On Tuesday, June 2nd, 7pm-8pm the Bigelow PTO will present the 2020/21 budget and show how the PTO uses all the money raised by our community. The incoming leadership will be brought forward for a vote of all PTO members: Bigelow parents, guardians, teachers, staff, and YOU. We still have open positions to fill!! If you would like to become more involved in the strategic aspect of the Bigelow PTO, helping direct and manage the overall program for 2020/21, you are encouraged to join the board or one of the committees. Just send us a message at bigelowbulldog@gmail.com.
Category Archives: From the PTO
Message from Principal Harrison – May 15
Dear Bigelow Parents,
I hope you are well.
If you haven’t had a chance to view the music video made by Bigelow staff that I emailed to your children this morning, please do so. As the music and signs convey, we miss seeing your children in person, and want to send our words of encouragement to them. We know how hard this long disruption has been for them, so I hope the video gives them a lift. Here is the link: Bigelow Music Video
Although we still have many details to work out, I want to give you preliminary information about plans so far for the end of the school year.
Graduation
A virtual eighth grade graduation ceremony will take place on the morning of Thursday, June 18. The NPS middle schools and high schools are working with Grad Caster by Dynamic Videocasting to produce a professional, high quality, pre-recorded, live- streamed graduation program. This video will showcase many of the features of a typical Bigelow graduation ceremony. There will be remarks by myself and a staff member, thoughtful speeches by selected eighth graders, beautiful artwork by students, moving music by members of the chorus, and individual recognition for each 8th grade student–all in an online format. Because it is online, all members of the Bigelow community–sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, all staff, and family near and far–can view it, either livestreamed on June 18 or at any time afterwards on the Bigelow website. An individual certificate and mementos for each eighth grader will be mailed home as well.
We can not recreate the communal affections and embrace of the real event, but we want to give our eighth graders a special experience that can be shared with their immediate family nonetheless. More information about the specific time of the event on the morning of June 18 will be forthcoming. We will also send directions for how students, with your help, will each record and submit a five-second pre-recorded individual video image of themselves “crossing the threshold” as their name is announced.
Locker Belongings
In addition, we are making plans to return students’ locker belongings to parents in mid-June. Using the homebase teachers’ locker lists, I will work with our custodians to identify and unlock each student’s locker. The contents (minus any “ripe” food) will be bagged and labelled. Then, we will have a grocery-store style curb-side pick-up. Following a schedule according to homeroom, parents will drive-thru the Bigelow parking lot and receive their child’s bag. This will also be an opportunity to pick up Bigelow clothing if your child ordered any earlier this year, and for your child to return any text books or library books from home. No date has been set for this pick-up yet, and there may be changes to this tentative plan as we figure out the details. I will keep you informed.
Online Auction
Finally, if you haven’t checked out the PTO’s online auction yet, please do so. There is a dazzling array of items donated by parents and caregivers. Many are favorite items, restaurants and services offered by local businesses, and are available to the highest bidder. You can also make a money donation. This is a great way to remotely purchase a special gift for yourself or a loved one, AND to support the school. More information can be found at the PTO website: BigelowPTO.org
Please say hi to your children for me. Be safe. Be strong. And be Bigelow 3.0!
Best regards,
Todd
Support Phone Number for Families
Newton Public Schools, in collaboration with Newton Health and Human Services, is providing a support phone number for families with children enrolled in our schools. This service is staffed by Newton Public Schools counselors and is designed to support families experiencing food scarcity, housing scarcity, domestic or substance abuse, and other mental health struggles exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The phone number, 617-559-6021, is answered live M-F from 8 am – 3 pm and is equipped with voicemail.

