Monthly Archives: May 2018

Step-Up Day – Friday, June 8th

Please mark you calendars for Step-Up Day, Friday, June 8.

Grade 6
 All 6th graders will be dismissed early.
~ 11:30am dismissal – to make space for the Stepping Up 5th Graders
The usual bus routes will run then.

Grade 7
Seventh graders have a full day
~ 2:45pm dismissal – Regular Schedule

Grade 8
Eighth graders also have a full day.
~ 11:30am – 2:30pm – step up to Newton North High School
~ 2:45pm dismissal – from Bigelow Middle School

The usual bus routes will run again for 7th and 8th graders at 2:45pm.  A flyer is attached.

9th Annual Newton SEPAC Special Educator Awards

The SEPAC Special Educator Awards are presented to Newton faculty and staff members who have done exceptional work with students receiving special education services. Parents, guardians and students may submit nominations and may nominate any staff member who they believe has done exceptional work. In the past, we’ve had regular education teachers, special education teachers, aides, BT’s, secretaries, principals and custodians receive awards.

Please note that the awards do not identify you or your child by name, to preserve the child’s confidentiality. Only the honoree is given the name of the person who nominated him or her.

Wednesday, June 13, 2018, 6:00 pm
Newton North High School Cafeteria
457 Walnut Street

8th Grade Families – Directory information

Newton North High School uses the same online directory software that we use here at Bigelow (MySchoolAnywhere). We will be authorizing their account to automatically import graduating students from our account so that no student is overlooked. This would be a great time to log in and make sure your information and share settings are up to date. Just login to: https://www.myschoolanywhere.com/login.a5w

If you still have children at Bigelow next year, you will be able to select which school to view upon logging in. If your child is not moving on to Newton North, please be sure to let the Newton North administration know so they can have the PTO remove your child from the directory. Let us know if you have any other questions about this.

Sign up for the Village Day 5K by May 28th to Guarantee Your T-Shirt!

Come for the Run. Stay for the Fun! We encourage adult and child runners/walkers of all types to start June 10th with the Village Day 5K and then stick around for Village Day in the Highlands.

This annual family-friendly, community-oriented run starts and ends at the Hyde Center in Newton Highlands at 10:00 am. Sign up at villageday5k.racewire.com and while you are at it… tell your friends and neighbors. All registrations by May 28th are guaranteed a t-shirt. The street festival that follows at 11:00 am has great bands, food, booths, inflatables, face painting, magic and more. Looking forward to seeing you there! For more details, check out highlandsvillageday.org.

Strawberry Festival

The Newton Cultural Alliance presents the 7th Annual Strawberry Festival. The Strawberry Festival is a fun-filled summer celebration of arts and culture in Newton. NCA invites the community to don your fancy hats (there will be a contest!) and come to the grounds of the historic Nathaniel Allen House in West Newton. Everyone will gather for the final groundbreaking of the Allen House with Mayor Ruthanne Fuller. Celebrate summer and culture in Newton with live music, food and drink, lawn games and more. Suggested donation: $25.00

More info: http://www.newtonculture.org/ and on this flier.

June 5th, 5:00 pm
Nathaniel Allen House, 35 Webster Street

Youth pro Musica Concert

Youth pro Musica, the Greater Boston youth chorus, invites you to enjoy their Spring 2018 Concert featuring Charles Davidson’s I Never Saw Another Butterfly, a choral song cycle based on poems by Jewish children in the Terezin concentration camp, as well as works by Bach & Handel, and sing-alongs.

Tickets $20.00, $15.00 students & seniors, FREE under age 15
Save $5.00 by ordering online at http://youthpromusica.org/concerts

June 9th, 7:00 pm
Eliot Church, 474 Eliot Street, Newton

Youth pro Musica is a community of young singers inspired to excellence through meaningful repertoire, comprehensive musical training, and memorable collaborations and performances. YpM consists of three youth choirs, grades 2-12.

