For this year’s One School, One Book Program students read House Arrest, by K.A. Holt in their Advisory groups. In discussions, students focused on the importance of giving and receiving help when needed, culminating in a school-wide collection drive for Cradles to Crayons. For last Thursday’s early release day, students sorted donated items, made well-wish cards, and had the chance to hear from some local students or adults who have dedicated their time in service to others.

Thank you to everyone involved in organizing and planning this event for our students, especially Bigelow Librarian Ms. Guzzi, for so thoughtfully putting together this learning experience!

Finally, thank you to all Bigelow Families for your support of the PTO! It is through your support that the Bigelow PTO is able to underwrite special programs like One School, One Book for our students. If you have not made a donation to this year’s Annual Fundraising Drive, please consider doing so today.

This is the first profile of a Bigelow PTO volunteer for our weekly newsletter. We hope to profile someone new each week so you can see the people who help make our efforts a success.

Jeanne Choe-Arrieta, Ph.D. Bigelow has a chapter of Newton’s Families Organizing for Racial Justice (FORJ). The group invites parents and children to engage in critical conversations that support questioning, interrogating, and dismantling of white supremacy, including anti-Blackness and all forms of racial injustice. One of the co-leaders, Jeanne Choe-Arrieta, is a psychologist and parent of an eighth grader at Bigelow; she also has a ninth grader at NNHS. She got involved with FORJ around 2017 when she was a parent at Ward Elementary School. She is Korean-American raising bi-racial kids. She also serves as the Newton parent liaison with METCO families. A big part of what they do with FORJ is community-building. They did an event in Franklin Park in October. Without the time and effort of busy professionals like Jeanne, the Bigelow PTO would not be able to accomplish all we do. Thank you, Jeanne!

Last Saturday’s “Hot to Glow” Dance Party and Social was a HUGE success!

Many thanks to Nisa Dailey and Hai Ly for spearheading this amazing event.

Special thanks to Principal Green, Student Council Advisor Mr. Leone, Bigelow Custodian Freddie, and Student Council Members for all their help.

Finally, thank you to the MANY parents who volunteer at the dance: Laura Goldworm, Nick Burk, Amanda Frank, Dominque Fowler, Aparna Rolfe, Alex Rolfe, Mandy Carozza, Neil Donnelly, Anna Donnelly, Kelly Dakin, Christine Reid, Rodrigo Canales, Victoria Peake, Barbara Farell, Alberto Pina, Caty Maloney, Angela Trimmis, Kal Dagher, Tamara Peshkova, and Jessica Singer.

We can’t wait for the next one!

Healthy Kids Forum:  Mental Health, Use of Technology, Limit-Setting and Creating Kids with Grit and Independence

Thursday, December 12, 2024 at 6:30 pm | Oak Hill Middle School Auditorium

Please join us for a  forum hosted by the Office of Family and Community Partnerships in collaboration with NPS mental health staff, educators from preschool through high school, Newton Police safety partners, the technology department and the offices of special education and social work.

Dr. Nolin will serve as the moderator of this panel of professionals and know that you will walk away with tips for supporting healthy children and suggestions for technology use. A holiday buying guide will be shared to support our work as a community to limit cell and device use by our students. Join us!

Details about the panelists:

• Panel Moderator:  Dr. Anna Nolin, Superintendent of Schools
• Robert Greenfield, Digital Literacy Coordinator, Newton North High School and NPS parent
• Christina Maryland, Director of Communications and Office of Family Engagement
• Kathleen Browning, Director Newton Early Childhood Program
• Jesse Krotick, Coordinator of Social Work and Social Emotional Learning K-5, NPS
• Maura Tynes, Director of Special Education Prek-5 and NPS parent
• Isaiah Jellinik, School Resource Officer, Newton Police and NPS parent

There is no pre-registration required for this event.

The Bigelow PTO is proud to present our first Bigelow Global Diversity Night!

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 4th from 6:30pm-8pm. 

Over the next few months, we’ll send sign-up requests to families, so please start thinking about what kinds of food and traditions your family might share. We can’t wait to honor and celebrate the many cultures and backgrounds of our Bigelow community with you! 

Please join us for an Ice Skating Fundraiser at Warrior Ice Arena on Friday, January 10, 2025 from 9-9:50 pm. Tickets are $18 (includes skate rental) and will be sold at the event starting at 8:30 pm.

Tickets to Saturday’s much-anticipated “Hot to Glow” Dance + Social are now available! Tickets are $10 and include a slice of pizza and a drink. Additional refreshments will be available for purchase at the event.

Pre-Sale Tickets are available via:

• Cash: In school at lunch this week
• Venmo: @BigelowPTONewton (or scan QR code on flyer below)
  • Please include student name and “dance” in the note
  • Pre-sale tickets via Venmo will be accepted until 3 pm on Saturday, 12/7.

Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door (Cash or Venmo) until 7:55 pm. No Admittance after 7:55 pm.

Parents & Caregivers: It is not too late to sign up to volunteer! We need chaperones to be able to put on this popular event!

We hope to see many of you tomorrow morning, Thursday, December 5th at 9 am, in the Bigelow library for Dr. Green’s Principal Coffee. Dr. Green will focus on curricular and programmatic updates.

Simply send your donation via Venmo to @BigelowPTONewton. Please put “Annual Fund” in the memo line.

Funds raised by the Bigelow PTO directly support many programs and services that enrich the middle school experience for all Bigelow students. A donation of $110 covers the cost of one student. A gift of any size will help support our programming goals for the 2024-25 school year.

Venmo to: @BigelowPTONewton. A big thank you to all those who have already donated! For other ways to donate, please visit: http://bigelowpto.org/donate

As we head into the long holiday weekend, we feel gratitude for our great Bigelow community! We cannot wait for our kids to enjoy more terrific grade-level events and activities, and to see caregivers, family, and friends at our upcoming dance and PTO events in the new year. Whether you’re giving time or donations or both, the Bigelow Middle School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is made up of all of us. And, ultimately, it’s about our kids and their education. As parents and guardians of Bigelow students, we are all members of the PTO, an organization that is well worth supporting.

Why give to the PTO?

• We underwrite programs that the Newton Public School’s budget does not cover, such as Creative Arts and Sciences and classroom technology.
• We offer field trip scholarships.
• We provide assistance to Bigelow families who have experienced unfortunate circumstances.
• We serve as an important communication channel between the school and parents.
• We help build the community that makes Bigelow a special place for our children.

Gifts to Bigelow PTO to support these important programs can be made via Venmo (@BigelowPTONewton), online, or by check (payable to Bigelow PTO).