Hello to the Bigelow Community,

We hope you have had a relaxing and enjoyable summer.  It is hard to believe the students will be returning to school in less than two weeks. Please see below for a few reminders to begin the school year.

Sign up for Bigelow PTO Email: If you know someone who is not receiving these emails but would like to, please have them go to the Bigelow PTO website to sign up (http://bigelowpto.org). The Bigelow PTO emails are a great way to keep up with what is happening in our school community.

Regards and enjoy these last days of summer,

Julie Bourgoin and Carolyn Judge
Bigelow PTO Co-Presidents (bigelowbulldog@gmail.com)

If you have ordered you child’s school supplies through the PTO / schoolkidZ, they will be available for pick up Tuesday, August 27 from 10:30 – 12:00 pm or the first day of school.  They are located in the corridor outside the cafeteria, along the courtyard windows.  The foreign language kit is in a separate box, so please remember to pick that up as well. Thank you to Alicia Herbert and Mindy Peckler for organizing the ordering, assembly and distribution of these supplies.  Also thank you to the volunteers who helped assemble the kits.

If you were not able to order your child’s school supplies through the PTO, supplies lists were included in the handbooks that were mailed home in mid August by the school.  They can also be found on the Bigelow Middle School website at http://bigelow.newton.k12.ma.us/content/supply-lists

6th Grade Ice Cream Social / Tour:  All incoming 6th grade students are invited to visit the school on Tuesday, August 27 from 9 – 10:30 am. Students will have an opportunity to visit their homerooms, meet other homeroom classmates, receive their schedules, tour classrooms, and have refreshments and socialize.

First Day of School:  The first day of school is Tuesday September 3. Doors open at 8:00 and students should report to their homerooms by 8:15. 6th grade parents are welcome to accompany their children to their homebase and then join Principal Todd Harrison for coffee in the library between 8:00 – 8:45 .

Welcome Back Picnic: All Bigelow Families are invited to a Back to School Picnic on Tuesday, September 10. Please join us to catch up with old friends and meet new ones at Burr Park from 5:30 – 7:30.

We would like to thank all of you who have volunteered to take on board and committee positions for the 2013 / 2014 year.  We do have a few open positions.  If you would like to volunteer for one of these positions or would like more information, please send an email to bigelowbulldog@gmail.com

• Vice President (2 positions open) – Work with board chairs and committee chairs to coordinate yearly activities.
• Advertising for Directory – Solicit advertisements for the school directory. Most activity takes place over the summer.
• Magazine Drive Coordinator – Coordinate the annual magazine drive fundraiser in the fall.
• Cookie Dough Fundraiser Coordinator – Coordinate the annual cookie dough fundraiser in the winter.
• Big Night Co-Chair (1 position open) – Assist the other Big Night co-chair to plan and implement this wintertime parent’s night out fundraiser.
• Soup and Supper Stroll Co-Chair (1 position open) – Assist the co-chair with organizing this fall event.
• Bake Sales and other small fundraisers – Organize bake sales for political elections throughout the year. Anticipate two elections in the 2013-14 school year.
• Hospitality – Coordinate refreshments for PTO meetings and events.
• Community Outreach / Green Decade – Work with students and teachers identifying programs where students can make a difference.

Hello Bigelow friends,

If you are in town on Monday, August 19 and have some time to spare, we could really use your help. Pre-ordered SchoolKidz will be arriving soon and volunteers are needed to assemble the kits. Whether your schedule allows for you to stop by for 30 minutes or a couple of hours, your help would be much appreciated. Alicia Herbert will have everything set up in the Bigelow cafeteria at 10:00 a.m. and plans to finish around noon. Please call or text Alicia at 857-417-2860 to volunteer. (Thank you, Alicia, for taking on this task!)

Thank you and we hope you are having a fabulous summer!

