Head of school update, 10/5

Dear Odyssey Community,

A pervasive topic across all grades in the school has been assessment and student academic performance. How well are the lessons students are learning going into their long-term memory? How are students growing in their ability to do simple math problems automatically? How fast are students reading with few mistakes and high comprehension? How is the new spiral math curriculum helping students continuously build on what they have previously learned? Are students able to analyze complex text? Are students able to demonstrate that they have mastered standards? Are students earning the grades they deserve based on their effort and learning?

All the teachers at Odyssey have goals for the year, and most of them focus on increased academic achievement: how we facilitate it and how we measure it. Many focus on deeper learning as a tool to draw students to the learning targets. This deeper learning is fostered by experiential and inquiry-based instruction and by creating a culture of belonging in the classroom, where every student is encouraged and expected to contribute.

Families should be seeing evidence of accelerated learning over the last few weeks. We have been in school long enough for our students to get traction and be comfortable with the systems we have in place. In many cases, teachers have created student groups, alternate schedules, and interventions based on data to address individual student needs. We are one month away from teacher-led conferences, and we invite families to reach out sooner if they have questions or concerns about their child’s academic progress.

With Gratitude,

Anne and Peter