Children’s Learning and Development Research

The Cognitive Neuroscience Group at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston is recruiting children, who are or are soon turning 8 or 10 years old, to participate in a research study funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

This is a longitudinal study that follows children over a period of 3 consecutive years. The goal is to improve understanding of learning in children. The study consists of 1 in-person visit (about 2.5 hours) per year for 3 years (weekdays/weekends). During this visit, children play several games on the computer and complete several language/memory tasks. The lab visit includes safe and noninvasive EEG recording. The day after the visit, kids complete a quick follow-up task from a home/library computer. Payment is $60.00 per year.

Free all day parking is provided at the Navy Yard. Please email cnglead@mghihp.edu or call 617- 643-4821 if you are interested or have any questions. More information can be found at https://clinicaltrials.partners.org/study/feedback_learning.

New Homework Policy

The Bigelow School Council has developed a new school-wide homework policy. This policy is based upon the latest research on homework, and clarifies the reasons for it, the amount of time that students should spend on homework in each grade, the responsibilities of students, teachers, and parents, and the procedures when homework is not completed. It also includes an appendix of suggestions for parents, and the School Council is finalizing a resource guide of best practices for teachers. Here is the link to it. 

Would you like to be a Laps at Lunch volunteer?

This is a great way to help our students get some fresh air in the middle of the day! At Laps at Lunch students  walk laps around the inside perimeter of Burr Park once they’re done with their lunches in the cafeteria. As a parent, you help them cross the street and monitor their walk. It’s a fun way to be around the kids and see how much they get from this opportunity. If interested please contact Mary Fitzgerald (physical education teacher) at: Mary_Fitzgerald@newton.k12.ma.us. More about the program here.

Ten Tables: Registration is Open!

You are invited to a fun evening with Bigelow families and staff!

Registration is now open! Please reserve your seats here. 

TEN Tables is a progressive dinner and is held at several homes in succession on one night. A single course is served at each home. At the first home everyone gathers for appetizers, you then go to a second home for dinner with 8-12 people, then everyone meets again to finish the night with desserts at a third house. TEN Tables, formerly known as Supper Stroll,  has been an enjoyable fundraiser for many, many years. Adults in the Bigelow Community are welcome to participate.

Come! We hope to see you!

Saturday, November 3rd, 6:30pm-11:30pm

Appetizers 6:30-8pm – The O’Rourke Residence
Dinners 8-10pm* – Assorted Residences
Dessert 10-11:30pm* – The Kelley Residence

*Guests will be given their dinner & the dessert address locations at the O’Rourke’s.

Buy Your Tickets Now!

 

A Big thank you to all the families who have generously opened their homes to host a dinner for our evening. We still need a few dinner hosts – please consider hosting and contributing to this great event!

If you have any questions, please contact Una Simmons at una@ethannet.com or BigelowBulldog@gmail.com

More information here

Open House and Parent Coffees

Classrooms in each grade will be open one morning for parents to visit during this week.   Wednesday, October 10, is open house for grade 7 classes. The day begins at 8 am with coffee in the library for seventh grade parents, and then parents are welcome to visit seventh grade classes until 11:00 am.  Thursday, October 11, is open house for eighth grade parents.  Coffee will be served for eighth grade parents at 8 am in the library, and then eighth grade classrooms are open until 10:52 am for parents to visit.  The sixth grade open house is on Friday, October 12.  Again, coffee will be served at 8 am in the library, and then parents may attend sixth grade classes in the morning until 10:52 am.   Please bring a copy of your child’s schedule so that you know which classrooms to visit, and please attend only the classrooms of the grade open on each designated day.

Don’t miss the Harvest Fair

The 43rd annual Harvest Fair is a two day event on the Newton Center Green. Kiddie amusement rides and face painting are on both Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. On Sunday, October 14th only, there is a huge CraftShow, the Green Expo, Free Pumpkin Decorating and fabulous entertainment. Admission is free.

This year, there are two entertainment stages! The dance stage on Langley Road features performances by Giroux Brothers, Rob’s Guitar School, DEAFinitely, Joanne Langione Dance Studios, Suzuki School of Newton, Creative Dance Steps, NorthAtlantic Dance Center, Newton Uke Jam, Youth Pro Musica and Dance’n Feet.  The band stage is located at the Beacon Street end of the Newton Center parking lot, and showcases six terrific local bands: Trash Rabbit, YCCA Center for Creative Arts, Loose Change, The Conservatory at Highlands, Big Chief and Atoms & Energy. Check them all out!

The favorites at Harvest Fair on Sunday are still there…free pumpkin decorating sponsored by Wegman’s, kiddie amusement rides, the 150 different craft and business booths selling everything from hand-made beautiful jewelry and clothing to imaginative gifts; as well as the Green Expo, sponsored by Green Newton, with  exhibitors offering solutions for reducing your carbon footprint. And as always, there’ll be great food.

Visit www.newtoncommunitypride.org or call 617-796-1298 for more information.

October 13th and 14th, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Newton Center Green and Parking Lot

Learn about the November ballot questions

What are all the November ballot questions about?  Come learn with LWVN!

It’s almost time to decide how you’ll vote on the upcoming state and local ballot questions in November. This year there are three state ballot questions, and two local ballot questions. If you still don’t know what the ballot questions are about, or don’t have the facts you need to vote, this will help.

Join members of the League of Women Voters of Newton (LWVN) to hear from presenters on both sides of the issues for state ballot Question 1 regarding patient-to-nurse limits and the Newton ballot questions regarding the dispensation of marijuana.  Attendees will have an opportunity to ask presenters from each side questions at the end of each presentation. RSVPs to info@lwvnewton.org are appreciated!

October 18th,  8:00 – 9:30 am at the Durant-Kenrick House, 286 Waverley Avenue, Newton

Can’t make it on the 18th?  The program on state ballot Question 1 will be taped soon and shown in late October.  For a discussion of state ballot Questions 2 and 3, watch the latest episode of ‘The League Presents’ on NewTV with guest Holly Gunner and LWVN Vice-President Lisa Mirabile.  The link to the program is:  https://newtv.org/recent-videos-community/120-the-league-presents/5302-ballot-questions-2-and-3.