Regards,

Julie Bourgoin and Carolyn Judge

Bigelow PTO Co-Presidents

Bigelow’s One School, One Book

This summer all Bigelow students and staff will read the same book as part of Bigelow’s One School, One Book Program. The book chosen for this summer is Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen. During the fall staff and students will spend time together in small community groups discussing the book and participating in activities that address the major themes of the novel.  Click here to learn a little bit more about flipped and the One School, One Book Program

Language Arts Summer Reading Assignments

 Flipped is also the book all Bigelow students will read for their summer language arts reading assignment.  Language Arts teachers from all three levels have prepared a summer writing assignment to accompany the book.  Families can find out information about the grade level summer writing assignment that accompanies the book on the Bigelow Library page.  In addition to Flipped, students are encouraged to explore other titles for their summer reading.  A list of suggested titles from many genres can be on the summer reading list posted on the Bigelow Library page.

As this school year is winding down, the Bigelow PTO is already looking forward to a fantastic 2013-14 school year. There are many activities in the works for next year and while many positions have been filled by generous parents, we are still in need of volunteer leaders who can support school staff and student activities that have been long traditions at our middle school.

Please take a moment to read the brief descriptions of activities for which we need leadership and/or extra help and let us know if you would like to fill that role by contacting Julie Bourgoin at jbourgoin@comcast.net. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

• Vice President (2 positions open) – Work with board chairs and committee chairs to coordinate yearly activities.
• Advertising for Directory – Solicit advertisements for the school directory. Most activity takes place over the summer.
• 8^th Grade Activities Coordinator – Recruit 8^th grade volunteers and parent volunteers to head up activities throughout the year that involve the 8^th grade. Events include the car wash, Turkey Bowl, Moving On ceremony, Surf the Turf, and other transition activities for the outgoing 8th graders in June.
• Magazine Drive Coordinator – Coordinate the annual magazine drive fundraiser in the fall.
• Cookie Dough Fundraiser Coordinator – Coordinate the annual cookie dough fundraiser in the winter.
• Big Night Co-Chair (1 position open) – Assist the other Big Night co-chair to plan and implement this wintertime parent’s night out fundraiser.
• Soup Stroll Co-Chair (1 postion open) – Assist the co-chair with organizing this fall event.
• Bake Sales – Organize bake sales for political elections throughout the year. Anticipate two elections in the 2013-14 school year.

Welome to Newton North High School! 

Newton North has selected Outcasts United for summer reading for all students; the book will be discussed school-wide in the fall.

For your convenience, here are some purchasing options. 

1.  Friday, June 21, 8-9 a.m. and 11-11:30 a.m.: Outcasts United will be sold to Bigelow 8th graders before and after graduation. Cost is $13 in cash or checks payable to New England Mobile Book Fair.
2. The book will also be available at New England Mobile Book Fair throughout the summer. 

All Newton North parents/guardians are PTSO members. We invite you to join the North PTSO community at our many educational, cultural, and fundraising events, including the following: 

• Socialize at Northside Dining Adventure (fall 2013) and at principal and PTSO coffees.
• Connect with other parents/guardians by attending PTSO meetings and programs.
• Volunteer for committees or events including Teacher Appreciation, Just Think: Teens Making Smart Choices, and Celebration.
• Learn something new at the Huntington Lecture Series.

Stay informed about everything Newton North at www.NorthPTSO.org! Information goes out only electronically and the PTSO uses an opt-in system. 

If you do not receive electronic communications from the PTSO by July, contact the PTSO co-presidents at www.NorthPTSO.org.           

        Best wishes for a great year! 

        Sally Brickell and Lynne LeBlanc, PTSO co-presidents

This Friday, the 14th is the deadline for ordering Schoolkidz back to school supplies.  This is a HARD deadline.  No order will be accepted after this date. 

This is a great and convenient way to save yourself shopping trips for school supplies at the end of the summer!

Please join Cabot on Wednesday June 19th for a reception to say goodbye to beloved teacher Mrs. Robertson. 

Mrs. Roberston has touched many lives during her tenure at Cabot School, and they would like to invite you all to come and wish her well in her retirement. 

When:  Wednesday June 19, 2013 at 3:15pm

Where: Cabot Community Park, ( to the right of the Cabot Library)

Refreshments will be served.  

marykathf@aol.com