Thank you to all the families who ordered a hard copy of the Bigelow PTO Family Directory.
Directories are ready to be distributed at Back to School Night, on Thursday 10/03. Please be there to get your pre-ordered copy at 6:30pm, in order to avoid lines and be ready to be at homebase by 7pm.
The PTO Family Directory is also available online and can be used for free by all Bigelow families.
As a warm-up to the all-school dance on October 25, all sixth graders are invited to attend their own Grade 6 Social on Friday afternoon, October 4, from 3:00-4:30pm. There will be games, ping pong, and pizza in the cafeteria, and music and basketball in the gym. Tickets are $6 and sold during lunch in the cafeteria beginning October 1st. This is an opportunity for 6th graders to have fun with new and old friends. The School Store will be open: students can bring cash if they want to buy snacks or a Bigelow water pouch.
The sun was out, the cars got clean, the kids got very wet, a lot of treats were eaten, and the Class of 2020 raised over to $500 towards eighth grade activities and scholarships.
Thank you to everyone who helped and to everyone who brought their cars and their sweet teeth to support our kids! Thank you to all the enthousiastic students that worked at the car wash. Thank you to the parents who donated their time and baked goods.
Also a huge thanks to the Bigelow community – with a special shout out to Mr. Harrison, who was spotted washing cars, and Mrs. Morrow who organized the 8th graders to help out. A special thanks to Una Simmons and Karen Markson for stepping up for this event.
ps – the Class of 2020 is still looking for an 8th Grade Activities Committee Chair.
Thanks to the planning, coordination and advocacy of the Bigelow Committee for the Improvement of the Auditorium (CIA) which includes the Bigelow PTO and the Parents of Performing Arts Students (PoPS), the Bigelow auditorium is being gradually renovated. In the summer, NPS Facilities Department invested in new lights.
Message from Jaime Alberts, Bigelow Music and Drama teacher:
“THE BIGELOW AUDITORIUM GOT NEW HOUSE LIGHTS! It is UNQUESTIONABLY the biggest single improvement to the auditorium that has happened in the 13 years I’ve been at Bigelow.
Everyone’s really excited- several people thought it got repainted because it looks so different. The biggest beneficiaries, of course, are the students and I, and we wanted to show our thanks! So we made a thank you music video.”
Let’s celebrate health and sustainability next week! International Walk & Roll to School Day is October 2. The weather is going to be beautiful, let’s do it on Oct 2, 3 AND 4?
Resources
– 4 ways that walking to school can benefit kids
– Why, and how, kids should walk or bike to school
– MassDEP Safe Routes to School
In preparation, Newton parents – what is it that keeps your children from walking or biking safely to their destination? Be part of the solution and alert the City of Newton via Newton 311.
Potholes, sidewalk repairs, traffic signal not working, faded or missing crosswalks, shrubs overtaking the sidewalk. Snap a photo to include if you can, note the location, and submit to Newton 311 at https://newtonma.mycusthelp.com/webapp or 617-796-100.
Make Newton safer for everyone! Brought to you by the Newton Safe Routes to School Task Force. Bigelow does not have a Safe Routes to School representative yet. Would you like to be? Contact us: bigelowbulldog@gmail.com
The Bigelow Library website is a great resource for students. It offers reading suggestions by genre, it has pages on diverse books, coding, global learning and curriculum project links. Check it out: Bigelow Library Home. Students and families can also follow what is going on in the Bigelow Library on Twitter: @BigelowReads.
This past week there was a discussion on banned books: “Bigelow reads banned books because books show us every color of the rainbow AND banning books silences stories AND censorship leaves us in the dark. Turn your light on by checking out a banned book @ the library this week. Thanks @BannedBooksWeek for these great promotional resources!”
Registration for the 6th annual Newton Turkey Trot is now open! This year they will be supporting two great causes: The Newton Food Pantry and the Travis Roy Foundation’s Ethan Wang Fund. Ethan is a Newton South class of 2016 graduate and Boston University political science student who survived severe spinal damage in March 2019. We are hoping for a large turn-out from our students!
Register early before the prices increase and to be guaranteed an awesome T-shirt!
Race day is November 23rd (the Saturday before Thanksgiving), A USATF accredited 5K at 9:00 am, the kids’ 1 mile fun run at 8:30 am. Details, registration and volunteer info at http://www.newtonturkeytrot.org
The Community Preservation Committee meeting includes an announcement by Mayor Ruthanne Fuller about the preservation of open space at 300 Hammond Pond Parkway (“Webster Woods”) and a PUBLIC HEARING on a design funding request for the Pigeon Hill Trail portion of the proposed Riverside Greenway along the Charles River in Auburndale.
Please note that the Mayor’s announcement at this meeting is not a public hearing. The CPC will follow its usual public notice, public access, and public hearing process for the anticipated Webster Woods funding request. For details see www.newtonma.gov/cpa or contact Alice Ingerson at aingerson@newtonma.gov or 617-796-1144.
October 10th, 7:00 pm, Newton City Hall City Council Chamber
Come to one or both of the presentations:
Dr. Julie Edmunds and Ms. Jennifer Dirga will lead a panel discussion on how to develop skills to manage anxiety and the different aspects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), providing education for and practical tips for parents. Dr. Edmunds is an assistant in Psychology at MGH and an Instructor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, specializing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for children, adolescents, and young adults with anxiety, mood, and behavioral disorders. Ms. Jennifer Dirga MSW, LICSW. was the Director of Social-Emotional and Learning at Project Adventure and a former MAA School Counselor.
Jessica Minahan will speak about how parents can help children reduce and manage anxiety. Ms. Minahan is a licensed and board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA), author, special educator, and consultant to schools. Since 2000 she has worked with students who struggle with mental health issues and challenging behavior in school systems.
For more information and to register for this free series click here https://www.maa.school/apps/form/speakerseries?fbclid=IwAR2S2-M8UtLYJXWp_ViRMo26F_6dKuhVVtIH1jtynF8bpGdwtm0FT9lL588
October 15th, 7:00 – 9:00 pm and December 4th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Mount Alvernia Academy, 20 Manet Road, Chestnut Hill
Registration for the NGBA 2019-2020 season opens this week.
Please visit the NGBA website http://www.newtongirlsbball.com/ to register and obtain additional details about the league.