Grades: K - 5
School Colors: Blue & White
School Mascot: Owl
History
O'Dea Elementary was opened in the fall of 1963 with the Dedication Program taking place on November 13th, of that year. Miss Margaret O'Dea was in attendance. Mr. Bernard Johnston was the principal and Mr. I.K. Boltz was the Superintendent of Schools.
Miss O'Dea was born in Leadville, Colorado and received her education in the Leadville schools, Colorado State College and Colorado State University. She taught in the Leadville schools for seventeen years and served as teacher and principal in the Fort Collins Public Schools for thirty-one years, from 1922 to 1953. For the last twenty-one years of her career she was the principal of Remington School.
A Community School
Parents and teachers work together to plan and give direction to O'Dea Core Knowledge Elementary. Planning family events and fundraisers are important jobs for the PTA. The O'Dea Site Advisory Board, a shared decision-making group of parents and teachers, gathers information and provides direction that reflects the school community.
Adult volunteers give their time and expertise to a wide range of events, activities and projects.
Our Students
Students are supported to study and learn as much as they can. We believe that making friends and being involved in the many school activities is important for our students.
We believe that by working together, parents, and teachers help students become responsible citizens.
Students are engaged in daily learning that is linked together across the subjects and grades. Teachers work together to plan units of study that make sense, relate to the real world, and build upon each other providing stepping stones to academic achievement. Part of the learning in linked to computers and technology that enhances the lessons taught. We have student access and use information from a variety of sources.
Our Teachers
Our teachers are experienced and caring. We address student needs by reaching out to families in a true partnership. We believe working together always benefits the child. Lessons in the areas of art, music, physical education, library and computers give students wide and varied experiences that are based on their age and ability.
Opportunities
In addition to our classroom events, students can be involved with activities that are fun and provide a chance to learn more about a particular topic. These might include leadership through student council, sportsmanship, in-depth study by submitting a project to the Core Subject Fair, problem solving by being on an Odyssey of the Mind team, or joining voices together in a choir. These are only representative examples of some of the student-oriented opportunities that are available to O'Dea students in their complete experience.