Bea Underwood Family Newsletter

Welcome Back, Bea Underwood Families!

We hope you and your family had a restful, joyful holiday break filled with time to recharge and make special memories. As we begin the second semester, we are excited to welcome our students back to Bea Underwood Elementary and jump into a new year of learning and growth.

This time of year brings renewed energy, fresh goals, and opportunities for students to build on the progress they made during the first semester. Our staff is ready to support students academically, socially, and emotionally as we continue working together to help every child succeed.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We look forward to a great semester ahead and are excited to see all the amazing things our Bea Underwood Cardinals will accomplish in the coming months!

As always, please reach out if you have any questions or need support. Welcome back—we’re glad you’re here!

Amber Scott - Principal

Jessica Hartman - Assistant Principal

As temperatures continue to drop, please make sure your children come to school dressed warmly each day. Coats, hats, and gloves help keep our students comfortable and ready to learn—especially during morning recess and outdoor activities. If your family needs support with winter clothing, please reach out; we’re here to help.

School Hours 7:45 - 3:30 PM

Tuesday - Friday
Supervision for students begins at 7:35 AM
School Start Time: 7:45 AM
Tardy Bell: 7:50 AM
Dismissal Time: 3:30 PM
Office Hours: 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Every Day Counts

Regular attendance is key to student success at Bea Underwood Elementary. Each day at school helps students build strong learning habits, stay connected to instruction, and grow socially with their classmates. When students are present, they gain confidence, feel a sense of belonging, and are better prepared to succeed.

We know absences happen, but when possible, we encourage families to prioritize being at school on time each day. Thank you for partnering with us to support strong attendance—because every day truly counts for our Bea Underwood Cardinals!

Thanks to the generous donations from Jessica Barton, we will be giving away some bikes for perfect attendance for the 1st Semester!! 🚴🏻‍♂️🚴🏻‍♀️

BUE Cafeteria Expectations for Students & Staff

Eat with Cardinal Pride!!

BUE is a school with over 400 students, we have chosen to run two lunch periods 2nd & 3rd Grade and 4th & 5th Grade. The following are the expectations of students and staff in the Cafeteria.

Lunch Procedures for Students

The cafeteria is a shared space where students are expected to eat respectfully and responsibly.

Cafeteria Entry and Exit:

Students should enter and exit through the designated doors promptly at designated time.

Student Lunch Procedures:

When entering the cafeteria:

Students with home lunch take their lunch boxes directly to their assigned tables and begin eating.
Students eating school lunch should line up to collect utensils, milk, and trays from the cafeteria serving line before sitting at their tables.

Sit four students per bench to ensure safety and space for everyone.
Inside voice conversations are welcome
Self-managers with a badge may sit anywhere there is space after classes are seated with permission from an adult on duty.

Eating Lunch

Eat only your own food: do not share or trade food items.
Use "indoor voices" and have quiet conversations.
Raise your hand to leave your table for any reason (throwing away trash, getting water, etc.).

Cleaning Up

Pick up all trash from the table and floor area.
Clean your area with a cloth when finished eating.
Wait for permission from an adult before being dismissed.
Gently throw away trash to avoid spills or messes.
Place trash in trash cans at the end of the tables.
Remember: Food is not allowed outside at recess.
Indoor voices and calm bodies as they clean.

Discipline

We will not take students' lunch recess away from them
If there are behaviors that need to be addressed, send them to the office or they may remain at their table and a conversation may be had at the table.

Lunch Procedures for Adults

Teachers are expected to help model and reinforce cafeteria routines to ensure a smooth and respectful lunch experience for all students. Please review and implement the following guidelines:

Supervision & Behavior Management:

Actively circulate the floor.
Enforce rules consistently (no running, "indoor voices").
Use positive reinforcement and redirection.
Students must raise their hand to leave their seat.

Student Assistance:

Help students who struggle to open containers or cut food.
Be aware of and monitor severe student food allergies.

