Author Archives: Bigelow PTO

Be social at the Social! Friday, May 16th @7:15pm

Calling all Bigelow Parents and Caregivers!

Let’s get social at the Social! Join us to for small bites and an evening to connect.

There’s no cost to join us—just come and be social! Complimentary appetizers and light snacks will be available for grazing. Drinks and additional meals can be purchased individually at the bar.

Please let us know via this form if you plan to attend so we can get a sense of how many guests to expect.

Bigelow Social at the Social

  • Friday, May 16th @7:15pm
  • Social Restaurant and Bar 320 Washington Street, Newton, MA
  • Light snacks provided
  • Drinks and additional food available for purchase
  • This is an adult only event.

Save the Date! Final PTO Meeting: Tues May 20th @7pm

Please Save the Date, Tuesday, May 20th at 7 pm for our final PTO meeting of the 2024-25 school year. We will review the PTO budget, elect officers, and start planning for the 2025-26 school year.

As a reminder, Bigelow PTO needs more volunteers for the 2025-26 school year! Please see this form for more information and to express interest in volunteer opportunities.

SEPAC Award Nominations Now Open Until May 19th!

Dear NPS Families,

As you may know, each year, parents, guardians, and students are able to nominate NPS and Out of District teachers and staff for a Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Award. A SEPAC Award recognizes exceptional NPS and Out of District teachers, aides, behavior therapists, psychologists, bus drivers, crossing guards, administrators, and other staff for the role they played in a student’s special education journey this past academic year. Interested in nominating an exceptional NPS or Out of District teacher and/or staff member? The deadline for nominations is Monday, May 19th. Here’s how the process works:

  • Submit a nomination through the nomination form
  • All celebratory nominations will be recognized
  • The week of June 16th, your nominee will receive:
    • An email with the kind words you wrote about them and a short slideshow of anonymized nominations lifting up the good work taking place across the district.
    • A printed SEPAC Award certificate delivered to their school. 
    • Each principal will receive a list of nominees from their school.

Do you need to nominate everyone from your student’s team? Please only nominate the teachers and staff members who you feel have been exceptional!

Questions? Reach out to: newtonspecialeducationawards@gmail.com

Thank you so much for your participation recognizing the exceptional NPS and Out of District teachers and staff who work so hard to support special education students. Please help us share this message as widely as possible so the SEPAC Awards can reach all corners of our community!

Warmly, 

2024-2025 SEPAC Board

Order Bigelow’s 2024-2025 Yearbook by May 11th

Please Support our 2024-2025 Yearbook!

To order your copy of our yearbook, CLICK HERE or go to https://ybpay.lifetouch.com and enter our yearbook ID code 1945925.  Then enter your name and grade. Click next and follow the online prompts to complete your order.  Enter your payment directly on the website with a credit card.

All personalized yearbook copies and hardcover upgrades must be placed by Sunday, May 11, 2025.  After this date, our final yearbook order has been placed and the number of available copies left online will be limited to a first-come first serve basis.  Thank you!

Thank you Newton Serves volunteers!

Huge thank you to the volunteers who helped reinvigorate the grounds around Bigelow on Sunday for Newton Serves! Volunteers tirelessly weeded, planted, and mulched garden beds, and cleaned outdoor spaces around the school. Be sure to admire the new plantings and watch the gardens take shape in the coming months and years!

Welcome Back from April Break!

We hope everyone had a fun, restful April break and is ready for an exciting final stretch of the school year!

As we head into May, there are many opportunities to connect, learn, celebrate, and support our Bigelow community. Be sure to mark your calendars and check the newsletter for event details:

These events are only possible thanks to the support of our incredible volunteers. We still need volunteers for the 2025-26 school year! Please see this form for more information and to express interest in volunteer opportunities.

We partner closely with our school leadership, teachers, and staff to create meaningful experiences for our students and build a strong, connected community. Whether you are available occasionally or interested in a leadership role, there’s a way for everyone to get involved. We hope you can join us!

Drama Festival Class Presents: “I, Chorus” May 2-3

Bigelow’s Drama Festival class is performing in the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild (METG) Middle School Festival this weekend! It is Bigelow’s first entry to the Festival since 2019.

Bigelow is performing I, Chorus, a funny story about a Greek Chorus and a disgruntled Walmart employee who find connection in an unconventional way.

The cast and crew will be performing at Bigelow this Friday, May 2nd at 7pm. Tickets are on sale at lunches this week and will also be available at the door. Tickets are $10 for adults, and $5 for students. The 40-minute show will be followed by a short Q&A.

You can also cheer the students on at the METG Festival on Saturday, May 3rd at Melrose Middle School at 1pm! Tickets $10. For the METG Tickets:

  • Advance Tickets available until Friday, May 2nd at 9 pm
  • A ticket is good for the entire day, but the form will ask you to specify a performance
  • Tickets will also be available at the door for CASH or CHECK only

Volunteer for NewtonServes! THIS Sunday, May 4th

Volunteer for Bigelow SERVES
Sunday, May 4th 10 am to 2 pm

Please join us this Sunday, May 4th to help reinvigorate the green areas around Bigelow for NewtonSERVES 2025.

The event will run from 10 am to 2 pm and volunteers are welcome to drop in for any amount of time. Every minute of your time helps!

Volunteers are encouraged to preregister HERE.

Please wear work clothes and bring a refillable water bottle. We also request the following items if you have them:

  • work/gardening gloves
  • yard tools (shovels, rakes, trowels, etc)
  • wheelbarrow
  • watering can

**Please label any tools you bring so we can be sure they are reunited with you at the end of the event.**

NewtonSERVES is an annual city-wide day of building community through service. NewtonSERVES projects focus on cleaning and improving our parks, school grounds, open space areas, and conservation lands. Please join us, Sunday, May 4th, to build our Bigelow Community while reinvigorating the green areas around the school!

All Bigelow families, friends, and neighbors are welcome!

Donations For Teacher Appreciation Week: May 5-9th

National Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week is next week – May 5-9th!
Bigelow PTO is celebrating our dedicated teachers and staff with three luncheons catered by families from each grade.

Thank you to the many volunteers who have signed up to contribute! We still have a few open spots for contributions. Please review sign-up links for each grade below and consider donating an item. All contributions should be delivered to Bigelow the morning of your grade’s luncheon. 

Short on time but still want to help?
Monetary donations to fund luncheon items are also greatly appreciated. If you would prefer to donate money, the steps are:

1. Venmo @BigelowPTONewton and add note “[Grade] Teacher Appreciation Lunch”.
2. Sign up for an item in the grade-specific SignUpGenius link above. In the comments include “Venmo to Bigelow PTO [$ amount]”.
3. A PTO volunteer will cover that item for you the day of the luncheon. 

This will be our final teacher appreciation event of the year.  Let’s give our Bigelow staff a big thanks for all that they do!

If you have any questions, please contact: