Come and demonstrate your artistic talents at the Paint Bar in West Newton on June 7^th, from 6:30 to 9:30 pm

The Bigelow Outreach Club is sponsoring a night of painting and raising money for the SEGA Girls School in Tanzania! Tickets to the event are $50.00 per person – half of the proceeds go directly to the SEGA School. Order forms with more details will be distributed in homebases during the week of May 1st and can be downloaded here.  More information can be found on the Outreach Club’s website.  This event is open to kids (over the age of 8) and adults.

Please reserve your spots as soon as possible, because the Paint Bar will open this event up to the general public in mid-May. Let’s make this an all Bigelow event!

It was a lovely evening where Bigelow parents, guardians, friends, teachers and staff munched on great food, sipped the Hawaiian Sunrise, bid on great items and most importantly, reconnected with old friends and met new ones. Check out some pictures.

The event raised over $15,000, 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.

MANY THANKS to all who attended, 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.

Specifically, thank you to:

• Our wonderful dynamic duo, co-chairs ~ Tammy McKenna and Beth Panella ~ 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. They are: Andrea Hemment, Anush Sahakian, Jenifer Siegelman, Jesene Godfrey, Jordana Alford, Joana Canedo, Kyra Mercado, Lex Van der Ploeg, Ola Agoro, Valerie Pontiff.
• The wonderful Bigelow staff who donated one-of-a-kind items to the auction:  Christine Langlois, Crista Cavicchio, Felicia Bennington, Jess Parlon, Joe Eckstrom, Kyra Mercado, Kim LeQuire, Meghan Martin, Michele Parker, Patty Summa, Todd Harrison.
• The volunteers who helped make the evening flawless: Alex Mercado, Aram Brunson, Don McKenna, George Brunson, Megan White, Rob White, Roberta Loredo, Shane McKenna, Tripti Thomas-Travers.
• The local companies who donated or gave us discounts on delectable food, thirst-quenching beverages and various other things:  BG Events & Catering, Sensational Foods, Catering with Distinction, Tastings Caterers, Antoine’s Pastry Shop, The Icing on the Cake, Gordon’s Wine, Taylor Rental,  Be Our Guest, Central Rock Gym.  Please frequent these businesses and use their services!
• The many businesses and organizations who donated items to our silent auction. For a complete list, click here http://bigelowpto.org/big-night-2017-donors/: Please support them!
• To anyone else who contributed to the evening who we forgot to list. Our apologies!

Mahalo!

For information about the items you won at the auction, and how to get them, click here: What did you win at the Big Night Auction? or contact us by e-mail: bigelowbulldog@gmail.com

Please take a look at the final 6 items left on the catalog.

If you left before the closing of the Big Night Auction, please review the bidding sheets we emailed to you. The items are at the home of one of our volunteers. You can pick them up during one of the following times:

Wednesday, 05/24 – from 9am to 12:30 and 3:30pm to 7pm
Thursday, 05/25 – from 8:30am to 2:30pm
Friday, 05/26 – from 8:30am to 4pm and form 6pm to 8pm

@ 55 Huntington Rd – Farlow Hill.

If you have any questions, please send a message to: bigelowbulldog@gmail.com

Thank you again for your support of the Bigelow PTO mission to promote the growth of the Bigelow Middle School students and support the efforts of the staff in providing an optimal educational experience for students.

We have a few wonderful auction items left. Please click here for a link to our auction catalog.

If you are interested in any of the items, please email us at bigelowbulldog@gmail.com.

The PTO Board is looking for new members, please consider joining today!

Would you like to become more involved in the strategic aspect of the Bigelow PTO, helping direct and manage the overall program for 2017/18?  All Bigelow parents and guardians, including those of incoming 6th graders, are encourage to join the board.  The proposed slate of 2017/18 Board members will be voted on at our final PTO meeting of the year on June 7th.  Serving on the Board is a great way to meet other Bigelow parents and help out at your child’s school.  Please contact us at bigelowbulldog@gmail.com if you are interested in learning more.

FROM THE LIBRARY:

Do you like to draw and create designs?  If so, consider submitting a design for the library art contest.

Create a permanent sign for the FICTION section in the library! Fill in the FICTION letters with images and color that best represent FICTION for you and submit to Ms. Summa in the library by the deadline.

Prize: Your sign will hang permanently in the Bigelow Library AND you’ll receive a package of art supplies.

Deadline:  Friday, June 2

Come and demonstrate your artistic talents at the Paint Bar in West Newton on June 7^th, from 6:30 to 9:30 pm

The Bigelow Outreach Club is sponsoring a night of painting and raising money for the SEGA Girls School in Tanzania! Tickets to the event are $50.00 per person – half of the proceeds go directly to the SEGA School. Order forms with more details will be distributed in homebases during the week of May 1st and can be downloaded here.  More information can be found on the Outreach Club’s website.  This event is open to kids (over the age of 8) and adults.

Please reserve your spots as soon as possible, because the Paint Bar will open this event up to the general public in mid-May. Let’s make this an all Bigelow event!

Are you looking for a way to honor and thank the exceptional teachers and staff who have motivated, educated and inspired your students to grow and achieve all year? Consider participating in Newton Schools Foundations’ Honor Thy Teacher campaign. This special program, now in its 20^th year, enables families to thank teachers or other school personnel (such as a special education aide, a fine arts or music teacher, or a coach or counselor) by giving a gift to NSF in their honor.  After receiving each donation (a suggested amount is $25 per teacher/staff member), NSF will notify the honored teachers and staff of your gift; share the honoree names with the Superintendent and Principals; and list each of those honored in the Newton TAB.

You can make your tax-deductible donation on-line at www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org, or mail it to Newton Schools Foundation, P.O. Box 590020, Newton Centre, MA 02459. Please be sure to include the names of the teachers and/or staff that you are honoring.  Or look for a flyer in your mail in the coming weeks that includes a donation form.

NSF is a non-profit organization that raises funds to enhance the quality of education throughout Newton’s public schools. Your gift supports NSF initiatives including teachers’ professional development and new curricula and learning opportunities, including the following at the middle school level:

• Middle School Peer Leadership
• Generation Citizen
• Integrating Coding in the Curriculum
• Responsive Classroom Training
• The Calculus Project

On Wednesday, May 24^th, the City of Newton, through its NewtonCares initiative, will host an informational evening for parents on the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. The panel discussion, including Newton North guidance counselor Ali Malkin, will focus on how to engage people of all ages in safe, positive discussions about suicide prevention and mental health. Please see below for additional details.

This event is intended for adults, especially: Parents, caregivers, educators, coaches, youth mentors, group leaders and any adult who cares about young people

13 Reasons Why Newton Cares
Date: Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location: 1000 Commonwealth Ave. Newton
Registration: www.newtoncares.eventbrite.com (requested, not required)

Middle school is a very different experience for kids and parents so getting involved is a great way to stay connected with the school community! There are many PTO Board roles available for next year as well as committee chair positions and we would love to have representation from all grades. Please contact Tracy Carroll, the Nominating Committee Chair for more information. Thank you!

Tracy Carroll – tracy_carroll@yahoo.com, 617-913-9332

• Co-Vice President Fundraising (Officer) (2)
• Co-Secretary (Officer) (1)
• Co-Treasurer (Officer) (1)
• Co-President-Elect (2)
• Super Supper Stroll Chair
• Nominating Committee Member (from the Ward district)
• Nominating Committee Member (from the Lincoln-Eliot district)
• Nominating Committee Member (from the Underwood district)
• Nominating Committee Member (from the Mason-Rice district)
  * One of the Nominating Committee Members will serve as Nominating Chair