Will you walk, roll, bike or ride the bus this year? Choose what works for your family to celebrate International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 4th. Many of our students already walk, bike, or take the bus to school. Many do so together and find the added time with friends to be a highlight of the day. You can use the Bigelow PTO online directory at https://bigelowpto.membershiptoolkit.com/ to search by street to find other Bigelow families near you.
Principal Coston and the Bigelow PTO invite you to attend the First PTO Meeting of the 2023-24 school yearon Tuesday, October 10th at 6:30 pm. This meeting will take place in person at the Bigelow Middle School library.
All Bigelow parents, guardians, teachers and staff are members of the PTO, and we encourage the participation of all in its activities. Come hear what is planned for this school year and learn how you can become involved!
WHAT IS THE SEPAC? Does your child have an IEP or 504 plan? Are you interested in getting support services for your child? Then you need to know about the Newton Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) at NewtonSEPAC.org.
We are a volunteer organization of parents and guardians of children receiving special education services from preschool through high school. We run an online forum where families can ask each other about special education programs, issues, policies, and resources both within and outside of the public school system. We work directly with the school administration regarding our children’s special education through our school liaisons and meetings with the Assistant Superintendent of Students, Newton School Committee, and PTOC. We hold monthly board meetings that are open to all families and interested community members whose dates and Zoom links are listed on our website NewtonSEPAC.org under the “Meetings” tab. In the meantime, you can join our “Newton SEPAC” Google Group by clicking on the link on our website. On this online forum, you can post any questions or concerns about anything related to your child with special needs. We also use this group to publicize local/online presentations and conferences as well as DESE policy updates.
For more information, follow this link to our brochure which is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese and Persian – https://newtonpac.org/brochure-and-fliers/
Other ways to contact the SEPAC: Email: Info@NewtonSEPAC.org Facebook: Newton Special Education Parents – SEPAC
Unlock lifelong skills for your child! Empower your middle or high schooler with essential life skills through our dynamic classes!
Benefits for Your Child:
Confidence Building: Develop strong self-esteem and communication skills.
Life Skills: Acquire practical knowledge for responsible caregiving and public speaking.
Safety: Learn how to handle emergencies and make informed decisions.
Certification: Gain valuable certifications for future opportunities
Newton Community Education (NCE) has many after school offerings at Bigelow and other middle schools, including Dungeons & Dragons, Speech Team, Babysitting/CPR, American Sign Language, and much more!
Students do not have to attend the school where the class is offered.
Scholarships Available: We want all students to be able to participate in our camps and classes, and we do our best to provide scholarships to as many students as possible. If you need financial assistance, we welcome you to apply for a scholarship.
How can you protect your child or student from the harmful effects of cyberbullying?
According to recent research, nearly half of teens (ages 13-17 – 46%) have been bullied online. Further, cyberbullying can effect children of all ages – beginning as early as elementary school. The pandemic has led to both increased technology use, as well as cyberbullying and online toxicity.
In this important upcoming SPARK program, national cyberbullying expert, Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., will share:
Current trends that contribute to cyberbullying & sexting
Prevention strategies for parents/caregivers
Best ways to respond to children/teens’ technology use and abuse
How to Prevent and Respond to Cyberbullying: The Importance of Being Kind Online with Expert Dr. Sameer Hinduja
Tuesday, October 3 at 7pm via Zoom
For parents, caregivers, educators, and community members of all ages
Expert Sameer Hinduja, PhD, shares how parents/caregivers can address the ways youth are using and misusing their phones and other technology with a focus on tools to address cyberbullying, sexting, and unsafe social media practices.
ASL, Portuguese and Spanish language interpretation will be provided at this event
Please help spread kindness and support Connor’s Kindness Project with the Walk for Kindness on Sunday, October 15th. The walk can also be completed virtually!
The Back-to-School Bash has been rescheduled to Wednesday, September 20th from 4-6 pm at the Bigelow parking lot! There will be pizza and an ice cream truck. Please bring a refillable water bottle.
PRE-ORDER PIZZA:Please pre-order pizza for your student or family so that we have the right amount available. CLICK HERE to pre-order. Please pre-order by Tuesday, September 19th at 5 pm.
