The Hoot

When: Thursday, March 9, 2023 – 6:45-8:15pmWhere: The Underwood GymCost: FREEAges: 5+ Drop your Underwood kids off for a fun FREE pizza party during the Superintendent/School committee meeting on Thursday, March 9th! The Underwood PTO will provide pizza, fruit, drinks, and treats for the kids. There will also be a free raffle of Underwood Swag and some fun surprises! UASP teachers are providing the childcare in the Underwood Gym! Sign up here: bit.ly/UWD-KidsNightOut Please note: this is being offered only as a childcare option for parents and guardians attending the important Superintendent/School committee meeting that night. Please consider utilizing this free care option and attending the meeting to show your support! MEETING INFORMATION Join Dr. Talukdar, Dr. Kathleen Smith, Interim Superintendent, School Committee members, and the Underwood PTO for this important IN-PERSON meeting. This is your chance to ask questions and READ MORE

Get your limited edition Underwood snow hat!  You can pay via Venmo, Paypal or a check dropped off at the Underwood office. Each hat/cap/visor costs $10.  Once we have received your payment we will contact you directly to arrange delivery. ORDER YOURS HERE

Bidding will open at 8am on Wednesday, March 29th and close at 10pm on Tuesday, April 4th. In addition to generous donations from favorite businesses in our community, we also feature Underwood-only events donated by families and teachers. Do you have a professional skill or secret talent you can share with the Underwood community? Would you be willing to host a playdate or party to support the auction? Some examples include: Please email us at underwoodpto@gmail.com and we can help with the specifics of your event – you can specify date, time, number of spots, and grade level! Submissions are due by March 15th.

The Underwood Spring Carnival is a highlight of the year – and it takes a whole lot of work! The 2023 Spring Carnival will take place on Friday, June 2nd! Carnival planning is underway and we can’t wait for this year’s event! We are now recruiting Carnival Captains for exciting activities like Sand Art, Snow Cones, Face Painting and More!  Learn more and sign up here. 

You are invited to join members of the Underwood community on February 16th at 7pm as we examine systems of advantages and disadvantages based on race, and discuss how we can strive to become antiracists.  Presented by Suzie Talukdar, Ed.D., Underwood Principal and Amy Behrens, M.Ed., Families Organized for Racial Justice Co-Founder & Advisor, Parent Coach & Social Justice Educator

Dear Underwood Families, Welcome to February.  We would like to begin this letter by reiterating Dr. Talukdar’s comments about the distressing news lately including the release of the video of Tyre Nichol’s killing and the mass shooting in Monterey Park on the eve of the Lunar New Year.  The Underwood PTO supports the mission of building a community of respect and empathy at our school based on awareness, understanding, and celebration of our individual differences and similarities.  Dr. Talukdar will be presenting at our virtual event on February 16, 2023 at 7pm: Community Conversations at Underwood: Let’s Talk About Race (Advantages & Disadvantages).  We encourage you to attend and bring your questions. Since our last letter to you in early December, the Underwood PTO has been working toward our goal of building community and supporting one another.  Returning to December, we are READ MORE

Dear Underwood Families: Recently, I have felt deeply saddened by yet another heartbreaking tragedy in our nation. As you are likely all too aware, the video of Tyre Nichol’s killing was made public this past weekend. Tyre Nichols was severely beaten by police officers after a traffic stop and died three days afterwards from the injuries he sustained. The week before, the nation also experienced heartbreak following news of yet another mass shooting during a celebration in California on the eve of Lunar New Year– a holiday celebrated by over 1.5 billion people across the globe that signals a new beginning for many, mainly focused around good fortune, happiness and health. The constant violence we encounter through the news and media images can take a heavy toll on all of us, and I recognize it has the potential to show READ MORE

