Help us celebrate Bigelow’s beautiful and diverse community at our
first Global Diversity Night!

There are at least 3 ways to celebrate:

• Create a region/country table or display. Bring flags, clothes, posters, handicrafts – suggest a song for an international playlist – anything that features your heritage. 
• Cook your favorite dish. Bring enough for 8-10 people to share. We’ll provide plates, utensils, cups and napkins.
• Come and enjoy! Mingle and meet new friends from around the U.S. and the world!

Students, families, and Bigelow staff are all welcome to attend!

Contact: Lanni at lanni_harris@yahoo.com

Have you thought about becoming more involved in the Bigelow PTO? Volunteering with the PTO is a great way to enhance your student’s middle school experience while meeting other parents and building a stronger school connection.

It is time to start to planning for the 2025-26 school year! We are actively recruiting for several positions that will be open next year as 8th grade families move on from Bigelow. Now is the ideal time to volunteer as overlap with current volunteers will make for an easy transition. In particular, we would like to identify volunteers for the following:

• President/Co-President Lead and support the team, preside over PTO meetings, serve as primary contact and representative of the PTO.
• Communications/Website Send weekly PTO newsletters and other communications. Maintain PTO website. **Training available from current volunteer!**
• School Directory Maintain database of parents/students.
• 8th Grade Activities Organize transition activities for 8th grade class including fundraising, year-end celebrations, Moving On ceremony, etc.

In addition to the positions highlighted above, there are many other ways to get involved in the PTO. Please email bigelowbulldog@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering or learning more about any of the opportunities to become involved with the Bigelow PTO.

Show your New England resilience by joining us for the Massachusetts Winter Walk & Roll to School Day on Wednesday, February 5, 2025.

The Bigelow PoPS (Parents of Performing Students) is a community of dedicated parents that supports the performing arts through advocacy, fundraising, coordination, and volunteering. Any parent or guardian who has a student in Orchestra, Chorus, Band, or Drama is welcome and encouraged to participate in the PoPS and support our students and performing arts faculty.

Please join us for our next virtual meeting on Monday, February 3rd from 7-8pm. (link to come)

We look forward to getting to know you!

On Wednesday, January 15th, Bigelow students enjoyed the first Creative Arts & Sciences event of the school year with 3 grade-level concerts featuring pianist Barron Ryan.

This program is made possible by your generous donations to the Bigelow PTO. Thank you!

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Barron Ryan grew up in a house filled with the sounds of artists ranging from Mozart to Motown. He’s not content drawing on just one influence. He combines them all into a musical adventure that’s vintage yet fresh, historical yet hip, classic yet cool. He began piano lessons at age four with his father, and excelled in performing throughout his middle and high school years in Tulsa, OK, then as a piano performance major at The University of Oklahoma. Following college he discovered the joy of jazz- and ragtime-inspired concert music (found on his debut album, Classical with Attitude), and learned from great jazz pianists by transcribing and replaying their solos. In 2021, Barron wrote a piece for piano trio entitled My Soul Is Full of Troubles. Smithsonian Magazine named Barron one of Ten Innovators to Watch in 2021.

CLASSIC MEETS COOL
Barron’s signature recital program features some of the greatest piano music ever made, including groovy classical works, renditions from great jazz pianists, pop tune arrangements, and an original sonata. Barron will weave a story with his music and words that’s sure to leave your audience speechless. Barron Ryan’s love for music has always been divided. The son of two musicians, he grew up in a house filled with the sounds of artists ranging from Mozart to Michael Jackson. So, when it comes to his own performing, he’s not content drawing on just one influence. He combines them all into a musical adventure that’s vintage yet fresh, historical yet hip, classic yet cool.

Video Compilation: https://www.barronryan.com/press-kit

Many thanks to all attended last Friday’s Warrior Ice Skate Night Fundraiser! Be sure to mark your calendars for the next Ice Skating Fundraiser at Warrior Ice Arena on Friday, February 28, 2025 from 9-9:50 pm. Tickets are $18 (includes skate rental) and will be sold at the event starting at 8:30 pm.

Attention 8th Grade Families! We hope you saw Principal Green’s announcement that Newton North High School Principal Dr. Henry Turner will visit Bigelow to present to parents and caregivers of Bigelow 8th graders in the auditorium on Thursday, January 16 at 8:15 AM. ***Please note date change***

We hope you can join us TOMORROW 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.

We are restarting an old Bigelow tradition of the Ten Tables progressive dinner on Saturday, April 5th!

Ten Tables is a progressive mystery dinner and fundraiser. Everyone first gathers together for an opening appetizers party at the home of a Bigelow family. There you receive your dinner destination. After appetizers, everyone splits up into smaller groups for dinner hosted at a number of other families’ homes.

This promises to be a wonderful night of community-building, and a great way to raise money to support our PTO. If you are interested in hosting either the appetizers gathering or one of the dinners, please send an email to the PTO at bigelowbulldog@gmail.com or contact Kathy Shields at kburdetteshields@yahoo.com.

Mark your calendars for the Bigelow Global Diversity Night to celebrate our school’s diversity through delicious foods and diverse displays. Save the date for Tuesday, March 4^th in the gym from 6:30-8:00pm.

We are recruiting volunteers from all countries to host a table. If your family would like to be part of this year’s celebration, please email Lanni, lanni_harris@yahoo.com, and we will include you as we plan for the event.

This is our first year to host this event, so we are looking forward to starting a new school tradition with food, interactive demonstrations, displays of textiles, art, music, musical instruments or whatever makes the night meaningful to you, our community!