The Underwood Way

February is shaping up to be a busy and exciting month at school! We have several events coming up, including our Valentine’s fundraiser, FBLA Dress-Up Week, and the Student Engagement Survey. We’re also excited to celebrate the 100th day of school on February 4th—we are officially over halfway through the school year already!

We’d also like to share a quick reminder about attendance. Per our attendance policy, letters are sent home when a student reaches 5, 10, 15, and 20 days absent. If your child has been absent due to a medical, dental, or vision appointment, please send in an appointment slip or note so we can code those absences as medical. If the office/school nurse sends a student home from school due to illness, those absences are also coded as medical and do not count toward the total absences used for attendance letters.

Please know that we are here to partner with you and your family and are happy to work together to support and improve student attendance. Thank you for your continued cooperation and support!

Please reach out with any questions or concerns~

#GoBeGreat!

Hope Rush

We love seeing our students engage in 3D printing and other STEM-related activities. Designing and creating with 3D printers helps students build problem-solving skills, think creatively, apply math and science concepts, and experience the joy of innovation. These hands-on learning opportunities spark curiosity and often inspire future career interests—exactly the kind of excitement we want to encourage.

While we do not want to curb student creativity or innovation, we do need your help in ensuring that items brought to school align with our school safety policies. Please be aware that Policy FFD states that weapons include, but are not limited to, any knife, razor, ice pick, explosive, smoke bomb, incendiary device, firearm, slingshot, bludgeon, brass knuckles or artificial knuckles of any kind, or any object that can reasonably be considered a weapon, dangerous instrument, or look-alike.

Although many 3D-printed items are made of plastic, they can sometimes appear very realistic and may share qualities with prohibited items. We ask that families monitor what students are creating and bringing to school to ensure that no weapons or weapon look-alikes are brought onto school grounds.

Our goal is to support STEM learning while maintaining a safe environment for all students and staff. We truly appreciate your partnership in helping us strike that balance.

If you have any questions or would like clarification, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for your continued support,
Hope Rush

Mrs. Deann Brunelle-Title 1 Teacher

Mrs. Brunelle is our dedicated Title I teacher, serving students in grades K–8 with flexibility, care, and a true willingness to jump in wherever help is needed. She is a member of both our TSI Team and Data Team and plays a role in supporting student growth across our school.

Her Title I program received a 2023–2024 High Performance Award, recognizing it as a model program in North Dakota for demonstrating growth, closing achievement gaps, and improving graduation rates—an incredible accomplishment! Each day, Mrs. Brunelle supports 15–20 students in math and reading, making a meaningful impact where it matters most.

In addition, she runs our summer school programming and launched Adventure Academy last summer—a camp-like learning experience where students explored reading and math through engaging lessons, hands-on activities, creative projects, themed weeks, and even a field trip! The excitement she fostered made it a huge hit with students.

Thank You, Mrs. Brunelle, for your hard work and dedication!

National School Counseling Week (Feb. 2–6) gives us the chance to celebrate our school counselor, Mrs. Heger, and the impact she has on our students and school community.

Mrs. Heger plays a vital role in supporting students’ academic, social-emotional, and behavioral needs, working closely with staff and families to ensure every student feels supported and understood. We are grateful for her compassion and dedication to helping our students succeed—thank you, Mrs. Heger!

with Mrs. Nagle

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. January’s AR Stars are: Ashlynn - 2nd, Hadley - 3rd, Nova - 4th, Kaylee - 5th, and Tanner - 6th. Way to read!

We have several students working hard to earn a ticket to the AR 100 Point Field Trip! Grades 2-6 students will have until roughly the end of April to earn 100 points and a spot on the field trip. Students around halfway there to encourage on are: Avery Evans, Korver Hunt, and Pearce Levey. Anyone can still make it, though, if they keep reading!

During January, PreK and Kindergarten focused on winter-themed stories with crafts/activities. Grades 1-2 worked on using Sora (ebook & audiobook app/website), along with learning about and practicing finding information through books, search engines, and databases. Grades 3-5 also worked on understanding how search engines and databases work, choosing keywords, and conducting research. Grade 6 completed coding activities with the Kodable website and worked on typing practice.

For February, PreK will hear stories and do crafts/activities relating to Groundhog’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and kindness. Kindergarten-2nd grade will learn/review some basic features of the computer and create using a digital tool (K - Paint, 1st & 2nd - Google Slides). Grades 3-4 will be continuing on the research track by conducting research and creating presentations on planets (3rd) and inventions (4th). Grade 5 will also continue on the research track by conducting research on presidents, but they will be using their research to create either a Kahoot quiz, dodecahedron, or cube. Grade 6 will be learning how to evaluate websites for bias, accuracy, authority, currency, and relevance. From there, they will conduct research and create a digital product.

Reading Month is coming up in March! Our theme this year is “Ready, Set, Read!” Forms to order Reading Month t-shirts and hats were sent home, and are also available via an announcement in the Rooms app. Orders are completely optional, and are due back by Friday, February 6th. More information on Reading Month in the March newsletter!

The Bookmobile will be here on Thursday, February 19th. Please help remind students to return Bookmobile items if they haven’t already. Thank you!

Please reach out to angie.nagle@underwoodschool.org or contact me via Rooms with any questions, ideas, or concerns. Thank you!

The 2025-2026 Music Trip Group is putting on a Valentine's Day fundraiser to raise money for their upcoming trip. Your child's teacher will send home a red/pink form if you would like to order a valentine bundle for your your student. Please fill out form and send money to the school by Friday, February 6th to have the bundle delivered to your child on Friday, February 13th.

Wednesday, 02.04.26

Way Wednesday
100th Day of School!

Friday, 02.06.26

Valentine's Day Orders due

Monday-Friday, 02.09.26-02.13.26

FBLA Dress Up Days

Tuesday, 02.10.26

4th Grade Living Ag in the Classroom Field trip

Wednesday, 02.11.26

4th Grade NAEP Testing

Monday, 02.16.26

No School-Presidents' Day

Wednesday, 02.18.26

Author Visit

Thursday, 02.19.26

Bookmobile

Monday, 02.23.26

Spring Pictures (optional for retakes)

Thursday, 02.26.26

School Board Meeting 7:00am

Let’s Talk

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