The Underwood Way

At Underwood Elementary, we are proud of the great work happening in our classrooms each and every day!

This year—and continuing into next—our teachers have been honing their craft through ongoing training in Standards-Based Teaching and Learning. This work is helping us strengthen instruction and ensure all students are learning at high levels.

We have also placed a strong focus on improving our ELA achievement. By closely analyzing our STAR and ND A+ assessment data, our staff has been working intentionally to support student growth and move more learners toward proficiency. These assessments are also part of the North Dakota DPI criteria for Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) designation, and we are committed to doing the work needed to help all of our students succeed.

As we approach the excitement of the end of the school year, we need your partnership to finish strong! Consistent attendance and a positive, hardworking mindset make a big difference. Our state assessment, ND A+, will take place at the beginning of May, and our teachers are working hard to ensure students feel confident and prepared.

We are also excited to share that our recent DPI Engagement Survey results show great improvement—another important component of our TSI goals. This reflects the strong relationships and positive environment we are continuing to build together.

Please know that we couldn’t do this work without you. Your support, communication, and partnership are essential to student success.

#GoBeGreat!

Hope Rush

What Are Our 3rd-6th Grade Students Saying About School?

The Good News:

Students across all grades report strong behavior and participation
Many students feel a strong sense of belonging at school
Overall, Underwood is performing as well as or better than the state in most areas

Our younger students are engaged, positive, and feel connected. They are doing a great job following expectations and participating in learning!

Our Focus Moving Forward:

We are working to take the next step—helping students move from:

“I’m doing this because I have to”
to “I’m excited to learn and grow!”

This means increasing student motivation, deeper thinking, and engagement in learning.

I wanted to keep our families informed about an update to our music programming this year.

At the beginning of the school year, we were fortunate to have Mr. Janick with us. Unfortunately, due to health issues, he was unable to continue in that role. Since winter break, we have worked to provide continuity for our students by bringing in substitute teachers for both music and band.

We are especially grateful to Mrs. Stephanie Pfeifer, one of our dedicated paraprofessionals, who stepped up to support our students by teaching PreK–6 music three times a week—thank you, Mrs. Pfeifer! During this time, she has used a structured curriculum to ensure students continue learning the music standards set by the State of North Dakota.

Band instruction has been more challenging to consistently staff, which we know has been disappointing—especially for our beginning musicians. We truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we worked through this.

We are excited to share some great news! We have found a local teacher, Mr. Tyler Krueger, who will be joining us to finish out the school year and will return as our full-time PK–12 music and band teacher next year. Mr. Krueger is familiar with Underwood, having completed his student teaching here and previously serving as a long-term substitute for Mrs. Frank.

Because of the limited time remaining this year, we will not be holding a spring concert. However, we are very excited to begin next year with a permanent music teacher in place to help our students grow and thrive.

Please join us in welcoming Mr. Krueger to the Comet family!

Regular attendance in elementary school is foundational for academic success, social development, and building long-term habits. Missing 10% or more of school (chronic absenteeism) makes it harder to learn to read by third grade, stunts social skill development, and increases the risk of high school dropout. Consistency strengthens teacher-student relationships, confidence, and classroom engagement

Key Reasons Attendance Matters in Elementary School:

Academic Foundation: Elementary learning is sequential; missing school means falling behind, particularly in reading and math.
Developing Habits for Success: Regular attendance teaches accountability, reliability, and preparedness, preparing them for future success in high school and careers.
Reading Proficiency: Consistent attendance in kindergarten and first grade is crucial, as students who attend regularly are far more likely to read at grade level by third grade.
Social and Emotional Growth: School is where children build friendships, learn to work together, and develop social skills.

Click here to learn about the difference between educational neglect and truancy.

Mrs. Deb LeRoy-Kindergarten Teacher

This month, we are proud to recognize an incredible educator who has dedicated her entire career to Underwood Elementary!

For 26 years, she has served as a kindergarten teacher, spending her entire educational journey (29 years) right here in Underwood! With a master’s degree and a deep commitment to her craft, she has been a leader in our school’s work, especially around the science of reading—helping ensure our youngest learners build strong foundations for lifelong success.

