Newton Youth Players at Newton City Hall

If your child would like to be a part of an outstanding after-school youth theatre program, then Newton Youth Players could be the answer to their performing dreams! This program, that famously fills up one year in advance, has a few spaces available for some upcoming plays, and the enrollment will start soon for next year. The casts are small, which gives every child an opportunity to feel they are an important part of the show. They sing, dance, make their own scenery, and wow their adoring public every time! Visit www.newtonyouthplayers.com for more information, and to enroll.

Spring 2014 – ‘Oliver’ (now enrolling)
Summer 2014 – ‘Annie’ (now enrolling)
Fall 2014 – ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ (now enrolling)
Winter 2015 – ‘Once Upon a Mattress’ (enrollment opens April 1st at 7:00 am)
Spring 2015 – ‘Annie’ (enrollment opens May 1st at 7:00 am)

Nursery School Openings for 2014-15 in Newton

The nonsectarian Second Church Nursery School  at 60 Highland St., West Newton has a limited number of openings for 2014-15. The school has been operating continuously since 1934 and currently offers both morning preschool classes and extended afternoon sessions. Children are grouped developmentally to promote growth and enhance social, cognitive and motor skills to help them become happy and independent people.

Interested parents should contact Director Susan Benes at617-527-4770 or email her at secondchurchnurseryschool@comcast.net. For more info about the school and Ms. Benes, visit www.2ndchurch.org.

Summer Learning Camps and Classes

The Chyten Center in Newton is offering a series of hands-on, real-life learning camps and classes for elementary and middle-school this summer.

Younger programs (Grades 2-5) include:
Shark Tank Jr. (Create your own business, just like on the TV show!)
Imagination Authors (Write your own novel and have it fully published)
Team Titans (Run your own baseball team and learn math in the process!)
The Literature Circle (Learn how to comprehend and analyze great children’s literature)
Discover My World (Do online research, learn Google Earth and design a “World’s Fair” with Legos)
Kids Career Time (Study, roleplay and experience five adult professions: Doctor, lawyer, architect, journalist and mayor)

Older programs (ages 11-14) include:
Writing Masters: The Muckrakers (Be part of a real newsroom and publish an online and print newspaper)
Vocabulary Masters: Drama Dictionary (Create an online video dictionary of advanced English vocabulary)

For more information visit TheChytenCenter.com/esteem or call 617-559-9936.
Now Enrolling for Summer Classes, Space is Limited

Cookie Dough Drive – New Information

NEW:  Want to support the Cyndi Daley-Smith and Howard B. Smith scholarship fund, but you do not the temptation of sweets??  Donate your cookie dough to Bigelow for election bake sales and the Bigelow drama / music department performances.  Or, to Newton Food Pantry.  Write on the sales form which entity your purchases are to be donated (or keep them for personal use and bake sales in your freezer/refrigerator).  If you choose to donate the “dough” to the Newton Food Pantry or Bigelow, we will make sure it gets to the right place.

Last day to purchase cookie dough is Friday, March 7.  Order forms are in the office and orders should be turned into the box marked “cookie dough” in the office.  Please see attached flyer for more details. 

Questions?  Contact:  Lauri Perry (laurisperry@hotmail.com).

PoPS invites you to “Be Chair-itable” and contribute to our TAKE A SEAT Campaign!

PARENTS of PERFORMING ARTS STUDENTS AT BIGELOW! PoPS invites you to “Be Chair-itable” and contribute to our TAKE A SEAT Campaign!

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST ENDEAVOR HELPING ENRICH THE PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCES OF OUR CHILDREN & THEIR AUDIENCES, & MANY MORE AFTER THEM!

Two years ago, the inaugural year of PoPS, we helped raise the funds to install the sound system in the theater at Bigelow. This year, we are committed to replacing the folding chairs with better seats which interlock, and stack, making setting up & storage much simpler.

