Laps at Lunch will come back after the break! This is a great program designed to give students a daily opportunity to get outside for movement and fresh air. It allows students to walk laps around the inside perimeter of Burr Park once they’re done with their lunches in the cafeteria. Would you like to help? If interested please contact Mary Fitzgerald (physical education teacher) at: Mary_Fitzgerald@newton.k12.ma.us. More about the program here.

On April 9th, the School Committee voted the last day of school. It will be Friday, June 22nd. It is an early release day (South 10:50 a.m., North 11:00, Middle Schools 11:30 a.m., Elementary 12:00 p.m.) Want a preview of the ’18-’19 calendar? Find it here: https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/2#calendar1/20180412/month

You can subscribe to the School Committee Mailing List at the bottom of the School Committee homepage.

Yearbook order forms were given out in homerooms last week.

All-color pages
Durable hard cover with original design by 8th grade artists
Price: $25
Deadline: April 13th
Payments: cash, check or ONLINE

Order online today HERE. (Bigelow’s Yearbook ID Code: 1945918). If you would rather pay by cash or check (payable to: Bigelow Middle School), please place payment in a sealed envelope with the student’s name and homeroom written on the front. Your student should give the envelope to his/her homeroom teacher.

MANY THANKS again to all who attended Bigelow-on-the-Charles, who participated in the auction and to the people and businesses who donated goods, services as well as their time and talents to make our Big Night a great night. We only have  7 items available on the catalog. This is your last chance to bid before we close the auction on Wednesday, April 11, 2018!!

Specifically, thank you to:

• Our wonderful Big Night Chair, Meredith Andrews, who worked long hours to bring a great concept to fruition.
• The Big Night Committee members for their time and energy to make the whole night come together and the volunteers who helped make the evening flawless: Una Simmons, Joana Canedo, Kim Donlan, Niki Diller, Bid Lannery, James Bryant, Frannie Kervin, Aoife O’Dwyer, Dina Conlin, Dave and Debbie O’Rourke Amy Beckler, Barbara Campbell Charyti Reiter, Ola Agoro, Kyra Mercado, Maren Rossman, Caroline Burns, Krista Chavez, Sepi Sahami, Andrea Hemment, Jen Siegelman, Maayan Arbili, Karen Manning, Jessie Gilmartin, Jen Weber, Tracy Carroll, Dinora Justice, Sandra Kelley, Brian Goodwin
• The wonderful Bigelow staff who donated one-of-a-kind items to the auction: Brooke Brady, Lauren Peters, Meghan Martin, Jaime Alberts, Michele Parker, Kyra Mercado, Kim LeQuire, Sheryl Rice, Jessica Hajjar, Patty Summa, Christine Langlois, Sue Levy, Mike Whitman, Mary Fitzgerald, Mr. P,  Mr. Brown and Todd Harrison.
• The many families, businesses and organizations who donated items to our silent auction. For a complete list, click here. Please support them!
• To anyone else who contributed to the evening who we forgot to list. Our apologies!

All your contributions helped us raise over $18,000, which will go towards curriculum-enriching programs such as the Creative Arts and Sciences, student scholarships, school grounds upkeep, classroom supplies, as well as gym and technology items not covered by the regular school budget. Take a look here at what the Bigelow PTO supports.

With the support of our Gay-Straight Alliance Club (GSA), Bigelow will be observing the National Day of Silence, a student-led action sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), in which thousands of students around the country will remain silent for all or part of the school day to call attention to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, on Wednesday, April 11, 2018.

Bigelow students can show their support and participate in the Day of Silence in two ways.

1) REMAIN SILENT FOR THE DAY – Students making this choice are expected to participate non-verbally in all school-related activities, both in the classroom and the cafeteria. If required by a teacher, students will be expected to speak in class. Students can choose to wear a Day of Silence lanyard with a card that explains their silence.

2) BE AN ALLY – Allies will not remain silent themselves, but will respect the silence of others. Students can choose to wear a Day of Silence lanyard that explains why they are showing their support as an ally.

Participation is completely optional. Contact Principal Todd Harrison if you have any questions.

Students and the whole school community can now get up-to-the-minute updates on clubs, sports, and other Bigelow events by following the school @BulldogWoofs on Twitter.  You can read the Twitterfeed on the Bigelow website, or click on the blue button to “Follow Us” on Twitter.

By following @BulldogWoofs, families can get timely notifications sent right to their cellphones, tablets and computers! This is a great way to keep informed of meetings for new clubs, changes in sports practices and contests, upcoming events, and much much more.

Please join us for Bigelow’s “Civics Day” on Tuesday May 22nd, 8:30 -10am. The day will begin with a parent coffee in Bigelow’s library at 8:30am, when Jean Singers, facilitator for Bigelow’s Generation Citizen project, will speak to parents about proposed changes to the Massachusetts history/social studies frameworks and also about Generation Citizen pilot program she is leading with cluster 8E. Generation Citizen is an action civics curriculum in which students identify issues in their community, research the root cause and then advocate for change. Following the parent coffee, students will be presenting the civic action and advocacy projects they have been working on this year. All parents are welcome.

NewtonServes is a Day of Community Service that brings together over 1,000 volunteers of all ages to complete more than 50 community projects for the benefit of numerous non-profit organizations and City of Newton departments. Volunteers work in teams on morning, afternoon or all day projects throughout the city, such as cleaning up parks, planting gardens, building and painting school bookshelves, spring cleaning at non-profit organizations and helping senior citizens. This year it will take place on Sunday, April 29th, from 9am to 4pm.

There are many volunteering opportunities all around the city, including:

Bigelow Beautification
Join us as we beautify the grounds of Bigelow Middle School. We plan to clean and mulch garden beds, prune shrubs and trees, etc. outdoors. We also may build a short wooden fence to protect planting beds from foot traffic.

• Please register here by April 25, 2018.
• Volunteers must be 8 years of age or older.
• Everyone must agree to the Release Form.

NewtonServes is a project of Newton Community Pride, Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs and the Newton Parks and Recreation Department.

Just as your 8th graders are moving on so are You! Newton North is looking for volunteers and Board Members for the NNHS PTSO. There is no better time to give back to the school community than the high school years. The PTSO is a backbone of our wonderful Newton North community and needs board members for next year. Board roles include officers and board roles overseeing area like fundraising, grants and projects, programs, communications, technology, and nominating. Volunteering will give you a front row seat where you can help shape the future success of one of the largest and most recognized high schools in the state. Please send an expression of interest to co-presidents@northptso.org by Friday April 13th.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are pleased to invite you to Bigelow PTO’s Spring Meeting, when we are going to discuss social and emotional health and well-being of middle-schoolers.

Spring PTO Meeting
Wednesday, April 4 at 7pm
Bigelow Library

We understand how our students emotional health is essential to a successful middle school experience. But what should parents do when things aren’t going well? Or in times of stress – at school or in the country?

Dr. Jordanna L’Esperance, clinical and school psychologist at Bigelow Middle School, and Bigelow’s Counselors will discuss the resources available for students at Bigelow and within the Newton Community at the next PTO meeting on Wednesday, April 4, 7pm, at the Bigelow Library.

Please, send questions to Dr. L’Esperance prior to the evening. Questions may be directed to her at  jordanna_l’esperance-chouinard@newton.k12.ma.us.

Hope to see you there,

Bigelow PTO Board