Would you like to do something nice for Mom or Grandma, and a
young girl in Tanzania as well? Help support the SEGA Girls School by purchasing an African Violet plant for Mother’s Day!

Each plant costs $10. 00. Net proceeds go to our sister school, the SEGA
School for Girls, providing an education to poor, marginalized, and at-risk girls in Tanzania. The SEGA School has been transforming the lives of these girls for 10 years, and Bigelow has been a strong supporter of their efforts.
African violets have long been associated with mothers and motherhood. For this reason, they have been a traditional gift to mothers in many cultures around the world. And they originated in the Uluguru Mountains of Tanzania, right near the SEGA School!

Please let your homebase teacher know how many plants you’d like to purchase by Friday, April 12th.

Order forms, with payment, must be received in homebase by Friday, May 10th, when plants will be available for pick-up – just in time for Mother’s Day!

For more information, please contact Mr. King: john_king@newton.k12.ma.us

What a wonderful evening we had at Big Night, this past Saturday at the Cambridge Boat Club!

It was a beautiful night, so we were able to take advantage of the lovely porch overlooking the Charles River. We had a record turn out of parents and caregivers who all came together to support this wonderful event. We raised over $19,000 which will go to Bigelow PTO programs, such as Creative Arts and Sciences. Monies raised will also help fund field trips, purchase school equipment and support our teachers. 

Click here to see pictures from the event!

Many thanks to our wonderful volunteers for helping make this event such a success. Thank you, also, to Principal Harrison for his support, and the teachers who donated to the silent auction. I also want to thank Kersten Raso who did a terrific job coordinating the teacher donations, which were a big hit on Saturday.

We are also grateful to the parents and businesses that donated fantastic silent auction items as well as the delicious food we enjoyed that night.

While most of the items were sold that night in the silent auction, there are a few that remain unsold. Please see here what is available. We will keep online bidding open until Tuesday, 04/09. Please consider bidding on these items so we can add to the success of our Big Night auction!

Bid Online

Thank you again for your support of Big Night!

Sincerely,

Karen Markson
Chairperson

Bigelow will celebrate Earth Day, Monday, April 22nd, with a special advisory activity proposed by a Student-led Earth Day Committee, counseled by 8th Grade Science teacher Ms. Hoffman.

This upcycling-project activity will involve converting recycled materials into flowers or other crafts. The best projects will be on display in the office and library.

The Earth Day committee is asking students to bring in materials for the project, such as: cardboard egg cartons, plastic water bottles, other items that may be useful (e.g. large yogurt container). If parents can donate a few extra tools and materials, they would be very helpful: scissors, clear tape, and colored sharpie markers.

Students can take the materials to their homeroom in the next weeks.

The Bigelow Student Council is promoting a toothpaste drive for the Newton Food Pantry.

• WHO: For the Newton Food Pantry
• WHAT: Toothpaste
• WHEN: Monday, March, 25 – Friday, April 12
• WHERE: Collection box in Homebase and Main Office
• WHY: There are many families in need in our city
• How Many? 1,000!

Each year three students are chosen as ambassadors to represent our school district for a statewide initiative called Project 351. We join other students from all 351 districts for a yearlong leadership and service program. Project 351 aims to “transform communities, elevate kindness, advance social justice, and gain the courage, compassion, and capabilities to lead change.” The Cradles to Crayons clothing drive is an annual part of this program.

This year the drive is from 3/27-4/5, so please clean out your closets and donate those gently used items to Cradles to Crayons, a wonderful, local organization. If you are able to do a little more, new socks, underwear, and pajamas are especially appreciated!

Clothing Wish List (please new or gently used): 

• Youth sizes 0-20 and Adult sizes small and medium
• Winter coats and spring jackets
• Like-new shoes, sneakers, winter boots (infant/child sizes 0-13 and youth/adult sizes1-10)
• New socks and pajamas

Clothing will be collected in the students’ home base classroom. Please contact Hannah Ireland spkireland@gmail.com with any further questions.

Brooke Brady, our own special education teacher at Bigelow, is training to run the Boston Marathon. She is committed to raising $5000 for the Newton Schools Foundation!  Even though this week was Newton Public Schools’ February break, she took no days off!

This is the link to her fundraiser page: 
https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/brookes-boston-marathon-run

As a native of Boston, she grew up watching the marathon as a spectator, cheering on the runners. Now, she will be a participant anticipating the crowd’s support, as she makes her way up Heartbreak Hill.

Message from Brooke
“I am proud to have been chosen to run for Newton Schools Foundation. The Foundation supports new curricula and learning opportunities that foster high achievement for all students.
“As a special educator in Newton for the past fifteen years, I have had the opportunity to strengthen my skills and see first hand the positive impact that these programs have on our students. The funds raised go directly to the professional development of the staff, and programs for the students.”

Donate To Brooke’s Run