The Newton North and Newton South PTSOs are co-hosting a screening of the documentary Screenagers:The Next Chapter on October 10th at 7:00 PM in the Newton North Theater. The film is about helping teens growing up in the digital age uncover skills for anxiety and stress management. A panel discussion will follow the film with experts from Newton Wellesley Hospital Pediatric Psychiatry and Newton High Schools counselors. All are welcome.
More information: Screenagers: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience
Author Archives: Bigelow PTO
Welcome Back To School from the Bigelow Counseling Team
About friendships over the first few months of school.
“New friendships are blooming and there is nothing quite as intense and vivid as those first few days, weeks, or months of middle school friendships: finding all the things you have in common, laughing so hard you can’t breathe, a yearning to learn everything you can about that new friend, all kinds of inside jokes and shared experiences. But with that joy of new friendship, often comes the despair of old friendships changed or discarded, feeling excluded from other groups, and, sometimes, finding that new friendship can’t stand up to the intensity, and instead of becoming solid, fizzles out. A double-edged blessing/curse.” Read more here.
Visit the Bigelow Middle School Counseling website.
Make sure your family is in the PTO Family Directory
New Directory Platform: Families Need to Create New Account
The Bigelow School PTO is excited to announce that we will be using Membership Toolkit to host our Bigelow PTO Family Directory online starting with this 2019-2020 school year. Most of the information from the old system (MySchoolAnywhere) was transferred to the new platform, but each family must verify their information or create a new account.
The Directory is run and funded by the PTO, thanks to your support! Access to the online directory is free and it can be used by all Bigelow families.
You will need to visit https://bigelowpto.membershiptoolkit.com/login to login into Membership Toolkit and create a new account. More information HERE.
Questions? – Please don’t hesitate to contact the Directory Managers Gabriela Kroszynski (frinulia@hotmail.com) or Megan Flynn (maflynn59@gmail.com). More information HERE.
Do you need a printed copy of the Family Directory?
- A hard copy of the PTO Family Directory is offered to families who pay PTO Membership dues.
- You can order one at the PTO Membership page by September 21 – when directories go into print.
- Directories will be distributed at Back to School Night (October 3) for all those who ordered by 09/21/19.

Bigelow PTO Membership 2019
All Bigelow Middle School parents and guardians are members of the PTO. Although dues are voluntary, they are critical to help fund enrichment materials for classrooms, technology, community events, and much more. Please take a minute to see what your PTO does for our children and the school.
Suggested PTO dues are $20 and you will be offered a paper copy of the PTO Family Directory, available at Back to School Night (Oct 3, 2019).
Please pay PTO dues now and secure a copy of the Directory while supporting our school!
– Dues 2019 –
Note: If you would like a copy of the directory, please pay by 09/21, when directories go into print.
What a fun start of the year: we had two great picnics!
On Sunday (09/08), many Bigelow families met at Franklin Park, in Boston, for a beautiful sunny afternoon with delicious homemade food and lots of play. This was the first-ever Newton-Boston picnic, and we hope it will become a tradition! Thank you Bigelow METCO Engagement Team (BMET) for organizing it and connecting families from Boston and Newton.
Families came out again and had the opportunity to meet or catch up at the Bigelow Gym on Wednesday (09/11). It was a beautiful evening and people got to chat, sit and eat – thanks to the food truck and the great bake sale the 8th graders promoted. Basketballs were out for kids to run around – and they also had fun signing a Bigelow banner.
Congratulations to J. Lake for winning two tickets to the Bigelow Celtics Night in January! Stay tuned for more information regarding this exciting event!
Check out here some great pictures of both events!

6th Grade Parents Potluck – Please RSVP
This year the potluck will be hosted by 6th grade parents Jennifer Tseng & Marc Sabatine + Rachel & Ron Blankstein, on Saturday, September 21st, 6:30pm. Please RSVP to Jennifer Tseng: Jennifer.Tseng@bmc.org
Please bring your own beverage(s) and if your child’s last name begins with:
A – E Please bring a dessert
F – L Please bring a main dish
M – R Please bring a side dish or salad
S – Z Please bring an appetizer
The 6th Grade Parents Potluck is a wonderful, low-key, no-stress opportunity to meet with other 6th grade parents and build a community for the next 3 years of middle school! This is an adult event. More information here.
Fall PTO Wine and Cheese
You are invited for an evening of conversation about Bigelow and the PTO! Monday, September 23, from 7 to 8:30 pm at the home of Karen and Larry Markson, 150 Hunnewell Ave. Please join us for the first PTO meeting of the year where we will discuss the 2019/2020 PTO school year and how you can get involved! Your involvement is critical to making this year a successful one, and we are so grateful for your support. Come and meet other Bigelow parents, both new and current, and enjoy a glass of wine and light appetizers! Principal Todd Harrison will update parents on the happenings at the school and PTO officers will talk about PTO events and plans for the 2019-20 year, including 8th Grade Activities. Parents are welcome to bring comments and topics of discussion or concern to the meeting. Hope to see you there!
Save the date: PoPS Meet and Greet
The PoPS would like to invite all parents of performing arts students to meet the team. Help us welcome Kevin William (drama), Cara Bergantino (music/band/orchestra) and Hannah Merchant (tech) to the community. Jamie Albert’s will also join for questions, answers, light appetizers and beverages. Wednesday, September 25⋅7:00 – 9:00pm, 155 Waverly Ave.
8th Grade Parent Leaders Needed
8th Grade parent leaders needed for 8th Grade year-long activities! We need one or a few parents to step up and lead the way for our eighth graders to have a memorable year. There are already many parents willing to help, please consider leading the way. Contact Una Simmons (una@ethannet.com) , Karen Markson (kmarkson@gmail.com) or bigelowbulldog.com. More information HERE.

