Category Archives: From the PTO

Community Announcements

Mini-Golf Fundraiser for Pediatric Cancer: October 1st

The Newton North Class of 2023 is partnering with Putting 4 Patients to host a Mini-Golf Fundraiser on October 1st, 12-3pm, on the Newton North Front Field.  (In case of rain, the event will be in the Newton North SOA).  All proceeds go to Pediatric Cancer at Boston Children’s Hospital and Dana Farber.

Activities include an 18-Hole Mini-Golf Course with prizes for the winner and the winning team, a Hole in One Contest, Face Painting and a Prize Drawing.  Entry is $10 for students and kids and $15 for adults.  All are welcome!  Food from food trucks and a concession stand will also be available for purchase, and some proceeds will benefit the Newton North Class of 2023.

Additional donations to Putting for Patients from this event can be made HERE.  On this site you can also mention why you are supporting.

Thank you!

NCE Middle School Speech Team

The Newton Community Ed Middle School Speech Team is resuming in-person tournaments and is actively recruitiing new team members! More information about this opportunity including registration details is available HERE.

Newton Fall Events for Kids

The City of Newton’s Cultural Development office is hosing two great kid-friendly this Fall. Please see below for more information and share with families!

The Harvest Fair on Sunday Octover 16th is a wonderful family event in Newton Centre where kids can enjoy games, rides, entertainment, and fair food.

The Halloween Window Painting is a once-a-year opportunity for creative kid artists to adorn Newton storefronts with Halloween-themed art. It’s open to all Newton students in grades 3-8. Students can register HERE.

Principal Coston Meet & Greet and First PTO Meeting

New Date & Time! Tuesday, September 27th, 7 pm

Principal Coston and the Bigelow PTO invite you to attend the First PTO Meeting of the 2022-23 school year in person at Bigelow Middle School on Tuesday, September 27 from 7-8 pm.

Please note this is a new date & time due to a scheduling conflict with Newton North High School’s Back to School Night.

All Bigelow parents, guardians, teachers and staff are members of the PTO, and we encourage the participation of all in its activities.

Please contact us at bigelowbulldog@gmail.com with any questions.

Save the Date! Annual Bigelow Middle School Franklin Park Picnic

Date: Sunday, October 23, 2022, 1:00-3:00 pm (Rain date: Sunday, October 30 th)

Location: Franklin Park Valley Gates (Next to the Franklin Park Zoo) at the intersection of Circuit Drive and Jewish War Veterans Drive, Boston 

Please join Principal Coston, the Newton METCO program, Bigelow PTO, Bigelow FORJ, and our Boston and Newton families for fall fun and connections as we start the 2022 school year!

Pizza graciously provided by the Bigelow PTO. Families are also welcome to bring food.

The 2021-22 yearbooks have arrived!

Current 7th or 8th graders who pre-ordered a yearbook can pick-up their copy from Ms. Rice in room 210 during 4th period or after school. (Not sure if you’ve already ordered?  Click here to view your order history for the 2021-2022 school year)

We have extra yearbooks for sale for $25 (cash or check*).  First come, first serve.  Students can purchase a yearbook during 4th period or after school. Students should see Ms. Rice in room 210.  

*make checks payable to “Bigelow Middle School”

Community Announcements

Newton Fall Events for Kids

The City of Newton’s Cultural Development office is hosing two great kid-friendly this Fall. Please see below for more information and share with families!

The Harvest Fair on Sunday Octover 16th is a wonderful family event in Newton Centre where kids can enjoy games, rides, entertainment, and fair food.

The Halloween Window Painting is a once-a-year opportunity for creative kid artists to adorn Newton storefronts with Halloween-themed art. It’s open to all Newton students in grades 3-8. Students can register here.

Please Update 2022-23 Newsletter Preferences

The Bigelow PTO sends out weekly newsletters on Thursdays as well as other targeted communications throughout the school year. Please review the items below to ensure you are up to date.

Stay current! As we start a new school year, please take a moment to review and update your newsletter communication preferences, including subscribing to grade-specific and staff communications, through the update your preferences link at the bottom of Bigelow PTO newsletters and emails.

Help spread the word! If you know new members of the Bigelow community, please encourage them to subscribe to the PTO Newsletter via the PTO website or this direct link.

Left Bigelow? If you are no longer affiliated with Bigelow and want to be removed from the list, you can use the unsubscribe link at the very bottom of Bigelow PTO newsletters or emails, or scroll to the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the update your preferences link.

Need Help? If you have any questions or need help troubleshooting issues with your Bigelow PTO Newsletter (e.g., duplicate communications, updating preferences, unsubscribing) please email BigelowBulldog@gmail.com.

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 is 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 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 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.

PLEASE COMPLETE: Annual Student Update in Aspen

Every year, you are required to update student information in Aspen, our student information system. It is very important that families update addresses, emergency contacts, health records, and permissions so that schools have the most accurate and up-to-date information for students.

This system is also used to determine student information that can be released. Please note that we do have new Opt-Out Permissions for the 2022-2023 school year that need your review and preference selections.

Families must update their students’ records by Friday, September 30th. Please use the following instructions to access the information and forms in Aspen: Student Information Update Instructions.

Girls on the Run at Bigelow!

Bigelow Middle School is excited to announce that this Fall we will be hosting the Girls on the Run (GOTR) program! GOTR inspires girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using a fun experienced-based curriculum. The program enhances girls’ social, emotional, and physical skills, and has reached 2 million girls across the country. The middle school program “Heart & Sole” addresses the whole girl – body, brain, heart, spirit, and social connection – and supports girls in building critical life skills such as team building, developing a support system, boundary setting, decision making, positively impacting others, and asking for and providing help.

Details:

  • Season: Begins Tuesday, September 20, 2022
  • Practices: Tuesdays & Thursdays 3-4:30
  • Celebratory 5K: Sunday, November 20, 2022.

Girls on the Run Fall 2022 Season – Register HERE! 

If you have any questions, please contact Ms.Cooper at coopere@newton.k12.ma.us.