We are making great strides towards our goal thanks to you. But remember, the clothing drive isn’t over until May 21st and every donation helps! We are still accepting clothing donations at Bigelow Middle School. Many children are going to be helped by your donations.

Ambassadors from the non-profit service organization, Project 351 and Cradles 2 Crayons have teamed up and created a clothing drive!

Please drop off your clothes between May 10th and May 21st at Bigelow Middle School. Sizes 0-12 (infant to youth-large) are accepted, but must be clean and in good condition. Undergarments can be donated only if they are new and unused. Shoes and swimsuits are not accepted. All clothing donations should be put in the drop-off bins at the main (Vernon St.), side, or gym entrances. Please contact rlesposisters10@gmail.com or meera16@icloud.com . Thank you for your donations!

A message from Newton’s Planning and Development Department:

The City of Newton is trying to learn as much as we can about Newton community members’ experiences of and visions for their village centers to inform zoning proposals! Engagement will include a Vision Kit to explore your village center(s), an interactive survey, and Focus Groups for equitable participation. Sign up for a Community Engagement Information Session on May 20^th, 6-7pm, here and fill out this Focus Group Interest Form if you identify as a renter, younger person (age 15-35), BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), someone with a disability, LGBTQ+, of the creative community, and older adults (65+). Learn more at newtonma.gov/zoningredesign.

Thank you, Thank you, so much for all your donations!! We have been able to make some beautiful grade baskets which would make for excellent gifts for grads, dads or any upcoming birthday celebrations.

Talking about celebrations, please mark your calendars for Monday, MAY 17th. Plan to order takeout from FIORELLA’s from their Newton or Brighton locations. Mention BIGELOW BIG NIGHTS and the school will receive 15% of all meals ordered out, or eaten in. Fuel us for our auction decisions, on the 19th and 20th of Big Nights (online) Auction week, YOGURT BEACH is offering 30% of all purchases made mentioning  BIGELOW BIG NIGHTS to help us in our fundraising.  Last but not least, have a Father’s Day celebration coming up or a Graduation party? BLUE RIBBON is giving back 10% of all catering booked from now until JUNE 1st. Give dads and moms a deserved night off from cooking and plan your parties now!! Any meals purchased on the 20th of MAY at any of their locations will also earn Bigelow 20% for our fundraising, just mention BIGELOW BIG NIGHTS when ordering! 

Big Night Auction 2021

Thank you for your questions regarding how to take part in the online Auction.  Please follow the following steps and you will be ready to make your bids! There are priceless options of watching your child graduation upfront and personal, enjoy lunch with Mr. Harrison before he retires, enjoy a fun afternoon of games with your favorite 8th grade teacher, not to mention a chance to feel what it’s like to live in the World’s smallest house for an overnight. 

1. Download the AUCTRIA app on your phone (Apple App Store or Google Play Store) 
2. Go to the Big Night Auction 2021on your phone OR computer. 
3. Returning users, remember your passcode or do as I did and reset it using the email you used to create the account.
4. You will be sent a code to enter in order to be part of Bigelow Big Nights Auction when the window is open.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars with the online auction taking place Friday, May 14 to Sunday, May 23!! Plan to order and/or hangout at these participating business locations with Bigelow friends on the evenings of MAY 17th, 19 & 20th!!

Do you have clothes lying around that you haven’t used? You know they are in good condition, but just don’t know what to do with them. Donate them! Ambassadors from the non-profit service organization, Project 351 and Cradles 2 Crayons have teamed up and created a clothing drive!

Please drop off your clothes between May 10th and May 21st at Bigelow Middle School. Sizes 0-12 (infant to youth-large) are accepted, but must be clean and in good condition. Undergarments can be donated only if they are new and unused. Shoes and swimsuits are not accepted. All clothing donations should be put in the drop-off bins at the main (Vernon St.), side, or gym entrances. Please contact rlesposisters10@gmail.com or meera16@icloud.com . Thank you for your donations!

