O’Dea Families,

We had a wonderful first week of spring and are so thankful for the AC with the 90 Degree Heat 🙂.  

Next week, we celebrate Autism Acceptance Week!  At O’Dea, our Center-Based Autism Program accounts for 10% of our student population.  These students are part of what makes O’Dea a special place, enriching our school with neurodivergent strengths, perspectives, differences, and learning approaches. O’Dea is known throughout Colorado and the U.S. for having one of the best Autism Programs, with a phenomenal team of educators who provide world-class support.  We will celebrate students and staff all next week and conclude with our annual Autism Breakfast for families/friends of students who receive support from our Autism Team. 

I want to send a huge thank-you to Jamie Bailey for organizing our Mural Project and to all the volunteers who have helped over the last couple of weeks.  We have made quite a bit of progress and still have a small bit to go :).   If you are an adult who has time to help (touching up kid jobs, painting around hardware, second coat of dashes, etc), here are a few times we will be having Adult Volunteer Painting ( 3/30 Monday 9am - noon & 4/6 Monday 5-7:30pm).  Please reach out to Jaime Bailey if you plan to help on any of the days @ 970-889-0119.

Don’t forget our next PTA Meeting 4/14 We’re excited that PTA meetings are back in person, and everyone is welcome! Our next meeting is on 4/14  (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)!  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.  

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.

Running Club is coming to O'Dea for all 3-5 students Thursday April 2, 9, 16, 30 and May 7. We need your help to make it a success! Please sign-up to help at one or more Running Club sessions. Volunteer positions include lap counter, water refill helper, monitor & motivate, run/walk buddy. Running is not required to help at running club!   https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040F44A5A929ABF58-62731371-odea

Congratulations, O'Dea Artists! 28 students currently have their artwork on display at the YAM (Youth Art Month) Art Show. Artwork may be viewed from March 11-29th, 2026 at the Center for Creativity. O'Dea YAM Art Show

Congratulations to our Battle of the Books Winners (5th Grade Isabella Lorusso, Quentin Powleka, CeCe Giaaratano-Green, Lawson Dubois-Phelan; 4th Grade: Naomi Bayham, Sage Tholl, and Zoe Roberts; and 3rd Grade: Cora Pease, Hazel Clark, and Kaia Guzman. Good luck at district competition, Tuesday, March 31st!!! 

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. 

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.

Here are a couple of tips to help make sure your kids do their best:

1. Go to bed early — we recommend by 9:00 pm at the latest.
2. Wake up on time – that will avoid extra stress and help them start out the day on the right foot.
3. Be at school on time – don’t use energy being rushed, use your energy to think.
4. Eat a good breakfast – eggs, fruits, oatmeal, granola bars, etc. (avoid sugar) 
5. Wear comfortable clothes – so you can use your energy to focus on the test.
6. Remind them to do their best – but not to stress out.
7. Boost their confidence – leave them with encouraging words and support. 

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 4/14  (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 4)
Our amazing Library team is looking for volunteers to assist students with finding and 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!