Letter from the PTO Co-Presidents

Hello Underwood Families,

We will begin our fifth week of school closures tomorrow. Reflecting on how much the world, our community, and our daily lives have been altered, we also begin to reflect on what we are grateful for. Thank you to our Underwood parents and guardians for your patience and support of our community. Many of us are still adapting to new routines and some parents are on the frontlines of the crisis (thank you!). A heartfelt appreciation goes out to our incredibly hard working teachers and staff as they have risen to the challenging task of moving learning to a virtual platform. 

Gratitude Challenge
As you reflect on the past four weeks, we challenge you and your students to take 5 minutes today and share together one thing each person is grateful for.

COVID-19 Resource Links
Below are a few important links to help navigate this situation locally. 

• Underwood PTO's COVID-19 Resource page
• Newton Public Schools COVID-19 Webpage
• City of Newton COVID-19 Webpage

Underwood CARES Network
If you or someone you know in the Underwood community may be in need of assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Underwood PTO as we have volunteer Underwood families ready to assist. Examples of assistance include but are not limited to: Delivering groceries or prescriptions, Providing financial support to someone unable to work, Teaching how to use online services or meeting apps. 

Underwood @ Home
Thank you to all the parents/guardians, teachers, and staff that shared photos and descriptions of what you and your students are up to during the day. As we all adjust to these new routines, seeing familiar faces that we may normally see on the playground can be comforting. We hope these slideshows bring some smiles to your home. The slideshows can be accessed at the link below:

www.underwoodschoolpto.org/underwood-home/

If you would still like to participate, the PTO will continue to add to these slideshows throughout the school closure. Please send photos of what your students are up to during the day and/or 2-3 adjectives or words describing their "new normal" to underwoodpto@gmail.com (include your teacher's name).
NOTE: By sending us a photo, you agree that we may publish the photo / information on the PTO's website. 

**Don’t forget to check out Mrs. Tartaglino-Fahey + Mr. Gluck's Virtual Corner and Garden Project Challenge! You can follow their progress on Facebook.**

Principal Hiring Process Update
Announcing Underwood's New Principal! Suzie Talukdar, currently the principal of the Michael Driscoll School in Brookline, will be the next principal at Underwood. She will officially join us on July 1st. Thank you to all those that participated in the principal selection process this year!

Spring PTO Events
Spring is normally a busy time for Underwood PTO events. Once school resumes and we have direction from the public health department(s) with regard to gatherings and social interaction limitations, we will do our best to reschedule.

PTO Meeting
Our next PTO meeting will be held Tuesday, April 28th at 7pm via Zoom. A meeting reminder will go out as the date approaches.

2020-2021 Underwood PTO Board Positions Open
If you are interested in joining the Underwood PTO Board next school year, please contact the PTO at underwoodpto@gmail.com.

As we navigate this situation together, please reach out at underwoodpto@gmail.com if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions.

Best,
Anne-Marie + Jen
PTO Co-Presidents