Email bigelowbulldog@gmail.com with any issues regarding pre-ordering.
We are looking for a few volunteers to assist with set up and clean up on September 20th. If you can volunteer, please email bigelowbulldog@gmail.com.
The Bigelow PTO sends out weekly newsletters on Thursdays as well as other targeted communications throughout the school year. Please review the items below to ensure you are up to date.
Stay current! As we start a new school year, please take a moment to review and update your newsletter communication preferences, including subscribing to grade-specific and staff communications, through the update your preferences link at the bottom of Bigelow PTO newsletters and emails.
Help spread the word! If you know new members of the Bigelow community, please encourage them to subscribe to the PTO Newsletter via the PTO websiteor this direct link.
Left Bigelow? If you are no longer affiliated with Bigelow and want to be removed from the list, you can use the unsubscribe link at the very bottom of Bigelow PTO newsletters or emails, or scroll to the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the update your preferences link.
Need Help? If you have any questions or need help troubleshooting issues with your Bigelow PTO Newsletter (e.g., duplicate communications, updating preferences, unsubscribing) please email bigelowbulldog@gmail.com.
The Bigelow PTO Family Directory is hosted online at Membership Toolkit. The access is free and it can be used by all Bigelow families. The directory is run and funded by the PTO thanks to your support!
The online platform is a secure and easy to use tool that organizes contact information for all Bigelow families. It is a convenient, environmentally conscious system, that can be updated throughout the school year.
Please confirm that your information is correct and up-to-date. Specific directions for accessing the Directory and verifying contact information are below.
Incoming 6th gradersfrom Underwood, Lincoln-Eliot and Ward have been automatically added to Bigelow’s Directory if the information was available in the elementary school directory. The Membership Toolkit account for Bigelow will use the same login as your elementary school. Mason Rice, Cabot, and out of district families will need to enter their information manually (see directions for new users below).
PLEASE NOTE that regulations and privacy laws do not allow information from Aspen and/or Newton Public schools to flow into this Directory and vice versa. We acknowledge that it is painful to update information in more than one place. The success of this Directory is dependent on every family logging in and adding or updating their information.
Instructions: Accessing and Adding/Verifying Information
Login Information
Login as RETURNING USER, using the same login as last year at Bigelow or your elementary school, if you are:
A returning Bigelow family
An incoming family from Lincoln-Eliot, Underwood or Ward that participated in the elementary school directory
Login as NEW USER, and create a new account if you are:
An incoming family from Mason-Rice, Cabot, or starting Grade 6 from out of the district
A new family with students in Grade 7 and/or Grade 8
A family that did not participate in their elementary school (Lincoln-Eliot, Underwood or Ward) Directory
Click “Verify my email” and then check your email for a link to complete the process. The link expires in 2 hours. If you do not receive the email, check your spam or junk folders.
Once you have verified your email address, log back in and finish the registration process.
Note: Once the Primary Account is set up, the Primary User can “invite” other email addresses to access his/her account. This allows the Secondary User to have their own login information, but still have access to the family account.
Completing/Confirming Information
STEP 1: Complete the Parent/Family and then Student Information. Families can enter their name, address, and phone numbers. For returning users, most of this information should already be available. Please just confirm it is correct.
STEP 2: Complete the Directory/Publish Preferences. Each family can decide which pieces of information will be available for others to view through the privacy settings.
If you are unfamiliar with the platform or if you are unsure about whether or not you are in it, please email us with your name and your child’s name(s) at bigelowbulldog@gmail.com.
Bigelow is turning the space outside the leadership offices into a waiting room/quiet space for students waiting to speak with leadership or who are in need a comfortable quiet space and could use donations to complete this space. If you have any gently used furniture that you no longer need that might work (e.g., comfy chairs, small sofa, bean bags, floor pillows, small table) please email Kersten Raso at rasok@newton.k12.ma.us.
Stay tuned for a wish list for other items (e.g., calming tools) to get the space finalized.
Thank you for your help creating a positive space for students and staff!
