Please join us via zoom on Tuesday, April 8th at 7 pm for our next PTO general meeting: https://mit.zoom.us/j/92126353407?pwd=5sNHKfjfi5wQAgbScPXTOV4VYLVAGO.1

We have two important topics on our agenda:

1. planning for next year
2. next year’s NPS budget

For next year’s PTO planning, we want to get your input on events and volunteer opportunities while sharing a snapshot of our current budget. We’ll keep this short – brainstorming rather than detailed planning – and are happy to answer questions about opportunities with the PTO. This is a great chance to learn more if you’re thinking about volunteering. We work together behind the scenes to give our students and teachers memorable and fun experiences every school year.

Regarding next year’s NPS budget – everyone received an announcement via email or ParentSquare on March 17 about the gap between what NPS needs and what the Mayor is currently offering. We’ll use the meeting to talk about this situation, how parents/families can learn more, and about how everyone can share their opinions with the city’s elected officials.

Thank you so much to all the families who baked and/or sent in a dessert for the “Treat Yo Self” treat bar on Friday! The teachers and staff loved all of the goodies and certainly felt your appreciation!

Many thanks to Laura Goldworm for leading the Teacher & Staff Appreciation Committee and planning this event.

MA Safe Routes to School Family Transportation Survey

How do NPS students arrive and depart school? To improve safety for all, we would like to better understand our student transportation choices. Please complete this two-minute MA Safe Routes to School Family Travel Survey. The survey is available in 9 languages and paper copies in 9 languages can be downloaded and printed from the SRTS website here.

Once on the website, Families should choose Newton as the district and then choose their school from the drop-down menu. 

Newton North High School (NNHS) PTSO invites Bigelow caregivers of incoming 9th graders to consider joining the NNHS School Council.

Newton North School Council Seeks Two Parent/Guardian Members and one alternate Candidate Statements Due Monday, April 7,2025

The primary responsibilities of the School Council are to advise and assist the principal with the School Improvement Plan (SIP) and to help develop any projects arising out of the SIP that the principal identifies as beneficial to the successful functioning and development of the school. 

The term of office is three years. Parent/guardian members must have a child attending Newton North High School during their entire three-year term (Fall 2025 – Spring 2028). Members are expected to attend meetings on the first Monday of each month from October to May and be available in the unlikely event of a meeting in September or June if necessary. Meetings are usually located in the principal’s conference room (Room 103) from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
  
Candidates are required to submit a brief statement (200 words or less). Entries longer than 200 words will be truncated without edits to meet the word maximum requirement. The statements may include: 

• Elementary and middle school attended by the candidates’s NNHS student, if applicable.  
• Particular interest, background, skills, and expertise that have prepared the candidate for the role. 
• Qualities the candidate would bring to the School Council.

Please submit statements to co-presidents@northptso.org by Monday, April 7, at 5:00 p.m. Should more than two candidates come forward, elections will be held via email from Friday, April 11, through Wednesday, April 16 at 12:00 noon. The two people who receive the most votes will become members beginning in Fall 2025. The person who receives the third-highest number of votes will have the opportunity to serve as an alternate.

If any parent/guardian representative member of the School Council resigns anytime during the 2025-26 school year (before his/her term is complete), the alternate will be offered the position and will complete the remainder of that person’s term. The alternate will be welcome to attend School Council meetings but will not be able to vote on School Council business.

Newton Public Schools (NPS) is facing significant financial challenges for the 2025-26 school year. This slide deck provides an overview of the current situation.

TONIGHT, Thursday, March 27th, at 6:30pm NPS Superintendent Anna Nolin and School Committee Chair Chris Brezski are holding a community meeting to discuss the Superintendent’s proposed “Level Services Plus” budget and the implications of the “Cuts” budget (which meets the Mayor’s allocation for NPS). Chair Brezski will also share analysis of potential funding availability. There will be time for Q&A as well.

Community NPS Budget Meeting and Q&A
Thursday, March 27 at 6:30pm
Brown Middle School Auditorium
125 Meadowbrook Rd, Newton, MA 02459

Please consider hosting a small-group dinner for this fun, not-to-be-missed evening! If you have any questions or would like to host, please contact Kathy Shields at kburdetteshields@yahoo.com by the end of the day TODAY, Thursday, March 27th so we can finalize dinner plans.

Bigelow PTO is excited to bring back the Ten Tables progressive dinner event on the evening of Saturday, April 5th! 

Hosts needed! We are thrilled to have an incredible appetizer party host and a number of wonderful dinner hosts, but we still need a few more dinner hosts.

Hosting a dinner does not need to be a big lift! Hosts provide guests (usually ~8-12) with food and beverages. Some hosts choose to cook the meal, some choose catering/takeout, and some do a combination, so please don’t be afraid to volunteer even if you’re not into cooking. For anyone new to hosting and thinking about it, we are happy to answer any questions and guide you through the process.

Please consider hosting a small-group dinner for this fun, not-to-be-missed evening! If you have any questions or would like to host, please contact Kathy Shields at kburdetteshields@yahoo.com by the end of the day TODAY, Thursday, March 27th so we can finalize dinner plans.

Tickets for the much-anticipated Bigelow Spring Musical “Freaky Friday” are now on sale! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased via this link. Students can also purchase tickets during lunch.

• Thursday, March 27: 7:00 PM
• Friday, March 28: 7:00 PM – ASL interpreted
• Saturday, March 29: 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM

Please Save the Date, Friday, April 11th, for Bigelow’s “Tropical Twist” Spring Dance + Social. This fun event will include games, pizza, and dancing!

Parents & Caregivers: We need volunteers to make this event a success! Please sign up to volunteer using this link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UD0s2JhMjcyxhtQBluoMlV4SSo2de3wYIkrsOmucsEg/edit?usp=sharing

The Rollercoaster of Parenting: Helping Your Teens Transition to Life after High School The Newton North High School (NNHS) PTSO invites Bigelow caregivers to an insightful panel discussion on April 1 at 7:00pm in the NNHS auditorium, sponsored by the NNHS PTSO, to explore how parents can help their teens manage stress and navigate this critical transition.

Parents play a vital role in guiding their teens as they prepare for life after high school.  But at this particular moment in time, that job can feel more overwhelming than ever. Parents and teens are subjected to an avalanche of information from social media, peers, and society at large regarding post-high school decisions. Some of these messages are helpful, but others can be stressful to the health and well-being of both our teens and ourselves. As parents, we strive to pave the way towards lives of meaning and purpose for our children. It is vital that we prepare ourselves with tools to navigate the ever-changing landscape of helping our teens plan for the future.

This panel will provide a unique blend of insights from the adults who work with our children combined with research-based advice from an expert in the field of teen development. The conversation will be moderated by a Newton North parent who brings expertise from both her personal and professional life.  

We invite you to join us for this important conversation. You will be sure to walk away with new insights, as well as important tools to help you (and your teen) navigate the exciting, but emotionally challenging, transition from High School to the next phase of life.

Moderator:
Julie Swinehart, CFO of Fenway Sports Group

Panel:

• Dr. Richard Weissbourd, Senior Lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Education, founder of Making Caring Common, and author of The Parents We Mean To Be
• Matthew Ford, NNHS School Counselor
• Jillian Hall, NNHS College & Career Counselor
• Blayne Lopes, NNHS METCO Counselor

PLEASE RSVP HERE