She has a true gift for connecting what the state requires us to teach with engaging, meaningful learning experiences for young students. Her classroom has always been a place where curiosity is nurtured and learning comes to life.

Beyond her classroom, she has made a lasting impact across our school community. She has completed the ND Teacher Mentor Program training to help support and guide fellow educators, and has contributed her time and expertise on numerous committees—most recently as a valued member of our TSI team.

As she prepares to retire at the end of this school year, we celebrate her incredible career and the countless students and staff she has influenced along the way. She will be deeply missed, but her legacy will continue to shape our school for years to come.

Thank you for 29 amazing years of dedication to Underwood students!

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. March’s AR Stars are: Emerson - 2nd, Axel - 3rd, Cooper - 5th, and Evelyn - 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, Emalyn Haseleu, Macy Sem, Evelyn Worthington, and Pearce Levey. Anyone can still make it, though, if they keep reading!

During March, PreK-6th Library consisted primarily of Book Fair activities. We started preparing before the Fair arrived by discussing how it works and watching preview videos for some of the books. Our 4th grade students also finished presenting their research on inventions, and 5th grade continued sharing their research Kahoots. The following week when Book Fair was set up, students were able to look around and create wish lists of items they were interested in. 5th grade also finished sharing their Kahoots and presentations this week. Finally, the last week provided a designated time for students to purchase items from the Book Fair if they hadn’t already gotten a chance to do so. Students who already made purchases focused on checking out books, taking AR quizzes, reading, coloring, and taking one last look around the Fair.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Reading Month dress up days and activities! Our only Reading Challenge winner for grades 1-12 was Loye Eisenbraun - way to go! Our only Reading Challenge winners for PreK & Kindergarten as of this writing were Easton Pfeifer, Silas Fransen, and Hadley VonEschen - way to go! Our Wrap-Up event activities included making a race car snack, putting together a race car craft, and competing in an Easter egg reading relay!

Another thank you goes out to all who supported our annual Scholastic Book Fair! This is something the students get really excited about every year, and I’m grateful we can host such a successful event. 40% of all sales will go back to our school library’s Scholastic account, which is used to purchase books and other items all our students can utilize for many years to come.

The Bookmobile will be here on Thursday, April 16th. 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!

Please reach out to the school if you have a child who is 4 before December 1st!

Wednesday. 4.1.26

Way Wednesday
STAR testing starts

Thursday, 04.02.26- Monday, 04.06.26

No School

Thursday, 04.02.26

Elementary Boys basketball game 4:00 pm Underwood vs. Wilton/Wing

Tuesday, 04.07.26

Elementary Boys basketball game 4:00 pm Underwood vs. Washburn

Friday 04.10.26

Elementary Boys basketball game 4:00 pm at Turtle Lake

Tuesday, 04.14.26

Elementary Boys basketball game 4:30 pm at Garrison
Elementary Girls volleyball game 4:00 pm vs. Wilton-Wing

Thursday, 04.16.26

Bookmobile
Elementary Boys basketball game 4:00 pm at Max

Friday, 04.17.26

Elementary Boys basketball game 4:00 pm Underwood vs. Turtle Lake/Mercer/McClusky

Monday, 04.20.26

Elementary Girls volleyball game 4:00 pm vs. Hazen

Tuesday, 04.21.26

Elementary Boys basketball game 4:00 pm Underwood vs. Garrison

Thursday, 04.23.26

Elementary Boys basketball game 4:00pm at Wilton
Elementary Girls volleyball game 4:30 pm vs. Garrison

Friday, 04.24.26

Elementary Boys basketball game 4:00 pm Underwood vs. South Prairie

Monday, 04.27.26- Friday, 05.08.26

ND A+ Testing window

Monday, 04.27.26

Elementary Girls volleyball game 4:00 pm Triangular vs. TL/M/M and Wilton/Wing

Thursday, 04.30.26

School Board Meeting 7:00 am Underwood PD room
Elementary Boys basketball game 4:00 pm Underwood vs. Max

Let’s Talk

Have a question, comment, concern, or compliment about our school? Submit a Let’s Talk message at https://forms.gle/3k3b47r8YmNWiJrb6 24 hours a day, seven days a week from any computer, tablet, or smartphone.