The Hoot

March 18, 2020 Dear NPS Families, Thank you for your patience as we have worked with our NPS administrators and faculty to determine the best way to provide learning opportunities to our students during this extended school closure.  As many of you have quickly learned over the past few days, it is not possible to truly replicate the traditional PreK-12 school day at home. School is a place where learning is engaging, creative, and differentiated. It is a place where students receive academic, as well as social and emotional supports. And so, while we cannot re-create the school day at home, we can provide you with resources that will provide continuity of learning for our students during this uncertain time.  NPS Learning from Home Below you will find links to resource pages our teachers and staff have compiled for families. The resources READ MORE

Many families have reached out with questions regarding learning resources. On March 18th, the school district released their NPS Learning From Home material and can be accessed here The Underwood PTO gathered a set of free resources and ideas in the listing below and we will update these periodically MATH   Math Playground Hooda Math Kahn Academy NPS K-5 Family Math Page SCIENCE   Mystery Science National Geographic Kids San Francisco Exploratorium: Make sense of COVID-19 at home with your child. Cincinnati Zoo: Home Safari Facebook Live weekdays at 3pm. They will highlight one of their amazing animals and include an activity you can do from home. Science Projects: Review the Scientific Method with your student, select a science experiment together, perform the experiment, and present the experiment results on paper or in a Google Slide presentation. Share the project READ MORE

Helpful Resources + Information Newton Public Schools: District Updates, NPS Learning from Home, Food Resources, Students Services & Special Education, Technology, Talking to Kids about COVID-19, Transportation City of Newton: Updates and alerts Massachusetts Department of Public Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention March 22, 2020 Dear NPS Community, I hope you are staying healthy and well. I am writing to give you an update on what you can expect from the Newton Public Schools in both the short and longer-term.   First, I would like to begin by saying that all of us here in the Newton Public Schools understand how worried you are about the impact this out of school time will have on your children from both an academic and social emotional perspective. Our educators share that concern and are working very hard to identify the best ways READ MORE

March 11, 2020 Dear NPS Community, In an effort to prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all evening and community events in our facilities effective immediately and until further notice. All field trips will also be cancelled immediately. We have made this decision in consultation with the Newton Department of Health and Human Services. This decision is consistent with the state’s latest guidance for meetings and events which was announced yesterday. The City of Newton is also cancelling large public gatherings and many programs.  I know our decision to restrict access to our facilities will raise lots of questions. Here are some examples of events that will be cancelled beginning tonight: Community events and meetings Student performances PTO meetings and other parent events Adult education classes Use of buildings by non-school groups We will READ MORE

The Underwood Cultural Fair will take place on Wednesday, April 15th @ 4:30-6 pm. We are looking forward to a fun and enriching community-building event. We hope many families will participate in some way as we celebrate the cultures of the world and family connections to them. Even if your child chooses not to create a project, the larger community is invited to attend the event and learn about the various countries and topics that will be on display. Please contact any of the team members (listed below) planning this event should you have questions or would like to volunteer! Volunteers The Cultural Fair Committee seeks 18 parent volunteers for the following roles: Poster workshop (4/8 3:00-4:30pm) – volunteers to help students with their projects (research and assembling) Assembling passports (the week before, or could happen at the same time as the READ MORE

Dear Underwood Community, I am writing to inform you that the annual 5th Grade vs. Staff Basketball Game this Friday is CANCELLED. This was a difficult decision made after much thought and listening to the concerns from many families regarding the uncertainty of the coronavirus and the basketball game. I know that the kids and faculty were as excited as I was about this event. At this time it is more important we take precautions and that everyone stays healthy. I am hoping that we can reschedule this for another time this school year but there is no guarantee as Underwood gets busier towards the end of the year. I will keep everyone posted. Thank you for your support and understanding. For those that prepaid for tickets and would like a refund, please contact the PTO at underwoodpto@gmail.com for assistance.  READ MORE

CANCELLED – On March 18, 2020, please come down to Bertucci’s to stay, eat, and build the Underwood community! Up to 25 percent of sales at Bertucci’s all day on March 18th will go to the Underwood School. You can dine-in, take-out, or get delivery from Bertucci’s – a pre-order form is provided below! All you have to do is present our flyer (below or available here). Or look for it in your student’s folder as the date approaches.

Cancelled until further notice from Newton Public Schools. Announcing the 2020 Underwood School PTO’s Creative Arts & Sciences Concert. The concert will take place on Thursday, March 26th at 9am at the Underwood School. The concert will feature the Women In World Jazz (see image below).  Women In World Jazz is an award winning, international ensemble, bringing together some of the finest world and jazz musicians, each with an extensive performing and teaching background in New England. Showcasing the music of women composers, poets, and lyricists from around the world, Women in World Jazz embraces diversity and the power of creation. Thank you to our PTO’s Creative Arts and Sciences Committee for bringing this program to our school.

On March 18th come on out to Yogurt Beach and support the 5th grade class! Use the codeword “UNDERWOOD” and a portion of every sale goes to the Underwood 5th grade moving on ceremony.

The kindergartners had a ball listening to Big Joe’s stories on February 13th.  His energy and animation kept the kids’ attention, and his stories about friendship and love (just in time for Valentine’s Day!) were engaging and interactive.  Big Joe’s puppets also were a huge hit.  Here are a few pictures of the kindergartners enthralled in one of his amazing tales!

Creative Arts & Sciences brought Gale Black Snake and James to visit 3rd Graders on February 5th. Gale Black Snake Woman and James are descendants of Native Americans. Gale and James present information that breaks down stereotypes of Native Americans, and provide information about native cultures and traditions. Students were thrilled to add another layer to the Native American unit they’ve studied. Through games, pictographs, stories and storytelling, Gale and James help students bring to life a part of their heritage.  

Please see the Feb. 4th notice below from City of Newton Health and Human Services Department.