2017-2018 Volume 2, Issue 1 Hello Odyssey Families, Welcome to the first issue of the Leopard Ledger for the 2017-2018 school year. We started the Leopard Ledger last school year as another opportunity for students to get involved in an extra-curricular activity as well as to showcase some of the amazing things we have going on at our school on a daily basis. We are already one quarter of the way through the school year, which is a great opportunity to reflect on how things have been going, and how we can make changes for the better. Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher via e-mail or phone, and check your child’s progress on the Parent Portal. It is also important that we encourage responsibility and that students monitor their own progress so we can continue to have a successful school year. Please take note of the following key dates and events for the next couple of months: ·
12/15
Second Quarter Five Week Progress Report Period Ends
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12/18
High School Choir, Band, and Jazz Concert 7pm
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12/20
Orchestra Concert 7pm
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12/21
Middle School Choir Concert 7pm
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12/25- 1/1
No School
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1/2
School Back in Session
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1/12
PRIDE Day
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1/15
No School for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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1/18
Snowflake Dance for Grades 6-8 from 6:30-8:00pm
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1/22-1/25
High School Exams. Classes still in session
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1/25
Middle School Jazz Band Concert 7pm
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1/26
No School Grades 9-12. Second Quarter Marking Period Ends
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1/31
Voice Recital 7pm
In addition to these events, you can stay informed by following us on Facebook and Twitter. I hope you enjoy this Autumn season. Thank you very much for your support. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Yours with Leopard Pride, Dr. Jeffrey M. Green Principal
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Leopard Ledger Volume 2, Issue 1
Over The Summer While summers are typically known for rest and relaxation, both students and staff at Odyssey Academy used the summer to participate in the community while continuing to demonstrate their love for learning. Here are just a few examples.
From July 24th through August 8th, Autumn Lane hosted a summer reading program. Several Odyssey students and staff showed up to volunteer during lunches and classroom sessions.
Our AVID leaders returned to Philadelphia this July to receive further training on the AVID program. This time, Ms. Wesley and Mrs. White were joined by Dr. Case and Mrs. Davis, the newest member of our AVID team. Look for new AVID protocols and initiatives appearing in our building thanks to these dedicated individuals.
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Greece Odyssey Academy
Community members from The Father’s House volunteered their time over the summer to pack up school supplies and decorate the school with additional college pennants and PRIDE banners.
The Odyssey Girl’s Soccer Team ran a carwash at Blanchard Florist on August 13th. Odyssey 2017 grads Jeff Wilson and Pat Bigham were recognized by the New York State Sportswriter’s Association over the summer.
Greece ELA teachers, including representatives from 6th, 7th, and 8th grade at Odyssey, met over the summer to prepare for our renewed focus on independent reading.
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Leopard Ledger Volume 2, Issue 1 One of our proud traditions at Odyssey Academy is 6th grade orientation and our 6th grade buddies program, where Odyssey seniors help incoming students with the transition to middle school. A week before the start of school, incoming sixth graders attended orientation to prepare them for middle school. The night started off with a presentation from Dr. Green and the 6th grade faculty. In the presentation, students were taught the basic rules of the school. This includes the cellphone policy and the Leopard Pride guidelines. The students also got to meet some of the 6th grade staff, from teachers to counselors. The middle school counselors, Mr. Guffey and Mrs. Evans, gave a speech about bullying in order to make incoming students feel safe at Odyssey. After the presentation, parents were invited to talk to the staff and were able to sign up for various school programs, such as the PTSA or Infinite Campus. Students, on the other hand, were assigned to a senior buddy and given a tour of the school. Students were taken to their classrooms, their lockers, and common places around the school so that they would be more comfortable coming to school on September 6th. During the first week of school, senior buddies met their sixth graders before dismissal to take them to their bus and help them adjust to the school. Odyssey strives to make school a comfortable place for its students, especially since many of them will be spending the next seven years in this building, and orientation prepares students for the changes and expectations that middle school will bring. -Aiden Budinski
Odyssey seniors helping out their 6th Grade buddies on orientation night.
