Dear Underwood families, Many of you are already aware that the 2022-2023 Newton Public Schools budget proposal consists of substantial cuts to the entire district to cover a $4 million budget gap caused by Covid-related dips in tax revenue and increases in costs. We want to make sure all families are aware of how these proposed cuts will specifically impact both the Underwood and Bigelow communities, as our students will eventually move on to Bigelow Middle School. You can find the proposed 2022-23 budget and Superintendent’s presentation from March 23rd here and watch the budget review that took place on Monday, March 28th here. The 2022-2023 proposed budget would require that: Underwood Elementary School reduce its 5th grade by one classroom due to enrollment numbers and eliminate its math interventionist position due to budget cuts. This would mean the loss READ MORE
The Hoot
Freedom to Read: Addressing the Banned Books Campaign
Please join us via Zoom on Wednesday, March 30 at 7pm for a Panel Discussion co-hosted by the Newton North and Newton South FORJ chapters entitled Freedom to Read: Addressing the Banned Books Campaign. In light of current legislative efforts to ban books (and other legislative efforts to limit teachers’ abilities to teach concepts of anti-racism, inclusion, and social justice) we think it’s important to have an open discussion around what we want our students to learn. We are delighted to have on our panel Lorena Germán, an educator focused on antiracist and anti-bias work in education, and the founder of the groups #DisruptTexts and Multicultural Classroom. She is the author of The Anti Racist Teacher: Reading instruction workbook, and Textured Teaching: A framework for culturally sustaining practices. Please RSVP here to receive the zoom link at the email address you provide on the day of the event. READ MORE
Owl of the Month – Michelle Reddick
1. What is your name? Michelle Reddick 2. What is your role at Underwood? Metco Social worker 3. Where did you grow up? Newton, Massachusetts 4. What is your favorite Underwood tradition? My favorite tradition is to facilitate inclusive groups and to observe my students having open conversations about race and culture. Since the students in the group are young, there is an unspoken understanding that there is no right or wrong answer. Students learn so much from one another! It’s the best! 5. Do you have a favorite Spring activity? Going for walks with my puggle and bike rides with my family. 6. Please share one piece of advice with the Underwood community. Please be open in speaking with your children about race and culture. It’s ok not to have all the answers. When I don’t know something, I use those moments to simply say, “I don’t know. Why don’t we learn about it together?” And then I make it a teaching/learning moment. READ MORE
Letter from the Co-Presidents – march 2022
Key Upcoming Dates: April 5: PTO Social at the Social April 6: Community Conversation: Newton METCO Presentation 7pm April 15: Good Friday (No School) April 18-22: April Recess _____________________________________________________________________________ Dear Underwood Families, Thank you for making the 2022 Underwood Online Auction a smashing success! The auction raised over $10,000, which will cover nearly the entire Creative Arts & Sciences (CAS) budget for this year. Thank you not only to the generous business who provided items, but to Julie Chrzan, Jared and Tess Leeds, Victoria Peake, the Abram, Curran, Dao, Davis, Morgan, and Peterson families, and our Underwood staff for generously donating items and events to help make the auction a success! Speaking of CAS, all Underwood students will experience three enrichment programs this spring, including Authorfest on April 12th. All grades will have an author visit the classroom in person READ MORE
April Community Conversation
Join the Underwood PTO and Newton METCO Director, Lisa Gilbert-Smith for this interactive presentation on Wednesday, April 6th. Lisa Gilbert-Smith is the Director of the Newton METCO Program. As Director, she oversees all activities for the METCO program in the Newton Public Schools and provides guidance to administrators and faculty on cultural proficiency, multicultural curriculum and the goal of high academic expectations for urban students of color. Learn general information about the Newton METCO program and its history. Join the discussion on how partnerships ensure that all students in Newton Public Schoolsflourish. Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/community2_2022
2022 Online Auction Results
The 2022 Auction is OVER and we are so excited to share the results! There were 98 bidders!We had 552 bids!And we raised…….🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁$10,308 dollars!!! 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 Thank you to all our generous bidders! The Underwood PTO uses this money to support the community. Some things we’ve done this year are:– Donate $1,000+ of new library books to the school– Fund enrichment events like AuthorFest– Support families in our community through the Community Cares Program– Fund teacher and staff appreciation events– Provide teacher, specialist, and Principal allocations that are spent directly in classrooms Thank you for being a valuable member of our Underwood Owl Family! We appreciate you!
