From the Desk of the Superintendent...
November 26, 2017
DECEMBER 2017 DISTRICT DISPATCH
Our certified enrollment is up this year. The number of resident and open enrollment “in” students we are serving stands at 807. That is an increase of 27.64 students from the 2016-17 school year when we served 779.36 students. Looking back, we served 779.91 students in 2015-16 and 772.47 students in 2014-15. (Partial weighting applies in situations such as a homeschooled student who takes a class at the high school.) The aforementioned number reflects students for whom we receive state funding because they live within the boundaries of our school district or they attend Underwood as a result of open enrollment. In addition, four-year-old boys and girls in prekindergarten qualify for partial weighting.
This past fall the Underwood Eagle Marching Band under the direction of Steve Moore, color guard coordinator Sam Magnuson, and drum line instructors Alex Sharp and Jim Gamerl presented one of their most ambitious shows to date. The Marching Eagles transported audience members to the magical land of Oz complete with flying monkeys, spinning flags and rifles, Munchkins playing marimbas and xylophones, and, of course, the Lion, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and Dorothy. Senior drum major Carlie Wilson portrayed the Wizard and junior drum major Meghan Funk portrayed Glenda the Good Witch of the North. This show proved to be a crowd favorite and also earned high ratings from judges bringing home a first-place trophy in parade competition from the 62nd annual Clarinda Band Jamboree and a second-place trophy in the field competition at Clarinda. Other results included a third-place finish at the Loess Hills Fieldfest held in Glenwood and a Division I Superior Rating at the Iowa High School Music Association (IHMSA) State Marching Festival which was also held in Glenwood. After much deliberation, the Marching Eagle juniors and Mr. Moore are pleased to announce that next year’s show will be The Pirates of the Caribbean. Be on the lookout for palm trees, pirate captains, and buried treasure coming to a football field near you next fall! A very significant student vocal music honor was achieved this fall by freshman Savannah Smith. Savannah was selected to be a member of the prestigious Iowa High School Music Association’s All-State Choir and performed in the Hilton Coliseum at Iowa State University on November 18, 2017. Congratulations, Savannah!
Special fall season sports honors were awarded to several Underwood student athletes. In cross country, Karley Larson, Erica Rowe, and Thomas Conn were named to the first-team Western Iowa Conference (WIC) all-conference roster. Karley also place seventh at the state cross country meet held in Fort Dodge. In volleyball, Macy Vanfossan earned WIC honorable mention recognition. In football, first-team all-district accolades went to Brandon Magnuson, Hunter Goehring, and Cale Nelson; second-team recognition went to Dalton Krueger; and honorable mention honorees were Thomas Conn, Connor Ryan, and Nick Starnes. Academic all-conference and all-district recipients included Carlie Wilson, Anna Hall, Tab Kuehn, Rachel Teten, Olivia True, Lauren Shapcott, Kyle Shapcott, Liam Campin, Karley Larson, Cecilia Myers, Thomas Conn, Jacob Privia, Alexis Redshaw, Brandon Magnuson, Cale Nelson, Nick Starnes, Brock Brensel, Hunter Goehring, Danny Tiarks, Connor Ryan, Alexis Adkins, and Meghan Funk.
Don’t forget that the members of the Underwood Dollars for Scholars organization will be having their annual fundraiser dinner featuring a “Soft Shell Taco and Nacho Bar” in the high school commons from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 8, 2017, during the home basketball game against Tri-Center. You need not attend the basketball game to enjoy the meal. In addition to soft shell tacos and nachos, the meal will include beans, rice, ice cream with candy toppings, and a drink for $6.00 per plate. All proceeds will help fund college scholarships for students graduating from Underwood High School. It is the goal of the Underwood Dollars for Scholars organization to help as many students as possible make their dreams of attending college a reality.
On behalf of the employees of the school district, the school board members, and my family, I wish each of you the very best during this holiday season.
