Many thanks to Ron Farrar, Suriya Ziblatt, and Sirimon Parker for organizing an amazing teacher appreciation week complete with 3 luncheons. On Monday, 6th grade families treated Bigelow staff to lunch followed by 7th grade families on Wednesday. The 8th grade will cap off the week with an apppreciation lunch on Friday.

Thank you to the many families who donated time, money, and food to help show our appreciation for Bigelow’s incredible teachers and staff!

Huge thank you to the volunteers who helped reinvigorate the grounds around Bigelow on Sunday morning for Newton Serves! Volunteers tirelessly weeded, planted, and mulched garden beds, and cleaned outdoor spaces around the school. Be sure to admire the new plantings and watch the gardens take shape in the coming months and years!

Reminder for 8th grade families! Please see payment information below for the 8th Grade Dinner Dance Cruise. We are also collecting donations to a scholarship fund!

BOSTON DINNER DANCE CRUISE: Tuesday, June 20th 6-9 pm
This dinner dance cruise in Boston has been fun, enjoyable, and safe Bigelow tradition for 8th grade classes, and we are excited for our students to have this experience. The cruise will be chaperoned, and includes a full dinner, drinks and a DJ.

PAYMENT: $75 per student (Scholarships are available)
Payment can be made in one of the following ways:

• VENMO @BigelowPTONewton (last 4 digits of phone are 5953) – Please write 8th grade cruise + child’s name 
• ZELLE Using PTO President Gabriela Kroszynski’s email address: frinulia@hotmail.com – Please write 8th grade cruise + child’s name
• CHECK Make check payable to “Bigelow PTO” and place it in an envelope. Please write your child’s name and “8th grade cruise” on the envelope. Your child should give the envelope to their Math Teacher, either Ms. Mercado or Ms. LeQuire.

SCHOLARSHIPS: If you are in need of financial assistance, please contact your student’s math teacher or the 8th grade School Counselor, Ms. Morrow.

• Ms. Morrow: (617) 559-6804 or morrowm@newton.k12.ma.us
• Ms. LeQuire (8F math teacher): lequirek@newton.k12.ma.us
• Ms. Mercado (8E math teacher): mercadok@newton.k12.ma.us

All students who want to attend will be able to!

DONATIONS: Please consider a donation to the scholarship fund  
To ensure all students who want to attend end of year 8th grade activities are able to, we are collecting donations for scholarships for students in need of monetory support. Donations can be made by any of the 3 payment methods above. Please indicate “8th grade donation” in the note field.

For more information for 8th grade activities please see this link.

Please reach out to Gabriela Kroszynski at frinulia@hotmail.com and/or Heather Pozen at hpoz@comcast.net with any questions.

The Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Office of Student Services would like to invite you to our upcoming NPS community forum: Culturally Responsive Community

This virtual event is open to all NPS students, parents, staff and administrators to hear from Lorena Germán, educator and author of Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices. Her presentation will be followed by a panel of NPS students and educators, who will speak about their identities and experiences with culturally-responsive instruction and practices in our school community. 

For the last several years, NPS leaders have been engaged in professional development and training to enhance culturally responsive instruction (CRI) in the classroom and beyond. This conversation is intended to help broaden the community’s understanding of the values, components and impact of a culturally responsive school community which acknowledges and embraces ALL identities and learning needs represented within NPS.  

*To register, please RSVP in advance in order to receive a zoom link prior to the event.

Volunteer for Bigelow SERVES
Sunday, May 7th 9 am to ~1pm*
*Please note earlier end time

Please join us this Sunday, May 7th to help reinvigorate the green areas around Bigelow for NewtonSERVES 2023. The event will run from 9 am to ~1pm (please note earlier end time) and volunteers are welcome to drop in for any amount of time. Every minute of your time helps!

Please wear work clothes and bring a refillable water bottle. We also request the following items if you have them:

• work/gardening gloves
• yard tools (shovels, rakes, trowels, etc)
• wheelbarrow
• watering can

**Please label any tools you bring so we can be sure they are reunited with you at the end of the event.**

NewtonSERVES is annual city-wide day of community service. This year the goal across Newton is to focus volunteer efforts on cleaning and improving our parks, school grounds, open space areas, and conservation lands. Please join us in building community through service!

All Bigelow families, friends, and neighbors are welcome!

Questions? Please email Giulia Guffanti (giuliaguffa@gmail.com) or Elizabeth Apgar (erapgar@gmail.com)

In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 7th – 13th), the Bigelow PTO will host three luncheons for our dedicated teachers and staff.  Each lunch will be catered by families from each grade:

• Monday, May 8th: 6th Grade Families Sign-Up
• Wednesday, May 10th: 7th Grade Families Sign-Up
• Friday, May 12th: 8th Grade Families Sign-Up

Please review sign-up links for each grade above, and deliver your donated item to Bigelow the morning of your grade’s luncheon. 

We are also accepting monetary donations to fund luncheon items. If you would prefer to donate money, the steps are:

• 1. Venmo @BigelowPTONewton and add note “[Grade] Teacher Appreciation Lunch”.
• 2. Sign up for an item in the grade-specific SignUpGenius link above. In the comments include “Venmo to Bigelow PTO [$ amount]”.
• 3. A PTO volunteer will cover that item for you the day of the luncheon. 

This will be our final teacher appreciation event of the year.  Let’s give our Bigelow staff a big thanks for all that they do!

If you have any questions, please contact Ron Farrar (ronfarrar@gmail.com) and Suriya Sangsub (suriya59@hotmail.com).

YEARBOOK ORDERING DETAILS

• Deadline: Friday, May 5th
• Price: $25

ORDERING OPTION #1: ***We encourage ordering online***

• Order online:  ybpay.lifetouch.com 
• Bigelow’s ID Code: 1945923
• Not sure if you’ve already ordered?  Click here to view your order history for the 2022-2023 school year.

ORDERING OPTION #2:

• If you cannot order online you can bring a check or cash to the school.
• Check for $25 payable to: Bigelow Middle School
• Memo: Student’s First & Last Name, Grade
• Checks/cash must be received by May 5th