We had our first PTO meeting of the year on October 18th 2017.  Below is a summary of what we talked about:

1. Principal’s Welcome and Update

1) Two research studies:
a. Brandeis University. Study on political socialization of adolescents.
b. Wellesley college. Study on social media and the effects on early social media use
2) All School Dance on 10/27.
3) Bigelow has a new Tweeter account
4) Progress reports
5) One Book, One School program
6) Turkey Ball.
7) How to deal with smartphones for kids?

2. PTO fundraisers

• The Supper Stroll – 11/04
• New Ginza. – 11/22
• Skate Night at the Warrior rink. 12/08
• Bigelow Big Night. – 03/24
• Amazon Smile. Button on website
• Candle Fundraiser – 10/27 to 11/9
• SchoolKidz school supply boxes – The PTO will not be doing it anymore.

3. Nominating Committee Needs and Volunteers

• To comply with the PTO by-laws, we need parents from the 4 feeder schools to join the nominating committee
• Volunteer opportunities are always open at the Bigelow PTO.

4. Programs supported by the PTO

• Creative Arts and Sciences
• One Book, One School

5. Open for Questions and Comments.

• Families Organizing for Racial Justice
• Peer Leaders program at Bigelow
• GSA Club at Bigelow
• Bigelow Outreach Club

6. Next PTO meetings
Winter Meeting: 01/11/18
Spring Meeting: 04/04/18
Annual Meeting: 06/06/18

Please read the Meeting Minutes for more details.

From the Principal’s Office

Our first All-School Dance is coming up next Friday, October 27, 6:30-9:00pm.  Dance tickets are $6 and will be on sale this week and next during lunch in the cafeteria. Students can hang out, play ping pong or other games, and listen and dance to music in the gym. Pizza and snacks will be sold in the cafeteria.

Our dances are open to all Bigelow students in grades 6, 7, and 8.  Asking a classmate as a “date” to the dance is unnecessary and discouraged. We want all students to come and have fun with friends. The theme of this dance is Halloween, and costumes (but no masks) are encouraged!

A few parent chaperones are needed. (Costumes optional!) Please email Assistant Principal Lucas Mogensen at Lucas_Mogensen@newton.k12.ma.us if you are interested in helping out. Parent chaperones help take tickets, sell refreshments, and supervise the hallways; teachers and counselors chaperone inside the gym.

Bigelow dances are for Bigelow students only, and all school rules apply at this event.  The dance ends promptly at 9:00 p.m., and we ask that parents pick up on time at the gym entrance then. For safety reasons, students are not allowed to walk home, even in a group, without parent accompaniment.

Sincerely,

Todd Harrison
Principal

Bring the warm glow of candles into your home for the holiday season and support the school at the same time.

Students will receive order forms and information packets about PartyLite Candles from their Homebase teachers this Friday, October 27th. Orders and payments must be returned to Homebase teachers on Tuesday, November 7th.

“PartyLite Candles are a mix of natural essential oils, the highest quality food grade paraffin and soy wax. This combination results in a lower melting temperature that completely liquifies but is still able to release a lot of wonderful aromatics! Since our wax is food grade you can recycle the jars for anything you want!

– Hypoallergenic, Non Toxic and Safe for Children & Pets
– All our wax is USA made
– Derived from a Renewable Resource and Biodegradable
– Burn up to 50% longer
– Fragrance Technology-Scents formulated to be combinable creating a third unique signature fragrance”

Please see attached the Fall 2017 PartyLite Catalogue

Programs at Bigelow

The Anti-Defamation League’s A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE Institute Peer Training Program provides students in the middle and high school with the opportunity to increase their understanding of the causes of prejudice and its manifestations such as name calling, bullying and cyberbullying. All four middle schools in Newton have an ADL Peer Leader program.

Working closely with Bigelow’s advisors, Kyra Mercado, Kim LeQuire, and Stefanie Dalfior, the trained students from Bigelow will take an active role in leading workshops for their peers during school to promote inter-group dialogue and understanding as well as respect for individual differences.

The Peer Leadership commitment involves a weekly planning meeting, as well as various opportunities to share their skills and knowledge.  Bigelow has 32 7th and 8th grade peer leaders this year. Students are nominated by their teachers, and the selection process of students to become Peer Leaders includes the criteria:

• Students who represent a wide variety of social groups within Bigelow Middle School  and students from each of the Bigelow teams
  
• Students who are actively kind and compassionate at school
  
• Students who consistently listen to their peers and adults at school
  
• Students who have expressed interest in skills of facilitating
  
• Students whose actions at school have shown they are part of the solution
  

We want to thank our sponsors for their food donations in support of the program:  Wegmans, Star Market, and BJ’s.

Families Organizing for Racial Justice (FORJ) is a group started by three parents in Newton to foster inclusion, acceptance, understanding and support for all people. We still have a lot of work to do to make all kids and families feel valued in every community.

FORJ’s goal is to have a group in every Newton school that advocates and supports locally for racial justice in whatever format works for us at Bigelow. We are looking for volunteers who want to join our group and help develop and implement a plan to engage kids and parents (separately or together) around social justice issues that make our school and city strong, welcoming communities. One of the FORJ founders, Amy Behrens, is working with Newton Public Schools this year on training and education in all of our schools.

More information at:
www.facebook.com/FORJNewton
www.forjnewton.wordpress.com

Please contact Regina Sullivan, parent of a 6th grader, if you are interested in learning more about FORJ.  Her email address is sicily4@aol.com.  Everyone is welcome!

The Bigelow GSA (Gay-Straight-Alliance) is a community of students and teachers who work together to create an environment of tolerance in our school. Our group provides a sanctuary for students to feel safe and be themselves. Basically we want you to be accepted for who you are because you are amazing!   Whether you are gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual,  straight or unsure, you can join the GSA.

More information at the GSA Website.

Did you know families can read the students morning announcements daily? They are available online on a Google Doc maintained by M. Swan, 8th Grade Social Studies teacher. A link to it is in the Bigelow PTO website, under Bigelow Links, on the right side bar.

To find out what announcements your student is hearing each morning during home base,  click here.

Note from M. Swan

Hello PTO! I am the 8th grade teacher who facilitates the AM announcements — making sure we have student announcers, proofreading announcements beforehand, and otherwise maintaining the GoogleDoc they read from.

This is a link to that GoogleDoc: Morning Announcements. Only specific Bigelow staff have editing access, but it can be viewed by anybody. You might include this in future PTO newsletters so parents can see what their children should be hearing about upcoming clubs.

Best wishes,
Andrew Swan

Please share your food service experience so that the NPS food service department can improve service, address any issues of concern, and make changes that create a more positive experience for students and families.

The survey should take no more than 5 minutes and gives very important feedback!

Parent Survey: https://www.sodexosurveys.com/f/102256/699f/

Student Survey (middle/high school only): https://www.sodexosurveys.com/f/102282/1611/