Odyssey School has a dynamic and clear mission statement, philosophy and set of goals and objectives. These instruments are the guiding principles for the students, parents, staff and Board. These general mandates are translated into specific, everyday expectations and rules. In dealing with young adolescents it is often difficult to determine the line between social situations and school situations — or between “school business” and “family business.” Whatever is going on in a middle schooler’s life affects school performance. To be effective, the school believes it must set, and maintain, a high level of expectations for its students. It is important for families to be comfortable with a school’s daily operations and we want you to consider some of those specifics. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact the Head of School for clarification and/or discussion.

1 Summer Reading All students will participate in a summer reading/viewing program that will prepare them for the year’s curriculum — this is available July 1st. 2 Food Policies Odyssey believes in healthy food, beginning with a nutritious breakfast, to help ensure optimal academic performance. While opinion and research vary concerning healthy foods, Odyssey believes in a program of moderation. Specifically Odyssey has established the following general guidelines: - Lunches should be well balanced and should not include soda or candy.  We encourage fresh lunches in lieu of packaged lunch options. - We provide refrigerator space for students who want to store milk or real fruit juices. - Birthday treats brought to Odyssey must be nutritious and preferably homemade. - Lunches should include a wholesome snack — no sugar treats — for morning and afternoon breaks. - When traveling with Odyssey, such as to camps, advisory lunches, and Japan,we expect students to taste everything and to eat what they serve themselves from the nutritiously planned menus. We want to keep our students healthy so that they can fully participate in all activities. We will be teaching our students the importance of good nutrition and the concept of moderation via our food program, which will consist of visits to the Farmer's Market, snack preparation for the school Wellness Week and integration of cooking into the curriculum. 3 Community It is the philosophy of Odyssey that the school community is the most important entity in the culture. Thus, student behavior is held to a very high standard. It is the school’s expectation that each student be a positive contributing member of the community. Respect for students’ physical and emotional space is a top priority. Students will be suspended and/or expelled for major violations. We support inclusion at Odyssey and thus school parties, which involve most of a set group, must include that entire group. No electronic communications after 9:00 pm. All school-sponsored events will be chaperoned by adults and Odyssey parents are entitled to an expectation that all home parties will be as well. 4 Dress Code While Odyssey students do not have a dress code other than their Odyssey movement clothes, students are expected to meet a high standard of dress when going on school trips; this may involve wearing their Odyssey sweats, school shirt, khaki pants/skirt and school polo shirt or special “theater dress.” We discourage the use of make up and do not allow it on school trips. Students may not wear hats. School attire should cover all underwear, stomachs and should not contain inappropriate slogans or images. 5 Grades Evaluations, rather than grades, are the academic reporting mechanism at Odyssey. Student-directed parent conferences are held three times a year. 6 Helping Tasks Students are expected to help clean our environment at the end of each day, volunteer to help with extra work tasks, and to work in the kitchen at camp. 7 Physical Health Our program emphasizes physical conditioning/health and students will have daily physical demands of participation placed upon them at school and while traveling. 8 Parent Meetings In addition to the conferences, the school hosts parent meetings about once a month and attendance is strongly encouraged. The parent meeting at the beginning of the year is mandatory.