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Club Spotlight: Masterminds What is Masterminds? In Masterminds, students compete in teams to answer trivia questions. In a typical tournament, two teams from different schools compete against each other for points. A toss-up question is asked to both teams for one individual to answer. When a team answers the question before a certain time, that team enters the bonus round. Three bonus questions based of one another are asked to that team that only they can answer. The teams compete against each other in two eight minute rounds. In Odyssey’s last tournament, the Masterminds varsity team won one out of two tournaments, while the JV team won.
Mr. Austin is the staff advisor for Masterminds. Below, he answered some questions about the club. Why did you decide to get involved in Masterminds? Mr. Austin: A few years ago, the coach before me retired. The administration approached Dave Allen and me and asked if we were interested in taking over. When I figured out what masterminds was, I agreed immediately. What has been your favorite moment? Mr. Austin: I like seeing how supportive our team is of not only our team, but other teams as well. Usually when someone gets excited when they get a question they can answer or when they are celebrating successes for the team. What do you like about it? Mr. Austin: I like the sense of community in Masterminds. I love when the team comes together and celebrates knowledge. Interested in joining masterminds? The club meets every other Thursday for practice in Mr. Austin’s room (222). The tournament dates vary but the next tournament is December 13th at Greece Athena. 5
Leopard Ledger Volume 2, Issue 1
Spirit Week The week of September 18th to the 22nd was our Spirit Week! Monday was sports day, Tuesday was tie-die day, Wednesday was superhero/fictional character day, Thursday was Odyssey PRIDE day and toga day for the seniors, and Friday was dress-for-success day. This all led up to our pep rally and Homecoming Weekend celebration.
Social Studies teachers Mr. Adkins, Ms. Uebbing, and Mr. Allen proudly represented Captain America on Superhero Day.
An unplanned Minions collaboration occurred between Math teachers Ms. Griffin, Mrs. Davis, and Ms. Wesley, and students Megan McMichael and Annaleese Brass.
Students of all grade levels showed their school spirit by dressing up!
Mrs. Weston and Ms. Wilson: true Wonder Women!
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Greece Odyssey Academy
Homecoming Weekend The pep rally on September 22nd was full of excitement and Leopard Pride! It features performances from our cheerleaders and musicians!
New relays were introduced this year. The apple relay ended up being a big hit!
Following up from last year, Odyssey added an additional Homecoming Dance. Middle School students tore up the dance floor on Thursday, September 21st, while High School had their dance Friday, September 22nd
There were many intense sports matches over the weekend. One of them was the Girls Varsity Soccer team winning against Batavia.
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Leopard Ledger Volume 2, Issue 1
New Faces: Mr. Jones “New Faces” is a feature in the Leopard Ledger that will highlight new members of our staff. We hope to feature a “new face” in each issue throughout the year. Our first issue features Mr. Jones, the newest member of our administrative staff. What is your current position here at Odyssey? Assistant Principal Grades 7 and 9. Who do you work with and in what capacity? I wor k with all grade 7 and 9 students and faculty. I also oversee the special education department. I work with the other school leaders to ensure that Odyssey is working toward its vision of empowering all students to positively impact society. Where did you work before this and how long? Befor e Odyssey, I worked at School of the Arts in the Rochester City School District. I started off as a special education teacher (7.5 years) and then became a special education administrator for School of the Arts and School Without Walls (1.5 years). I loved working at School of the Arts and School Without Walls. Like Odyssey, both schools had dedicated and caring faculty, as well as determined and energetic students. Why and how did you get into education? Where did you go to school? I am a proud product of the Rochester City School District, I graduated from School Without Walls in 2004. My experiences in school, both the positives and the negatives, influenced my decision to enter the education field. I remember some of my favorite and most inspirational teachers. They were the teachers who spent a little extra time with me, who listened, who were great at telling stories and capturing my attention…I remember wanting to be just like them. After high school, I attended Nazareth College for both undergrad and graduate school, while at Nazareth I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Masters in Inclusive Education. After Nazareth, I went to the University of Rochester for a second master’s degree in School Leadership. What are your interests outside of school? Outside of school, I like to spend time with friends and family. I enjoying working out…it’s a great stress reliever. I enjoy the theater. I also really enjoy a nice dinner out on the town! How has your experience at Odyssey been so far? My experience at Odyssey so far has been educational and informative. The students at Odyssey are so bright and talented. Every day I come to work excited about what’s to come, and every day I leave work reflecting on something new that I learned. Odyssey is a special place and I am so fortunate to be a part of it. Do you have any hopes or goals for the remainder of the year? My hopes for the year are simple, continue to learn as much as I can and continue to promote academic excellence for all of our students. Our students deserve the best, and I hope that I am a part of giving that to them.
