Congratulations to the Lafayette County Children’s Services Fund.  This organization has been chosen as the SEPTEMBER “COMMUNITY CHAMPION” award winner for the Odessa R-VII School District.  The Lafayette County Children’s Services Fund has been a huge supporter of the Odessa School district as the district has expanded services to all students across the district.  A few of the initiatives that they have helped the district support include:

• The addition of 3 School Resource Officers.  This allows the district to have a School Resource Officer in each school building.

• They have also supported the elementary student behavior Regulation Rooms working through Grow Pediatrics.

On behalf of the Odessa School District community, thank you to the Lafayette County Children’s Services Fund for being a “COMMUNITY CHAMPION”

We need your input! As you may know, Odessa R-VII School District is conducting a random telephone survey in the community. Knowing not everyone will be called for this survey, we want to provide you an opportunity to share your thoughts via this online version. Beginning Sept. 16, the Odessa R-VII School District will conduct a brief phone survey to gather feedback on district strengths, challenges, and facility needs, particularly at McQuerry Elementary. This will help gauge community interest in supporting additional taxes for necessary improvements.

This survey is being facilitated by ExcellenceK12, a company that works with school districts on research projects like this one. In general, calls will be placed between 7 and 9 p.m. on weekdays, and noon to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. The caller ID may show “Market Research Associates,” or it may simply show an 816 or 913 area code, because the company uses calling facilities in both Missouri and Kansas. All of the responses go directly to them. The district will only see a summary of the findings, and it will not see individual surveys.

Please set aside 3 to 5 minutes to complete the survey. If you begin the survey and then exit before you have completed it, the system will not let you return later.

Your feedback is crucial as we plan for the future of our students and community. Please let us know your thoughts!

Here is the link to the online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OdessaR-VIICommunitySurvey2024

Congratulations to Childcare Provider and McQuerry Summer Custodian, Michelle Silvers, for being chosen as the September “MAKING A DIFFERENCE” award recipient for the Odessa R-VII School District. The District is excited to honor staff members who go above and beyond the call of duty through the "Making a Difference" recognition program!  Each month during the school year either a certified or classified employee will be honored for their part in implementing our district mission of preparing each student for a successful future. 

With several nominations, the following comments were made by peers:

• Michelle spends most of her school year watching over our youngest Bulldogs at the Early Childcare Center.  

• Then during the summer she pitches in to help out the custodial crew to clean and prepare the buildings for the start of the school year.

• Michelle has been a dedicated employee of the district for over 25 year

She always has a positive attitude and a passion for doing a great job, and her heart to serve students, she MAKES A DIFFERENCE for everyone she comes in contact with everyday

CONGRATULATIONS MRS. SILVERS!

As part of the requirements of “Get the Lead Out of School Drinking Water Act” (RSMo 160.077) the Odessa R-VII School District is taking the necessary steps to ensure safe drinking water for everyone within the buildings.  District personnel identified drinking water outlets throughout the district and utilized the services of Axiom Service Professionals to conduct testing of each outlet.  Those results, once received back from the lab, will be made available to the public on the school website. 

Additional information about the effects of lead can be found at: https://health.mo.gov/living/environment/lead/publications.php

Remediation Plan

Any samples that resulted in readings greater than the required 5 ppb level will be corrected and retested. Some sinks were not in areas in which there was an expectation of them being drinking water, they have been labeled as such, “not drinking water”. Others, which are areas that will be used for drinking water, are being addressed and will be retested. Further results will be posted here upon their return to the District.

ALL STUDENTS

• Directions for completing your online registration/enrollment forms
• Required Immunizations (only need to bring in for new students or if new immunizations have been received)
• Proof of Residency
• Back to school Dates and times

NEW STUDENTS (all new students must enroll at the building they will be entering)

• Enrollment documents required for new students
• New student enrollment instructions
• Records Release Authorization Forms

SCHOOL SUPPLY LISTS

• Kindergarten - 8th Grade
• Odessa High School students will receive supply lists at Orientation/Open House

VIRTUAL LEARNING

• DESE/MOCAP
• I-160-P Virtual Courses
• MOCAP Virtual Learning Participation Guidelines
• Contact Counselors Office for more information

HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELING CENTER

The Odessa R-VII Public Foundation Board of Directors presented teacher grants on Monday, February 26, 2024. Eleven grant applications were approved. Grants were distributed to the following staff members by Odessa R-VII Foundation Board of Directors.