Category Archives: From the PTO

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.

   

And many more…

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.

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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

 

Some Good Book News, Episode 1

The NPS middle school Library Teachers, including Bigelow’s Ms. Summa, have created a weekly segment called Some Good Book News (SGBN). They will be doing weekly segments, which can be found on the Bigelow Library’s School Closure page.

In the 1st episode Ms. Summa introduces From Above, by Norah McClintock, Ms. Guzzi recommends The Red Glass, by Laura Resau, and Ms. Lightfoot talks about the AudioFile Sync summer reading program. Check it out!

2020 Yearbook Pictures Needed this Friday!

School may be closed, but Bigelow is still planning to produce a yearbook for this school year. Led by advisor Sheryl Rice, a group of hard-working students are continuing to chronicle this most unusual year in a volume that will surely be a valuable memento and worth ordering. In addition to the many great pages of photos that they have assembled already about events that have taken place at Bigelow this year, the Yearbook Club needs your help as well!

They would like to include photos of students engaged in distance learning during this school shutdown.  In particular, they’re looking for 1-2 candid photos from each student in all grades engaged in activities such as:

  • fitness
  • outdoor activities
  • playing with pets
  • cooking
  • making things
  • playing music
  • working on projects
  • wearing purple or Bigelow gear to show school spirit
  • having your own pajama day
  • Etc… be creative!
  • Please no family photos–we just want Bigelow students

The Yearbook Club will select some of these photos to feature in the Yearbook.  Click here to submit your photos.  The deadline for submitting photos is Friday, May 7.

The deadline for ordering a yearbook has been extended until May 15.  Please see the directions here for how to order your yearbook. Order Online now.