AuthorFest 2022
AuthorFest is back for Spring 2022! We are so excited that Underwood and CASC will host these amazing experiences for our students this year. Kindergarten – Science Discovery Museum: Bubbles! May 25– David Zucker: Poetry in Motion; Outside, with 1st grade! April 26 (rain date April 28)– AuthorFest: Emilie Boon (visiting 5/18 instead of 4/12) 1st Grade – Drumlin Farm: Wild Adaptations; late spring; outside (pending)– David Zucker: Poetry in Motion; Outside, with 1st grade! April 26 (rain date April 28) – AuthorFest: Juana Medina, April 12 2nd Grade – Shaw Pong Liu: The Middle Kingdom through Music and Story; Jan-April; virtual (pending)– Joe and Vida Galeota: Day in Ghana; April-June; outside (pending)– AuthorFest: Juana Medina, April 12 3rd Grade– Annawon Weeden: First Light Fun; Outside, May 27– Techsploration: Structures; Outside, June 9– AuthorFest: Grace Lin (virtual), April 12 4th Grade – Science Discovery Center: Rocks and Minerals, May 18– Origamido; virtual, being rescheduled from READ MORE
Community PTO Meeting on 3/8/22
Join the Underwood PTO on Tuesday, March 8th for our virtual community meeting – all are welcome! We’ll be joined by School Psychologist Ms. Carr to explore how we can support our students through the next phase of the pandemic. Please email any questions you’d like Ms. Carr to address to underwoodpto@gmail.com with the subject line “Question for Ms. Carr”. Zoom Meeting Link Meeting ID: 937 335 2198 Passcode: 956516 One tap mobile +13126266799,,9373352198#,,,,*956516# US (Chicago)
NPS K-12 – Mask Optional – March 8, 2022
Dear NPS Families, Tonight, the Newton School Committee voted to revise the mask policy in the Newton Public Schools. Beginning tomorrow, March 8, 2022, masks will be OPTIONAL in our K-12 school buildings. In this new mask-optional environment, we will emphasize personal choice and responsibility around masking. There will be many reasons students and staff continue to wear masks. There will be reasons students and staff decide not to wear a mask. All decisions will be supported and we will ask our school communities to be respectful of others’ individual choices. Please note, masks will still be required in the following circumstances: People returning from COVID infection on days 6-10 (CDC requires 10 days of masking, regardless of vaccination status) In nursing/health offices Newton Early Childhood Program (NECP) Certain school environments (assemblies, field trips, music class) – please continue to READ MORE
Online Auction 2022
The 2022 Underwood Online Auction begins Wednesday, March 9th at 8 am at https://www.biddingowl.com/underwoodpto! Bidding will close Tuesday, March 15th at 10 pm. Please share our auction with friends and family, not only in Newton but all over the area – the Underwood Online Auction features tickets for museums and experiences all over Massachusetts and beyond! Details about our auction process are below and we are always available to answer questions at underwoodpto@gmail.com. All proceeds benefit the Underwood PTO. Thank you for your support! Happy bidding! – “Underwood Only!” and “Teacher Parties!” items and events may only be purchased by members of the Underwood community. “Underwood Only!” and “Teacher Parties!” events are non-refundable but can be transferred to another member of the Underwood community if authorized by the event host. For “Underwood Only!” and “Teacher Parties!” events there is no physical item to pick up and winners will be contacted via email READ MORE
Owl of the Month – Leo Curry
1. What is your name? Leo Daniel Curry2. What is your role at Underwood? Senior/Head custodian 3. Where did you grow up? Lived in Canton in my early childhood then moved to Newton in the late 90s.4. What is your favorite Underwood tradition?I am still very new and there hasn’t been a whole lot going on because of covid restrictions. but I very much so look forward to the spring carnival and have already promised that I will volunteer to go in the dunk tank 🙂 also the 5th grade vs staff sporting event sounds like a blast! 5. Do you have a favorite Fall activity? Warm apple pie with vanilla iced cream 🙂 6. Please share one piece of advice with the Underwood community: “If you want light to come into your life, you need to stand where it is shining. When it rains, look for rainbows. when READ MORE
FUEL Program Ongoing Food Donations
The Underwood PTO collects food donations on an ongoing basis to benefit the FUEL Program, which distributes a weekly bag of food to Newton families, including those in the Underwood community. We invite Underwood families to support our neighbors and fellow Newton residents by contributing nonperishable items for distribution. Click here to find the list of accepted items (please do not drop off any items not listed). Parent volunteers Nicole Peterson and Diane Martel collect donations of the above items at 34 Eldredge Street (blue house directly across the street from the school) or 14 Shornecliffe Road on the front porch. For the month of March, we are encouraging each grade to bring a specific item to ensure a variety of donations – see below. Please direct any questions to Nicole at nmprairie@gmail.com. March Donations Kindergarten – Chicken (canned 12.5oz) READ MORE