The Underwood Way

As we enter the coldest time of the year, please remember that we will be indoors if the feels-like temperature drops below -10 degrees. Make sure your students have the appropriate winter gear, as our supply of extras—especially gloves—is running low. Please review the outside guidelines below to ensure your child is prepared.

Additionally, we have started sending out attendance letters this month. These are directly related to our student/family handbook that was signed at the beginning of the year. I want to be as open and transparent as possible about attendance, so please take a moment to review the handbook (or read below). Let’s work together to support consistent attendance for all students.

Next month (March) is Reading Month! We are excited to participate in a Book Blast, which will ensure that every student receives at least one book to take home. Be on the lookout for this information.

Thank you for your support!

GoBeGreat~

Hope Rush

Please reach out to the school if you are in need of any winter supplies.

This is a reminder regarding North Dakota’s state law on compulsory school attendance. Students between the ages of 7 and 16 must be in the classes they are assigned to on every school day unless there is a valid reason for their absence, such as illness, injury, school-related activity, family emergency, or religious observance.

To ensure proper attendance:

• Elementary students must arrive by 9:30 a.m. to be counted present for the morning session and no earlier than 10:30 a.m. for departure.
• For the afternoon, students must arrive by 1:00 p.m. and may leave no earlier than 2:30 p.m. to be counted present.

As parents, it is your responsibility to ensure that your child attends school unless there is a legitimate reason for their absence. If your child will be absent, please call the school secretary before 8:30 a.m. on the day of the absence to inform them of the reason and the expected length. If we do not receive a call by that time, the absence will be considered unreported, and we will attempt to reach you.

Communication is key in ensuring we’re all on the same page when it comes to attendance. Please keep us informed of any planned absences so we can work together to support your child’s success. We have started sending out attendance letters, and we appreciate the follow-up phone calls we have received.

This attendance policy is outlined in our Student/Family Handbook, which you signed at the beginning of the school year. Please refer to the matrix below for further details on our attendance expectations and procedures.

Please remember, North Dakota law requires us to report any suspected violations of the compulsory attendance law. We’re committed to working together to help students succeed, as regular attendance is directly linked to improved grades and assessment scores.

Thank you for your cooperation and support!

Happy February!

For our Accelerated Reader program this year, I am selecting “AR Stars of the Month.” These will be either the student in each grade earning the most points for the month or a student who has made significant improvement. They will be posted in the hallway outside the Library. November’s “AR Stars” are: Axel - 2nd, Madden - 3rd, Avery - 4th, Macy - 5th, and Braxton - 6th. Way to read!

A reminder also of our 100 AR Points Field Trip that places in May - students will have until the end of April or shortly after to make it to 100 points. The field trip will either be to Get Air Trampoline Park or the YMCA in Minot. We currently have 5 students who’ve earned it!

Book Blast starts this week! Book Blast is a book drive event we decided to try in order that all students may receive some books of their own to have at home. This program is completely optional, and instructions will go home Wednesday, February 5th for those who’d like to participate. Note: Those with more than one student in elementary only have to complete the process once, simply adding their other students’ names after completing it initially. Please don’t hesitate to contact Mrs. Rush or myself with any questions.

In January Elementary Library for grades PreK-1, we have done a little story yoga with Cosmic Kids, worked on learning how to take AR quizzes, and done a couple read alouds. Last week, for the 100th day of school, we read I Want 100 Dogs, which everyone seemed to enjoy. For February, we will continue a mixture of read alouds and yoga.

In January Elementary Library for grades 2-6, we have alternated between Digital Citizenship lessons on how to use technology safely with trying out a variety of coding robots. The website we’ve been utilizing for our Digital Citizenship lessons is www.commonsensemedia.org, which has some excellent resources. Robots we have worked with are the Sphero Minis, Sphero Indis, and BeeBots. For February, we are finishing up with Digital Citizenship and robots.

The Bookmobile will be here on Tuesday, February 11th. Please help remind students to return Bookmobile items if they haven’t already. Thank you!

Looking ahead, March brings Reading Month and the yearly Scholastic Book Fair! Reading Month t-shirt order forms went home with students last week, and are due next Tuesday, February 11th. Again, these are completely optional as a supplement to our Reading Month festivities. Thank you!

Please reach out to angie.nagle@underwoodschool.org with any questions, ideas, or concerns.

February 5 Underwood Way Assembly

February 11 Bookmobile

February 17 No School-Presidents' Day

February 24 Spring Picture Day/Re-Takes

February 26 Northland Dental Sealant and Fluoride

February 28 School Board Meeting 11:00 am in the boardroom.