Author Archives: Bigelow PTO

Welcome from the PTO

Dear Bigelow Families,

We hope this note finds you well, and we are excited to welcome you and your student(s) to the 2020/2021 year at Bigelow Middle School!

There is no doubt that this is going to be a unique and challenging year. Like you, we are anxiously awaiting further detailed information regarding the Back to Learning plan. There is still much uncertainty, which makes planning PTO events and programs difficult. As a result, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to put many important and fun events on hold for now, including the 6th Grade Potluck Dinner, Ten Tables and the Fall Car Wash. These social events build our community and serve a critical fundraising role, and we are concerned about the impact this will have on our Bigelow family.

As the PTO, “we are dedicated to provide support and information to the parent community.” We will continue to share updates regarding PTO events as well as information regarding the school and the district. And we are working hard exploring other ways to support social events and fundraisers that can be held safely. Stay tuned.

We were truly gratified by the support and generosity you showed the PTO last Spring and through the end of the year. We are fortunate to be part of such a wonderful community and we look forward to serving you in the coming year.

If you have questions for the PTO, please contact us at bigelowbulldog@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Karen Markson and the Bigelow PTO Board

2020-21 School Re-Opening

All information about 2020-21 School Re-Opening can be found in the Newton Public Schools website.

On Monday, August 10th, Newton Public Schools shared the Return to Learn plan for the start of school in Fall 2020. The plan provides information on:

  • Health and safety protocols
  • Building modifications, processes, and protocols
  • Food service and transportation
  • Sample schedules for hybrid and distance learning models
  • Student services, including special education
  • Professional development
  • Technology

View the 8/10/2020 presentation on the Return to Learn plan
View the full Return to Learn plan
View the Frequently Asked Questions
Read the Latest communication updates from the Newton School District

How will my student get to Bigelow this fall?

This summer NPS partnered with City departments and Newton Safe Routes to School  to identify and implement safety improvements on routes to schools*. A page with transportation resources for Bigelow is available at the Safe Routes to School website: check it out!

NEW THIS FALL

  • Two entrances will be open for students: the front entrance at Vernon for students coming from the North and the Gym entrance, at the parking lot, for those coming from the South.
  • Bus Zone moved to Arlington St. Yellow buses will drop off and pick up students on Arlington St. Please AVOID driving on Arlington as cars cannot pass the buses. See map here.
  • Changes in traffic and parking regulations around Bigelow in light of Covid. See here.

At Bigelow, we are hoping that more students will walk or bike to school!** Let’s start planning how your student will get to class if they are in the hybrid model.

  1. Walking: Lots of students walk to Bigelow every day. Walking with friends is always fun – and a healthy activity to start the day**. If your students would like to participate in a walking group, please fill out this form and we will help you connect with other families.
  2. Biking: Bigelow has bike racks in front of the school and at the parking lot on Park Street. Safe Routes to School crowdsourced routes to Bigelow in Ride with GPS. We recommend that your student test these and find what works best for them. If your student would like to participate in a bike train, please fill out this form and we will help you connect with other families.
  3. Bus: Bigelow Middle School is served by both yellow school buses and the MBTA. New this year: Bus Zone on Arlington St. Check out bus routes and schedule for Bigelow and an interactive map of NPS bus stops by school. MBTA Bus 57, at Park St. and Elmwood. METCO students will find their bus stops here. Visit the NPS School Transportation webpage for more information.
  4. Car: Please, help minimize traffic immediately around schools. If you must drive, find an area to drop off and pick up away from the school to avoid getting caught in school traffic and to make it safer for everyone. This also prioritizes access for those students who do need to be driven. Work with your student to find a location that works for your family. Find suggestions here.

Please note temporary changes in traffic and parking and regulations around Bigelow.   Read all communications from Mr. Harrison about arrival and dismissal protocols very carefully as there might be more changes.

Getting students to school safely is a community effort!

* More details about school transportation at the Return to Learn Plan.

