Odyssey Charter Elementary School

We are new to Odyssey this year, and couldn't be more pleased and impressed! My child has progressed rapidly in reading and writing, and I have not seen a lack of focus on basics at all, quite the contrary. The children are encouraged to be "the change they want to see in the world," and this behavior is modeled by the entire staff who clearly all love what they do! The field trips the students go on give them opportunities to learn teamwork, strengthen relationships, and most of all see the lessons they are learning in the classroom applied to the real world. Communication from both our teacher and the director are frequent and detailed. Great environment, great staff, great education, we are looking forward to many happy years at Odyssey!
--Submitted by a parent

This type of school works really well for some students. For those it doesn't work well for though, there are very few resources available in the school. Schools such as this love to do things for parents so that they think their kids are learning extraordinary things, but they don't teach stduents the basic building blocks necessary to continue learning. I have been very disaapointed in the Odyssey School and their idea of the "primacy of self discovery" touted in the hall. How about the primacy of teaching students what they need to know? I'd rather my child knew how to read and spell than get a superficial knowledge of physics in the 4th and 4th grades. The pressure behidn the "passages" system is also crazy. These kids aren't getting a gradauet degree, so why do they need to present in front of a panel of parents and teachers?
--Submitted by a parent

I don't know if that first poster is a bitter parent or if the posting is out of date or exaggerated. My daughter has attended Odyssey for 3 years and that has not been our experience. Every crew is different but there isn't a class that takes a field trip every week, maybe one or two per month and one or two camping trips per year depending on age; but the field trips always reflect what they're learning. During the nature walks, the children take their journals and write about their thoughts or an assignment given by the teacher. We love the school and the hard working, involved staff. My daughter is years ahead of other peers her same age group from different schools in all aspects of development and education from reading, writing and math to creative arts and even her relationships. It is a wonderful school!
--Submitted by a parent

We love having our daughter (4th grader) at The Odyssey School and feel that she is receiving an excellent and well-rounded education. The teachers are all extremely dedicated and knowledgeable, and Director Marcia Fulton is wonderful. She interacts with children and parents on a daily basis. The Expeditionary Learning model has worked very well for our daughter and we feel fortunate to have our son starting kindergarten at Odyssey next year as well. It is a community our family is proud to be a part of!
--Submitted by a parent

We feel fortunate to have our daughter at The Odyssey School and feel that she is getting an excellent, well-rounded education. The teachers are fantastic very dedicated, and I would disagree they take 'too many' camping trips. Director Marcia Fulton is wonderful as well. The Expeditionary Learning model has worked well for our daughter, and we are proud to be a part of the Odyssey community.
--Submitted by a parent

I pulled my children from Odyssey for the same reason posted by another parent -- too many field trips and too 'confidence building' and not enough of the three 'R's. The test scores at this school are pretty high -- but that is more a reflection of the education level of the parents and community then it is a reflection of the schools ability to educate. When the school first started (Yes, one of my children is that old) the field trips were focused on what the kids were learning in the classroom. Then the trips devolved in just camping for the sake of 'crew building.' I am very happy we moved on to a more traditional school.
--Submitted by a parent

Odyssey is an amazing school with an incredible and dedicated staff. The camping and field trip adventures bring learning to life. It is encouraging to see all the students support each other at all stages and ages
--Submitted by a parent

It is an amazing place for kids to grow and become responsible young adults. It is a nuturing, well rounded school that empowers kids in ways that allow them to face the future fully prepared.
--Submitted by a parent

Odyssey is an amazing charter school based on expeditionary and experiential learning. The staff is incredible - smart, talented, dedicated, fun and exceptionally hard-working. They constantly tweak the programs and are extremely supportive and versed in each child's needs. The community is very strong and parent involvement is high. We feel very lucky to be part of the Odyssey community.
--Submitted by a parent

My children are learning to think deeply at this school. They are challenged every day. They write incredibly well. They must interact with and present what they have learned to community members from within and outside their school. They do well on standardized tests. And, the best part is that they are part of a diverse community of students, families, and teachers.
--Submitted by a parent