Posted in About
“The service learning program helped our son open his eyes to the world around him. Over the years he has cleaned streambeds, worked with horses, and assisted at a local food bank. In addition to learning "real world" life skills, he is also learning the importance of giving back to his community.” –Parent
“My son has helped build a chicken coop and planted vegetable in small plots as part of Urban Patchwork. He has helped socialize animals at the Austin Animal Shelter so that they would be ready for adoption. This year he will help provide meals to homebound and homeless people through Mobile Loaves and Fishes. He’s explored his strength and passions and developed social and life skills through service learning—what could be better?” –Amy Wallquist, Parent
“It was not an easy decision to take our youngest daughter out of public school and enroll her into the Odyssey School, but it has proven to be the right decision. Since being there, she has gained confidence, has a support system from teachers and students, gets the help she needs with her work, makes straight A’s, looks forward to going to school and is eager to learn.” –Alexandra Byrom, Parent
“Imagine your child’s mental image for school changing from one surrounded by thunderclouds and filled with shattered glass in the hallways to one covered by rainbows and butterflies. Not only that, imagine your child transforming from one who struggled to learn to one who now talks about her love for learning–that has been our daughter’s experience moving from public school to Odyssey School. It’s an incredible testimonial to Odyssey’s positive affect on students who struggle in the traditional educational environment.” -Angela Eaton, Parent
“Despite working with the administrators and staff at our local public school to create an IEP, we couldn’t eliminate the anxiety that was crippling our son in the traditional school setting. We are fortunate to have found the teachers and staff of Odyssey School, who created an environment that significantly reduced his anxiety and changed his outlook on education. He has flourished academically and socially and has confidence in himself, his capabilities and his future.” -Susan Kittleson, Parent
“After 7 years of public elementary and middle school Section 504 accommodations due to our son’s learning challenges, 3 years of Sylvan tutoring, intensive home tutoring, and special social development camps, he remained an anxious, frustrated, depressed, socially isolated boy unable to perform at grade level. We secretly worried that he might not be able to handle college or live on his own. That’s when our family turned to Odyssey School and found the help and support we needed.
Our son attended 9th-12th grades at Odyssey School, and it proved to be the best investment we could have made in his future. Thanks to Odyssey’s outstanding staff and teachers, as well as their emphasis on quality (not quantity) of homework, personal development via portfolio presentations, and support for independent living skills, he has become a successful full-time student living far away from home at a public state university. His own dreams and our dreams for him are now being realized.” -Laurel Martin, Parent
