HISTORY OF ST. ODILIA SCHOOL
1948 - St. Odilia School was officially established in June.
1949 - The historical ground breaking day occurred on November 20th. Bishop John Collins, S.M.A. of Monrovia, Liberia officiated.
1950 - St. Odilia opened for classes with the sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet directing the academic program. The original faculty members were Sister Lillian Joseph Duck, Principal; Sister Thomas May Collins; and Sister Stephens Herrenan. The school began with grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 with an initial enrollment of 131.
1970 - St.Patrick Elementary School merged with St. Odilia. In the same year, the administration of the school was handed over to a member of the laity. The largest enrollment at this time for grades 1-6 was 185 students.
1990 - Several changes in the school's administration occurred in 1990. The faculty was now comprised of seven lay teachers and two brothers from the Christian Brothers of Ireland. Under their administration, St. Odilia added a kindergarten. The school's enrollment leveled out at 148 students that year.
1993 - Mrs. Carla Cotton selected as the principal of St. Odilia, and the school continued to grow, adding new and innovative programs.
1996-1997 - School opened with a new principal, Mrs. Helen Martinez. Mrs. Martinez was instrumental in increasing the school's enrollment and adding a technology emphasis.
1999-2000 – This school year was significant and historic because it straddled the new millennium, bringing with it an innovative team approach to St. Odilia School. Ms. Sharon Oliver, principal (a former student of St. Odilia School). Father Wilfred Tyrrell and Brother Marco Raposo (pastoral team), and Mr. Richard Montielh, assistant principal was the team that led St. Odilia School into the third millennium—the 21st Century.
2001 - St. Odilia School was selected as the designated beneficiary of the February 3, 2001 Cardinal's Award Dinner which raised half a million dollars to build new classrooms for grades seven and eight as well as a computer lab.
2004 School enrollment reached 271 students in grade kindergarten through eighth. Middle School (6,7,8) grades established in the new expansion
2008 – St. Odilia School awarded a 3 year Capacity Building Grant from the Specialty Family Foundation, and Ms. Ellen P. Holton joined the staff as the Director of Marketing and Development to build school/brand awareness, raise funds, develop programs, and increase enrollment.
2011 – Mrs. Sima Saravia, an alumna of St. Odilia School appointed Principal; she becomes the first Hispanic Principal in the school's history.
2012-2013 – Selected by the Shea Foundation and the LA Archdiocese as a "School Site for Summer Renovations" the school receives exterior painting, new fencing, surface painting, security entry way and surveillance camera upgrades, restroom remodeling, and the installation of the school's first stationary play station. In addition to the leadership of the Shea Foundation and the Archdiocese, the project was a successful collaboration of generosity and effort by the Hilton Foundation, the Weingart Foundation, several generous individual donors, local business supporters, parents, alumni and students. In addition to the renovation, a "transitional" kindergarten class was implemented as the enrollment trends continue to climb to 275 students.
2014-2015 – St. Odilia's Blended Learning Educating Smart Students (BLESS) Initiative was launched. The initiative features the Blended Learning Model. The school's infrastructure was upgraded, classroom technology was updated to include: E-beams, new magnetic white boards, Chromebooks, teacher laptops, IPads for (TK-3rd) and the Computers in the Technology Learning Center have been updated.
SCHOOL MASCOT AND NICKNAME: "Lions"
SCHOOL COLORS: Red and White
MOTTO: "Faith for a Brighter Future"
