SEPAC: Special Education Rights during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Newton SEPAC Meeting:  Monday, November 23, 7:30-9 p.m. via Zoom
Please join Newton SEPAC for a presentation on Special Education Rights during the COVID-19 Pandemic
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83029946801?pwd=ZkcvMVZ0M3l3V0YreDZURTBsaXRlQT09
They will discuss the most current DESE decisions and guidelines affecting special education students in Massachusetts during the pandemic. Some of the areas covered will include IEP service delivery, compensatory services, evaluations, administrative timelines, etc. There will also be time for Q&A from families.
Presented by:  Daniel Heffernan, Esq., Newton parent and Special Education Attorney at Kotin Crabtree and Strong, LLP

Newton SEPAC presents: Special Education Rights during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Please join Newton SEPAC (Newton Special Education Parent Advisory Council) for a presentation on:

Special Education Rights during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Monday, November 23, 2020
7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83029946801?pwd=ZkcvMVZ0M3l3V0YreDZURTBsaXRlQT09

Presented by:

Daniel Heffernan, Esq., Newton parent and Special Education Attorney at Kotin Crabtree and Strong, LLP

Dan will discuss the most current DESE decisions and guidelines affecting special education students in Massachusetts during the pandemic. Some of the areas Dan will cover include IEP service delivery, compensatory services, evaluations, administrative timelines, etc. We will also have time for Q&A from families.

Newton Schools Foundation Liaison needed!

The mission of the Newton Schools Foundation is to advance excellence in the Newton Public Schools. To that end, NSF supports the professional development of educators, new approaches to teaching in the classroom, and programs that address both racial and income inequities to enable all students to achieve their full potential.

The NSF Board would like to collaborate with the Bigelow PTO to strengthen the relationship between our school and the NSF donors who fund these programs.  With a better understanding of NSF’s mission and available funds, the Bigelow PTO will be able to encourage Mr. Harrison and teachers to apply for NSF grants that will enhance educational opportunities in Bigelow, and advise NSF of supplemental programs we are exploring which might be grant-eligible.

In an effort to create this collaboration, we’d like to invite a member of our parent community to be a liaison to NSF. The time commitment is minimal but the impact can be significant.  Find the NSF Liaison Description here.

Want to learn more about the logistics of the role of school liaison and the expectations for this new relationship going forward, and to familiarize you with NSF?  Attend Zoom meeting with NSF’s two co-presidents, Liz Hiser and Rhanna Kidwell for Tuesday, December 15 at 7:00 pm to further discuss:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85879561438?pwd=RjQ4cGtrSjNOSHl1MThnWWR5Z1Y2Zz09

Meeting ID: 858 7956 1438 – Passcode: 786028

 

Remote Checkout & Curbside Pickup at Bigelow

Do you want your child to have independent reading books for the Thanksgiving Break?  Encourage them to participate in remote checkout and curbside pickup at Bigelow.

Bigelow students can place a book on hold in the Destiny Catalog until 3:00 p.m. on Monday  11/23. Ms. Summa, the library teacher, will pull, process, and bag all books on hold. All bagged books will be labeled with students’ names and can be picked up in the lobby @ Bigelow M.S. during the following days and times:

Tuesday, November 24 between 12 p.m. – 3:00 p.m
Wednesday, November 25 between 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.

To learn more go to the Remote Checkout & Curbside Pickup page on the Bigelow Library website.

ps – Thank you for the paper bags!!!!!

Reminder: Daily Health Assessment

From the NPS Office of Secondary Education: 

As we begin our in-person hybrid learning model this week, we remind you to please complete the daily health assessment with your student prior to school each day. Guidance from Newton Health and Human Services requires the following:

  • Staff and students are required to complete a daily health assessment at home prior to coming to school. Anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms must stay home from school. Anyone who develops symptoms during the school day will be dismissed.

Please help keep our school community healthy by doing your part.

Thank you and we will see your student(s) this week!

NPS Daily Health Assessment

From the Principal: Let’s get ready for the new week schedule

If you’re coming to school this, please make sure you check your Google calendar for the rooms and times of your classes before arriving at school so you know where to go.

Cohort A/A+ students should arrive between 8:05-8:15am next Monday and Tuesday and report directly to their first period classroom. Cohort B/B+ should arrive at the same time, 8:05-8:15am next Thursday and Friday, and report directly to their first period classroom. Distance student will receive zoom links for these classes.

Teachers will be present in the hallways to help you find the location of your rooms, but will not have easy access to your schedule.

  • Sixth and seventh graders should bring their Chromebook laptops.  Eighth graders should bring their own devices.  Make sure you recharge the laptop battery the night before coming to school, and bring the recharging cord and your earphones/microphone with you.
  • If you are cohort B, B plus, or Distance B, and are doing asynchronous work on Monday and Tuesday, please check your teachers’ Schoology pages for the assignments you need to be working on.
  • Distance students should log into the zoom links for their morning classes on Monday and Tuesday, or Thursday and Friday, when the hybrid students are in-school. The links are in your google calendar.

Finally, here is the list of things to bring with you if you are coming to school this week.  Your teachers will tell you if you need anything else when you see them.

  • backpack
  • 2 masks
  • laptop and recharging cord
  • earphones/microphone
  • warm and dry clothes (for going outside at mask breaks)
  • paper
  • pencils and pens
  • refillable water bottle
  • independent reading book.

If you or your child have questions about our re-opening on Monday, I encourage you to view the video powerpoint about the start of the Split-Hybrid Plan:

Finally, a reminder that if you are travelling out of state this week, we require that students follow state regulations and quarantine for 14 days after returning to Massachusetts or get a negative COVID test before returning to school.

Let the school year begin again! Go Bulldogs!

Mr. Harrison

Bigelow Walking and Biking to School – Fall 2020

“We are so excited to be welcoming back some of our hybrid learning next week, and 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

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

NEW THIS FALL

  • Two entrances will be open for students: the front entrance at Vernon for students coming from the North and the Gym entrance, at the parking lot, for those coming from the South.
  • 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.
  • Changes in traffic and parking regulations around Bigelow in light of Covid. See here.