Mayor Setti Warren will hold Town Hall meetings throughout the city to speak to residents about the proposed override package, which Newton residents will vote on March 12. The Mayor, accompanied by municipal staff and Schools Superintendent David Fleishman will share details about the override proposal and answer your questions.   Here’s the schedule

• Sun. Jan 27 at 1 p.m., Hawthorn Playground/Pellegrini Park Rec. Center, Nonantum
• Thur.  Jan. 31 at 7 p.m.,  Scandanavian Living Center, W. Newton
• Sun. Feb. 10 at 1 p.m.,  Ward Elementary School gym, Newton Centre
• Sun. Feb. 10 at 3:30 p.m., Oak Hill Middle School, Newton Centre
• Tue. Feb. 19 at 1:30 p.m., Scandanavian Living Center, Seniors Town Hall with Newton at Home
• Sun.   Feb. 24 at 1 p.m., Lower Falls Community Center, Lower Falls
• Tue.   Feb. 26 at 7 p.m., Greater Boston Interfaith Organization Town Hall, Temple Shalom, W. Newton
• Thur. Mar. 7 at 7 p.m., Mason Rice Elementary School, Newton Centre

For more information on the override go to http://buildingnewtonsfuture.org/

A big THANK YOU to all Bigelow students, parents, families, and friends, who participated in the Bigelow Magazine Fundraiser in November and December 2012.

We raised over $4,700 for the school!

For those who are waiting for subscriptions to arrive – just a reminder – it takes 10 – 14 weeks for delivery.

To track your orders, just go to www.gaotrak.com, enter delivery address, or name, or phone no., and you will immediately see the estimated arrival time of your order. You can also call Great American Customer Service at 1-877-289-6247.

Subscriptions can be renewed or new orders can be placed throughout the year at gaschoolstore.com. Log in with school id #2637080, and Bigelow Middle School will get 40 % of your order.

Should you have any further questions regarding this fundraiser, please contact Berit Ramseier, bramseier@gmail.com, or Marian McDonagh, mcdonaghfive@verizon.net. 

The mayor plans to visit every village in the city in the coming weeks to answer questions on the March override, to explain the differences between overrides and debt exclusions, and to tell you why he thinks you should support the override vote on March 12th.

We encourage every citizen of Newton to attend and learn more about this plan, and ask any questions you may have.

Anyone, can attend a meeting held in any ward.

Town Hall Dates: Note that Ward 1 (Bigelow) is up first. 

• Sunday Jan 27  1:00 pm Hawthorne/Pellegrini, Ward 1
• Thursday Jan 31  7:00 pm Scandanavian Living Center, Ward 3
• Sunday Feb 10 1:00 pm  Ward School gym, Ward 7
• Sunday Feb 10  3:30 pm Location TBD Ward 8
• Tuesday Feb 19  1:30 pm Scandanavian Living Center, Seniors Town Hall
• Sunday Feb 24  1:00 pm Lower Falls Community Ctr, Ward 4
• Tuesday Feb 26  7:00 pm GBIO Town Hall, Temple Shalom
• Thursday Mar 7    7:00 pm  Location TBD Ward 6

On March 12, 2013 Newton Voters will be asked to vote on an $11.4 million tax override. 

The package presented consists of 3 separate but interconnected ballot questions that will allow the city to rehabilitate some of the crumbling school buildings, alleviate the pressures of enrollment growth in our schools, and improve public safety in our community.  The package includes:

1. $1.3 million debt exclusion tax (temporary for capital projects) for the Angier School Project
2. $1.7 million debt exclusion tax (temporary for capital projects) for the Cabot School Project
3. $8.4 million operating override that also includes funds for roads and sidewalk repair, four additional police officers to manage traffic and safety concerns, the renovation of the hub of our fire department: Station 3, and department headquarters, as well as rising school enrollment (we have grown by over 1000 students in the past 8 years).

These issues are key for our city and our schools and we encourage Bigelow families to become educated on the issues.  The Mayor has information on his website at http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/gov/executive/override.asp

We will keep you informed as we hear of informational sessions or items related to the override.

Bigelow’s Annual Spring Fundraiser is coming up February 9th !  Save the date!  The event is lots of fun and a great way to support the school. 

We are in need of volunteers in a variety of ways: 

• Solicit items for the silent auction
• Help set up on the day of the event 
• Serve as a check-out volunteers at the end of the event to figure out how much each guest owes, collect payments, and record the transactions.

To volunteer or for more information, please contact Anna Leblanc (annaleblanc@comcast.net) or Andrea Newman (Andrea.newman@verizon.net)

The new Bigelow Store is now open and has items to purchase for you, friends and family members.  http://www.cafepress.com/Bigelowgear

A percentage of sales go to our school.

If ordering before midnight on December 18th, there is free shipping!

Enter special code: reindeer

>>>>>>>>A Perfect Holiday Gift<<<<<<<

 For a $15 donation (via check or paypal), the Bigelow librarian will purchase a book and attach a plate with the honoree’s name into the book. We will send letters to the honorees informing them who donated in their honor.

For questions contact: Eva Schmitt at 617-699-9185 or evaschmitt@hotmail.com

For donation using PayPal please click here: http://bigelowpto.org/buy-a-book-library-fund-2/

For donations by check: Please make check payable to “Bigelow Middle School PTO” and mail to: Bigelow-Buy-A-Book, c/o Eva Schmitt, 5 Briar Lane, Newtonville, MA 02460-1905

Please include with the check or email Eva Schmitt (evaschmitt@hotmail.com) the following:

•  Name(s) of Honoree(s)
• Address(es) of Honoree(s): (if not Bigelow teacher or staff)
• Donor’s address/email 

Your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.  Bigelow Middle School Parent-Teacher Organization, Inc. is a Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

On Monday December 17th, Theatre Espresso performed The Uprising on King Street for the 8th grade. 

This play examined the legal responsibilities of a government when it sends a military force to occupy a foreign land.  Uprising on King Street engaged students with the people and events central to the upsiring in 1770, and asked them to weigh the issue and arguments.  In role as jurors, students perceived the uprising through the eyes of witnesses – ordinary men and women from a variety of ethnic and racial backgrounds – who were both shaped by, and instrumental in shaping, history.  Students questioned key players and debated the critical points of the case.  Ultimately, the students decided whether Captain Preston, the British officer in command the night of the uprising, should be held accountable.
 
If you have an 8th grader, ask your kids how they voted … and how they felt about the outcome of the trial …