Dear Underwood Families,
It was wonderful to see so many of you at our Back-to-School Picnic this year! Turnout was incredible and seeing so many families enjoying the Bubble Barge, pizza dinner, and each other’s company was a heart-warming reminder of the amazing community we have at Underwood. We are excited for the year ahead, and are so appreciative of all Underwood families for engaging with our school and PTO and making our community events a success.
Membership Dues Drive
On that note, as we move into October, our Membership Dues Drive is set to kick off! Last year, our PTO spent over $30,000 on programming for our school community including, among other things, funding our Creative Arts and Sciences (“CAS”) programming for all grades, hosting community events such as the Back-to-School Picnic and Carnival, and earmarking funds for teachers and staff. Please be on the lookout for communications from us about this year’s drive– or get a head start and donate early at paypal.me/underwoodpto, Venmo (@underwoodpto / Adam West) or by check made payable to “Underwood PTO” and mailed to us at Underwood PTO, 101 Vernon Street, Newton, MA 02458. The Underwood PTO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so membership contributions are tax deductible and eligible for matching donations from employers.
Cocktail Parties
Our Parent and Caregiver Cocktail Parties kick off this weekend with the 1st grade get-together on 10/1! These parties are a great opportunity to connect with other grown-ups in your child’s grade. If you have not yet done so, please complete this RSVP form to receive the location and details of the parties you are attending: https://bit.ly/uwdsocials22. We are still looking for hosts for second and third grade. Reach out to us at underwoodpto@gmail.com if you are interested in hosting or would like more information.
Family Trivia Night – 10/21 at Underwood
Please mark your calendars for the first Underwood Family Trivia Night hosted by Titan Trivia! This family friendly event will take place in the Underwood gym. Please be on the lookout for registration information from us in the coming weeks.
4th Annual Underwood Fun Run – Friday 10/28
The Underwood Fun Run is back and happening during the school day on Friday, October 28th! This exciting event will allow all Underwood students to participate in a mad dash around Farlow Park with their classmates. The Fun Run has become a much beloved event by the students as well as a fantastic fundraiser for the PTO. Stay tuned for more information on how your runner can support the Underwood PTO by having family and friends sponsor their run! The Underwood Fun Run is most importantly a fun community event that keeps our students active. Alll Underwood students are participants in the Fun Run and will receive an official 2022 Fun Run t-shirt regardless of whether they choose to fundraise.
Get Involved! Calling all Volunteers!
As an Underwood parent/caregiver, you are automatically a member of the PTO! Parent volunteers keep our PTO active and allow us to plan events and raise money to support our school. There are many opportunities to volunteer at Underwood this year to fit all levels of availability. We are currently looking for volunteers to help with our upcoming Trivia Night, the Camp Fair, Spring Carnival, and other opportunities throughout the year. For more information, please email us at underwoodpto@gmail.org.
The Online Family Directory is Available NOW
If you haven’t joined our Underwood Family Directory and updated your child/childrens’ classroom information for this year, please do so! If you are already in the Directory, please make sure that you have updated your child/childrens’ teacher so that you receive the correct information throughout the year. The Directory is how Room Parents can find your contact information to let you know about things happening in the classroom. If you have any questions, please contact us at underwoodpto@gmail.com.
All our best,
Margaret Silva and Maggie Elitt
PTO Co-Presidents
