Category Archives: From the PTO

Did you know Bigelow PTO is on Facebook?

https://www.facebook.com/BigelowMiddlePTO

Back to School Night!

We hope to see many of you TONIGHT at Back to School Night! Be sure to stop by the PTO tables inside the front and back entrances to learn more about the PTO and how to get involved. In particular, we are looking for:

organizers and helpers for social and fundraising events
a few volunteers for the Back to School Bash to help with pizza sales and cleanup (sign up for a time slot HERE)

The Bigelow PTO is excited to welcome Alexander Lee as PTO Vice President. Alexander’s daughter Naomi is a 6^th grader this year.

Action Needed: Bigelow PTO Family Directory

The Bigelow PTO Family Directory is hosted online at Membership Toolkit. The access is free and it can be used by all Bigelow families. The directory is run and funded by the PTO thanks to your support!

The online platform is a secure and easy to use tool that organizes contact information for all Bigelow families. It is a convenient, environmentally conscious system, that can be updated throughout the school year.

Please confirm that your information is correct and up-to-date. Specific directions for accessing the Directory and verifying contact information are below.

Incoming 6th graders from Underwood, Lincoln-Eliot, and Ward have been automatically added to Bigelow’s Directory if the information was available in the elementary school directory. The Membership Toolkit account for Bigelow will use the same login as your elementary school. Mason Rice, Cabot, and out of district families will need to enter their information manually (see directions for new users below).

PLEASE NOTE that regulations and privacy laws do not allow information from Aspen and/or Newton Public schools to flow into this Directory and vice versa. We acknowledge that it is painful to update information in more than one place. The success of this Directory is dependent on every family logging in and adding or updating their information.

Access the Directory.

Instructions: Accessing and Adding/Verifying Information

Login Information

Login as RETURNING USER, using the same login as last year at Bigelow or your elementary school, if you are:
- A returning Bigelow family
- An incoming family from Lincoln-Eliot, Underwood, or Ward that participated in the elementary school directory

Login as NEW USER, and create a new account if you are:
- An incoming family from Mason-Rice, Cabot, or starting Grade 6 from out of the district
- A new family with students in Grade 7 and/or Grade 8
- A family that did not participate in their elementary school (Lincoln-Eliot, Underwood, or Ward) Directory
- Click “Verify my email” and then check your email for a link to complete the process. The link expires in 2 hours. If you do not receive the email, check your spam or junk folders.
- Once you have verified your email address, log back in and finish the registration process.
- Note: Once the Primary Account is set up, the Primary User can “invite” other email addresses to access his/her account. This allows the Secondary User to have their own login information, but still have access to the family account.

Completing/Confirming Information

STEP 1: Complete the Parent/Family and then Student Information. Families can enter their name, address, and phone numbers. For returning users, most of this information should already be available. Please just confirm it is correct.

STEP 2: Complete the Directory/Publish Preferences. Each family can decide which pieces of information will be available for others to view through the privacy settings.

If you are unfamiliar with the platform or if you are unsure about whether or not you are in it, please email us with your name and your child’s name(s) at bigelowbulldog@gmail.com.

Welcome to the 2024-25 School Year!

Dear Bigelow Families,

We hope you’ve had a fun and relaxing summer break. We are excited to welcome you and your student(s) to the 2024-25 school year at Bigelow Middle School!

As parents or guardians of students at Bigelow, you are all members of the PTO. The PTO acts as a liaison between parents and the school, helps to build community and foster communication, and fundraises for the priorities set by Bigelow.

The Bigelow PTO is a volunteer organization and your participation enriches the school environment. We welcome all to learn more about the PTO and to get involved. In particular, we are looking for:

a Vice President to serve on the PTO board and to help recruit other volunteers
organizers and helpers for social and fundraising events
a few volunteers for the Back to School Bash to help with pizza sales and cleanup (sign up for a time slot HERE)

We are fortunate to be part of such a wonderful community and we look forward to serving you in the coming year. We wish you and your students an outstanding year!