Online Auction is Open!! Great Deals to be Found!!!!
Please register and bid! Don’t miss out on the amazing prizes still available, including classes, gift cards, summer camps, restaurants, and so much more. Thank you again for your support, and good luck!
Visit the Online Auction Website
BIDDING TIP: Click on the item picture or highlighted text and the minimum bid will show.
As you know, Bigelow Big Night Hoedown on March 28, 2020 was canceled. Big Night is our largest fundraiser of the year, generating almost 50% of the PTO budget. Last year we raised over $20,000. These funds are critical to support PTO programs, such as Creative Arts and Science, auditorium improvements, as well as scholarship funds to defray field trip costs for our students in need.
Thank you for sponsoring the Online Auction!
You are the GOAT!
Dolly Parton Sponsors | Garth Brooks Sponsors |
The Ackerman Family The Markson Family The O’Dwyer Family |
The Andrews Family The Britt-Webb Family The Hicks Family |
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More Club Options Available for Students
Last day to order 2019-20 Yearbook is May 15
The deadline to order your yearbook Friday May 15! Don’t miss out! Please see the directions below for how to order your yearbook.
The yearbooks will be printed over the summer and distributed to students in early September. While the details have yet to be worked out, we envision inviting back 8th graders for a “yearbook signing party” when school opens in September.
Deadline: Friday May 15th
Price: $ 25
Option # 1: Order online: ybpay.lifetouch.com Bigelow’s ID Code: 1945920 Not sure if you’ve already ordered? Click here to view your order history for the 2019-2020 school year.
Option # 2: Mail a check to the school. Check payable to: Bigelow Middle School Memo: Student’s First & Last Name, Grade Addressed as follows: Attention: Yearbook Bigelow Middle School 42 Vernon St. Newton, MA 02458 Checks must be received by May 15th. Please do not send cash.

Thank you, Bigelow Teachers
We offer this pandemic internet poem to you:
You teach us in a room,
You teach us on Zoom.
You teach us at our house,
You teach us with a mouse.
You teach us here and there,
You teach us everywhere!
We know you teach us because you care.
So just do your very best.
And do not worry about the rest.
Thank you, teachers, for all you do!
Students and parents love you.
Original poem from: All Angels Academy Episcopal School
Bigelow Siblings COVID-19 Relief Fund
“Dear Bigelow families,
As you are aware, the coronavirus is a pandemic that is affecting millions of families. This means that doctors and nurses have to work long shifts to take care of patients. I felt that I should support all of those who are working so hard to keep everyone safe. So my brother and I made a GoFundMe to help the doctors and nurses of Massachusetts General Hospital.
We are playing piano and cello duets to comfort everyone who are still suffering from the coronavirus in hospitals and homes; to comfort those who are recovering from the virus; to comfort those who are grieving for their lost ones; and to inspire those in financial hardships. We hope that through our music, people find strength to endure these difficult times.
Please donate at this link: because.massgeneral.org/siblingcovid19relief. Every donation will make a difference. Together we will overcome the coronavirus!
Thank you,
Elizabeth and Ethan Qian-Tsuchida”

Big Night Online auction will open on May 8
Dear Bigelow Families,
We hope that you, your families and friends are doing well. We miss seeing you and look forward to the day when we can return, as much as possible, to life as we know it!
As you know, Bigelow Big Night Hoedown on March 28, 2020 was canceled. Big Night is our largest fundraiser of the year, generating almost 50% of the PTO budget. Last year we raised over $20,000. These funds are critical to support PTO programs, such as Creative Arts and Science, auditorium improvements, as well as scholarship funds to defray costs for our students.
For this very important reason, we have decided to do two things:
- Continue with our online auction, which originally was part of Big Night. Much of the auction is in place, thanks to our terrific Co-Chairs, Cheryl Abramson and Alexia Giannakopoulos. We are hopeful that we will still be able to raise a significant amount of funds for the PTO.
We will launch the auction on Friday, May 8. In the coming days we will send a link so you can see the great items that have been donated by our community! Please share the link with family and friends. We cannot thank enough our donors and sponsors who are making this possible. Please take a minute to recognize them HERE. - Ask those of you who purchased tickets and sponsorships to consider treating them as a donation. We would be most grateful to those of you who are able to do so. Alternatively, we can issue a refund. Please contact us at bigelowbulldog@gmail.com to do so.
As always, we are so thankful for the generosity, kindness and enthusiasm that the PTO receives from our community. We look forward to seeing you soon and working together to support our great school.
Sincerely,
Karen Markson and Una Simmons
PTO Co-Presidents
Cheryl Abramson and Alexia Giannakopoulos
Big Night Co-Chairs
Visit the Online Auction Website