Elementary Education at Odyssey
Elementary Education at OCS
Elementary school at OCS is where the Odyssey journey begins. Students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 are served across two dedicated school buildings, each designed to meet them exactly where they are and grow them into confident, curious learners.
Greek language instruction starts on day one. Every elementary student, regardless of program track, engages with Greek language as part of their core daily curriculum. The foundation built in these early years carries students through middle school, high school, and beyond.
Two program tracks are available at the elementary level. Families choosing Kindergarten or Grade 1 select between Greek FLES and Greek Dual Language Immersion. Students entering Grades 2 through 5 are placed in the FLES program.
Lower School
Kindergarten Through Grade 2
Lower School at OCS is where curiosity meets structure. Students in Kindergarten through Grade 2 learn in Building 26, a purpose built facility opened in 2022 with an expanded play facility, dedicated gym, and music room.
Greek language instruction begins in Kindergarten. Every Lower School student takes Greek language as part of their core daily program. Students in the Immersion track receive half their instruction in Greek from day one.
Intermediate School
Grades 3 Through 5
Intermediate School builds directly on the foundation established in Lower School. Students in Grades 3 through 5 learn in Building 22, where Greek language instruction deepens and academic expectations grow alongside student confidence.
In Grade 5, FLES students transition to a single 40 minute Greek language class as their core Greek instruction. Immersion students continue their 50% Greek instructional split through the end of Grade 5, reaching Intermediate proficiency on the ACTFL scale.
Two Program Tracks at the Elementary Level
OCS offers two Greek language program tracks at the elementary level. Both are designed for non native Greek speakers. Both deliver strong academic outcomes. The difference is how much of the school day is taught in Greek.
Greek FLES
— Foreign Language in Elementary School
In the FLES program, students receive all core academic instruction in English with dedicated Greek language and Math in Greek classes every day. Kindergarten through Grade 4 students receive approximately 80 minutes of Greek instruction daily. Grade 5 students take a 40 minute Greek language class.
Learn More About the FLES ProgramGreek Dual Language
Immersion
In the Immersion program, 50% of core academic content is delivered in Greek and 50% in English through a two teacher model. Math, Science, and Greek Language Arts are taught in Greek. ELA and Social Studies are taught in English. Students who begin the Immersion track commit to continuing through their entire enrollment at OCS.
Learn More About Greek ImmersionCurriculum and Instruction
OCS elementary curriculum is standards based and aligned to Common Core State Standards across all core subjects. Greek language instruction is aligned to ACTFL K to 12 Proficiency Guidelines, World Readiness Standards for Learning Languages, and ACTFL can do benchmarks.
The bilingual approach at OCS does not compete with English academic development. Research consistently confirms that students who learn a second language develop stronger literacy, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills in their first language as a direct result.
OCS elementary faculty hold credentials from both Greece and the United States and receive ongoing professional development to ensure Greek language instruction remains rigorous, developmentally appropriate, and effective for non native learners at every grade level.
View the OCS Course Catalog
Assessment in
Elementary
OCS uses a combination of state assessments and nationally normed benchmarks to measure student progress across all elementary grade levels.
State assessments include Smarter Balanced in ELA and Math for Grades 3 through 5, DeSSA Science in Grade 5, and DeSSA Social Studies in Grade 4. i-Ready is used as an adaptive online platform for personalized reading and math progress monitoring across elementary grades.
See Full Assessment OverviewA Foundation of Confidence
Ready to Take the Next Step?
An OCS elementary education gives your child a head start that lasts a lifetime. Greek language, classical thinking, and a whole child approach from day one.