URGENT: Bigelow PTO Positions OPEN for 2023-24!

Would you consider volunteering your time for the 2023-2024 school year? The Bigelow Middle School PTO is still in need of volunteers for two co-presidents and will not be able to function if these positions are not filled before the start of the new school year.

Volunteering is a great way to make a difference in your student’s middle school experience and stay connected with our teachers and staff. Please review the descriptions for the roles mentioned above and other open positions here! If you have any questions or need additional details, please email bigelowbulldog@gmail.com.

Bigelow Performing Arts Needs Your Help!

Please help Bigelow PoPS (Parents of Performing Arts Students) advocate for Bigelow Drama!

Due to the recent budget cuts, the position for Ms. Moriarty, Bigelow’s drama teacher and theater director, has been reduced to 0.78 FTE (full-time equivalent) for the 2023-24 school year (a full-time position is 1.0 FTE). As a result of this reduction, there will be no 8th grade drama class next year as part of the usual rotation of FAA classes. Drama will be offered to 8th graders as an elective, but with the capacity for a much smaller number of students. This is a bad precedent to set moving forward – as many of you know, once something is taken away it is hard to lobby a need to bring it back. 

One easy way to help is to write a quick email to the Interim Superintendent Kathleen Smith at smithkath@newton.k12.ma.us, the new Superintendent, Dr. Anna Nolin (after July 1), and/or the School Committee at schoolcommittee@newton.k12.ma.us. Superintendent Nolin starts her position on July 1, but she has already offered to meet people in small groups over the summer if anyone is interested: Meet and Greet.

We know how important the performing arts are to the Bigelow community, and we have a particularly large cohort of theater kids in the rising 8th grade class. To quote a current 8th grader at Bigelow, “Why are the arts always getting cut?” The reinstatement of the elementary strings program was a victory coming out of the recent budget negotiations, and one major reason that happened is because our community spoke up in support of the arts. Please consider doing the same for the issues mentioned above. 

Metco Scholarship Fund

As a society, we face the challenge of defining who we become next.
Will we continue to build opportunity and hope for everyone, especially
those most in need of our support?
At the Newton METCO Community Scholarship Fund, we are inspired by
following words of Eddie S. Glaude Jr., the James S. McDonnell
Distinguished University Professor of African American Studies at
Princeton University:
We have to become better people by fundamentally transforming
the conditions of our living together.

(Democracy in Black, 2016).
Please join us in helping to transform the conditions of learning and
living for our Newton METCO graduates by donating to the scholarship
Fund today.

Please make your check payable to: Newton METCO Community
Scholarship Fund, Inc., and mail your contribution to:
Newton METCO Community Scholarship Fund
P.O. Box 600053
Newtonville, MA 02460

We are not accepting online donations at this time. Thank you.

Celebration of Queer Culture

Saturday, June 17, 10:00-2:30 p.m.

City Hall, War Memorial

The mission of the “Celebration of Queer Culture,” is to highlight and provide education for parts of queer culture that are usually erased or taken out of the spotlight.  In partnership with the City of Newton HHS, the Human Rights Commission, the Newton Youth Commission, Lasell University, and the New Art Center, we will highlight queer history, queer art and the intersectionality within the queer community. This will be achieved by celebrating with a queer art display, a community art project, a queer history presentation, a resource fair, a panel highlighting queer high schoolers of color, music, and more! This is an event created by young queer people that creates an informative and welcoming space where queerness is not just tolerated, but celebrated.

In addition to the event promotion, we are seeking young queer artists to showcase their talent as part of the event.   We want to include as many perspectives and as much artwork as possible.  If you could share this flyer as well, that would be great!

Artist Application Google Form: https://forms.gle/8ywmbYL7yy3FinJ5A

Green School Connections

June 8, 4:30-5:30

The Countryside Green Team is hosting School Connections for our final meeting of the school year, next Thursday, June 8, 4:30 – 5:30 pm. Countryside is located at 191 Dedham St in Newton Highlands. We will meet at the raised garden bed to the left of the front entrance.

Click HERE for our Agenda.*** Important: Countryside does not have an indoor option. Please check your email if there is potential for inclement weather, as we may need to switch to a Zoom meeting. ***

Call Y3K TUTOR IN YOUR HOME today, when schoolwork goes the wrong way

Our many years of experience in teaching and educational consulting has developed the right way to motivate, the right way to teach, be understood, and be remembered. We tutor special education such as ADHD, autism, executive function,learning disabilities, anxiety, behavior, life skills, and gifted. We also tutor regular education and test preparation. In addition to academic subjects, we teach children organization, homework coaching, study skills, and time management.All subjects and ages are taught. Parents can now receive 25% off the first lesson. Call 781-492-8700 or log on tohttps://www.Y3KTutorInYourHome.com

Line Leaders Camp

Wellesley, MA: August 14 – August 18, 9am – 12 noon  Week 1 Registration

Wellesley, MA: August 21 – August 25, 9am – 12 noon Week 2 Registration

It can be hard to imagine that one kid can change the world but at Line Leaders Summer Camp we dream big! In one-week half-day sessions we keep kids engaged in our socially conscious framework through a revolutionary combination of open conversations, process art, and collaborative games. We help kids feel empowered to make a difference in their communities by breaking down some common invisible barriers that stand in their way: having the language to discuss tough topics, the agency to question them, and the space to creatively explore what it means to be a changemaker in an oft unjust world. Each day of Line Leaders is full of crafts, active play, friendship-building, and fun! 

https://revolutionaryhumans.com/line-leaders-summer-camp

Bigelow PoPS Meeting: Thursday, June 1st @ 7 pm

The Bigelow PoPS (Parents of Performing Students) is a community of dedicated parents that supports the performing arts through advocacy, fundraising, coordination, and volunteering. Any parent or guardian who has a student in Orchestra, Chorus, Band, A Capella, or Drama is welcome and encouraged to participate in the PoPS and support our students and performing arts faculty.

Are you curious about Bigelow PoPS? Interested in joining next year?

Please join us (via Zoom) at the last meeting of the school year on Thursday, June 1 at 7 pm. We look forward to getting to know you!

Zoom link: Join here