Cleanliness & Safety:

Ensure students wash hands before eating and clean their eating areas after meals.
Address spills promptly to prevent accidents.
Supervise orderly dismissal procedures, including trash and tray disposal.
Each class will clean up as a group, not individually.

Classes will clean up and be dismissed in the same order they arrive.
Trash cans will be located at the ends of tables.
Custodians will sanitize tables when lunch is finished

Helpful Hints:

If students are doing an exceptional job at following SOPs … reward them with a Cardinal Claw.
If students are not following SOPs …. give gentle reminders.
If students continue not to follow SOPs … please see the behavior matrix.
If students are too loud … approach the student(s) and remind them about their inside voice

School Calendar 2025/2026 English

School Calendar 2025/2026 Spanish

Each year, students who are learning English participate in the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs assessment. This assessment measures students’ academic English language proficiency in the areas of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.

Beginning 1/20/26 - 2/6/26, all multilingual students identified as English Language Learners at BUE will begin taking the WIDA ACCESS assessment. This assessment is federally required, and unlike CMAS assessments, there is no parent opt-out option due to federal education law.

Each school has its own testing schedule, and students may complete different portions of the assessment on different days throughout the testing window.

The results of the WIDA ACCESS assessment help schools:

Understand students’ progress in learning English
Make decisions about English language supports and services
Meet state and federal requirements

Parent Handout (English):
https://wida.wisc.edu/sites/default/files/resource/ACCESS-Parent-Handout-English.pdf
Parent Handout (Spanish):
https://wida.wisc.edu/sites/default/files/resource/ACCESS-Parent-Handout-Spanish.pdf

If you have questions about WIDA ACCESS testing or your child’s participation, please call the office at (970)285-5703.

Please review our procedures for winter weather, snow days, and two-hour delays.

As we prepare for the winter months, these are the school closing and two-hour delay procedures. School closing, delay, and cancelation decisions are made based on the weather and road conditions in the Garfield 16 area and neighboring areas.

School Closing/Snow Day

If there is inclement weather, the District will decide to close school by 5:15 a.m., based on the conditions at 5:00 a.m.. Parents will be notified by 6:00 a.m. if there is a snow day or delayed start.

After School Activities for a School Closing/Snow Day

All after school activities will be evaluated throughout the day if the District is closed for weather or weather conditions become hazardous during the day. The District will notify staff, students, and families of after school activities cancellations by 1:00 p.m.

Two-Hour Delay

A two-hour delay will be used when the road conditions are not suitable for travel at 5:00 a.m., but are expected to improve throughout the day. The District will decide to call a delayed start by 5:15 a.m.. This will allow snowplows additional time to clear the roads. On a two-hour delayed schedule, buses will begin their routes two hours late, and all classes will begin two hours late.

Schools will operate on a modified schedule. Start times will simply be pushed back by two hours. Students will have breakfast and lunch. Students will be dismissed at the regular time.

In the event that the District has a two-hour delay and the road conditions do not improve, the District may decide to close schools for the day. The District will make this decision by 7:30 a.m. based on the conditions at 7:15 a.m.

AM Cardinal Club will be canceled on a two-hour delay day. PM Cardinal Club will continue as scheduled on a two-hour delay day. Find the two-hour delay bell schedules on our G16 Communications webpage: https://www.garfield16.org/communications/school-closure-information

Early Dismissal

In the event that weather conditions start or worsen once students are in school, the decision to have an early dismissal will be made by 10:00 a.m.

All after school activities will be canceled.

AM Cardinal Club will continue as scheduled on an early dismissal day. PM Cardinal Club will be canceled on an early dismissal day.

Communication

All families will be notified of a school closing through the district messaging system, media outlets, and social media as soon as possible.

Please be sure that your contact information is current by checking in with the secretaries at the front office so that in the event of school closures, Garfield 16 is able to contact you. (970)285-5703.