LOOKING FOR A GREAT WAY TO THANK A TEACHER OR SCHOOL STAFF MEMBER DURING TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK?

Newton Schools Foundation Honor Thy Teacher program enables families to pay tribute to teachers and school staff by making a gift to Newton Schools Foundation in their name. It’s a great way to show your appreciation during Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6 – May 10) or at any time until the end of the school year, while adhering to the Newton Public School’s teacher gift policy. 

A donation to Newton Schools Foundation will support grants that fund new approaches in the classroom, professional development for teachers, and programs that promote equity for all students. To learn more about the programs NSF funds, see our Impact page.

Find out more and donate on the NSF website, scan the QR code, or mail your donation to Newton Schools Foundation, P.O. Box 590020, Newton Centre, MA 02459.  (Please be sure to include the name(s) of your child(ren) and the names of the teacher(s) and/or staff you are honoring and their schools.)

Huge thank you to the volunteers who helped reinvigorate the grounds around Bigelow on Sunday for Newton Serves! Volunteers tirelessly weeded, planted, and mulched garden beds, and cleaned outdoor spaces around the school. Be sure to admire the new plantings and watch the gardens take shape in the coming months and years!

Special thanks to Corena Larimer for leading this effort!

In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6th – 10th), the Bigelow PTO will host three luncheons for our dedicated teachers and staff.  Each lunch will be catered by families from each grade:

• Monday, May 6th: 6th Grade Families Sign-Up
• Wednesday, May 8th: 7th Grade Families Sign-Up
• Friday, May 10th: 8th Grade Families Sign-Up

Please review sign-up links for each grade above, and deliver your donated item to Bigelow the morning of your grade’s luncheon. 

We are also accepting monetary donations to fund luncheon items. If you would prefer to donate money, the steps are:

• 1. Venmo @BigelowPTONewton and add note “[Grade] Teacher Appreciation Lunch”.
• 2. Sign up for an item in the grade-specific SignUpGenius link above. In the comments include “Venmo to Bigelow PTO [$ amount]”.
• 3. A PTO volunteer will cover that item for you the day of the luncheon. 

This will be our final teacher appreciation event of the year.  Let’s give our Bigelow staff a big thanks for all that they do!

If you have any questions, please contact Laura Mandell (lauramandell@yahoo.com) for 6th Grade Luncheon; Ron Farrar (ronfarrar@gmail.com) for 7th Grade Luncheon; and Suriya Sangsub (suriya59@hotmail.com) for 8th Grade Luncheon.

Volunteer for Bigelow SERVES
Sunday, May 5th 10 am to 2 pm
Drop in for any amount of time!

Please join us Sunday, May 5th to help reinvigorate the green areas around Bigelow for NewtonSERVES 2024. The event will run from 10 am to 2 pm and volunteers are welcome to drop in for any amount of time. Every minute of your time helps!

Please wear work clothes and bring a refillable water bottle. We also request the following items if you have them:

• work/gardening gloves
• yard tools (shovels, rakes, trowels, etc)
• wheelbarrow
• watering can

**Please label any tools you bring so we can be sure they are reunited with you at the end of the event.**

NewtonSERVES is an annual city-wide day of building community through service. NewtonSERVES projects focus on cleaning and improving our parks, school grounds, open space areas, and conservation lands. Please join us, Sunday, May 5th, to build our Bigelow Community while reinvigorating the green areas around the school!

All Bigelow families, friends, and neighbors are welcome!

We are looking for parent volunteers for the Spring Bling Dance on May 17th.

Roles:

• Set up 5:30-7:00 p.m.
• Serving food (pizza and drinks) 6:30 – 8:30 pm.
• Gym and hallway chaperones 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
• Clean up 8:30- 9:30 p.m.

Please email Hai Ly at ms_haily@yahoo.com with your interested role. All volunteers must have an up to date CORI/SORI form filed with Bigelow.

Thank you for your participation to make this a shiny success!

Please join us Wednesday, May 1st from 6 to 8 pm for a Question and Answer session with Finalist Candidates for the new Bigelow Principal. The Question and Answer session will be live with online recording. Questions and feedback will be elicited from the members of the audience and a virtual ranking sheet will be sent to those who attend virtually.  

The timeline for the Principal selection process can be viewed via this link:

In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6th – 10th), the Bigelow PTO will host three luncheons for our dedicated teachers and staff.  Each lunch will be catered by families from each grade:

• Monday, May 6th: 6th Grade Families Sign-Up
• Wednesday, May 8th: 7th Grade Families Sign-Up
• Friday, May 10th: 8th Grade Families Sign-Up

Please review sign-up links for each grade above, and deliver your donated item to Bigelow the morning of your grade’s luncheon. 

We are also accepting monetary donations to fund luncheon items. If you would prefer to donate money, the steps are:

• 1. Venmo @BigelowPTONewton and add note “[Grade] Teacher Appreciation Lunch”.
• 2. Sign up for an item in the grade-specific SignUpGenius link above. In the comments include “Venmo to Bigelow PTO [$ amount]”.
• 3. A PTO volunteer will cover that item for you the day of the luncheon. 

This will be our final teacher appreciation event of the year.  Let’s give our Bigelow staff a big thanks for all that they do!

If you have any questions, please contact Laura Mandell (lauramandell@yahoo.com) for 6th Grade Luncheon; Ron Farrar (ronfarrar@gmail.com) for 7th Grade Luncheon; and Suriya Sangsub (suriya59@hotmail.com) for 8th Grade Luncheon.

Volunteer for Bigelow SERVES
Sunday, May 5th 10 am to 2 pm

Please join us Sunday, May 5th to help reinvigorate the green areas around Bigelow for NewtonSERVES 2024. The event will run from 10 am to 2 pm and volunteers are welcome to drop in for any amount of time. Every minute of your time helps!

Volunteers are encouraged to preregister HERE.

Please wear work clothes and bring a refillable water bottle. We also request the following items if you have them:

• work/gardening gloves
• yard tools (shovels, rakes, trowels, etc)
• wheelbarrow
• watering can

**Please label any tools you bring so we can be sure they are reunited with you at the end of the event.**

NewtonSERVES is an annual city-wide day of building community through service. NewtonSERVES projects focus on cleaning and improving our parks, school grounds, open space areas, and conservation lands. Please join us, Sunday, May 5th, to build our Bigelow Community while reinvigorating the green areas around the school!

All Bigelow families, friends, and neighbors are welcome!

Celebrate Bike Month by walking, biking, rolling, or taking the bus to school!

Bigelow families – what is it that keeps you or your children from walking or biking safely to your destination? Be part of the solution and alert the City of Newton via Newton 311. 

Potholes, sidewalk repairs, traffic signal not working, faded or missing crosswalks, shrubs overtaking the sidewalk? Snap a photo, note the location, and submit to Newton 311: https://www.newtonma.gov/Home/Components/ServiceDirectory/ServiceDirectory/22/1140

You can also call 311 from your landline, or 617-796-1000 from your cell phone to report problems. Make Newton safer for everyone!

Brought to you by the Newton Safe Routes to School Task Force
https://www.facebook.com/NewtonSafeRoutes
newtonsaferoutes@gmail.com

Many exciting end-of-year activities are planned for the Bigelow Class of 2024! Please look out for communications from the PTO and Principal Coston and be sure to check out the 8th Grade End-of-Year page on the PTO website: https://bigelowpto.org/bigelow-8th-grade-end-of-year-activities/