The Firefly Flash

Underwood Newsletter

Mr. A's Update

4/17/25

Good Afternoon, Underwood Community

I hope everyone is doing well and having a fantastic week! Below are some highlights from this week, along with upcoming events here at Underwood and in our community.

Forward/Act 20 Testing

This week, we successfully completed the primary portion of the Forward and ACT 20 assessments. Our students adapted well to the adjusted schedule, and we greatly appreciate the dedication and support of our staff throughout the testing process.

Please note: Students who were absent during any part of the testing window and need to complete sections of the Forward Assessment will participate in makeup testing next week.

Reminder: JK and SK Enrollment Now Open

The enrollment process for Junior Kindergarten (JK) and Senior Kindergarten (SK) is now open. We encourage families to register as early as possible. Early registration helps us plan effectively and supports the development of our staffing and programs for the upcoming school year.

Underwood Community Survey

As a reminder, the Underwood Community survey is now available and has been sent to email addresses currently listed in Infinite Campus and linked below. Please take a few moments to complete the survey—your feedback plays an important role in supporting our school and guiding our ongoing efforts for continuous improvement.

Underwood Community Survey

Important Reminders

No School Tomorrow (4/18): There will be no student or staff attendance tomorrow in observance of our Mid-Spring Break.
PTO Meeting Tonight: Our monthly PTO meeting will take place tonight at 7:00 PM in the Underwood Community Room.
Summer School Registration is Now Open:This is a fantastic opportunity to help your student stay in a routine, continue their academic growth, and combat the "summer slide" that can occur over break. I highly encourage all families to consider this valuable resource for their student’s success!
Lost and Found Reminder: Please remind your students to check the Lost and Found for any missing or misplaced items. All unclaimed items will be donated to local community organizations after Friday, May 2nd.
Underwood School Growth Plan: As always, we encourage families to review the Underwood School Growth Plan. This document outlines key metrics and focus areas that we will continue to monitor and support throughout the 2024–2025 school year.

Thank you for your continued support, and I wish everyone a great weekend.

Mr. A

PTO Power-up: Keeping you in the loop!

High Interest Day Volunteers Needed!

High Interest Day wouldn't be possible without volunteers to help lead the sessions! Volunteer options include lunch time, clean up, and helping through the day with presenters. We need lots of volunteers to help our presenters with their sessions to maximize each student’s experience throughout the day.

Sign up to volunteer by completing the volunteer sign up form. Please complete by 4/16: https://forms.gle/X698H6MocEBihyCL6

High Interest Day Supply Donations

Donate materials to make each High Interest Day session special!

Help supply High Interest Day through donations of various crafts and food items! Have things shipped directly to Underwood through Amazon or drop off materials from our signupgenius in the PTO bin located in the front corridor by Monday, April 28th.

Sign up genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B45AEA82AABFD0-49080870-high?fbclid=IwY2xjawJijLlleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHlRNRB7gqhKeE9EBa5S0zy_rEVBODi7PHDkCjnwa2ZQVreQLYSoW9yOUrVWB_aem_68KxThfoy2WeYzpclyIgPw#/

Stock the Lounge: 5th Graders

This year once again we hope to keep our teachers' bellies happy with a stocked staff snack cart. For April, we are asking fifth grade families to help with this task. Please review the Amazon Wish List for suggested donation items.

Stock the Lounge Wish List

Selecting these will have them automatically delivered to Underwood. If you'd rather shop somewhere else that is fine too, just drop purchased items in the office and tell them it is for "Stock the Lounge". Either way you purchase, please know that teachers LOVE this tradition and are so thankful for the treats.

April PTO Meeting: Thursday, April 17 @ 7PM

You're invited to join us for our April Underwood PTO general meeting on Thursday, April 17 at 7PM, in the Underwood Community Room.

The agenda includes:

Principal report from Mr. A, including academic performance updates, school growth plan and Q&A session
STEM for All programming update
High Interest Day and Carnival Planning Updates
25-26 PTO Board positions
and more!