Youth pro Musica rehearses in Newton on Tuesdays, September-June. Auditions for YpM’s 2018-2019 Season: June 11th – 12th by appointment. For further information, please email auditions@youthpromusica.org

Write Successful Essays for Your College Application

Rising seniors, summer is the perfect time to start working on your college application essay and Newton Community Education can help you prepare. Their “Write Successful Essays for Your College Application” course will help you create a standout essay. You’ll work with a professional writer who will help you choose your topic and improve your writing style. Start by discussing what colleges are looking for, and then, you’ll write.

You’ll receive weekly written feedback on your essays as well as helpful critiques from your classmates. By the end of the class you’ll be well on your way towards completion of two Common Application essays, and you’ll get a handle on other essays your college applications may require. You can take the class at Newton North or Newton South. The South class will run 4 Wednesdays beginning July 11th . The North class will run 4 Thursdays beginning July 12th. To register, newtoncommunityed.org or call 617-559-6999.

SplitFit – a New Way to Connect to Personal Trainers

SplitFit is a new app that lets you find personal trainers when and where it works for you. Every session is $20.00 and you don’t need a gym membership. This is a great way to get fit for the summer and to help training fit into your schedule.There are trainers at 15 different gyms in Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Newton, Wellesley, and other communities.

A local mom of 3 and a personal trainer at Bodyscapes in Wellesley is offering a code to discount your first session to just $5.00. Enter code KSTHRYN961.

Plugged in

There are still some spaces available in this year’s Music that Matters Summer Camp. The camp is for ages 11-18 and includes band class, songwriting, recording a song for a CD, music video, workshops, offsite events, and performance opportunities. Each session ends with a benefit concert that raises money for a charitable organization chosen by the students themselves. Plugged In provides a nurturing and supportive community to which young musicians feel a sense of belonging, an opportunity to express and be acknowledged for their musical interests and a chance to use their music to help others around the world. In addition to summer camp, Plugged In offers weekly ensemble band classes during the fall and spring, private lessons and songwriting workshops.

MTM runs from a unique nonprofit youth rock band program in Needham where young musicians of all levels and needs are welcome.

MTM runs from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday through Friday, and is offered in (2) two week sessions from July 9th – 20th and July 23rd – August 3rd. Students can sign up for one or both sessions. Late pick up is available. Information and online registration form is at www.pluggedinband.org/programs/summer-program/.

Founded in 2002, Plugged In now has over 150 students from all over Massachusetts. Some of the students experience emotional and learning difficulties, such as ADD, depression, and low-self-esteem and/or have special needs such as autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. In the loving and non-competitive atmosphere at Plugged In, all differences are transcended through a shared passion for music, the teamwork involved with using music to help others and an atmosphere of compassion and fun.

In addition to weekly ensemble band classes, private lessons, songwriting workshops, summer camp and community performances, five times a year Plugged In students perform in benefit concerts that raise money for causes and organizations chosen by the students themselves. Plugged In provides a nurturing and supportive community to which young musicians feel a sense of belonging, an opportunity to express and be acknowledged for their musical interests and a chance to use their music to help others around the world.

Honor a Bigelow graduate or staff member

From Patty Summa, Bigelow Library Teacher

Honor a Bigelow graduate or staff member this June by supporting the Bigelow Library! How? Choose a book to purchase at the Support Our Library page. A bookplate including the honoree’s and donor’s name will automatically be placed inside the book. Supporting the library in this way helps to keep the library collection relevant and interesting for our students. In addition, a donation will sustain our goal to promote a love of reading throughout the Bigelow community. It is a great way to honor a graduate or thank a staff member. The company, Bound to Stay Bound Books, binds the books in such a way that makes them more durable and last longer. Consider donating today to help support the Bigelow Library! Thank you for your support.

Link to purchase a book: Bound To Stay Bound Book Drive