Week of April 5th

 Families, 

I hope that you all have been able to enjoy this spring weather. Below are updates for this school week. We look forward to seeing our in-person students on Thursday and our VA students online starting on Thursday. 

Spring Pictures: We will be having our Spring Pictures on Monday April 12 through Lifetouch Studios. In-person information will be sent home on Thursday. We are working on details to see about Virtual Academy Spring Photos with Lifetouch. 

2021-2022 School Supplies Survey-  Each year we offer the opportunity for parents to purchase school supplies through School Toolbox.  The PTA is trying to see if this is something families are still interested in participating.  The PTA does make money on each kit that is purchased.  Last year, few families participated understandably (about 20), and the school made about $78.00.  The kits per student (depending on what is on the grade level supply list) averaged about $50.00-$70.00.  Kits are delivered directly to the school.  

https://forms.gle/uLii3xM7znrQ96Vg8

Wellness - it is imperative that The best thing you can do is to keep your children home when sick. This will help stop the spread of illness to other children and teachers. Keep them home when they show any of these symptoms:

• fever of 100.4 degrees F or higher

• nausea or vomiting

• severe headache

• diarrhea

• New cough or cold

• Sore throat

Children should stay home until they have been naturally without fever for at least 24 hours. If they are at school and have these symptoms they will need to stay out of school up to 10 days unless there is a medical condition to identify the illness.

Underwood Bedtime Stories

Put on your pj's and join Underwood staff for a live storytime! Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm (except for during Spring Break).  Bedtime Stories Schedule

To join....Go to Meet.google.com

Code: ugtmbedtimestory

Foundation Gala:  Celebrate and support our wonderful Underwood teachers during the Uniquely Underwood gala! The virtual event is free to attend but you can elevate your experience with a party package that includes a delicious dinner for two from Mandolin, a bottle of wine from Wine Feed, mocktails from Curious Elixirs and much more! The gala supports the Underwood Foundation, which helps funds staffing positions and elective programming for the school. Go to www.Underwood.givesmart.com to learn more and purchase your party package!

Reminders: 

• April 7th - Teacher Workday ***replaces the May 13th

• April 13th - 3rd Quarter Report Cards go home or are emailed 

• April 14th- Asynchronous Day

• April 19th - 23rd - 5th Grade Writer in Residence 

• April 28th - Asynchronous Day

Wishing you well, 

Travis Shillings, Principal

Week of March 22nd - 26th

Families, 

Based on S.B 220, all families have the option to return to in-person from Virtual Academy or from In-Person to Virtual Academy. For those families that would like to return in-person, you would need to put in writing to tshillings@wcpss.net this request. Here are a couple of things to think about:

• This change will most likely require a change in your child’s classroom teacher.  In-person instruction will more than likely have multiple teachers throughout the school day for core instruction. 
• Change would take place after Spring Break and may take up to April 19th for the change to happen for individual cases. 
• In-person learning environment requires personal spaces in the classroom, face coverings throughout the school day, some screen time (electives, classroom work), and less movement than in previous school years.

Resources: how in-person looks and Covid Protocols based on symptoms 

Underwood Bedtime Stories

Put on your pj's and join Underwood staff for a live storytime! Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm (except for during Spring Break).  Bedtime Stories Schedule

To join....Go to Meet.google.com        Code: ugtmbedtimestory

Spring Pictures: We will be having our Spring Pictures on Monday April 12 through Lifetouch Studios. More details to follow via emails and Tuesday Folders. 

Foundation Gala:  Celebrate and support our wonderful Underwood teachers during the Uniquely Underwood gala! The virtual event is free to attend but you can elevate your experience with a party package that includes a delicious dinner for two from Mandolin, a bottle of wine from Wine Feed, mocktails from Curious Elixirs and much more! The gala supports the Underwood Foundation, which helps funds staffing positions and elective programming for the school. Go to www.Underwood.givesmart.com to learn more and purchase your party package!

Wellness - it is imperative that The best thing you can do is to keep your children home when sick. This will help stop the spread of illness to other children and teachers. Keep them home when they show any of these symptoms:

• fever of 100.4 degrees F or higher

• nausea or vomiting

• severe headache

• diarrhea

• New cough or cold

• Sore throat

Children should stay home until they have been naturally without fever for at least 24 hours. If they are at school and have these symptoms they will need to stay out of school up to 10 days unless there is a medical condition to identify the illness. 

