December 10, 2024

Dear Odyssey Parents and Friends,

I’m pleased to launch today Odyssey’s fundraising efforts for the 2024 – 2025 academic year. Each year we host two major fund raising events, an Annual Fund in early December and a Gala Dinner which takes place in late April.

Our Annual Fund, being launched today, is an email fundraising effort to urge all Odyssey families to donate online through our Commit Change portal (link below) for your annual donation. Although many schools will give families stricter guidelines, e.g. 10% of tuition, Odyssey has avoided such guidelines in the past and I am also of the mind that families should be asked only to do their best, donating as much as they think they can. It is important to underscore that our objective is 100% participation by all Odyssey families.

One of Odyssey’s great strength is its small size and ability to nimbly respond to and navigate a changing environment. As the country and the world go through times of rapid change, be it climate change, political or economic changes, Odyssey is well positioned by virtue of its size and strong mission to adapt swiftly and to pilot through the shoals. As the COVID years demonstrated, our strong academics and robust expeditionary program thrive even under rapidly changing environments. Indeed, with our Field Class and expeditions Odyssey deepened and improved its strengths as a result. Your gift will help with all the amazing programs Odyssey provides, from our core programs to our addition this year of Highlands for a vastly expanded PE program. It also supports a community which creates a space for joyful learning and growth, as emphasized in our theme for this year: Into the Great Wide Open, Joyful Growth in a Dynamic World.

Donating through the Annual Fund is an important way you can reach out and demonstrate your support for Odyssey. In truth, there is a gap between what it costs to educate our Odyssey students and what we charge, a gap of just over $3,000/student, so that fundraising plays a significant role in narrowing and filling that gap. More importantly, our fundraising contributes to financial aid and access, and plays a critical role in ensuring economic diversity amongst our students. It also allows us to continue expanding our dynamic educational program.

Help us secure Odyssey School’s future as a great educational institution with your donation!

With Gratitude and Warmth,

Jon Hale