Hello Bigelow PTO parents,

The staff at Bigelow would like to say THANK YOU, to all of you who stood out on November 3rd in support of our ongoing fight for a fair contract.  Your support really means a lot to every one of us.

For those parents who were unable to attend, but are looking for ways to help the educators of Newton get a fair contract, here are a few things you could do:

• Sign up for the Newton Parent Educator Collaborative Here
• Request a lawn sign Here
• Sign up to deliver a public comment at a future school committee meeting, stating why you think the educators of Newton deserve a fair contract Here
• Email or call the School Committee and demand that they stop playing the public relations game and focus on actually negotiating a fair contract Here
• Email or call the mayor and demand that she make additional funds available for the settlement of a fair contract Here
• Email or call your city council members and encourage them to do everything in their power to direct more money to NPS Here

Again we thank you for everything and anything you are willing to do in support of us securing a fair contract.

Thank you,

The educators of Bigelow Middle School

Tickets are now on sale for next week’s performances of Bigelow’s Fall Play, “Charlotte’s Web.” The show is about 100 minute with one 15 minute intermission. This performance is appropriate for children of all ages, and we do expect it to sell out! Get your tickets now!

• Thursday November 16 at 7pm
• Friday November 17 at 7pm (Interpreted in ASL)
• Saturday November 18 at 3pm
• Saturday November 18 at 7pm

Please join us for an Ice Skaking Fundraiser at Warrior Ice Area on Friday, December 1, 2023 from 9:00-9:50 pm. Tickets are $15 (includes skate rental) and will be sold at the event.

As daylight savings time comes to an end, students may soon be biking in the dark. Please take a moment to ensure that your student’s bike is equipped with proper lighting: a front white light and a rear red light and reflector.

Want to get involved in Newton Safe Routes to School? Learn more at www.NewtonSafeRoutes.org or reach out to newtonsaferoutes@gmail.com. 

A brief introduction of BLIA Scouts: in accordance with the goal of cultivating talents through education as advocated by the founder of Fo Guang Shan, Venerable Master Hsing Yun, were gradually established since 1996 in many parts of the world. The BLIA Scouts set its core goal as “Do good deeds, Speak good words, Think good thoughts”, advocating education and character cultivation in life, thus establishing a harmonized social atmosphere. In addition, BLIA Scouts provides a platform for children to develop teamwork, potential skills, and creativities. BLIA Scouts Boston was formed in 2020, the first scouts troop in New England under a non-profit Buddhist organization.

BLIA Scouts Boston Open day is free and open to students up to 17 years old. The highlights of the program include lantern painting, 1 mile run and sushi making. All participating lanterns will have chance to enter the Fo Guang Shan 2024 Lantern Competition in Taiwan.

We are in the last five days of our Holiday Gift Card Drive. Please help our neighbors experiencing food insecurity celebrate the bounty of the season. The great news is that we are more than 80% of the way to our goal and you can help us cross the line! We don’t have to tell you how high food prices are for families right now. 

With whatever we raise, Newton Neighbors will purchase and distribute supermarket gift cards through partner agencies to at least 165 families in Newton, Waltham, and Brockton. If you are able to make any size donation to help us reach our goal, we know that these families would be so grateful.

Here is the link to donate

Each year, the PTO and its many volunteers run events and programs that support our students, our teachers, and our school community.  This collective effort enriches the middle school experience for everyone.  To make it happen, the PTO depends on community donations of time, money, and other contributions. 

This year, our goal is to raise at least $14,000 through donations from Bigelow families, which covers just under half of our annual budget (the rest comes from fundraising events and corporate donations).  We invite all families to contribute at a level they are comfortable with through https://bigelowpto.org/donate/

Thank you, as always, for your support!

‘23-’24 Bigelow PTO Board

Eugene Rhee, Alex Rolfe, Giulia Guffanti, Aparna Rolfe

How to Donate:

• via Venmo @BigelowPTONewton
• write a check and mail to Bigelow Middle School c/o PTO
• via the website at bigelowpto.org/donate/

Please consider adding Bigelow PTO to your company’s annual donation matching program, if applicable. Bigelow Middle School PTO is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Tax ID #20-0348453. All donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law.

How Your Donation Helps

Funds raised by the PTO, thanks to your donations, are used to support many wonderful programs and services to benefit our students.

Thank you to all who came out and made last Saturday’s Game Night a great success!

Special thank you to Charlene Gillespie & Shana Smythe for organizing this fun and festive evening and to Shana & Dan Smythe for welcoming everyone into their home.

Thanks to your efforts, we raised $2,000 to support Bigelow and our students!

Newton has added 21 new Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) this year. Locations were selected to improve safety on routes to schools, village centers and public transit and factored in crash history.  Locations near Bigelow include Centre Street at Newtonville, Tremont Street at Hibbard, Waverly Ave at Lorna, and an existing RRFB on Waverly Ave at Arlington.

PLEASE let your student know to ALWAYS push the button to activate the yellow flashing lights and to WAIT until drivers stop before stepping out into the crosswalk.

Newton’s Department of Public Works has developed a multi-factor prioritization system to evaluate the dozens of RRFB requests that come in from residents and City Councilors concerned about safe pedestrian crossings. RRFBs allow people using a crosswalk to press a button which turns on solar-powered flashing yellow lights to help drivers see people in the crosswalks sooner, thereby making crossing streets safer.  The Bigelow PTO can pass requests along to the city based on your input – email us if you have suggestions or comments.

Visit http://newtonsaferoutes.org/rrfb for a list of the new RRFB locations.