The PTO is a great way to be involved at Underwood, help our school grow, and meet new families. Everyone is welcome!

Lost & Found

Please Remember to check Underwood's Lost & Found for any items.

After May 2nd all items will be donated.

Thank you

Enrollment for new junior and senior kindergarten students for the 2025-2026 school year is now open!
Current students are automatically enrolled and do not need to re-enroll but will need to complete their annual registration this summer.

We are excited to welcome all new students for the 2025-2026 school year and encourage families to complete enrollment as soon as able to help us determine class sections and staffing.

If you, or a neighbor, needs to start the enrollment process, please visit wauwatosaschools.org to begin.

All of the following documents are required to complete enrollment and must be uploaded to Infinite Campus:

Child’s original birth certificate
Mortgage document
-OR- property tax bill
-OR- lease/rental agreement showing the landlord’s name and phone number
Current utility bill (current WE Energies bill or current water bill) sent to your home showing your name and address
Your child's most up-to-date immunization record

If you are unable to successfully upload any or all of the required documents or have any questions about the enrollment process, please reach out to your school or contact the Division of Pupil and Family Supports (414-773-1085 or harrisre2@wauwatosa.k12.wi.us) for assistance.

Illness Guideline Reminders

As we jump into the second semester, we want to take this opportunity to remind Underwood families of our illness guidelines to help keep everyone in our school healthy. This time of year, illnesses such as colds, flu, and other contagious conditions tend to spread more easily, making it especially important to know when to keep your student home. By working together, we can reduce the spread of illness and ensure a safe learning environment for everyone.

Children can go to school if they:

Have a mild cold, which may include a runny nose and/or cough.
Have eye drainage without fever, eye pain or eyelid redness.
Have a mild stomach ache.

Keep your child home from school if:

Fever: A temperature of 100.4°F or higher. Your child may return to school after being fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and feeling better.
Vomiting/Diarrhea: Two or more episodes in the past 24 hours. Your child may return after being symptom-free for 24 hours without medication.
Severe Cold Symptoms: Persistent cough, difficulty breathing, or symptoms that disrupt normal school activities.

Full illness guidelines can be found here. If your child will be absent from school due to illness please be specific with their symptoms. To let the school know your child will be absent you can use the Infinite Campus Parent Portal or call the attendance line at 414-773-1702. Remember: if you take your child to a medical provider for treatment of their illness, be sure to ask for a note excusing your child from school. Medical notes can be turned in to the office.

Underwood vs Right At School Illness Guidelines

Underwood follows the Wauwatosa School District Illness guidelines when determining when a student is sent home from school or must remain home from school. If your child is absent from school, you must use the Infinite Campus parent portal or call our attendance line at 414-773-1702.

Please note: Right At School is a separate organization from the Wauwatosa School District and has their own attendance and illness guidelines that sometimes differ from the school district guidelines. Sometimes a student may be able to attend school, but may be excluded from Right At School. If your child is enrolled in Right At School, please ask your Right At School director about their illness guidelines and absentee reporting procedures. Absences from Right At School need to be reported to Right At School in addition to reporting the absence to the school.

Head Lice: What You Need to Know and How to Manage it

As part of our ongoing effort to keep families informed about health-related topics, we are including important information about head lice in this month’s newsletter.

Head lice are small insects that live on the scalp and are spread mainly through head-to-head contact. While lice can be an inconvenience and cause itching, they do not spread disease and are not a sign of poor hygiene. They are more commonly passed at home during close contact, rather than at school. In fact, it’s rare for lice to spread at school, as they cannot jump or fly.

If your child has head lice, they can stay in school until the end of the day, then be treated at home. Once treatment is started, kids can return to school. They should avoid head-to-head contact with other children until they’re lice-free. It is important to follow treatment of lice through to completion. Often, more than one treatment is necessary. More information about lice can be found here.

Remember, head lice are common and anyone can get them, regardless of cleanliness. If you have concerns or need help with treatment, please contact your school nurse.