Week of April 29th

School Family,

We had a productive a successful first week back from break. Here are some updates for the week:

Thank you Underwood

Dear Underwood Families,

It is with sincere gratitude for your support the last two years that I am informing you that I will not be returning to Underwood next year.  I can not express how hard this decision has been for me. I have the opportunity to walk into a position that is very impactful in the community.  I am excited about the possibility of being able to serve a larger population but I am very sad to leave my Underwood family. I will continue at Underwood until June 28th.  Thank you for trusting your children with me and sharing so many joyous times! I will stay in touch and wish everyone a fabulous academic journey. I will miss the kids, the staff and you the families so much.  Once again thank you for allowing me to be a part of the Underwood family these last two years. Wishing you all well!

With sincere respect and gratitude,

Mallory Mbalia, Assistant Principal

PRIDE Expectations
As a school, we have been reviewing our PRIDE expectations in all school settings this week. It is important for our students to follow these expectations to maximize all learning at Underwood Elementary.  What is PRIDE at Underwood Elementary 

EOG Proctoring
We are in need of EOG testing proctors. Our 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classrooms are in need of proctors for the EOGs. If you are available (even if it is for one day), we would greatly appreciate your time so we can keep our school in their assigned classroom.  - Sign-up or contact Mrs. Page (co-test coordinator).

• Wednesday May 29th- 3rd and 4th Grade ELA
• Thursday May 30th - 3rd and 4th Grade Math
• Friday May 31st- 5th grade Science , 3rd and 4th grade make ups
• Monday June  3rd- 5th grade ELA
• Tuesday June 4th- 5th grade Math
• Wednesday June 5th- 5th grade make ups 

5 points Fitness
Free fitness for all. You can join a few Underwood dads, teachers, and students for a 7 week bootcamp style workout. Your child is able to come every Wednesday rain or shine from 4:00-4:45 starting Wednesday April 24th. There are only 30 sports available please fill out this form if you would like your child to participate. This is open to all students K-5 as well as any parents that would like to join.  -- Sign up forms .  Thank you to our 5k leaders -- Andrew Tripp, Matt Illuzi, and Jonathan Thompson!

Walk/Bike to School Day
Walk/Bike to School Day will be May 17th!  We encourage all students to walk or bike to school if possible. For the families that do not actually live in “walking distance,” we have spoken to Hayes Barton Baptist Church and they have approved us to park there to allow students to walk to school.  Will send more information closer to the event! Happy Walking!!!

Last week for the Panorama Parent Survey!!!

Parents, the window to participate in the Panorama Survey closes on May 2nd.  If you have not received an email, please take a few minutes to fill out this survey from this link.  Your input is vital to our school growth to make Underwood the best school for all children!

2019-20 Transportation: 
Bus Rider Registration 2019-20 School Year: On Friday, May 10, 2019, we will begin receiving (via the web and the Transportation Module) requests from transportation eligible families for the 2019-20 school year.
  May 10th Broadcast Message for Families: We will be sending a broadcast message via School Messenger to all current bus riders that are eligible for transportation communicating the following:  If your transportation eligible child will be riding the bus from the same address to the same school next year, you do not need to take action. If you need to update your bus service, please go online.
  Up-to-date transportation information is available in your student’s Home Base/PowerSchool account. More information on Home Base is available at www.wcpss.net/student-information.
 If your student is assigned to transportation but is not a rider, parents are to submit the online form so that we have the most up-to-date information.  Parents do not have to register for transportation services if their student has special transportation as a related service.

Updates: https://www.wcpss.net/underwoodes

• May 1st - Teacher Workday (No School)
• May 6th - 10th - Staff appreciation week
• May 9th - Johnathan Daniel Cultural Arts (sponsored by Underwood PTA)
• May 13th - SSA Testing Window opens
• May 14th - School Improvement Meeting at 7:45
• June 7th - Field Day

April 23rd

School Family,

I hope that everyone was able to take a break last week and catch up with and enjoy time together. I was able to do some reading, get some rest, and recharge my batteries!

 

Class placement for 2019-2020

It is that time of year that I start to plan next year's classes and staffing. From now until May 24th I am open to parents sending me an email for considerations for the type of teacher and type of classroom your child would learn best in at Underwood Elementary. I ask that specific teacher's names not be used but rather characteristics and qualities that your child works best with in the classroom. Also if there are particular students that he/she has struggled with or may need a break from feel free to include this in your email as well. In the summer I will review these prior to making the final class lists.

 

May 1st Workday

Just a reminder that WCPSS has determined that May 1st is a workday for teachers and due to the number of instructional hours students will not need to make up the day.

 

Staff Appreciation

May 6th - May 10 is our staff appreciation week. We as a school community decided to celebrate all of our staff members during this week as opposed to individual days throughout the year. This week is a great time to say thank you to our teachers, academic support teachers, teacher assistants, custodians, front office team, psychologist, nurse, social workers, and all of the amazing staff members at Underwood Elementary!

 

Starting on April 1st,  there will be NO parking on Fairview Rd. from 3:30 - 4:00pm. This is an effort to decrease congestion on Fairview road during Afternoon Carpool.

 

Letterland Day (Event for K-2 Students)

Letterland Day at Pullen Park will be on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.  K-2 students have been utilizing this program daily. You are welcome to dress up as your favorite Letterland character and there will be games and activities to participate in as well.  We hope to see you there!

 

EOG Dates-Mark your calendar!

EOG testing will begin on May 29th!  As we prepare for the EOG we will be sending out information about being a proctor and when proctor training will take place.  Ms. Page will be leading those trainings. Please find the dates for EOG testing below. Thank you!

• Wednesday May 29th- 3rd and 4th Grade ELA
• Thursday May 30th - 3rd and 4th Grade Math
• Friday May 31st- 5th grade Science , 3rd and 4th grade make ups
• Monday June  3rd- 5th grade ELA
• Tuesday June 4th- 5th grade Math
• Wednesday June 5th- 5th grade make ups 

Panorama Survey-  
Last week, you should have received an email from the "Panorama Education Team."  This email contains a family survey to learn more about your family’s experience at Underwood.  If you have children at multiple schools the link will allow you to take a survey for each school.  As a school community we utilize this information to ensure we are creating a great experience for all of our families.  The survey should take about 15 minutes. If you need a paper form or did not receive the email, please reach out to Alexandria Judge-Lenkeit (ajudge-lenkeit@wcpss.net or 919-856-7663).  If you missed the email, the Panorama team will continue to send an email weekly.

Updates: https://www.wcpss.net/underwoodes

• April 25th - Special Olympics (Ravenscroft HS) - ID Mod 1 and 2
• April 26th-Cultural Arts Performance-Carolina Ballet (9:30 K-2; 10:30 3-5)
• April 26th - Tar Heel Jr Historians - NC Museum  of History
• April 26th - Third Grade (Hill/Peaden) - Walnut Creek Wetlands
• May 1st - Teacher Workday (No School)
• May 6th - 10th - Staff appreciation week
• May 9th - Johnathan Daniel Cultural Arts (sponsored by Underwood PTA)
• May 13th - SSA Testing Window opens
• May 14th - School Improvement Meeting at 7:45