Reminders: 

• March 23rd and 25th - Underwood Bedtime Stories @ 7:00 via Google Meet 

• March 24th - Asynchronous day/VA Materials Pick up (1:00-3:00)

• March 29 - April 2nd - Spring Break 

• April 5th - Calendar out day 

• April 6th - Teacher Workday 

• April 7th - Teacher Workday ***replaces the May 13th

• April 14th- Asynchronous Day

Wishing you well

March 1 - 5

Blog for March 1st - 5th  

Celebrations! Glendia for hosting Staff Trivia and creating the K-1 Family Trivia. Chris for creating the 2-3 and 4-5 Trivia. Chris, Jess, Glendia and Travis for hosting Family Black History Trivia Night!  From a 2nd grade parent:  “So, our amazing kiddo studied for trivia night tonight and he knew 15/17 questions on his own.  Even more impressive was that he cheered for his friends on the leaderboard!  Thanks for creating a culture that kids cheer for one another!!” Hello Ms. Frasier, Thank you so much for your Dancing through the Decades elective. Kaite LOVED it! She was so excited to demonstrate each dance and teach us her new moves.  This week was especially fun to do it in person. - Thank you for your effort and enthusiasm to keep  Ashley for organizing all elective materials for parents to pick-up or delivering to their classrooms.  Lauren’s students showcased in Marbles!  More information to come! The vaccine is available to teachers and we have many that have received it already!!!  Yay! Our Covid Subs have helped support students and teachers during the day!  Lynn Pearce, Kahina Smali and Taylor Goodson….we appreciate you! Cindy for calling many subs to ensure we have coverage.   Specialists for integrating 3rd grade Space objectives into their lessons! Courtney Apple has connected with many families to ensure attendance or needs are met.  Shannon, Jen P, Jessica and Sheree completed testing on the asynchronous day! Jennifer W and Lauren collaborated on an art project to celebrate Women's History! Elizabeth has made book collections personalized to elective content. Be sure to contact her if you are interested! Have a colleague to celebrate?  Share it here

Wishing Well Rachel Ward  Cheryl Wright

Important Upcoming Dates March 1st - New electives start  March 3rd - Asynchronous day (PLTs) March 3rd - PTA Board Meeting at 8:30pm - https://meet.google.com/aci-rquy-okx  March 3rd- PLT’s done independently- please put times on the staff calendar March 3rd- 1:00 SIP/Leadership Semester Data Review  March 12th - Teacher Workday  March 24th - Asynchronous day (PLTs) March 29 - April 2nd - Spring Break  April 5th - Calendar out day  April 6th - Teacher Workday  *Be sure you have this WCPSS 2020-2021 calendar  and updated with Groupings to reference for the year.

Structures Document    Feedback Friday

Day to Day Items:

Attendance - take daily for your students -- if you are absent or planning to be absent be sure to put in Aesop so that it can be picked up by a sub. We have a full time daily floater and another floater here four days a week. These floaters are intended to be used for planned daily support.  Email Cindy and Alexandria if you have questions or need support  Face Coverings-  The county has updated the face coverings document.  Things that have changed are updated in maroon.  Please let us know if you have any questions.   FYI: COVID-19 Vaccination Effort Update-  The district continues to randomly select employees to participate in vaccination clinics from those who have completed the vaccine interest form. Those selected will be contacted directly by WCPSS to schedule their appointment. You are also able to sign up for vaccinations with our hospital systems, Wake County Public Health, and your county of residence. Please sign up wherever you can in addition to filling out the WCPSS interest form.   As a reminder if you do get an appointment, please fill out this form for Underwood,  Info on WakeConnect shares that employees with a vaccine appointment do not need to take their own leave or make up the time.  If you will be away more than 2 hours, please do the following: Enter the absence in AESOP as “sub not needed” Submit a leave from using the reason “Other” with “Vaccine” on the explanation line Timesheet employees will record hours worked and enter “E” in the leave code field

Week to Week Items:

Do you need instructional materials or something for your classroom? Be sure to use your  PTA Stipend The new round of electives begin on March 1st and end on May 14th. The following electives will “move” to their location: dance (no devices), drama (bring devices and headphones), music (no devices), band (no devices), PE.  Please write the names of these students down for the person covering your class.  It would also be helpful to have students Wake ID and passwords written down if someone is covering your class for electives. Materials for 4th Quarter:  Material pick up will take place on March 24th.  At this time there are only math packets to distribute as all EL materials have already been distributed.  If you have classroom specific materials for your students you will need to create bags for your students and ensure that all the materials you want to distribute are ready by the end of the day on Monday, March 22nd.   Unicorns Unite:  we will have the following staff connection activities: Yoga with Heather Burton Humble Pig Food Truck:  March 12th from 11:30am-1:00pm Barone Meatball Food Truck:  April 14th  from 11:30am-1:30pm Ideas for parent communication for students with ongoing absences  Women’s History Month slides Media and Technology Updates

