Happy Friday! It has been a wonderful week of learning at O’Dea and we are looking forward to a wonderful spring with lots of family events!
Please join us for the 3/10 PTA meeting (In Person!) 6:30-7:30!! Our amazing PTA is looking for some new officers for the 2026-27 school year (President, Vice President, and Treasurer)! If you are interested, please contact Kim Murray, our current PTA President @ ODeaPTA@gmail.com. Don’t forget our next PTA on 3/10 (see below for more information).
Playground Mural Project: Join the Fun and Sign Up Below!
Our playground is about to get a splash of color, and we want you to be part of it! Students have had a chance to vote on the design and we need YOU, our team of student and family volunteers, to help bring it to life. We would love to have as many members of our school community involved as possible, and much of the work will be "paint-by-number" kind of work -- even young children can help with supervision. As a special thank-you, everyone who participates will have their name added in a secret spot on the container — a hidden signature of our community teamwork. All are welcome to join! Students should have a parent supervising. We are also seeking older students/siblings/parents to help with more detailed work — climbing ladders and painting directly on the container. We are requesting your phone number, and we’ll send out a text to notify you of work days. These times will likely be either right after school, or Saturdays. If you’re interested at any level, sign up here. FIRST Tentative Painting Day is scheduled for Thursday, March 12 from 4-5:30pm.In February,
O’Dea Staffing and Budget Plan Update
The O’Dea Leadership Team met on Wednesday, 2/18, to begin planning for how PSD budget reductions will impact O’Dea staffing and operations for the 2026-27 school year. We had five parents join us (three staff & two additional parents) to add parent feedback and input into our planning. For the upcoming school year, O’Dea had a 7% ($220,000) reduction in our overall funding. Based on the O’Dea Leadership Team, parent, and staff feedback, we have finalized a plan for how to navigate reductions to our budget. Below is the 2026-27 Staffing Plan categorized into maintaining, additions/adjustments, and reductions.
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Maintain |
Additions/Adjustments |
Reductions |
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Three tracks/classrooms per grade level
80% Specials (Art, Music and PE) Technology/Library one day a week.
One Intervention Teacher and one Intervention Teacher Aid
One day, Behavior Support and Coaching with a Behavior Specialist.
English Language Support - One Certified Teacher
Special Education - Two Multi-Categorical Teachers and two Teaching Aids
Center-Based Autism - Four Teachers and 16.5 Teaching Aids |
Technology Special will be combined with Library - students will have library first and then engage in technology instruction. This will give students more robust library opportunities.
Adding one day Certified Teaching Intervention support |
Next year’s 5th Grade will have three tracks instead of four.
Technology Teaching Position converted from Certified Teaching to Classified Position.
Reduction from two days of Behavior Support and Coaching with a Behavior Specialist to one day.
English Language Support - Reduction of a ½ time Teaching Aid.
Special Education - Multi-Categorical Program Reduction of one Certified Teaching Position (we had three this year) and one Teacher Aid (we had three this year).
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Spring Testing - Colorado Measures of Academic Success
We are approaching the time of year when we administer CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success), the assessments required by our state and federal governments. This year, 3rd – 5th grade students will take grade-level assessments in Math and English Language Arts (reading and writing), 4th grade will take one session of Social Studies, and 5th grade will also take a Science assessment. Each test has 3 sessions that last from 65 – 90 minutes depending on the test. These tests provide valuable information for our school and teachers, who use the data to understand where students are in their learning and tailor instruction accordingly. The district also uses these results to measure overall student academic progress and identify opportunities for improvement.
Our standardized assessments provide us with information about student learning and mastery of state standards. We have talked about a couple good reasons to love CMAS:
1. Reduced homework during testing weeks!
2. Chewing gum during the test
3. Snack before mid-morning test sessions
4. Recess/break after each test
5. The tests don’t affect grades
6. Good practice for important tests later in life (ACT/SAT, LSAT, MCAT, etc.)
7. A chance to do your best and show what you know!
Here are a couple tips to help make sure your kids do their best:
· Go to bed early — we recommend by 9:00 pm at the latest.
· Wake up on time – that will avoid extra stress and help them start out the day on the right foot.
· Be at school on time – don’t use energy being rushed, use your energy to think.
· Eat a good breakfast – eggs, fruits, oatmeal, granola bars, etc. (avoid sugar)
· Wear comfortable clothes – so you can use your energy to focus on the test.
· Remind them to do their best – but to not stress out.
· Boost their confidence – leave them with encouraging words and support. They really will do well!
Please reach out with any questions to Ryan Joyal - if you have any questions Ryan Joyal- rjoyal@psdschools.org -970.488.4450…we are here to help!
Opportunities to Get Involved or Let Your Voice Be Heard 📣
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 utilize to request funding to support these projects and 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! )
Passionate about spoiling our teachers and staff? Do you love planning fun events? Got a little time, a big smile, or a fun idea to share? We’d love your help as we plan some exciting things coming up — Teacher Appreciation Week, our school-wide end-of-year Core Fair, and even helping shape the future of our PTA! Whether you want to jump in, help behind the scenes, or just learn more, we’d love to have you involved.
We’re excited that PTA meetings are back in person, and everyone is welcome! Our next meeting is on 3/10 (in the media center, snacks and childcare provided!) and we’d be thrilled to see any parents who are excited to jump in and support O’Dea. (see additional PTA news in the PTA Newsletter)!
Library Helpers Needed (Quarter 3)
Our amazing Library team is looking for volunteers to assist students with finding and checking out books on Wednesday and reshelving books on Thursdays. It’s a great opportunity to support literacy and connect with students!
👉 https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D49ABAA2FA5FB6-61302404-q3library
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!
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O’Dea Family Calendar Arrival/Dismissal Times 9:05-3:43 |
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3/9 |
Battle of the Books Competition 3rd Grade @ 1:30 pm 4th Grade @ 2:15 pm 5th Grade @ 3:00 pm |
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3/13 |
Friday - No School |
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3/13 -3/22 |
Spring Break |
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3/30-4/3 |
Autism Acceptance Week: Family Breakfast (4/3) for students who receive support in our Center-Based Autism Program. |
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4/6-4/17 |
CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success) is the assessment required by our state and federal governments. This year, 3rd – 5th grade students will take grade-level assessments in Math and English Language Arts (reading and writing), 4th grade will take one session of Social Studies, and 5th grade will also take a Science assessment. |
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4/23 & 24 |
No School |
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4/28 |
Class Picture Day :) |