Dearest Dragon Families,

We are grateful for the unwavering support of our dynamic staff, students, and you—our devoted parent community. Your commitment makes a world of difference in our shared mission to cultivate a nurturing and successful learning environment.

✅ Attendance Matters: Did you know that regular school attendance is a key factor in student success? Studies show that students who attend school consistently are more likely to achieve higher academic performance. We count on your support to ensure our students are present and ready to learn each day.

🎯 Goal Setting and Progress Reflection: Our students are actively reflecting on their progress and setting goals during our monthly EmPOWER Hour sessions. This practice encourages them to take ownership of their learning journey and strive for continual improvement.

📚 Literacy Integration: We are thrilled to see the positive impact of our literacy initiatives. Our teachers are integrating vocabulary routines like the Frayer Models and the 7-Step Method across all content areas to enhance our students' learning experiences. Additionally, our ELA teachers are using the Book Taco Program. This innovative program offers book quizzes, reading logs, vocabulary lessons, and interactive rewards to motivate and engage students in their reading journey. We are looking forward to celebrating literacy at our annual Literacy Night event on Friday, November 8th (see details below) and hope you will join us!

📅 ODMS families are invited to join me for "Coffee Convos with Principal Ninah" (RSVP - https://tinyurl.com/PrincipalNinahCoffeeConvos) this Wednesday, November 6th (9:30 - 10:30 a.m.). These meetings will take place the 1st Wednesday of the month.

As a reminder, follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for updates and events.

💻 Social Media Links

Odyssey Middle School (ODMS) Website - https://odysseyms.ocps.net/

ODMS Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/odysseyms/

ODMS Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/odysseymiddle_dragons/

ODMS Twitter - https://twitter.com/OdysseyMS_OCPS

Thank you for your commitment to student success and for empowering our Dragons!

We are Odyssey! We empower, endeavor, and excel. 🐲🏈🏆

In Leadership and Service,

Your Proud Principal, Ms. Ninah 💖

“Individuals play the game, but teams win championships.” John Maxwell

OCPS Vision

To ensure that every student has a promising and successful future

OCPS Mission

With the support of families and the community, we create enriching and diverse pathways that lead our students to success

ODMS Mantra

We are Odyssey! We empower, endeavor, and excel.

Principal, Charisse M. Ninah, charisse.ninah@ocps.net

Assistant Principal, Gina Grant, gina.grant@ocps.net

Assistant Principal, Sean Roper, sean.roper@ocps.net

Instructional Coach/Testing, natalie.kitts@ocps.net

Literacy Coach/ESOL Compliance Specialist, hema.vijayakumar@ocps.net

School Counselor (Grades 6 & 7 A-L), daylin.saavedra@ocps.net

School Counselor (Grades 8 & 7 M-Z), lucia.aloyo-cruz@ocps.net

Media Specialist, tracy.finnin@ocps.net

Staffing Specialist, nichole.clark@ocps.net

S.A.F.E. Coordinator, dalia.alarnick@ocps.net

Dean (Grades 8 & 7 M-Z), javier.maldonado@ocps.net

NOV 1 Fall Dance (6PM-8PM)

NOV 4-8 Book Fair | During School Hours M - Th; Fri 9:00 -7:00 PM | Location: Media Center

NOV 5 Election Day

NOV 6 Coffee Conversations with Principal Ninah (9:30-10:30AM) | Location: Room 502

NOV 7 Spirit Night at McDonald's | Location: 5785 Lee Vista Blvd

NOV 8 #FiredbyReading Literacy Festival | 5pm - 7pm | Location: Odyssey Middle School

NOV 11 Veterans Day Celebration (9:30-11:00 a.m.) | Location: Room 502

NOV 12 SAC (5:00 p.m.) & PTSA (5:30 p.m.) | Location: Media Center

NOV 13 Commissioner Gray Town Hall Meeting

NOV 14 Fundraising with Menchies (12PM-10PM) | Location: 6817 Eagle Watch Dr 255, Orlando, FL 32822 PH 407-492-6230.

NOV 18 Scoliosis, Weight, and Height Screening

NOV 21 Principal Advisory Council (8:45-9:15 a.m.) | Location: Room 502

NOV 25-29 Thanksgiving Break - No School

📅 SAVE THESE DATES

DEC 23- JAN 3 Winter Break

Join the PTSA to actively shape your child's educational experience and connect with a supportive community of parents and educators. Scan the QR code below to express your interest. Thank you!

Follow us on social media: Instagram - @odysseymiddleschoolptsa; Facebook - ODMS PTSA

💻 Email: odysseyptsaorlando@gmail.com

🛒 Shop + Become a PTSA Member: https://odmsdragons.memberhub.com/store

📅 Date: Tuesday, November 12

⏲️ Time: 5:00 p.m. (SAC) | 5:30 p.m. (PTSA)

🏫 Location: Media Center

Dragon families, we are currently offering math morning tutoring sessions (see image for details).

Additionally, we are offering afternoon tutoring sessions for various content areas through

All Stars. Afternoon tutoring sessions through All Stars will be provided by our very own teachers. Your child must be registered for All Stars to take advantage of this FREE after school tutoring opportunity. Scan the QR code to register your child.

Thank you for supporting your child in this endeavor!

The (cash only) admission for home games is $5 per adult and $2 per student. Please visit our athletics page on our school website for important information, including game schedules: https://odysseyms.ocps.net/athletics. If you have additional questions, email our Athletic Director, Coach Loristin (fabiola.loristin@ocps.net).

• Orange County Public Schools has begun the adoption of new K-12 instructional materials for ELA, Personal Finance and AP English courses.
• The ELA materials will be used in classrooms starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The Personal Finance materials will be used in classrooms starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The AP English materials will be available for school purchase beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.
• To better inform the committees of the priorities of both educators and community members, a voluntary survey has been developed for those who wish to provide feedback. Please select the appropriate link to complete the survey. The survey will close on Friday, October 4, 2024.

ELA Adoption - Arabic

ELA Adoption - English

ELA Adoption - Haitian-Creole

ELA Adoption - Portuguese

ELA Adoption - Spanish

ELA Adoption - Vietnamese

Personal Finance Adoption – Arabic

Personal Finance Adoption – English

Personal Finance Adoption – Haitian-Creole

Personal Finance Adoption – Portuguese

Personal Finance Adoption – Spanish

Personal Finance Adoption - Vietnamese

We are open from 9am - 3:30pm, November 4th - 8th.

We are excited to announce a new initiative to celebrate the amazing strength and resilience within our school community! These students, nominated by their teachers, exemplify resilience through their hard work and determination.

Catalina was randomly selected by OCPS to receive a gift box from White Rose Books & More after she entered 4233 reading minutes in the Beanstack Summer Reading 2024 Challenge.

Thank you for investing in the life-changing initiatives taking place at Odyssey Middle School. We appreciate your contribution to our mission of ensuring that every student has a promising and successful future. Please share with parents, community members, Facebook friends.

1. School Fund: 🖱 Click here to donate to the Odyssey Fund

2. Recycling Bin: You can also help Odyssey Middle by donating used clothing and shoes. We earn cash for every pound of clothing donated.

Opt in for text messages from the district and our school.