Category Archives: From the PTO

Parent-Conference Reservations

Parent-teacher conferences are coming up soon in December 2017-January 2018.  You may sign-up on-line for these conferences beginning Tuesday, November 28, at 8:00 am, and continuing until Monday, December 18, 11:00 pm.  Reservations are made on a first come, first served basis on the Virtual Paragon reservation system. 
To schedule a conference with your child’s teachers or cluster, login to the Virtual Paragon website. The address is below and on the home page of the Bigelow website.
For the password and for more details about the dates and information about the conferences, please see the email from Principal Todd Harrison on November 17.

Bigelow School Council Volunteers

The Bigelow School Council has openings for 1-2 parent volunteers. The School Council, which was established as part of the 1993 Education Reform Bill, is a group of teachers and parents who meet monthly to advise the principal on issues related to the identification of students’ needs, the budget, and the development of a School Improvement Plan. The School Council was recently responsible for procuring new lockers for the school as part of an effort to reduce backpack weight being carried by students, and they are currently working on updating the homework policy. Please let Mr. Harrison know if you are interested.   If there are more volunteers than seats, a selection process will be used.  All meetings are 3-4:15pm on the following dates:  November 29, December 14, January 17, February 14, March 15, April 11, and May 17.

“Living in a Smartphone World: What does it mean for students, families, and educators?”

Newton Public Schools is promoting the Forum: “Living in a Smartphone World: What does it mean for students, families, and educators?”

When:    Wednesday, Dec. 6th
Time:     7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where:  Newton South Auditorium
RSVP:    Community Forum.

The forum will provide information and resources on the impact of technology and social media, as well as the opportunity to discuss the role of educators and families in navigating this space. To provide you with information and to guide our discussion, we are thrilled to be joined by the following panelists:

Kerry Gallagher
Kerry Gallagher is a Digital Learning Specialist at St. John’s Prep in Danvers, Massachusetts. She’s also the Director of K-12 Education for ConnectSafely.org, an EdSurge Columnist, and an active blogger. Kerry’s passions and the focus of her work include empowering teachers, students and parents to learn with digital tools and resources and educating school communities about both the positive power and privacy concerns that come with social media use.
Catherine Steiner-Adair
Author of The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age, Dr. Steiner-Adair examines ways in which the wonders of technology and media also change how children learn and grow. An expert specializing in child development, education, parenting, and workplace/family balance, she speaks and consults on a wide range of topics, including best practices for a healthy and thoughtful approach to technology at school, home, and work.

Newton educators and district leaders will also join the panel to provide perspective on Newton’s approach to education in the digital age. The panel will be moderated by Beth Teitell, reporter for the Boston Globe and commentator on National Public Radio’s Marketplace.

Please RSVP here: Community Forum. We also invite you to visit this webpage for background information and resources: Living in a Smartphone World

Amazon Smile

You can support us when you shop this holiday season! Buy your gifts and holiday essentials at smile.amazon.com and Amazon donates to Bigelow Middle School PTO.

The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to the customer’s selected charitable organization.

School Picture Retakes: 11/28

The date for picture retakes and panorama photos has been changed. Instead of this Thursday, November 16, the new date for them is Tuesday, November 28.

Student photos are expected to arrive by November 14. If you are not satisfied with the photo and want a retake, please have your child bring the original photo package to the office, and notify Assistant Principal Lucas Mogensen.

Fall Play this week: “Peter and the Starcatcher”

Bigelow Drama’s Fall play, “Peter and the Starcatcher” will be performed on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights 11/16-11/18. All shows at 7 PM. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for kids. Tickets will go on sale for students in the cafeteria at lunchtime starting Monday, November 13th and will be available at the door before the performances.

More at the Bigelow Drama website.

8th Grade Trips Informational Meetings

8th Grade parents of students considering the field trips to NYC and Montreal in May 2018 are invited to attend informational meetings in the Bigelow Library. At that time the school will share details including the itinerary, costs, payment process, and other requirements of students and families. These optional meetings will last about 40 minutes. Any further information and forms will be handed out to students, sent via e-mail, and put on the Bigelow School Website.

NYC: Monday, 11/13/2017 8:30 AM – 9:10 AM

Montreal: Friday, 11/17/2017 8:30 AM – 9:10 AM