Dear Underwood Families,
The 2nd Annual Gingerbread House Decorating Party was so much fun! Thank you to the over 40 families who participated and to Lisa Wong and Kerry Curran for organizing again this year. Dr. Talukdar and Ms. Lacey reviewed the contest submissions yesterday and winners will be notified ASAP! As an added bonus, this festive event supported our Underwood community and raised several hundred dollars for our Holiday Gift Card Drive.
Ms. Mann, Underwood’s Literacy Specialist, presented at our virtual PTO meeting earlier this week about supporting literacy at home and the importance of interactive read alouds at all ages. Click here to see her fantastic presentation, complete with a list of recommended books for your home library on the final slide.
The week before Thanksgiving we showed Underwood staff our gratitude by stocking the staff room with snacks and coffee, and displaying our Gratitude Tree for the second year. Thank you to Heather Hanson and Nina Pun for being our Teacher Appreciation Chairs this year and bringing this special gesture together. We had an incredible number of notes of gratitude submitted from the community and wanted to share a few of them:
- “I like seeing your smiling face every morning when you greet us before the bell!”
- “… is excited to come to school every day because of your passion for what you do, the excitement you bring to the classroom and the empathy you have for these kids.”
- “Thank you for picking out the best books for us to read.”
- “Thanks for being outside with me at recess time.”
- “Thank you for your interest in and support of all our kids.”
- “The kids come home every week with a new story about how you brightened their day.”
It’s hard to believe, but we are already looking ahead to the 2022-23 school year! If you are interested in being part of the PTO Board or getting more involved in any capacity, please reach out – we would love to tell you more! Board nominations happen in the spring and we are looking for two new Co-Presidents to lead the PTO, among other positions. We are also kicking off planning for our beloved Underwood Spring Carnival in January. If you would like to be part of the Carnival Committee please let us know at underwoodpto@gmail.com.
We wish your families a healthy and happy December break and a Happy New Year!
All our best,
Amy Davis and Laura Goldworm
PTO Co-Presidents