As a special fundraiser initiative, 
we invite you to make a donation to 
“TAKE A SEAT” 
and secure a ticket to Man of La Mancha (On March 13, 14 and 15)
at the same time. 

The musical typically sells out, so this idea makes sense!

Everyone who makes a donation will be thanked in the program. Even if you donate one dollar, it will all go towards a much needed addition to the school, not just for plays or concerts but for any assembly or school wide event that uses the auditorium.  

AND, as a special incentive!:

  • THE FIRST 50 PEOPLE to pledge a donation of $20-99 will receive one free ticket to one performance.
  • THE FIRST 14 pledges of $100 or more will receive two free tickets AND WILL HAVE TWO SEATS RESERVED FOR THEM WITH THEIR NAME ON THEM IN THE 2ND OR 3RD ROW OF THE FRONT SECTION OF SEATS IN THE THEATER!  ** These seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis **

So, 14 pairs of seats will be available on Thursday, and on Friday, and on Saturday to be reserved by the first 14 participants who wish to pledge $100.  Please note: in order to give as many people the opportunity to have seats reserved, only one pair of reserved seats will be allocated per donor so specify the night you prefer. 

Tickets will be available as usual to all, whether or not they take part or not in this fundraiser. 

We are sending this information out to all of the cast, crew and band members first; in another week, it will be posted to the general Bigelow community on the PTO newsletter.  DEADLINE FOR ALL TAKE-A-SEAT PLEDGES WILL BE MONDAY, MARCH 10th, in order for donors names to be put in the theater program.  

To make your pledge, email me back in the first instance so that I can allocate your ticket and make sure your name will appear in the program. Once all pledges are in, I will be able to email you if you are one of the lucky recipients of the name-tagged reserved seating! We will then tell you how you can pay.
Best wishes to you all as we head into the home stretch of rehearsals, and many thanks in advance for your participation in this new PoPS endeavor.
Nancy Gair on behalf of PoPS nrgair@gmail.com

 

LAST CALL for Big Night Auction Items

If you have been thinking about donating to the Big Night Auction but have not had a chance, please consider donating today!!!!

Tickets to sporting events, gift cards for services, restaurant gift certificates, vacation get aways,  jewelry, artwork, a dinner or cocktail party, memberships etc are all appreciated.  Click here  to donate to the auction on line.  Thank you to all of you who have already donated to the auction.

Bigelow Middle School PTO is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization.  Tax ID #20-0348453. All donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law.

Thank you, your event co chairs – Liz Haas and Laurie Halloran

SchoolKidz Volunteer Needed

We are looking for someone to lead the SchoolKidz effort.  SchoolKidz is the program through Staples that allows parents to pre order school supplies.  School supplies are available for pick up the week before school starts and no trip to the store is required.  This is a great service for families and it benefits your children through the PTO.

What does the SchoolKidz leader need to do?  Coordinate the updating of supply lists with the school.  Oversee the ordering by parents in May / June.  Arrange a delivery day at the school in August.  Organize the boxes and add the “special” items into the orders after delivery (we will get a few helpers for you.)  Oversee distribution the morning of the Open House in August.  This program is all done on line.  We will help do all the advertising / PR.  And the past SchoolKidz leader is available to go over everything with you.

Interested??  We need your help!!  Please email bigelowbulldog@gmail.com

Cookie Dough Drive Underway

Please help support the Cyndi Daley-Smith and Howard B. Smith scholarship fund and buy cookie dough today!!!  16 flavors available and they can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months.

All orders are due this Friday March 7.  Delivery of cookie dough orders is March 27.  Extra packets and order forms are available in the main office.

Incentives:  Sell 3 tubs of cookie dough by Mar 7 and students receive a chance to win cash ($1 – 20 – 50 -100)!  Sell 5 tubs and you receive a chance of winning cash and a free tub of your favorite cookie dough!

Please see attached flyer for more details.  Thank you for your participation!

Please contact Lauri Perry (laurisperry@hotmail.com) with questions.