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Greece Odyssey Academy
Entertainment Spotlight: The 24th Annual Coffee House Odyssey Academy has been hosting its Coffee House talent show for twenty-four years! It is one of our proudest, longest-running traditions, and it always reveals what exceptional talent we have here at Odyssey. This year, there were nineteen fantastic acts. Below, our roving reporter, Aiden Budinski, wrote an article summarizing the event. Act 1 Odyssey’s 24th Annual Coffee House was hosted by seniors Caleb Benson, Jazmine Saunders, Liam Seeley, and Melinda Thach. It began with a performance by the Odyssey orchestra. John C. Klein conducted “When She Loves Me” from Toy Story 2. The orchestra then moved on to play a rousing rendition of the theme from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, which was spooky, suspenseful, and more technically advanced than the first song. Next, Odyssey’s Most Musical senior, Ian Cannioto, sang For Forever. As always, the audience was blown away by his beautiful singing voice. Jane’t Nicodemus, who gave her first ever public performance at last year’s Coffee House, followed this up by singing “Sandcastles.” The performance was just as breathtaking as last year’s, and received a standing ovation from the audience. Next, first-timer Angela Gagnon played the “Flight of the Bumblebee” on the piano. Her piano skills were so astounding that it sounded like the entire auditorium had been transported to the Eastman School of Music. Katriana Belknap sang “Landslide,” a song she dedicated to her parents. Katriana’s melodious voice perfectly recreated the classic song. Drew Reuther returned this year and continued to demonstrate how multitalented she is: she sang “True Colors” while playing the music on her standup bass. For the first duet of the night, Victoria Ashlaw and Sohna Henderson joined forces to sing La La La, a harmonious and upbeat song. Sarah Valincourt then switched up her talent this year, singing “Mad World” instead of dancing. Even though it was her first vocal solo, her performance was beautiful and wellrehearsed. Next, Madeline Lombardo sang “Titanium.” The song and performance were very well received by the audience. Finally, Iyana Voltaire performed a dance solo to the song “The Wheel.” Her robotic movements matched the electronic beat of the music, and added to the cohesiveness and creativity of the performance. The hosts then returned to the stage to sing an intermission song that signified the end of Act One.
