As the school year comes to an end, if you are looking for a way to express your appreciation to a teacher or other school staff member for the hard work that they do and the care they show for your student each and every day, while also complying with the NPS no-gift policy, here is a way to say thank you.

By donating to Newton Schools Foundation’s Honor Thy Teacher, you can show your appreciation AND support your children’s schools. NSF will notify each staff member honored of your gift and share their names with Principals and the Superintendent. Each honored staff member will receive a certificate and commemorative display magnet, and a list of honored teachers will appear on the NSF website.

Your tax-deductible donation will go towards funding NSF grants for new approaches in the classroom, professional development for teaches, and programs that promote equity for all students. 

It’s easy to donate. Use the QR Code, or donate online at the NSF Website. Please be sure to include the name of your student and the names of the teachers and/or staff that you are honoring. 

Incoming NPS Superintendent Dr. Anna Nolin wants to hear from you! Please view Dr. Nolin’s welcome letter HERE and see specific ways to connect with our incoming Superintendent below.

Host a Meet & Greet Gather 20 or more people in your neighborhood, place of worship, community organization, fitness location, etc. to meet with Dr. Nolin to talk about Newton Schools and its future.

• Form: Host a Meet and Greet with Dr. Nolin

Be Heard What are some things we should stop, start, or continue to do in the Newton Public Schools? Provide input and help identify areas of focus through a tool called ThoughtExchange:

• ThoughtExchange Link

Celebrate Our Staff on the Opening Day of School 2023-24. Share stories of how our Newton Public School staff have demonstrated care, expertise and excellence in serving the children of Newton. (any staff: nurses, paraprofessionals, cafeteria staff, principals, teachers, behaviorists, counselors, psychologists, tutors, –ANYONE–)

• Form: Celebrate Staff on Opening Day

More detailed descriptions of each way to connect with Dr. Nolin can be found in her welcome letter HERE.

Please join us tonight, Thursday June 15th, for the final PTO meeting of the school year via zoom at 7 pm. We will go over the PTO budget and planning for next year.

Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 873 656 3465
Passcode: bulldogs

One tap mobile
+13052241968,,8736563465#,,,,13697067# US

+13092053325,,8736563465#,,,,13697067# US

Would you consider volunteering your time for the 2023-2024 school year? The Bigelow Middle School PTO is still in need of volunteers for two co-presidents and will not be able to function if these positions are not filled before the start of the new school year.

Volunteering is a great way to make a difference in your student’s middle school experience and stay connected with our teachers and staff. Please review the descriptions for the roles mentioned above and other open positions here! If you have any questions or need additional details, please email bigelowbulldog@gmail.com.

We are in need of volunteers to assist with 8th grade chromebook collection on Tuesday, June 20th at 12:30 pm. (Please note new date and time.)

Please email bigelowbulldog@gmail.com to volunteer!

We are in need of a volunteer with a truck to help transport 2 paintings to Bigelow. These paintings were generously donated to Bigelow by a student’s family for display at the school. They are currently crated in the family’s house and ready to move, but are too large to fit in a car.

If you can help, please email bigelowbulldog@gmail.com.

Bigelow Middle School

LINEN CLOSET DRIVE TO BENEFIT WELCOME HOME

May 22nd – June 15th

Welcome Home provides families experiencing hardship with high quality household items they need to live with dignity.  Please join us by donating: 

• CLEAN 
• ** NEW OR LIKE-NEW **
• FULL, QUEEN, OR KING BLANKETS & TOWELS 
• (no rips or stains)

Where to Drop Off Items:

• Bring Items to Our Spring Concerts on May 30 (Band) and June 14 (Chorus) at 7pm.
• Collection bins will be in the Bigelow Middle School front lobby from May 22nd – June 15th.

Don’t have items to donate?  Shop for Welcome Home online!  Welcome Home’s wish list is found at http://www.welcomehomemass.org.

How can I do more to help? Visit http://www.welcomehomemass.org to learn more about Welcome Home or donate other like-new household items.

Questions? Contact:

• Caryn Lipchin: caryn.lipchin@verizon.net
• Susan Giunta:  rsgiunta2@verizon.net

Welcome Home • P.O. Box 590351• Newton, MA 02459 • welcomehomemass@gmail.com

Would you consider volunteering your time for the 2023-2024 school year? The Bigelow Middle School PTO is still in need of volunteers for two co-presidents and will not be able to function if these positions are not filled before the start of the new school year.

Volunteering is a great way to make a difference in your student’s middle school experience and stay connected with our teachers and staff. Please review the descriptions for the roles mentioned above and other open positions here! If you have any questions or need additional details, please email bigelowbulldog@gmail.com.

Please help Bigelow PoPS (Parents of Performing Arts Students) advocate for Bigelow Drama!

Due to the recent budget cuts, the position for Ms. Moriarty, Bigelow’s drama teacher and theater director, has been reduced to 0.78 FTE (full-time equivalent) for the 2023-24 school year (a full-time position is 1.0 FTE). As a result of this reduction, there will be no 8th grade drama class next year as part of the usual rotation of FAA classes. Drama will be offered to 8th graders as an elective, but with the capacity for a much smaller number of students. This is a bad precedent to set moving forward – as many of you know, once something is taken away it is hard to lobby a need to bring it back. 

One easy way to help is to write a quick email to the Interim Superintendent Kathleen Smith at smithkath@newton.k12.ma.us, the new Superintendent, Dr. Anna Nolin (after July 1), and/or the School Committee at schoolcommittee@newton.k12.ma.us. Superintendent Nolin starts her position on July 1, but she has already offered to meet people in small groups over the summer if anyone is interested: Meet and Greet.

We know how important the performing arts are to the Bigelow community, and we have a particularly large cohort of theater kids in the rising 8th grade class. To quote a current 8th grader at Bigelow, “Why are the arts always getting cut?” The reinstatement of the elementary strings program was a victory coming out of the recent budget negotiations, and one major reason that happened is because our community spoke up in support of the arts. Please consider doing the same for the issues mentioned above. 

The Bigelow PoPS (Parents of Performing Students) is a community of dedicated parents that supports the performing arts through advocacy, fundraising, coordination, and volunteering. Any parent or guardian who has a student in Orchestra, Chorus, Band, A Capella, or Drama is welcome and encouraged to participate in the PoPS and support our students and performing arts faculty.

Are you curious about Bigelow PoPS? Interested in joining next year?

Please join us (via Zoom) at the last meeting of the school year on Thursday, June 1 at 7 pm. We look forward to getting to know you!

Zoom link: Join here