 |
 |
Odyssey Charter Schools K-8 Newsletter
November 2008
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
NEWS AND INFORMATION
|
|
ODYSSEY VOTES FOR PRESIDENT!
Odyssey voted, and the results are in! The K-8 students and the High School students both voted for the same person they'd like to see in the White House, and that person is Barack Obama! You, along with President Elect Obama's many supporters have won the election! We're happy that our students were able to take part in the vote and we hope that you will always stay informed as to the events of this country and the world at large. We have just witnessed a historical moment!
TRUNK-R-TREAT
We'd like to say Thank You to all of our families who came out to support this event. There were many wonderfully decorated trunks and incredible costumes! We hope that our families enjoyed the event as much as we did. We thank you so much for your participation!
SAFARI SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR
We will be hosting a Safari Book Fair on campus from November 17-20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come to the fair to see how we transform a classroom into a safari! This event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, so please be sure to invite all your friends and family. See our website for more details. ...Beware of lions & tigers & gorillas!
TESTING
Don't forget about testing! You can talk to your teacher or check the website for upcoming testing dates!
SCHOOL BREAK
There will be no school on November 10th and 11th to observe Veteran's Day, and no school on November 27th and 28th to observe Thanksgiving. We hope you enjoy your holidays!
VISITOR PASSES
For the safety of our students and staff, all visitors are required to stop by the school office to receive a Visitor Pass anytime they are on the school campus. Thank you for your cooperation.
TEACHER FEATURE
Mrs. Jess Purewal-Nanar grew up in Fresno, California, and later moved to Yorba Linda, California. She recieved a BA in Liberal Studies from California State University in Fresno, and then completed her Teaching Credential and Graduate Studies at California Polytechnic University in Pomona.
Mrs. Nanar is lucky because her mother, two brothers and one sister all live on the west coast. She is married and has a 15-month old little boy!
Mrs. Nanar loves to travel and collects ancient Egyptian artifacts. She enjoys going to museums and also likes cooking and baking - that is, when she finds the time!
Her favorite food is Mediterranean food and she also enjoys eating homemade Indian food. She also loves all kinds of seafood and salads.
Mrs. Nanar has traveled a lot - to Singapore, India, England, Mexico, Dubai, Spain, Hawaii, and Canada. Wow! If she could travel anywhere in the world, she would choose to go to Africa. (Maybe she'll attend our Safari Book Fair, in the meantime!)
Mrs. Nanar's favorite movie of all time is Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.
She says that she really enjoys working one-on-one with students and families of Odyssey. She enjoys getting to know the families on a personal level, and said that she has made many friends working at Odyssey. We're so happy to have her!
<<<< Mrs. Jess Purewal-Nanar
8th GRADE STUDENTS
Remember to utilize OPEN LAB! This is available in the Grade 8 Classroom Monday-Thursday from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Additionally, the High School lab is open Monday-Thursday all day, and Friday mornings. This is a perfect way to get in some EXTRA TEACHER TIME along with SUPPORT!
NOTES FROM THE PRINCIPAL
It’s hard to imagine that one quarter of our school year has already passed! We applaud our families and our teachers for working diligently to foster ongoing opportunities for student success. The number of parents in attendance at group classes this year is unprecedented. We know these experiences are critical for the success of all participants in our program.
Of course with each success story (and I hear them regularly) also comes a question or two regarding best practices for working with students in the home. Continued work on effective communication skills can have a direct tie to understanding and helping our students with challenges and/or struggles they encounter as learners.
The following is a list of tips from Odyssey parents and teachers that we have heard over the last few years. They can be shared with anyone working with students. The idea is to improve one’s listening skills, which in turn can lead to better communication and improved relationships!
1. Demonstrate active listening-listen more than you talk
2. Be aware of what the student is saying-don’t let your mind wander to what your next response will be
3. Try not to finish the student’s sentences for them
4. Communicate-don’t dominate the conversation
5. Without interrupting, provide appropriate feedback
6. Summarize what the student has communicated to you-this lets them hear exactly what you think they have said as well as validating that you were a captive audience!
Warm wishes are sent to each of you for a great Thanksgiving holiday from your Odyssey Charter School family.
Dr. Julie Charles
Principal, K-8 Program
A LETTER FROM THE ASSITANT PRINCIPAL
It is a pleasure to introduce myself to the Odyssey Charter School community. My name is Rob Carter and I am the new Assistant Principal for the K-8 program. I have been associated with Odyssey for five years, both as a high school teacher and a high school administrator. I am very excited to be working with teachers, parents, and students in the K-8 program. The dedication to student learning that I have seen thus far from our staff and families has truly been impressive.
I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and moved to the ‘lower 48’ to attend college at the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!). After earning my Bachelors of Science, I obtained my Masters in Education from George Fox University. I worked as both an online and traditional middle school teacher in Oregon for five years before moving to Las Vegas in 2003.
When I am not at Odyssey, I enjoy running, hiking and traveling. My wife (at teacher at Darnell Elementary School) and I have traveled to Scotland, Italy, Germany, Hungary, and the Czech Republic in the last several years. This coming summer, we plan on visiting China. We have two middle school aged sons who love playing Lacrosse.
I look forward to meeting as many members of the Odyssey community as I can this year and encourage you to stop by and say hello if you happen to be on campus.
Mr. Rob Carter
Assistant Principal
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Odyssey Charter Schools K-8
Odyssey High School
2251 S. Jones Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89146
Phone: 702-257-0578
Fax: 702-259-7793
K-8 Office Hours: M-F, 8am-4pm
High School Office Hours:
M-Th, 8am-4pm & Friday, 7am-3pm
|
|
|
|
|
|