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Leopard Ledger Volume 2, Issue 1 Act 2
Act Two started with a production of “Yardbird Suite” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” from the Jazz Ensemble, directed by Mrs. Thurnherr. The Jazz Ensemble was incredibly upbeat and funky. Next was the man, the myth, and the legend: Aric Williams. Performing for the second year, Aric continued to grace Odyssey with his originally written and produced raps. His first performance of the evening, Dear Love, was an audience favorite. Sofia Fragnito followed this up with “The Tourist.” Just like last year, her ukulele skills and pretty voice brought her performance to the next level. Performing for the first time at Coffee House, Storm Moyer took to the stage next, singing “Someone Like You.” The way she sang was emotional and powerful, and the entire audience loved her. Returning for a duet, Ian Cannioto and Sarah Valincourt sang “Only Us.” Together, their voices were heartfelt, harmonious, and lovely. Next, dancer extraordinaire Emily Dahrsnin returned to Coffee House to perform a dance solo to the song Feeling Good. As always, the dance featured amazing choreography and showcased her exceptional dancing skills. The power couple, Melinda Thach and Liam Seeley, were next, returning for the third year in a row to sing “Wandering Child.” They gave another classic performance, Liam’s skillful guitar playing accompanying Melinda’s beautiful singing. Aric Williams then returned to the stage to sing another original rap, titled “I’m Back.” Through the song, Aric told his story of his dreams to become a famous rapper. Lastly, Jazmine Saunders sang “I Will Always Love You.” Her beautiful, rich, and haunting voice embodied the spirit of Whitney Houston, which sparked an incredible ovation from the audience. It was perfect way to cap off the night. When speaking with the audience, everyone thought the performances were incredible, exceptional, amazing, and awesome. The performers were very talented and brave. The 24th Annual Coffee House was a resounding success. We are truly lucky to have such amazing talent at our school. We can’t wait to celebrate a quarter century of Coffee House next year!
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Greece Odyssey Academy
Student Council Update Our Student Council continues to promote PRIDE at Odyssey and contribute to the community. Here is just a sample of what has been done this quarter, as well as upcoming events that you can participate in. September: Tie-Dye Party! STUCO purchased the dye, students brought white shirts, socks, sneakers and had a blast tie-dying their clothing in preparation for the upcoming Tie-Dye Tuesday!
October: Breast Cancer Awareness: We were raising money for the American Cancer Society for breast cancer research, etc. by selling vinyl ribbon bookmarks and breast cancer awareness pencils. Students and staff were able to put the name of a loved one who has, unfortunately, had some connection with breast cancer on a pink paper ribbon to hang in the cafeteria under the "In Honor and in Memory of" board. We raised $44.39 through ribbon selling and an additional $50 on our Making Strides Against Breast Cancer page. We participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in downtown Rochester on 10/15. It was a beautiful morning, flooded with pink! Thousands of people came together to walk the streets of Rochester to show their support for those affected by breast cancer. Continued on next page 11
Leopard Ledger Volume 2, Issue 1
November Rake & Run: Our annual rake and run event kicked off on 11/1. We raked leaves from five lawns in the neighborhood just west of Odyssey with Mrs. Dean's afterschool gym class, ODY STUCO students and other students looking to serve the community.
Thanksgiving Feed-A-Family Food Drive: We are looking for donations to support several families at ODY with a Thanksgiving meal! From 11/6 through 11/17 we are accepting donations of the following items: gravy instant mashed potatoes cranberries canned corn canned green beans baked beans boxed stuffing other canned vegetables other canned/boxed Thanksgiving food! Donations can be dropped off at Door 5, Door 15, staff lounge, and the lobby.
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Greece Odyssey Academy
Fall Sports Spotlight: Tennis Last year, the Girls Varsity Tennis Team had a very successful season. This year was no different! Mr. Perry, Girls Varsity Tennis coach, was willing to answer a few questions about what made this another great season. 1) Can you summarize how far the team went this year? The team finished as Co-Champions in Monroe County Division 4 (tied with Brockport) with a 4-1 record in our division. It was a crazy ending: we beat Batavia, Batavia beat Brockport, and we had a chance to be undefeated. Ultimately, we lost a close match to Brockport 3-4, so it went down to total points and we actually tied with them. Overall the team ended the season 7-6 (8-7 overall including sectionals). We beat Midlakes 4-1 in the Class B Sectional Quarter Finals and lost to the eventual champion Harley 1-4 in the Semi-finals. Having a winning record in our league is very tough, especially when we started out playing three of the toughest teams in Monroe County: Pittsford Sutherland, Webster, and Churchville. At the mid-point in our season we went 5-0. In Individual Sectionals (the best of Monroe County) Mariah Carson and Gillian Smith made it to the semi-finals and lost to the eventual winners Pen-Yann in three close sets. Their coach said it was the hardest and closest match they played. We then won the third place match to get third place out of the 16 top doubles teams in Monroe County. 2) Was there any special method you used as coach to get them to that level? Most of our girls do not get tennis lessons like some of the East side schools. So I really try to focus on key skills of hitting the tennis ball correctly. I want my players to be able to leave the sport and really be able to play the sport in the future. So hitting a proper forehand or backhand, being able to serve correctly with velocity, these are the key fundamentals I work on. I also try to individualize the teaching. I do a lot of skill teaching and then break the girls up into groups of three or four to work on skills, but then I will pull individual players to work on something they may need to improve on. Each day I try to make sure that every players gets a 1-1 coach time, so that all the girls can improve.
