The chromebooks for 8th graders have finally arrived! Devices and recharging cords were distributed to cohort B students on Friday and will be given on Monday morning to cohort A students.

Parents of distance students may come to the main office at  Bigelow anytime, 8:30am-3:30pm, Monday-Friday to pick up their 8th grader’s device and recharging cords beginning next Monday, Feb. 1.

Each student has been assigned a device and will be given one unless they already received one this year. We strongly recommend that students use their new school-issued chromebook when in school.  Our IT department can only support school issued laptops.  They are not able to troubleshoot personal laptops that have problems.

Please see the Chromebook Use and Care Quick Reference which includes information on connecting the device to your home wireless network. All students should have their own personal headphones with a built-in microphone. An earbud/microphone set is recommended.

Also linked is the Secondary Acceptable Use Guideline Poster that we share with students every year. Please review it with your child before using the device. We expect the laptop to be used for school-related purposes.

Students should charge their device every night, and bring it along with their recharging cord and headphone/microphone set to and from school every day that they attend in-person classes. The laptop and related equipment should be safely carried in a backpack. We recommend that you get a case for it. Students are responsible for its safekeeping, and should never leave it unattended in an unsecure location.

From the Principal’s Office, on Jan 16, 2021:

Dear Bigelow Families,

I am writing to let you know that I have decided to retire at the end of this school year in June 2021.  After working as an educator in middle schools for 35 years–and the last 25 years at Bigelow–it is time to pass the torch to a younger person.

I do not make this decision lightly or as a result of the pandemic.  I have been thinking about it for a while. My heart and soul are in this special place, and there is so much to be done to overcome this current crisis. I fully intend to give every ounce of my energy to make sure that we succeed in creating the best middle school experience possible for our precious students. They deserve nothing less.

I have been blessed by opportunities at Bigelow and in Newton beyond anything imaginable;  I have accomplished my dreams as a middle school educator.  When next September arrives, I hope that a new beginning can take place, and it will be time for a new leader to take Bigelow to the next level in its wonderful history.

 

It hurts to leave such an amazing school and community. When I started as a seventh grade teacher, there were no personal computers, no email, no MCAS, very few middle schools, and limited knowledge about the needs of this age group.  When I came to Bigelow, it was just emerging as a middle school after being shuttered for several years due to low enrollment. Now, after years of thoughtful work and teaching by scores of teachers, counselors, and staff, I see a shining model of the incredible impact that a middle school can have in helping young people discover their many talents and opening a wide world of possibilities to them.

The power of public education in Newton has always been the collaboration here of smart, creative, and dedicated professionals.  I am forever grateful to the staff at Bigelow, my fellow middle school principals, central office leaders, curriculum coordinators, and the PTO and parent community. The list of names is long.  No matter how big the challenge, I always knew that we could solve it together, and this year has proven this fact once again.

Most of all I will miss the generations of students who have walked the halls of Bigelow. Their eager faces–and not so eager faces some days–have energized and motivated me everyday and will continue to do so.  May the force of the Bigelow core values be with them always! .

Superintendent Fleishman will be in touch soon with information about a search process.

Thank you all. I will miss you. There’s still lots of work to be done now.  Onward and upward!

Todd

Todd Harrison, Principal

We are pleased to share with you a resource guide about Black Lives Matter made by members of the Bigelow World Issues and Politics Club. Check it out – it is loaded with ways for students and adults to make a difference. The World Issues and Politics Club is a student led group dedicated to educating youth on important current and past events in this nation and around the world. Formed two years ago the club meets weekly to have in-depth discussions and work to make a difference in the Bigelow and Newton community. The club members that created this resource guide are Anna S., Alexis V.B., Eliza K., Maya M., and Rhiannon E. We encourage all students and families to review this document and to get involved.

The Resilience Project is an innovative school-and community-based initiative designed to promote the mental health and well-being of adolescents. It provides support to students, parents, educators, counselors and communities through collaboration with school personnel, customized educational programming and improved access to treatment resources.

Their Special Edition: Caring for the Caregivers is a trove of information to help parents, educators, healthcare professionals, counselors, social workers, first responders, and all those caring for their families and communities deal with uncertainty, stress, exhaustion and burnout.

Last Tuesday, January 12, the PTO sponsored a meeting with Superintendent David Fleishman and School Committee members Margaret Albright and Kathy Shields. If you missed it, you can watch the recording here. Passcode: ni%h43WA

Watch the Meeting

Join us on Tuesday, January 12, 7pm for our PTO meeting with Superintendent David Fleishman and School Committee members Margaret Albright and Kathy Shields.  They will talk briefly about district initiatives and then spend the majority of time answering your questions. We hope to see you there!

Zoom link HERE.

We are pleased to share with you a resource guide about Black Lives Matter made by members of the Bigelow World Issues and Politics Club. Check it out–it is loaded with ways for students and adults to make a difference.

The World Issues and Politics Club is a student led club dedicated to educating youth on important current and past events in this nation and around the world. Formed two years ago, the club meets weekly to have in-depth discussions and work to make a difference in the Bigelow and Newton community.

The club members that created this resource guide are Anna S., Alexis V.B., Eliza K., Maya M., and Rhiannon E. We encourage all students and families to review this document and to get involved.