Upcoming Events From the Desk of Principal Talukdar Dear Underwood Families: Recently, I have felt deeply saddened by yet another heartbreaking tragedy in our nation. As you are likely all too aware, the video of Tyre Nichol’s killing was made public this past weekend. Tyre Nichols was severely beaten by police officers after a traffic stop and died three days afterwards from the injuries he sustained. The week before, the nation also experienced heartbreak following news of yet another mass shooting during a celebration in California on the eve of Lunar New Year– a holiday celebrated by over 1.5 billion people across the globe that signals a new beginning for many, mainly focused around good fortune, happiness and health. The constant violence we encounter through the news and media images can take a heavy toll on all of us, and I recognize it READ MORE

All Underwood community members are invited to join (virtually) the Newton SEPAC and Georgetown professor and disabilities studies scholar Jennifer Natalya Fink, author of All Our Families: Disability Lineage and the Future of Kinship, for a presentation about her book and work, with Q&A to follow. In All Our Families, Professor Fink examines why disability is often described as “a tragedy, a crisis, or an aberration” rather than an ordinary — 1 in 5 people have a disability — and a necessary feature of a healthy, vibrant society. All Our Families explores the roots of ableism ingrained in society, including efforts to eradicate disability and systemic inequities at the heart of our care economy, and advocates for “a reclamation of disability as a history, a culture, and an identity.” All Our Families urges all of us to embrace our disability lineage and build more genuinely inclusive READ MORE

We are thrilled to announce an upcoming winter event! Underwood community please meet in Boston fo ice skating followed by hot chocolate and fun activities on Sunday February 5th.   2:00 pm -3:00 pm: Ice skate at the Kelly outdoor rink (1 Marbury Terrace, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130). Bring your own ice skates or get them at the rink.   3:15 pm- 5:00 pm: Meet at Spontaneous Celebrations Community Center (45 Danforth St. Jamaica Plain, MA 02130), a few blocks from the ice-skating rink, for hot chocolate, valentine cards decoration, and a dance party! Allergy friendly snacks will be offered.   Families can opt to attend both activities if interested in ice skating. Otherwise, they can only join the gathering at the community center.   RSVP: https://forms.gle/BmaB6yFB6MqVfqwA9  We look forward to seeing everyone! 

Upcoming Events 1/16 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day – No School2/2 – Early Release Day2/3 – Un-Prom @ the Newton ElksView Calendar  The Underwood Un-Prom is 2/3/23 Calling all grown-ups – don’t miss the first Un(derwood) Prom fundraising event! Join your fellow Underwood Community adults for a super-fun evening of music, dancing, and optional prom-wear. Dress theme is “Decades”, pick your favorite: 50’s 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 00’s, & today! Wish you wore Molly Ringwald’s poufy sleeves or Olivia Newton John’s leather jacket? Now’s your chance!  Looking for an excuse to dust off your letterman’s jacket? Done!  Still fit into your prom tux or dress? Even better!  Dreaming of wearing an old bridesmaids dress? This is the night!  Prefer casual? You’re in!  Who: Underwood Community Grown-upsWhat: A very fun night of music, drinks, dancing, a silent auction and more!Where: Elks Lodge, 429 READ MORE

Calling all grown-ups – don’t miss the first Un(derwood) Prom fundraising event! Join your fellow Underwood Community adults for a super-fun evening of music, dancing, and optional prom wear. The dress theme is “Decades”, pick your favorite: 50’s 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 00’s, & today! Wish you wore Molly Ringwald’s poufy sleeves or Olivia Newton John’s leather jacket? Now’s your chance!  Looking for an excuse to dust off your letterman’s jacket? Done!  Still fit into your prom tux or dress? Even better!  Dreaming of wearing an old bridesmaid’s dress? This is the night!  Prefer casual? You’re in!  Who: Underwood Community Grown-upsWhat: A very fun night of music, drinks, dancing, a silent auction, and more!Where: Elks Lodge, 429 Centre St (above C&N Pizza)When: Friday, February 3rd, 7-11 pmCost: $50 per person donation (cash bar)RSVP: https://bit.ly/unprom2023