3) How do you feel about the group of students on the team this year? They are a fantastic group. I had thirteen girls that really do an excellent job each day and are very positive with each other. They are also excellent academically. Our last three years they have received the state academic team award. So my players are doing a fantastic job in the classroom and on the court. Most of my players are also taking AP or IB classes. They are busy kids but they do a great job balancing everything they are doing. I'm also excited because only three girls, Melinda Thach, Caity Ellsworth, and Jane't Nicodemus, are graduating this year, so I will have ten returning players. To add to that excitement we have eight total players moving up from the undefeated Modified team, so next year we could have the largest team that Odyssey has had in my twenty years as coach (eighteen players!). Continued on next page 13
Leopard Ledger Volume 2, Issue 1
4) What is your proudest moment from the season? When we finally defeated Batavia in a 43 match. It was a team effort, with one of the players that did not play a lot this year getting to play at third doubles and winning a key match (Zuylem Matos played with Jane't Nicodemus and won in three sets). We have lost the Division Title to Batavia the last two years, so beating them was huge for us because they are a really solid team. That was really a quality win for our program. 5) What is your plan going into next season? We are offering lessons at Salmon Creek for all interested girls to get group lessons. These have actually been set up with the Brockport College coach (Ed Gonzales). I think it's important for players to get some outside lessons if possible. Girls that can't make these winter lessons can start to play in early July at the free Odyssey Tennis Camps I offer twice a week throughout July and early August. We will have eighteen players going after ten spots, and I think this will only help the competition on our team. Healthy competition on the team level will push us to be even better during the season. It's our goal to win the Division Championship outright next year and to at least reach the finals in sectionals. I think this is the team that can do it.
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New Initiative: Independent Reading While Independent Reading has always been a focus at Odyssey Academy, this year has featured some new programs to renew student excitement for reading. The Greece Barnes and Noble features Greece teachers each Tuesday. Ms. Wilson was featured in Septemember, and Mrs. Weston was featured in November. Community and staff members were able to purchase books from the shelf to donate to classroom libraries. Ms. Wilson’s students, student’s parents, and family helped to get 47 copies of Frankenstein, Awkward, The Hate U Give, Karma Khullar’s Mustache, All American Boys, I Am Malala, The Raft, and Everything, Everything through Barnes and Noble and Scholastic. Students were then able to use these books for their November yellow independent reading and book
7th grade students have had the opportunity in November to work with eight community members for a weekly book club. Each student chose their book and were assigned a community member to help support the club. Students meet for 30 minutes each week to meet with their peers, talk about the books, play games, and eat snacks! Students have been highly motivated to stay up to date in their books because they know they will be held accountable by their group. Adults have felt excited to work with kids and build connections through reading. Even Miss Wilson’s mom and Aunt are volunteering! The hope is to see this program roll up to 8th grade ELA students next year!
