O’Dea Families,

We wrapped up CMAS this week and want to thank all of our 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-grade students for doing their best on these important assessments!   Reminder: No School on April 23rd and 24th!

Don’t forget Class Picture Day on Tuesday, April 28th - Dress to impress!

We warmly invite all of our amazing volunteers to join us for an open-house style Volunteer Appreciation Event on Tuesday, April 21st, from 4:00–6:00 PM at Café Vino. This special gathering is our way of saying thank you for the time, energy, and care you bring to our school community. We hope you can stop by to enjoy light refreshments, connect with fellow volunteers, and celebrate the difference you make every day!

DATE CHANGE!!!!   The PTA meeting date has CHANGED -  our next PTA meeting will be 5/11 in the media center, (snacks and childcare provided!) We’d be thrilled to see any parents who are excited to jump in and support O’Dea- everyone is welcome! (see additional PTA news in the PTA Newsletter)! The meeting will focus on finishing up planning details for Core Fair, PTA structural changes and planning for the 2026-2027 school year!

NEW O’Dea Poetry Contest - All O’Dea students are invited to submit an original poem to the 2026 O’Dea Poetry Contest! Submissions are free and will be open until Wednesday, April 22nd. One winner and one runner-up will be chosen for each of the two divisions. Winners will receive $50 each and runners-up $25 each. All four students will read their winning poems at the last school assembly of the year on May 22nd. So, get creative; get weird! Send us your best poem, whether it’s funny, sad, hopeful, creepy, sunny, dark, serious, or something else entirely.

Mark your calendars, we have two big school events coming up!  5/12 School Musical - Finding Nemo - @ Fort Collins High School 7:00-8:00 & our annual Core Fair and Jr. Choir 5:30-7:30 - Hope to see everyone there!

TWO O’DEA DINNER NIGHTS IN APRIL!!!

4/22 April Dinner Night Out - The final O'Dea dining fundraiser will be on Wednesday, April 22nd at Bad Daddy's Burger Bar. Having the event as the kids head into a long weekend will be a nice treat and a wonderful way to celebrate all the hard work the older ones have done on CMAS testing :)  Bad Daddy's will be donating 20% of sales from 5PM-9PM when O'Dea Elementary is mentioned. Flyers will go into teacher mailboxes in early April. 

4/27 April Dinner Night Out @ Culver's 5:00-8:00 - As part of Autism Awareness Week, Culver's has partnered with us to celebrate students who receive Autism Support.  Some of our students who receive Autism Support will serve as food runners and help the Culver’s team run the restaurant.  Come show your support, and 10% of sales will come back to O’Dea.

Opportunities to Get Involved or Let Your Voice Be Heard 📣

Do you have creative ideas, special talents, or connections with local businesses that might be willing to donate fun prizes or raffle items for Teacher Appreciation Week? We’re looking for contributions like gift cards to a local greenhouse, tickets to a fun event, or even a beautiful bouquet of flowers—anything that can help us celebrate and spoil our amazing staff. If you’d like to contribute, please email odeapta@gmail.com - Every donation, big or small, is truly appreciated!

Announcing PTA-sponsored COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MINI GRANTS! Do you have a fabulous idea you're excited about bringing to life to enhance our school community? The PTA has created a Google Form that community members can use to request funding for these projects and to create opportunities to bring our O'Dea community together. Feeling passionate about an idea you're excited to execute? Use this form to present your idea! (All ideas are welcome! Want hot chocolate for a star-gazing night? Whistles and maps for a hike? Prizes for a competition? Supplies for a beautification project? Let's hear it! )

Library Helpers Needed (Quarter 4)
Our amazing Library team is looking for volunteers to assist students with finding, checking out, and reshelving books on Wednesdays. It’s a great opportunity to support literacy and connect with students!👉 https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D49ABAA2FA5FB6-62876760-q4library

A Note From O’Dea PTA

Looking for O'Dea gear!?  The O'Dea Gear store is open and can be purchased here: https://odeaelementaryschool.givebacks.com/shop 

AND - REMEMBER: If you plan to volunteer in the school, please, please register with the PSD volunteer registration website. Thank you, families, for being such an important part of our community. We couldn’t do this without you!