Please join us for Bigelow’s Civics Day on Tuesday May 22nd, 8:45 -10am. The day will begin with a parent coffee in Bigelow’s library at 8:45am, when Jean Singers, Bigelow’s 8th grade history teacher, will speak to parents from all grades about proposed changes to the Massachusetts history/social studies frameworks.

Following the parent coffee, cluster 8E students will be presenting civic action and advocacy projects they have been working on this year, as part of the Generation Citizen pilot program Ms. Singers is leading. Generation Citizen is an action civics curriculum in which students identify issues in their community, research the root cause and then advocate for change.

Focus issues proposed by the students:

1. Dress code in Newton schools: gender biased language
2. Healthy food in school cafeterias: Meatless Mondays
3. Affordable Housing in Newton: zoning redesign
4. Marijuana use amongst teens: drug prevention education

Bigelow’s Civics Day
8:45-9:00 Tea and Coffee
9:00-9:15 Program introduction
9:15-10:00 Student presentations
Parents from all grades are welcome to arrive or leave at anytime

Please RSVP to Ms. Singers: singersj@newton.k12.ma.us

If you are looking for a way to say “Thank You!” as the year comes to a close, please consider Newton Schools Foundations’ Honor Thy Teacher campaign. This special program, established more than 20 years ago, provides an opportunity for families to thank teachers or other school personnel (such as a special education aide, a fine arts or music teacher, or a coach or counselor) by giving a gift to NSF in their honor.

NSF is a non-profit organization that raises funds to enhance educational excellence throughout Newton’s public schools. Your gift supports opportunities for teachers to access professional development, initiatives to close the achievement gap and new learning programs for middle school students that encompass: science, technology and math; social, civic and cultural understanding; leadership training; literature; and social-emotional learning. Programs supported by NSF at the Newton middle schools include:

• Generation Citizen
• BIG Talks
• One Book, One Community Celebration
• The Calculus Project
• Middle School Peer Leadership
• Responsive Classroom Training

You can make your tax-deductible donation on-line at www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org, or mail it to Newton Schools Foundation, P.O. Box 590020, Newton Centre, MA 02459. Please be sure to include the names of the teachers and/or staff that you are honoring. Or look for a flyer that will be mailed to your home that includes a donation form. After receiving each donation (a suggested amount is $25 per teacher/staff member), NSF will notify the honored teachers and staff of your gift; share the honoree names with the Superintendent and Principals; and list each of those honored in the Newton TAB.