August 24

Celebrations! Successful first week of orientation  Supply Pick-ups were successful  Great to see our kiddos in Meets and in-person for pick ups IA’s supporting the childcare room! Kesha (our very own), Angel and Yessika!!  They are new staff to Underwood that will be supporting the childcare room.   We have approval from HR for Mrs. Brett Pesce to be our interim school Counselor starting on September 14th

Wishing Well Amy Schnitzer

Important Upcoming Dates August 24-28 Week 2 of Orientation  8/24 - Business Meeting at 11:30 am 8/25 - Leadership Meeting at 8:00 am 8/26 - Wind Down Wednesday 8:30 pm (optional for staff) -- Accessing your child’s online learning, Technology Tips for Parents, Q&A 8/28 - Student Service Team meeting 8:15 *Be sure you have this WCPSS 2020-2021 calendar to reference for the year.

Communication	Collaboration
It’s important that you know who in your  classroom doesn’t have Memberhub.  For  those students, you will will need to establish  another way to communicate that  information through Google Classroom,  email, etc.  If families want to join  Memberhub (new students, incoming siblings) they can join here.  If they have been  receiving communication, no need to re-sign  up (our Memberhub chair) will move the  Child up to the next grade level. Leave Options 2020-2021 School Year-   We know there are so many questions in regards to leave this school year.  Please review this document the county has provided in regards to leave options.  Contacting Spanish-Speaking Parents by Phone:  WhatsApp Simple, free way to communicate with families.  You can download it to your phone and computer.  Many of our Spanish speaking families utilize this app and it is an easy way to stay in communication with them.  Morning Screening:  If you arrive after the “wellness screening check-in” at the front door, please ring the doorbell (regardless if you have your badge) and tell Holly or Cindy that you are just arriving.  They will meet you at the door and do the screening.  Do not come in the building until your screening is complete.  The expectation if you are working in the building for the day is to arrive between 7:45-8:45.	Elective update:  This week Ashley will work on uploading classes into SOCR and creating 1 page “mini” elective brochures and grade level google forms.  The goal is to get elective brochures/google forms to teachers on Friday, August 28th.  Virtual elective sign up would be August 31st-September 4th for students.  Chromebook or Hotspot Needs:  The county is working to get these devices to all students.  As of Thursday night, they only have done highschool.  If parents ask, please let them know where the county is in the process.  The parent/parents will receive a message from School Messenger when they can pick-up.   Donors Choose- Teachers, if you've never created a DonorsChoose project, next week DonorsChoose can help you get some extra learning resources for the year ahead. From Sunday, August 23 to Saturday, August 29 only, When you submit your first Donors Choose project, your project will receive an automatic $50 kickoff donation from the Donors Choose Team. You’ll also receive a shareable promo code, doubling additional donations made during your project’s first week on the site. Whether you need books for your students, a new coding kit, or something else entirely — this can be an extra tool to help out. Already a DonorsChoose pro? You can earn $25 for every teacher you refer, so don't hesitate to help other teachers get set up! Get started here.
Critical Thinking	Connection
If you have a family who is having tech  problems that are not resolved by sending  them the appropriate video in Spanish,  please have them call (919) 694-8100 and  choose option 2.  This will connect them  directly to a Spanish speaking agent that will  help them. If the issue is not resolved they  will fill out a heat ticket and someone from  tech support who also speaks Spanish will  call them back.  They can also fill out the  student technology assistance form https://www.wcpss.net/domain/17256  (switch the language to Espanol) and a  member of the Helpdesk will reach out via phone. Ongoing questions/answer document	Communicate with Jessica the students who did not pick up their supplies.  If you are willing to drop off supplies to students, please also let her know. Check-out Olivia’s email about the Sunshine Squad’s “new” event!!! Tie Dye the white masks!!!
Technology Updates/Highlights
This week’s Media/Tech blog post…. WCPSS Approved Websites and Apps/Extensions 3 Ways to See Your Students While Presenting in Google Meet Integrating Seesaw into Google Classroom How to Force a Copy of a Google Doc https://ugtmmediatech.blogspot.com atrowell@wcpss.net   919-272-5592