The Hoot

New England Camp Fair 2023

Did you know summer camps in New England start accepting registrations in October? Don’t miss out on the best camp opportunities for your kids! New England Camp Fair 2024 will take place on November 4, 2023 from 11am-2pm at the Underwood School in Newton, MA (101 Vernon St, Newton, MA 02458).  Join us for this annual event, featuring 35+ day and overnight camps, including traditional sleep-away options and sports-, arts-, and special interest-focused camps! There are also over $20,000 in prizes in the camp fair raffle! Follow us on facebook to learn when new camps are added! CAMP FAIR FAQs If you have done a Google search, you know there is a dizzying array of camps serving kids ages 5–14 in the greater New England area. In addition to traditional day and overnight camps, today you can find themed camps READ MORE

Crocodile River Music

COMING SOON! November 2 – CAS Performance Series Presents Crocodile River Music Underwood’s Creative Arts & Sciences (CAS) committee is excited to welcome Crocodile River Music on November 2 for two performances of Dakar-Bamako Express.  We are pleased to share that this year’s Performance Series is open to parents and caregivers. Performances will be at 8:30am for grades K-2 and at 9:30am for grades 3-5 in the Underwood Gymnasium. Please fill out the following Google form if you wish to attend so that we know how many seats to set. Sign Up Here CAS programming is made possible through PTO funding and coordination among all of the volunteer CAS grade reps – Hai Ly Burk (5th), Melanie Chan (4th), Lana Bilzerian (3rd), Bung Wang (2nd), Brooke Hegarty (1st), Alex Slater (Kindergarten), Caryn Izhar and Lisa Wong (Co-CAS Chairs). Dakar-Bamako Express, named after the railway that connected READ MORE

Call for Candidates!  Underwood School Council

Are you interested in joining the Underwood School Council?  The School Council is a great way to get involved with important decisions that affect our children. Mandated by state law, the Council serves as an advisory board to the principal. Members include the principal, 2 faculty/staff and 2 parent/guardian representatives, and a community member. School Council provides a forum to discuss and advise the principal on issues that arise throughout the year, including programmatic matters; the school improvement plan; safety and building maintenance issues; and other relevant topics. During the 2023-24 school year, we will meet 5-6 times through June. The Underwood School Council is a separate entity from the PTO. School Council focuses on programmatic, operational, and budgetary issues, while the PTO provides social and community support and curriculum enhancement activities.Parents/guardians are elected for 2- or 3-year terms to School Council. In NPS, we recommend staggered READ MORE

Underwood 5th Annual Fun Run 10/27

You can show your support for Underwood by registering your student for the Fun Run using the link below.  All students will participate and receive a t-shirt, but the class with the highest participation will receive an extra 10 minutes of recess!  In addition, you can sign up to volunteer to help the kids make it safely around their running route.  The volunteer sign up is here! Parents and caregivers are also welcome to come enjoy the weather and cheer the kids!  The times for the grades runs are: K: 10:15-111: 9:15- 10:002: 2:05-2:503: 11:15-124: 1:00-1:455: 12:00- 12:45 Your child’s fundraising page can be shared with family and friends near and far. All students will participate regardless of registration status, but registration is an easy and fun way to support our school. Underwood School Fun Run | FundHub getmovinfundhub.com

Welcome Back Picnic

Welcome Back Picnic – Thursday, September 14th – 5:00 – 7:00pm  The Welcome Back Picnic is a fun outdoor evening for our entire school community. In addition to entertainment from the Bubble Barge there will be pizza, drinks, and snacks for sale by the PTO. Order pizza here by Noon on 9/13!

The Future of Underwood

As many of you know a task force has been convened to make recommendations on the future of the Underwood and Ward elementary schools.  Below is a note from the Ward PTO outlining a meeting they had regarding the proposed options and a timeline. To quote a parent in attendance, “I was blindsided by what they are proposing, and the timeline for how fast this could all happen.” A similar meeting will be held at Underwood on June 6th at 7pm and we encourage ALL families with children under 11 to attend (including those of you with kids not yet in school.) THE MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 7-8 in the Underwood Gym and is open ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS. Proposed changes could take place as early as the Fall of 2024 – impacting all children who are currently in the 3rd grade or younger.  We do READ MORE

Underwood and Ward Facility & Enrollment Study

In fall 2022, Mayor Fuller allocated $100,000 in ARPA funds to hire a Consultant for an Underwood and Ward Facility and Enrollment Study. Both Underwood and Ward occupy buildings that are nearly 100 years old, and both schools are experiencing enrollment declines that are beginning to impact the educational experience of students. Perkins and Eastman Architects has been selected as the consultant and a task force has been established. The consultant and the task force will work together over the coming months to help the district identify and examine options to address facility, educational, and enrollment challenges at Underwood and Ward. The task force will be meeting monthly and meetings are public. There will also be meetings with the staff and families at both schools, as well as community meetings and opportunities for staff, family and community input. To learn more about READ MORE

Annual 5th Grade vs. Teachers Kickball Game

Don’t miss the annual 5th Grade vs. Teachers Kickball Game! Friday, May 12th at 3pm! All proceeds go to the 5th Grade Graduation activities! Purchase your tickets via venmo (@underwoodpto) or with cash. You can get tickets in-person afterschool on 5/10 and 5/11 afterschool or the Day of 5/12!