Mission

The Odyssey School provides an excellent education to children five years old through middle school who have been diagnosed with dyslexia and other language learning differences. Odyssey offers an educational program using proven teaching methods, small group instruction, and daily tutoring for individual skill building. Our program is designed to help children reach their full potential by challenging them intellectually while building the self-advocacy skills needed to meet the academic challenges of both high school and post-secondary education. Our Four Pillars of Kindness, Honesty, Respect and Hard Work are the foundation on which The Odyssey School is built.

Philosophy

Taken from Homer’s account of Ulysses' heroic journey home from the Trojan War, our name represents the personal journey that each child must undertake in his or her individual road to success. It represents our conviction that through encouragement, mentoring and a healthy sense of community, our children can learn, excel, and develop the personal character that often blossoms from adversity.

Recognizing that our students are gifted, but may struggle in traditional educational environments, the Odyssey School employs a whole child educational program aimed at teaching students how to utilize their strengths to compensate for their learning differences.

The goal of The Odyssey School is to cultivate in our students the knowledge, self- confidence, and self- advocacy skills to succeed in future academic settings. Odyssey understands that an excellent education is forged from a partnership between the parents, the school, and the child. We believe that within the context of such a partnership each of these promising children is able to learn.

We provide a diverse range of multi-sensory methods of reading instruction that are proven by current research to be effective in teaching students with learning differences.

We are committed to maintaining a low student/teacher ratio, which allows our children to develop academic competence and to gain a personal understanding of their learning differences and the impact they have on their lives.

Diversity

At Odyssey, we believe that a diverse school community provides a dynamic and engaging educational setting in which all students are respected, valued and understood. To this end, the Odyssey School Board of Trustees together with its faculty, staff, students and parents are committed to fostering a learning culture that embraces and celebrates individual differences in an inclusive environment. As a school community we work to promote the talents, perspectives and backgrounds among the trustees, faculty and student body reflective of an inclusive and diverse community. The Odyssey School fully accepts the responsibility that this commitment entails and through purposeful and intentional ongoing practice, will maintain a diverse learning community. The School embraces the goals and vision outlined in the Diversity Statement of the Association for Independent Maryland Schools (AIMS).

Culturally Responsive Vision Statement

Students

Our students embrace diversity, act respectfully, and contribute positively to our community. Our students are welcoming and open to understanding the experiences and perspectives of all people (race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, gender identity, ability, national origin, etc.).

Faculty at Odyssey

Faculty at Odyssey foster a supportive environment where students are comfortable with their rich heritage as well as the backgrounds and cultures of others. Faculty are able to share about their perspectives and experiences. Lessons are organized and planned proactively with diverse perspectives in mind but may occur organically as well.

Parents

Families are welcomed partners in their children’s education. Families are encouraged to provide input and be actively involved in their children’s academic journeys. Our parents are open to understanding the experiences and perspectives of all people including but not limited to race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, gender identity, ability, and national origin while also sharing their personal experiences and culture.

Community Involvement

The Odyssey School will be an instructional resource on dyslexia and language based learning differences. The goal is to promote a better understanding of dyslexia and to serve as a resource for the community. The community will serve as a resource partner in providing additional experiences for students and staff to further enhance cultural understandings.