Did you know that Newton residents are required to remove the snow and ice from their paved sidewalks within 24 hours? A $50 fine after an initial warning was added for 2019. The Newton Safe Routes to School Task Force asks that residents do their part so students can keep walking to school all winter. The extra bit of exercise and fresh air is particularly important this year before students start their very structured school day.

We need residents to clear the snow and ice from their sidewalks to keep our community safe. Please report concerns immediately to 311. Download the “Newton MA 311″ app for your mobile phone or use the web portal to pinpoint the exact location, and include a photo. You can also call the City at 617-796-1000.

You can report anonymously or with contact information so you can track the progress of the report. In addition to sidewalk repairs, sign and traffic signal problems, and brush covering the sidewalk, there are many categories for reporting snow concerns, including sidewalks that are not cleared and corners that are blocked.

From the Superintendent’s Office

In case of inclement weather, NPS will shift to a “distance learning day” instead of cancelling in-person school. This day will count as a day of school and all students will be expected to log in to classes. Teachers will notify students and families via email of their schedule for the day with all relevant login/link information.

Please note: in the event of inclement weather, the district may still decide to cancel school instead of shifting to distance learning. You will need to carefully monitor the notification channels listed below for the plan for the day. The decision made will apply to ALL students whether they are hybrid or distance only students.

• A “shift to distance learning” , school closings or delays will be communicated via phone call, text message, email, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), NPS district website, and local television and radio stations. Please note: television and radio stations will only be used as a notification channel if school is cancelled or delayed.

• To receive text messages, you must opt-in. To opt-in, please login to Aspen, and follow this path: Aspen > Family tab > Pick Student > Contact > Pick Parent. Then select “yes” for SMS messages in the drop-down box below your cell phone number. 

The Resilience Project is an innovative school-and community-based initiative designed to promote the mental health and well-being of adolescents. It provides support to students, parents, educators, counselors and communities through collaboration with school personnel, customized educational programming and improved access to treatment resources.

Their winter newsletter is a trove of information to help parents and schools support the development of good mental health in children and adolescents.

Thank you to everyone who already donated to Bigelow PTO’s Annual Appeal. 

If you have not had a chance to make a contribution yet, it is not too late. You can do it online now, or send a check to: Bigelow PTO at 42 Vernon Street, Newton, MA 02458.

All donations – large or small – are greatly appreciated and will help us achieve all that we set out to do.

$10  |  $20   |    $50   |   $100      |   $250   |   $500   |   $1,000

THANK YOU!

Last day to order cookies is Wednesday, December 9, 2020. Cookies will be available by Wednesday, December 16, 2020, and we will deliver them to your house!

• 6 Cookies in a cellophane pack: $20
• 12 Cookies on a small tray: $35

Cookies are nut-free although some almond extract may be used.

To order cookies, two options:

1- Return the order form and check (made payable to Bigelow Middle School PTO) to the school’s office (attn: Bigelow PTO/Karen Markson).

2- Order online now:

Fill the Cookie Order Form and pay below:

1 bag of 6 cookies = $20      2 bags of 6 cookies = $40

1 tray of 12 cookies = $35      2 trays of 12 cookies = $70

Tray Option #2

Cello Bag Option #2

Cello Bag Option #3 and #4

Please see the letter about parent-teacher conferences. It includes important information about the registration process through “Virtual Paragon.”

Registration opens on Wednesday, December 2, at 8:00am. Also included in the letter are all the dates of the zoom conferences in December and January.

Whitsons is partnering with Newton Public Schools to provide FREE breakfast and lunch to ALL students in Newton.

Virtual Leaner pick- up locations:

• Newton North HS (Theatre Entrance)
• Newton South HS

Pick-up available from 10-12pm Mon-Fri.

In Person Pick-up:

School specific grab-n-go available either in café or by exit points.

Dear Parents,

On behalf of the students, staff and the One School, One Book Committee, I want to thank the PTO for its support of the One School, One Book Program. Providing funding this year for our visit with Jerry Craft was very generous. Our virtual visit with him was outstanding and was a very special way to end our New Kid Activities.

The feedback we received from our students about Mr. Craft’s visit was very positive. He inspired many of our students with his story and the art he created while speaking with us. Students filled out a survey about the author visit and included a one sentence thank you to him. The thank you’s were compiled into a document and shared with Jerry Craft. To get a better sense of the appreciation that the students had for the author and his visit, take a look at their thank you’s with this LINK.

Finally, I want to give a special thank you to Caryn Izhar, our parent liaison for Creative Arts and Sciences, who facilitated our visit with Mr. Craft. Everything went off without a hitch due to her excellent communication with me and the author.

Best,

Patty

—
Patty Summa
Library Teacher
Bigelow M.S.

We hope you had a safe and joyful holiday.  Please remember:  If you travelled  to a high-risk state* or to a country, even for a day, you will need to either quarantine for 14 days or provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 PCR test administered up to 72 hours before returning to Massachusetts before your child can return to school.

We urge you to comply with the Mass. Travel Order so we can continue to keep our community safe.

*All states are considered high-risk except for Hawaii.