Parent Involvement and Support

  • The Odyssey Program is a community-based program that embraces and relies on the rich and diverse skills of our parent leaders and volunteers. The Odyssey Program receives the same funding as every other public school; but our program is enriched with much more. It is the parent community that makes this possible through financial contributions and volunteer support.

    Financial Giving and Fundraising

    • Direct giving contributions from our community – NOT PPS – funds ALL enrichment and extracurricular activities. Odyssey performances, thematic binders and novels, field trips, field studies, costumes, art supplies, special events, special classroom supplies, and so much more, are paid for through parent contributions.
    • Odyssey’s direct giving campaign asks for contributions from each family as they are able.

    Parent Volunteering

    • Parent involvement is a foundation of the Odyssey community. We ask Odyssey parents to contribute their time and talents as they are able. 
    • In the classrooms, parent volunteers help teachers with preparations, provide mentoring to teams, assist with arts activities, and facilitate communications to cluster families with updates on homework and happenings. 
    • Enrichment activities rely extensively on parent volunteers, whether it’s chaperoning and guiding field trips and field studies, or building sets, making costumes and coaching students for performances. Art activities allow parents to lead students in learning skills unique to the historical theme they are studying; for example, quilting, wood working, or candle making. Special events call on parents to help with a host of planning, coordination and setup/ cleanup.
    • The Odyssey PTA supports the Odyssey Program, teachers and students. PTA supports the Odyssey program with parent committees focused on long-term planning and advocacy, finance and fundraising, marketing and recruiting, family support, classroom support, parent-teacher communication, volunteer coordination, information technology, performances, and field studies.

     

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