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Leopard Ledger Volume 2, Issue 1
Sharing Our PRIDE We’d like to close this edition of the Leopard Ledger with a ongoing feature called “Sharing Our PRIDE.” Here, we will focus on all the great things that students and staff are doing to spread Leopard Pride throughout our school and community. Here is just a small sampling:
The Odyssey Rotary Interact started out volunteering this year by participating in the 8th Annual Monroe County Intergenerational Fall Clean-Up. Eight Interact members spent the morning of October 28th raking leaves for older adults in the Greece Community. The seniors were very thankful and appreciative. -Ms. Barry On November 2, AVID 9 and 10 elective students went on a college field trip to RIT. The day started with a campus tour and despite the wind and light rain, students quickly learned why RIT is nicknamed, "Brick City." On the tour students saw the Sustainability Building, Global Village and the Student Union. Following lunch in the Student Union, Ms. Jennifer Weil, the director of RIT CSTEP (Computer Science and Technology Program) spoke to students about the benefits of CSTEP as well as many other ins and outs of college. The day concluded with a small hands on science activity where students created a mood card, similar to that of a mood ring, where the color on the card signifies different feelings depending on who held the card. Upon leaving, students were excited about all the things they heard, learned, and saw. Part of AVID's mission is to prepare students for college readiness, and each time our students are able to step foot on a college campus like that of RIT, they walk away with so much more than just information. Our students are starting to not only picture themselves at college, but also understand what it will take to get there, and we are so lucky to have a program like AVID to help them on this journey! -Ms. Wesley Continued on next page 16
Greece Odyssey Academy
The cast of High School Musical rehearsing a major number. They have been practicing hard for their performances on November 20th and 21st. More on how the show went next issue!
Hannah Kierstead, Olivia Gale, Emily Akyuz and Mar Htay are the newest Odyssey students to have their artwork displayed in District Office!
This month, MOSAICS Club made Blessing Bags for the Homeless at their October 23rd meeting. Items such as hand warmers, gloves, hats, toiletries, and non-perishable food items were packaged along with an inspirational message to uplift the spirits of those less fortunate. -Mrs. McLaughlin
On the Oct. 10th Board of Education meeting, Ethan Kent and Brandyn Sigouin carried on the tradition of sharing all the great things happening at Odyssey Academy.
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Leopard Ledger Volume 2, Issue 1
On September 17th, Rochester hosted its 2017 Marathon. The Odyssey Cross Country team was out in full force along with our school mascot. They supported the runners, handing out water and cheering them on to the finish line.
The U of R research trip takes place twice per year: in the spring we bring our IB diploma juniors, and in the fall we bring our IB diploma seniors to take advantage of the extensive resources available for their extended essay project. The trip is put together by our local chapter of WNYCBS (Western New York Consortium of Baccalaureate Schools), and the U of R research librarians are extremely helpful in assisting us throughout both days with navigating the research and answering all questions. We are lucky to have this amazing opportunity twice a year at a world-renowned university. -Ms. Rounding Continued on next page 18
Greece Odyssey Academy
On October 5th, Odyssey Academy hosted its annual Open House. This year, the event was spiced up with inclusion of food trucks serving some delicious dinner. Parents and guardians were able to meet teachers, administration, and check out the multitude of extracurricular activities and programs that our building offers.
The Best Buddies program had their first event of the year in October, featuring pumpkin decorating.
Model UN is returning to Odyssey! More on this next issue.
This was the first year of our Chromebook rollout. 6th grade, 9th grade, and AVID students have received their Chromebooks. Next year, the program will expand to 7th and 10th grade, with expansion to the whole school by the 2019-2020 school year.
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Odyssey hosted a successful Chipotle fundraiser, with the proceeds going to our AVID program.
We hope you enjoyed our first issue of the year! A special thanks to all the students and staff who spent their own free time contributing! Staff: Students: Mr. Perry Aiden Budinski Mr. Jones Kristen McFarlane Mrs. Miller Simeon Alvarez Ms. Griffin Mrs. Wilson Add your name here next issue! Come to our next Mrs. Rounding meeting in G29 on Monday, December 11th! Ms. Wesley
Administration: Principal: Dr. Jeffrey Green Assistant Principal: Dr. Jeff Henley Assistant Principal: Laurie Platt Assistant Principal: Brandin Jones Follow us on: Twitter: @GreeceOdyssey Facebook: www.facebook.com/GreeceOdyssey Website: www.GreeceOdyssey.org
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