The Bigelow Yearbook Club will be taking photos of students having fun at school, so each day will have a different theme.  It would be great to have all students participate in Spirit Week so that everyone will be included in the 2020-2021 yearbook.

From Todd Harrison, Bigelow principal

Our student testing participation level in COVID Pooled Testing is hovering around 50% at Bigelow and about 40% in all schools. We really need to increase participation to 70-80% for testing to be effective.

We NEED YOUR participation to make this work. The more students who participate, the better data we have on infection rates in our community. This means we can:

• Quickly identify infection

• Reduce the risk of in school transmission

• Limit quarantines

• Keep our schools, athletics and other important activities open for the rest of the year

Please note: Testing is now MANDATORY for all high school students participating in athletics or extracurricular activities.

Here’s how to enroll and a few details on the testing:

• Complete the opt-in in Aspen (here’s the link!)

• High school students then create an account at JCM (do it here!) for access to a QR code they use to check in their sample. (Pre-K – 8th grade students will receive their QR code from school staff.)

• This is NOT the “touch your brain” swab! This is a sample taken from the front of your nose with a Q-tip like swab. It’s super-fast and painless.

• Testing is FREE to all families!

Please REMIND your students to turn in their sample when they arrive at school!

For more information, please contact Ms Rice: rices@newton.k12.ma.us 

“We are so excited to be welcoming students back! If you happen to live close enough to school to be able to walk or ride your bike or scooter we’d love to have you to give it a try!

Walking or riding to school is a fun way to get some fresh air and exercise and be ready for learning. It’s also an environmentally friendly way to get to school and decreases the number of cars that are out on our roads.”

Ms. Fitzgerald, Bigelow PE Teacher

Watch Bigelow Walking and Biking to School Video here

Please take a look at the Bigelow SRTS page for more information about: Bike Routes, Bike Parking, Walking to school, Riding the bus, Drop-Off/Pick-Up locations,  Traffic and Parking Regulations

Please remember, the Bus Zone moved to Arlington St. Yellow buses will drop off and pick up students on Arlington St. Please AVOID driving on Arlington as cars cannot pass the buses. See map here.

Dear Bigelow parents/guardians,

First, we would like to thank our wonderful community for the generous donations to our upcoming auction. Thus far we have some awesome sports memorabilia, kitchen gadgets, and pamper yourself items! We are still in need of your help!

There are some decorative boxes at the entrance of the school for themed items. We are still in need of cooking, beach, spa and arts and craft items. The boxes will now be there until Wednesday, May 5th.

We know that this is a busy time for everyone, but we need your help! Not sure what to buy!? No problem-look below for some ideas.

• Grade 6 needs craft items such as foam paper, glue sticks, craft items, DIY kits.
• Grade 7 think of your favorite spa day and pick up some items and drop them off at Bigelow’s front door. Nails, hair, facials, aromatherapy items all are appreciated!!
• Grade 8: thank you for the hot gloves, cookbook and cookie cutters. Still looking for mixing bowls, silicon baking sheets, molds, whisks and spatulas. Items to melt like chocolates or mixes.
• For all grades- thank you for dropping off Beach items; beach balls, ping pong, beach towels sunscreen, frisbees and beach pails.

Currently we have many exciting things to bid on such as a BBQ themed basket, an amazing homemade brunch and passes to spin and yoga classes!

Don’t have time to buy something to donate? Let us do the work for you. Simply click on the link below and make a monetary donation.

$25 – $50 – $75  – $100  – $150  – $200  – $250  – $300

Mark your calendars for May 14th! We will be sending instructions about how to make your bids so don’t miss out!!

You may be wanting to bid on one of the many beautiful gift baskets for either yourself or as a gift for someone else!

Again, we thank you all for your support. Don’t forget Wednesday’s deadline!

Alexia Giannakopoulos (alexiag5@yahoo.com) and Ruth Somers (rsomers201@yahoo.com) Big Night Co-Chairs