The Hugh Roe O’Donnell Elementary School is a nurturing community in the Eagle Hill neighborhood of East Boston. We aim to empower each other towards becoming our best selves each day. Our HeRO Core Values, Humanity, Empathy, Respect and Opportunity guide how we interact with each other and our community.

Our dedicated staff works relentlessly in partnership with families and the community to ensure that our students have the academic, social and enrichment opportunities now such that they can continue to access opportunities beyond their time with us at the O’Donnell. We welcome you to the Hugh Roe O’Donnell Elementary School!

Special Features

• Our work with the Wallace Grant enables us to ensure that Social Emotional Learning is integrated throughout every component of the O’Donnell.
• Increasing student agency through a Student Council and a Constitutional Convention to co-create Schoolwide Rules.
• A focus on artistic expression; we have increased the amount of times students have access to the arts (through Literacy through the Arts and Dance with the Community Music Center) in the 2019-2020 school year
• Parent and Family education and engagement through programs including Tech Goes Home, workshops by our O’Donnell staff and curriculum from Everfi (new for 2019-2020) in topics including financial literacy and health/wellness.
• NAEYC accredited Early Childhood program

Special academic programs

• Community Music Center - students will receive Dance instruction throughout the year (for 24 weeks) - we are hoping to add a 3-5 grade chorus for 30 students this year!
• Boston Scores - In the Fall and Spring, students in grades 3-5 participate in soccer and poetry enrichment. Games are Thursdays after school. 
• East Boston YMCA - operates a before and after school program that is open to O'Donnell students 
• Playworks - In the Team-Up Model, we have Coach Carolyn on site every other week. Her role is to support our social-emotional priorities through the use of Class Game Time and increase our capacity to run fun, organized and safe recess for students. 
• The Wallace Grant - provides the supports to promote and implement social-emotional learning throughout and beyond the school day. We are currently in our third year of this grant. 
• FYSOP - The First Year Student Outreach Project from Boston University performed three days of service at our school in August.

Before and after school programs in our building

• Before school (in fall and spring): BOKS fitness program 
• Before and After School (in fall and spring): SCORES soccer and poetry program
• Before and After School: YMCA on site from 8am-9:15am and 4:10pm-6:00pm
• Summer: NOAH Summer Schoolyard Day Camp, July-August