathering / Moments with Moms (Pre-K & K) |
| 09/19/2026 | Sat | All day | Kickball with Moms (1st–5th) |
| 09/21/2026 | Mon | All day | Yom Kippur (No School) |
| 09/13/2026 | Sun | Done | Pave the Path assembly (done) |
| 09/14/2026 | Mon | Done | Dads carpool + pathway ceremony (done) |
| 10/02/2026 | Fri | 8:30 AM | Gratitude Gathering (1A) |
| 10/06/2026 | Tue | 6:00 PM | Fireside Chat: Community and Purpose |
| 10/08/2026 | Thu | All day | Spirit Day |
| 10/09/2026 | Fri | All day | Parent Teacher Conference (No School) |
| 10/12/2026 | Mon | All day | Columbus Day (No School) |
| 10/13/2026 | Tue | All day | Parent Teacher Conference (No School) |
| 10/14/2026 | Wed | 2:00 PM | 5th Grade Science Fair |
| 10/15/2026 | Thu | 2:00 PM | Student Led Showcases Pre-K–1st |
| 10/16/2026 | Fri | 2:00 PM | Student Led Showcases 2nd–4th |
| 10/17/2026 | Sat | 10:00 AM | Open House Lower School · set up / tear down |
| 10/21/2026 | Wed | 6:00 PM | Middle School Preview |
| 10/23/2026 | Fri | 8:30 AM | Gratitude Gathering (1B) |
| 10/23/2026 | Fri | Carpool | Carpool with a Cause · VNA Holiday Gift Bag collection |
| 10/29/2026 | Thu | 6:00 PM | Casino Night · tickets · details |
| 10/30/2026 | Fri | 8:30 AM | Halloween Celebration Pre-K/K |
| 11/06/2026 | Fri | 8:30 AM | Gratitude Gathering / Veterans Day (All School) |
| 11/08/2026 | Sun | All day | Fall Festival · set up / tear down |
| 11/13 – 11/20 | Fri | All day | Book Fair |
| 11/17 – 11/19 | Tue–Thu | All day | Thanksgiving Feasts (Pre-K–1st · 2nd–3rd · 4th–5th) · set up / tear down |
| 11/23 – 11/27 | Mon | All day | Thanksgiving Break (No School) |
| 12/04/2026 | Fri | 8:30 AM | Gratitude Gathering (2A) |
| 12/07/2026 | Mon | Kickoff | Dads Game Watch · Cowboys vs. Seahawks, location to come |
| 12/18/2026 | Fri | All day | Winter Holiday Party · Last Day Semester 1 (Early Release 1 PM) |
| 12/21 – 01/03 | Mon | All day | Winter Break |
| 01/04/2027 | Mon | All day | Professional Development (No School) |
| 01/05/2027 | Tue | Morning | Classes Resume · Dads Club welcome-back carpool |
| 01/08/2027 | Fri | 8:30 AM | Gratitude Gathering (2B) |
| 01/08 or 01/09 | Fri/Sat | TBD | Police Officer Appreciation (date being finalized) |
| 01/18/2027 | Mon | All day | Martin Luther King Jr. Day (No School) |
| 01/22/2027 | Fri | 8:30 AM | Gratitude Gathering (3rd) |
| 01/28/2027 | Thu | 5:00 PM | International Night · set up / tear down |
| 02/02/2027 | Tue | All day | 100th Day (Pre-K & K) |
| 02/05/2027 | Fri | 8:30 AM | Gratitude Gathering (4th) |
| 02/11/2027 | Thu | All day | Valentine's Day Celebration |
| 02/11/2027 | Thu | Carpool | Carpool with a Cause · coats & blankets for Austin Street Center |
| 02/12/2027 | Fri | All day | Professional Development (No School) |
| 02/15/2027 | Mon | All day | Presidents' Day (No School) |
| 02/19/2027 | Fri | All day | Gratitude Gathering / Pancakes with Dads (Pre-K & K) |
| 02/20/2027 | Sat | All day | Soccer with Dads (1st–5th) |
| 02/26/2027 | Fri | All day | Texas Day for Students (Spirit Day) |
| 02/27/2027 | Sat | 6:00 PM | Fiesta Auction |
| 03/05/2027 | Fri | 8:30 AM | Gratitude Gathering (1A & 1B) |
| 03/15 – 03/19 | Mon | All day | Spring Break |
| 03/25/2027 | Thu | All day | Spirit Day |
| 03/26/2027 | Fri | All day | Good Friday (No School) |
| 03/29/2027 | Mon | All day | Professional Development (No School) |
| 03/30/2027 | Tue | All day | Grandfriends Day · set up / tear down |
| 04/02/2027 | Fri | 8:30 AM | Gratitude Gathering (2A & 2B) |
| 04/16/2027 | Fri | 8:30 AM | Gratitude Gathering (3rd & 4th) |
| 04/17/2027 | Sat | 10:00 AM | Farmer's Market · set up / tear down |
| 04/30/2027 | Fri | 8:30 AM / 1:30 PM | Pioneer Day / Showcase (Pre-K–1st AM · 2nd–5th PM) |
| 05/07/2027 | Fri | 8:30 AM | Gratitude Gathering / Teacher Appreciation (All School) |
| 05/10/2027 | Mon | 5:00 PM | Annual Sports Banquet |
| 05/13/2027 | Thu | Evening | Dad Prix · K1 Go Karts |
| 05/14/2027 | Fri | All day | Parent Teacher Conference (No School) |
| 05/27/2027 | Thu | All day | Last Day of School (Early Release 1 PM) · End of Year Ceremony |
| 05/31/2027 | Mon | All day | Memorial Day |
| 06/02/2027 | Wed | All day | New & Current Student Party |
Undated Dads Club items: Dads Hold Court (pickleball, spring), Bikes for Kids (spring), Chess & Cheeseboards, treehouse build, picnic table assembly, pothole fix at the NW Hwy exit. Dates will be added here and on the Parent Portal.
The Dads Club
Co-chairs: Rich DiStefano and Charlie Cockerell.