** Walking or biking to school provides part of the physical activity students need to arrive at school ready to be in control of their bodies for the day and ready to learn. Active transportation also helps to  improve air quality around schools, and children are particularly vulnerable to the health effects of air pollution, which are linked to asthma and other respiratory diseases, such as Covid-19.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle School Supplies

While getting ready for the school year, the PTO invites you to think about school supplies in a sustainable way.  

This is a great opportunity to embrace our sustainable values with our children and show them how they can personally take climate action. Going together with the kids through their books, notes and school materials can be a valuable experience – in economic and environmental terms – and help reducing waste at the end of the school year by practicing the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

There’s a reason reduce & reuse come before recycle – not just because it sounds good, but it’s the order in which we should approach sustainability. Here are some tips to use with your child when gathering their school supplies:

  • Empty backpacks, pencil cases, binders, folders.
  • Clean everything (a swipe of rubbing alcohol can remove marker and make everything looks like new).
  • Repair or patch what you can. 
  • Organize pens, pencils, markers, scissors, calculators, etc.
  • Take out the used pages of notebooks and evaluate what can be reused in school or at home.

You will note that you can really reduce the purchase of new supplies because a lot can be reused. And we can all celebrate how much energy, water, resources and money we will have saved in our community! 

Check out more resources:

Remote Drop-Off/Pick-Up

We encourage students to walk, bike or take the bus to school. If you must drive, please find an area to drop off and pick up away from the school to avoid getting caught in school traffic and to make it safer for everyone. This also prioritizes access for those students who do need to be driven. Work with your student to find a location that works for your family.

Some suggestions are:

  • Park St, between Farlow and Church
  • Church St
  • Eldredge St
  • Arlington St, between Waverly and Pembroke
  • Please AVOID Arlington St between Waverly and Park, as it is now a Yellow Bus Zone

PLEASE NOTE temporary changes to Traffic and Parking regulations around Bigelow.

FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) Survey

We are asking for your feedback around Racial Justice Activites at Bigelow!

Bigelow FORJ is a school-based chapter of Newton’s Families Organizing for Racial Justice (FORJ). Newton FORJ is a group of diverse Newton families helping our children learn about issues of power and inequality and how to stand up for racial justice. We seek to generate understanding and curiosity about differences in our society, and to work together towards racial equity.

As we begin to plan activities for learning this year, please help us understand your interest and needs regarding racial justice at Bigelow by completing this brief survey, which includes activities around this year’s One School One Book, New Kid.

Fill the Survey
PLEASE RESPOND by no later than August 31, 2020.

Any questions? please email bigelowforj@gmail.com

Your Bigelow FORJ representatives:
Danielle Ahite-De Medeiros, Davena Jackson, Julie Landesman, Madeline McNeely, Margo Michaels, Ruth Hertzman-Miller, Becca Schulman Havemeyer

Fall Planning Update 7-27-20

You should have received an update from David Fleishman with the links to last week’s family information session. Here is the informations again just in case.  If you were unable to attend the presentations, you can follow the links below to access both the Google slides and a recording of the presentation.

Google Slides Presentation – Middle School Level

Link to middle school video presentation

Several questions were addressed within the presentations, but for those that were not, NPS is developing a frequently asked questions document. When it is published, you will find it on the Return to Learn webpage at www.newton.k12.ma.us/returntolearn. All other documents and information related to fall planning will also be posted there. This webpage can be accessed by clicking on the megaphone image button at the top of the district homepage.

As you know, the public health situation, as well as guidance for opening schools in the fall, continues to evolve. NPS will continue to keep the community updated as plans come into focus  Please email community@newton.k12.ma.us with questions.

A big thank you from the PTO!

The 2019/2020 school year will be long remembered as a year that brought huge changes and challenges for all of us. We are so thankful to our wonderful Bigelow community for rallying behind the school, staff, students and the PTO these past many weeks. You have supported us and confirmed how much we all believe in our love of learning, our respect for oneself and one another and our commitment to making the world a better place.

We hope you have a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing you in the fall!