Dear Bigelow Community,

Welcome back after what we hope was a refreshing Winter Break! We are excited for many PTO events in 2025. Up first, don’t misss the Warrior Ice Skate Night Fundraiser next Friday, January 10th. And be sure to keep an eye out for more details regarding Creative Arts & Science programming for our students, our first-ever Bigelow Global Diversity Night on Tuesday, March 4th, the return of the popular Ten Tables Progressive Dinner this Spring (tentative date: Saturday, April 5th), and much more!

Thank you, as always, for your support!
2024-2025 Bigelow PTO Board

Please join us for an Ice Skating Fundraiser at Warrior Ice Arena on Friday, January 10, 2025 from 9-9:50 pm. Tickets are $18 (includes skate rental) and will be sold at the event starting at 8:30 pm.

Mark your calendars for the first Bigelow Global Diversity Night on Tuesday, March 4th from 6:30pm-8pm. 

In the coming months, families can sign up for a table to share food and traditions with our Bigelow community!

Dear Bigelow Community,

We wish great health & happiness to all our students, families, faculty, and staff this holiday season and into the New Year! As we near the end of the year, we would like to share our gratitude and appreciation to everyone for helping make Bigelow a place for all our children to learn and grow.

We have a lot to look forward to at Bigelow in the New Year! Creative Arts & Science programming will kick off in January with the first of several events planned for our students. Stay tuned for more details! And be sure to mark your calendar for our first Warrior Ice Skate Night Fundraiser of the year on Friday, January 10th. We are looking forward to celebrating the many cultures and backgrounds of our community at the first-ever Bigelow Global Diversity Night on Tuesday, March 4th. Plans are also underway for the return of the popular Ten Tables Progressive Dinner this Spring (tentative date: Saturday, April 5th)!

Keep an eye out for more details for these events and much more in 2025!

Thank you, as always, for your support!
2024-2025 Bigelow PTO Board

Are you planning to make tax deductions for charitable contributions in 2024? Please consider supporting the Bigelow PTO before the end of year! Bigelow Middle School PTO is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and 100% of your donation is tax deductible to the extent of the law.

A gift of any size will help us continue to support many programs and services that benefit our students!

There are many ways to donate:

• via Venmo @BigelowPTONewton
• write a check and mail to Bigelow Middle School c/o PTO
• via the website at bigelowpto.org/donate/

Matching gifts are a great way to maximize your donation! Please consider adding Bigelow PTO to your company’s annual donation matching program, if applicable. Bigelow Middle School PTO is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Tax ID #20-0348453.

Please join us for an Ice Skating Fundraiser at Warrior Ice Arena on Friday, January 10, 2025 from 9-9:50 pm. Tickets are $18 (includes skate rental) and will be sold at the event starting at 8:30 pm.

Mark your calendars for the first Bigelow Global Diversity Night on Tuesday, March 4th from 6:30pm-8pm. 

In the coming months, families can sign up for a table to share food and traditions with our Bigelow community!

For this year’s One School, One Book Program students read House Arrest, by K.A. Holt in their Advisory groups. In discussions, students focused on the importance of giving and receiving help when needed, culminating in a school-wide collection drive for Cradles to Crayons. For last Thursday’s early release day, students sorted donated items, made well-wish cards, and had the chance to hear from some local students or adults who have dedicated their time in service to others.

Thank you to everyone involved in organizing and planning this event for our students, especially Bigelow Librarian Ms. Guzzi, for so thoughtfully putting together this learning experience!

Finally, thank you to all Bigelow Families for your support of the PTO! It is through your support that the Bigelow PTO is able to underwrite special programs like One School, One Book for our students. If you have not made a donation to this year’s Annual Fundraising Drive, please consider doing so today.

This is the first profile of a Bigelow PTO volunteer for our weekly newsletter. We hope to profile someone new each week so you can see the people who help make our efforts a success.

Jeanne Choe-Arrieta, Ph.D. Bigelow has a chapter of Newton’s Families Organizing for Racial Justice (FORJ). The group invites parents and children to engage in critical conversations that support questioning, interrogating, and dismantling of white supremacy, including anti-Blackness and all forms of racial injustice. One of the co-leaders, Jeanne Choe-Arrieta, is a psychologist and parent of an eighth grader at Bigelow; she also has a ninth grader at NNHS. She got involved with FORJ around 2017 when she was a parent at Ward Elementary School. She is Korean-American raising bi-racial kids. She also serves as the Newton parent liaison with METCO families. A big part of what they do with FORJ is community-building. They did an event in Franklin Park in October. Without the time and effort of busy professionals like Jeanne, the Bigelow PTO would not be able to accomplish all we do. Thank you, Jeanne!

Last Saturday’s “Hot to Glow” Dance Party and Social was a HUGE success!

Many thanks to Nisa Dailey and Hai Ly for spearheading this amazing event.

Special thanks to Principal Green, Student Council Advisor Mr. Leone, Bigelow Custodian Freddie, and Student Council Members for all their help.

Finally, thank you to the MANY parents who volunteer at the dance: Laura Goldworm, Nick Burk, Amanda Frank, Dominque Fowler, Aparna Rolfe, Alex Rolfe, Mandy Carozza, Neil Donnelly, Anna Donnelly, Kelly Dakin, Christine Reid, Rodrigo Canales, Victoria Peake, Barbara Farell, Alberto Pina, Caty Maloney, Angela Trimmis, Kal Dagher, Tamara Peshkova, and Jessica Singer.

We can’t wait for the next one!