If you have questions for the PTO, please contact us at bigelowbulldog@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

The Bigelow PTO Board – Alex Rolfe, Rachanne Nelson, and Lanni Isenberg

Save the Date! 6th Grade Parent/Guardian Potluck Sunday, Oct 6th

Parents and Guardians of Bigelow 6th graders are warmly invited to a potluck dinner on Sunday October 6th. We hope you can join us as we reconnect with old friends and make new ones. Stay tuned for more details!

Please note: This is an adult-only event.

Thank You & Happy Summer!

Dear Bigelow families:

Congratulations to all of the kids and our best wishes for all of the exciting things that lie ahead!

Thank you for your support for the PTO and for everything that you do to support the students, teachers and staff, and our community. And thank you Chassity Coston for your leadership and friendship.

We hope you have a wonderful summer and we look forward to working closely with many of you next year (please see below for open volunteer positions).

Sincerely,
Bigelow PTO Board

Open PTO Positions: In particular, we would like to identify volunteers for the following key roles ASAP so we can have a successful start to the 2024-25 school year:

President/Co-President Lead and support the team, preside over PTO meetings, serve as primary contact and representative of the PTO
Fundraising Committee Work with other volunteers to help determine the best focus for PTO fundraising events (e.g., annual appeal, socials, restaurant nights, online auction)
Fall PTO Adult Social Co-Chair Help organize a casual social event highlighting PTO committees and events
Bigelow Back to School Bash Help organize outdoor Fall family event at Bigelow with food truck(s) and music
6th Grade Parent/Caregiver Fall Potluck Help organize the 6th grade community “get to know you” event
8th Grade Activities Committee Organize transition activities for 8th grade class including fundraising, year-end celebrations, Moving On ceremony, etc

Resources from Smartphone Forum

Last Tuesday’s the Newton PTO Council and NPS Middle Schools hosted an informative forum on Smartphone use. If you missed the forum, the resource document distributed at the event can be found HERE.

Parent Info Sessions for New IEP Form

A new IEP Form is coming this fall! The new statewide Individualized Education Program (IEP) form was released earlier this year by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Newton Public Schools will start using the new IEP form in September 2024.

NPS will hold parent information sessions (link: https://meet.google.com/qef-rsxf-jpq) on the dates below. Mark your calendars!

Thursday, June 20, 2024 at 6:00 pm (Virtual)
Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at 10:00 am (Virtual)
Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 12:00 pm (Virtual)
Monday, August 5, 2024 at 2:00 pm (Virtual)
Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at 4:00 pm (Virtual)
Thursday, September 12, 2024 at 6:00 pm (at Newton North High School)

To learn more about the new IEP form, visit https://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/improveiep/.

For NPS special education parent information, visit https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/3887.

For Newton SEPAC information, visit https://newtonpac.org/.

Bigelow PTO Needs You!

Many thanks to the volunteers who have already stepped up to fill some of the open PTO committee positions for the 2024-25 school year.

We are still looking to fill many critical positions! In particular, we would like to identify volunteers for the following key roles so we can have a successful start to the 2024-25 school year:

President/Co-President Lead and support the team, preside over PTO meetings, serve as primary contact and representative of the PTO
Fundraising Committee Work with other volunteers to help determine the best focus for PTO fundraising events (e.g., annual appeal, socials, restaurant nights, online auction)
Fall PTO Adult Social Co-Chair Help organize a casual social event highlighting PTO committees and events
Bigelow Back to School Bash Help organize outdoor Fall family event at Bigelow with food truck(s) and music
6th Grade Parent/Caregiver Fall Potluck Help organize the 6th grade community “get to know you” event
8th Grade Activities Committee Organize transition activities for 8th grade class including fundraising, year-end celebrations, Moving On ceremony, etc

Volunteering with the PTO is a great way to enhance your student’s middle school experience while meeting other parents and building a stronger connection with the school.

If you are interested in volunteering or learning more about any of the opportunities above or any of the other PTO positions please email bigelowbulldog@gmail.com.

Parent Info Sessions for New IEP Form

NPS will hold parent information sessions (link: https://meet.google.com/qef-rsxf-jpq) on the dates below. Mark your calendars!

To learn more about the new IEP form, visit https://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/improveiep/.

For NPS special education parent information, visit https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/3887.

For Newton SEPAC information, visit https://newtonpac.org/.