The little people at Odyssey Elementary were in for a treat this year, when the Honor Society students from Orion Junior High came to visit. Twice a year, in Fall and Spring, these students travel to Ogden City’s Odyssey Elementary.
In the Fall, Orion students were paired up with Odyssey kindergarten and 1st grade students where they played get-to-know-you games, introduced A, B, C flash cards, and read to the children.
Amy Hall, librarian and Honor Society advisor, who accompanied the Honor Society students to the school said, “We have a really good working relationship with Odyssey Elementary…we wish we could go every month.”
Odyssey Elementary has under 10% of children, at the beginning of the year, who have never seen the alphabet. Furthermore, none of these students have recognition for their letters or numbers. Many of them do not even have books in their homes.
Due to this understanding, Orion Junior High Honor Society has been reaching out to help, as they have in the past. This March, Honor Society students each collected and donated $5 (or more) for a combined total of $750 to give to Odyssey Elementary.
Principal Chris Earnest said, “A touching moment was when our Titans gave the $750 check to the assistant principal of Odyssey that will go toward purchasing at least 4 books per kindergarten and first grade students…the Odyssey teachers cried when they saw the amount on the check.”
Hall mentioned that, “When parents and students come to parent teacher conferences, at Odyssey Elementary, they are given the books so it’s a great way (for teachers) to have contact with the families.”
About this recent fieldtrip, in March, Principal Earnest said, “Going to Odyssey Elementary was the best part of my day! The elementary kids lit up when our students walked in and they were so excited to read to us. There were high-fives, giggles, laughs and huge smiles on the faces of all the kids!”
“To go back and have the Odyssey students read 2-3 books to our students is miraculous,” says Hall.
Honor society student, Eli, said about the Odyssey students, “You can see how much they improved over just a few months and now they are reading the books to us. They were excited to show us their skills.”
Abby, President of the Orion Honor Society said, “The kids were super excited. They were all cheering when they saw us come in.”
One particular student, Dayton, had a neat experience with an Odyssey student. Dayton says, “I’m in the Spanish immersion and I was with a kid who wasn’t very open. He was very shy and nervous. I read a book to him in Spanish. After, we went on the slide and the monkey bars-- and in the end, he was smiling.”
Eliza said, “They just exploded when they saw us. It was more of a surprise.”
Friends were made for life as older students walked outside, for recess, with younger students, hand in hand. No one was left behind.
“We are doing our best to help people who need and want help,” says Kyle.
When asked how she felt about going on the Spring field trip, Orion student, Cambree said, “I feel like we made a big impact.”
Hall shares a story of a time when a shy Odyssey Elementary student hadn’t spoken all year long and, in the springtime, when the Orion students came again, the teacher was so happy to find that particular child sitting and speaking to the Orion student.
Principal Earnest says, “I am proud of our Titans for their generosity, kind hearts, willingness to serve others… Mrs. Hall continues to teach and lead by example. The relationship she has established with Odyssey is one that defines what we want every Titan to exemplify.”
