Family Involvement at Odyssey
The Odyssey School is a cooperative enterprise: our families, teachers, director, and staff share the responsibilities and rewards of operating our school. Parents play essential roles in and out of the classrooms. Our families experience firsthand the school environment, become advocates for their children, and enrich the school community with their ideas, interests, talents, and resources. Family involvement is a key foundation of The Odyssey School as families are essential partners in the education of our students. The school requires that all families support their children in learning at home and school, while also being involved in the development of the school. The following standards serve to clarify the expectations of families and to simplify what is asked of families and how families can meet the expectations.
The student-focused requirements are considered absolutely essential from every family to ensure that students are getting the support that teachers and families believe is vital for each child's success.
Required Home Support
- Read Thursday Folder every week. Complete permission forms.
- Create a literate environment at home by reading to child each night or ensuring that child reads each night.
- Oversee homework- assist with homework or be aware of homework and its completion
- Ensure child is prepared for school, especially making sure that child has necessary clothing, supplies, etc.
Required School Support
- Attend all student-led conferences, including goal-setting conferences
- Attend Back-to-School Night and Exhibition Nights
- Arrange with teacher for home visit, when indicated
- Plan for child to participate in all adventure activities
- If new family, attend orientation
Options for Family Involvement in Crew
- Room Parent - including organizing snack and coordinating class tasks
- Be a welcoming family for a new family in crew or the school
- Curriculum Assistant
- Cut things out for teacher/ make books/ make Math games
- Help in classroom
- Plan fieldwork, help with expedition research for fieldwork
- Go on fieldwork
- Plan adventure options
- Help with adventure (adventure parent for crew)
- Do book orders
- Edit children's work at school
- Classroom Maintenance
- Collect crew-related material for Newsletter
- Weekly library run- pick up and drop off DPL books
- Beginning of year classroom preparation
- End of year classroom clean up and put away
- Bring food and/or supplies to classroom celebrations
Options for Unique Grade-Specific Needs
- Classroom clean up (grade specific)
- Graduation (grade specific)
- Passage panel - one Friday in May
- Passages ceremonies
Options for Family Involvement in School Community
- Be a Family Council committee chair or active committee member - Adventure,
- Hospitality, Newsletter, Fundraising, Room Parent, Curriculum Asst
- Be a literacy volunteer: reading or Odyssey library
- Math tutor
- Help with Field Day (organize versus help on day of event)
- Carpool families in need of transportation
- Extracurricular social events
- School maintenance/ Playground maintenance
- Grant writing
- Coach after-school seasonal sport
- Assist with family forums and/or educational events
- Help with Math Night, Literacy Night and Book Fair
