The Underwood Way

This year, we’ve implemented several exciting changes to better support our students and help them grow. Last month, I shared that we added WIN Time (What I Need Time) to individualize learning and meet students where they are. We also increased daily minutes for reading and math and adopted a new ELA curriculum (PreK–6) to strengthen instruction and improve overall learning and state testing outcomes.

Looking ahead, we’re exploring a new math curriculum for next year, and our teachers continue to refine their teaching strategies to ensure every student thrives.

At the heart of all these changes is our commitment to being champions for all students—not just those who are eager and easy to reach, but also those who may need extra patience, understanding, and encouragement. Our goal is for every student and family to feel safe, valued, and excited to be part of our school community.

We believe strong partnerships between school and home make all the difference. If you have feedback, ideas, or suggestions for how we can continue improving, please share them using the feedback link at the bottom of this newsletter.
Together, we can make this an incredible year for every child.

#GoBeGreat!

Hope Rush

We recently completed our first round of STAR testing for the year. This assessment is given three times a year to help us understand each student’s strengths and areas for growth in reading and math. The data we collect from STAR testing helps us guide our WIN (What I Need) time and plan effective interventions and enrichment for all students.

Last week, our staff met to carefully review the results and create individualized learning plans for every elementary student. You may see information coming home soon about your child’s specific plan.

We also received our results from the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction for last spring’s ND A+ state assessment. This test measures how well students are mastering the state standards we are required to teach. The ND A+ results also help determine whether our school continues to be identified as a TSI (Targeted Support and Improvement) school—we expect to learn our official designation later this month.

The ND A+ results are valuable because they provide insight into both student growth and achievement, helping us identify learning gaps, predict end-of-year performance, and make adjustments to our instruction and resources. Teachers use this information to personalize instruction, while administrators use it to ensure all students are progressing toward meeting state standards.

We’re proud of the hard work our students and staff have put into learning so far this year, and we appreciate your continued partnership in supporting every child’s success.

Please be on the lookout for an email to sign up for PT conferences on October 13th starting at 1:30 pm-7:30 pm.

Happy Fall!

The theme for the 2025-2026 Accelerated Reader program is “Ready, Set, READ!” There is a race track up on the wall by the Library, and students in grades 2-6 each colored a car to represent themselves as they earn points. For those not familiar with the program, when students finish reading a book, they can take a short quiz about the story. They are awarded points based on how many questions they answer correctly and the difficulty level of the book. Point goals have been set for students to earn prizes. Our goals this year start at five points and go up to two hundred, although they may of course earn more points than that. There will once again be a 100 Point AR Field Trip in the spring for those who achieve that milestone.

Also, with our Accelerated Reader program, I am once again 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. September’s AR Stars are: Levi - 3rd, Khloe - 4th, Otto - 5th, and Macy - 6th. Way to read!

Book Blast started on Tuesday, September 23rd. This is an opportunity for all students in our elementary school to receive at least one book to keep for themselves. Up to ten books per student can be received from donations generously given by those who were sent email or text invitations. These books, and registration prizes, will arrive roughly 2-4 weeks after our Book Blast is completed. If you have not had a chance to complete the sign-up yet, it is open through Friday, October 3rd. Thank you to all who have participated so far! Thanks to your participation, we’ve also had four teachers receive classroom shopping sprees to get books or other items for their classrooms!

Quiet Club started in September, and provides an opportunity for students to color, read, take AR quizzes, do puzzles, and occasionally use the robots or computers. It is held Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:00-8:25. LEGO Club will start on Tuesday, October 7th for students in grades K-6. It will once again be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15-4:00. Students must return a permission slip before attending.

During September, our Elementary Library classes in grades PreK-2 focused on how to take care of books and the parts of books. Grades 3-6 focused on how to locate books in any library using the Dewey Decimal System. For October, grades PreK-2 will be doing fall/Halloween stories with crafts, fiction vs. nonfiction, and starting to learn some coding with activities. Grades 3-6 will be focusing on learning and exploring the many different book genres.

The Bookmobile will be here on Thursday, October 23rd. 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!

Monday, 10.6.25

• Basketball: Girls Elementary vs. Wilton-Wing 4:00pm

Tuesday, 10.7.25

• Basketball: Girls Elementary vs. Washburn Elementary School 4:00pm

Wednesday, 10.8.25

• Preschool Dental Screenings

Thursday, 10.9.25

• Elementary Fire Safety Awareness Presentations at the school

Monday, 10.13.15

• Early dismissal 1:00 pm
• Parent-Teacher Conferences 1:30-7:30 pm

Wednesday, 10.15.25- Friday, 10.17.25

• NO School

Monday, 10.20.25

• Picture Day
• First District Health here

Thursday, 10.23.25

• Bookmobile

Tuesday, 10.28.25

• Preschool Screenings

Wednesday, 10.29.25

• School Board Meeting, School PD Room 7:00 am

Friday, 10.31.25

• Halloween Parties in the afternoon

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.

Newsletters for the Month of...

August 2025

September 2025