Category Archives: From the PTO

From the Superintendent

Dear Newton Community Members:
The events this week have probably been among the most upsetting and trying that the system has experienced in quite a while.  Many of us have had trouble processing the allegations, because they are so far beyond our comprehension.  We also need to recognize that this event has had an impact throughout the City.  
Next Tuesday night, January 24th, we will hold a community meeting at Newton North at for members of the broader Newton community.  The meeting will provide an opportunity to ask questions and hear from both law enforcement authorities and mental health experts.  Representatives from each of our school buildings will be present at the meeting.  
We will continue to provide information to you as we work together for our children and for each other during this very difficult time.
Community meeting: Working with children and families following an unforeseen and upsetting event.
January 24, 2012
7:00 pm
Newton North High School Auditorium

School Dance PLUS concert to benefit 8th grade trips – Jan. 27th

Make sure to remind your sons and daughters to buy tickets for the all school dance on Friday January 27th.  This is no ordinary dance there, of course, will be the fabulous Mr. Labrache with music and dancing in the gym but there will also be games and fun in the cafeteria including a cotton candy machine and the awesome student-band Levity will be playing in the auditorium with space to dance in front of the stage.  This is a night they won’t want to miss!

Tickets are $7 and are on sale in the cafeteria during all 3 lunches.  There are Levity T-shirts too that will go on sale for $12 starting Monday in the cafeteria.

The dance will run from 6:30-9:30pm in the gym.  The games and snacks in the cafeteria will also run from 6:30 – 9:30.  The band Levity (a current 8th grader and three former Bigelow students, now 10th graders) will perform for about an hour and a half starting at 8pm in the auditorium.  

This event is a fundraiser for the 8th grade trips to NYC and Quebec.  The more students who attend the event the more scholarship money we will be able to raise.


BUY A BOOK FOR THE BIGELOW LIBRARY

SUPPORT our LIBRARY !

Please support your school’s library.  For each $15 donation, the librarian will select a book and attach a bookplate with the names of the honoree and the donor.  We will send a note to honorees informing them that a book was donated in their name.

Buy a book for Bigelow library, and recognize someone special to you! 

A book donation is a great way to:

  • Honor a child
  • Show appreciation of a teacher
  • Celebrate an event (birthday, confirmation, bar/bat mitzvah)
  • Acknowledge a job well done

Thank you for your generosity!  Any questions?  Contact Eva Schmitt at 617-699-9185 or evaschmitt@hotmail.com

________________________________________________________________

Please enclose a check payable to “Bigelow Middle School PTO” and mail to:

Bigelow-Buy-A-Book, c/o Eva Schmitt, 88 Madison Ave, Newtonville, MA 02460-1905

Please also proiode the following information to make your donation. 

-Name of Honoree(s) (as it should appear on bookplate)
-Address of Honoree(s) (Bigelow Middle School or another)
-Please indicate “in honor of”  OR “in memory of”

(We will send a note to the person being recognized.  If the gift is in memory of someone, please include the name and address of the person who should receive the acknowledgement.)

-Donor’s name(s) (as it should appear on bookplate)
-Donor’s address
-Donor’s phone

Ski Trips

The information for the ski/snowboard trips is:
Where:  Wachusett Mountain
Time:      Leave Bigelow 3pm-Return to Bigelow 10pm
Dates:    January 13
              February 10
              March 2
Forms-   Pickup in Rm G02        
              Return to rm. 213 or G02
More information see Ms. Martin in rm G02 or emailmeghan_martin@newton.k12.ma.us

Big Night Out is February 11th

Join us for Big Night Out, Feb 11th

 This annual event is a fundraiser for the Bigelow Middle School.
It’s an evening out for parents and staff to
meet and socialize while supporting the auction and raffle.

Proceeds will benefit the Bigelow Middle School.
Don’t miss it!

Click on the Big Night Out Page for more information and to buy tickets!

8th Grade Trip Fundraiser – Electronic Recycling coming in January

8th Grade Trip Fundraiser
Electronic Recycling Campaign coming in January

Do you have electronic gadgets sitting in your home that you want to avoid ending up in a landfill?  In January and February you can bring your working and non-working electronics to Bigelow during our Electronic Recycle campaign.  Bigelow will earn $ on these devices and you can be assured these items will be swept clean of data and be “upcycled” – sold, repaired and/or used for parts.  No item ends up in a landfill.  Our goal is to collect 250 items to earn $ to support the spring 8th Grade trip to NYC.

We will focus on collecting the most valuable items (working items have more value than non-working, but both are accepted):

-laptop computers
-game consoles (Wii; Playstation 3; Xbox360)
-handheld devices (Nintendo; PSP; Game Boy)
-GPS
-Kindles
-digital cameras/camcorders/picture frames
-iPad/iTouch/Notebooks/Tablets
-all smart phones
-most Apple products
-DVDs (in original cases)

There are also items that cannot be accepted, such as:

-flip phones
-TVs
-Fax machines
-Desktop computers
-Computer monitors
-Printers
-Ink Cartridges

Details will be available the first week of January.  Thank you for helping the 8th Graders and for participating in responsible electronics recycling.

After School Video Program

After School Video Program
Brought to you by NewTV

Offered Thursdays from 3-5pm. Starting Jan 12, 2012, continuing Jan 19, (no class Jan 26) and ending on Feb 2, 2012. Open to all Middle School Students.

Free for all students. Curriculum includes learning to use a video camera, proper shot composition and names, storyboarding, PSA making, Music Video exercise, and editing. All students will receive a DVD of their projects and will be featured on NewTV’s Education Channel.

This program will be held at Bigelow Middle School. Parents, please make arrangements to pick up your child directly from the designated classroom or indicate on the registration form if your child will be taking the late bus. Sign up now because enrollment is limited. To sign up or ask questions, please email Melinda Garfield- Melindag@newtv.org

Annual Appeal Letter

Dear Bigelow Families,

We hope that you have gotten through the craziness of the beginning of the school year unscathed and are now settled into the school year routine.  Breathe a sigh of relief and relax now because before you know it, the end of the year chaos will be upon us.

Thank you for making last year so successful for the PTO.  Your valuable donations \help in providing scholarships, enrichment programs and technology that would not be otherwise available.  In addition, last year we were able to purchase track team uniforms, music and science department equipment and scheduling software for teacher conferences.  We try very hard to enrich many departments in the school each year so that every child can benefit from our efforts.  This year we hope to finish our two-phase purchasing of all new equipment in the computer lab, begin a multi-phase sound system upgrade for the auditorium, buy additional sports uniforms and more.

The PTO budget this year is almost $50,000 – and we need your help.   We are not requesting a specific donation amount from anyone, but our goal is to have a 100% participation rate in this fundraising endeavor.  No amount is too small (or big) to give to the PTO – and all gifts make a difference.  With your financial help, all children at Bigelow can enjoy many exciting, enriching and fun educational programs. Please consider making a donation today. You can contribute by either writing a check (please make it payable to the Bigelow PTO and send it directly to the school – \attention PTO), or do it electronically via our website – www.bigelowpto.org.  Your generosity can even be made in recognition of a teacher at school, and that teacher will receive a card honoring him/her.  Remember, we are a recognized 501(c)3 all contributions all tax deductable to the fullest extent of the law.

Thank you for your anticipated support.  We hope your children enjoy all of the programming and support the PTO provides this year.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at bigelowbulldog@gmail.com.