Bulldog Bulletin!
Week of 09/13-09/17
September 12, 2021
Week 1 down!
In the midst of uncertainty, rain, pandemic, health & safety concerns, new leadership, and more - with your help, we managed to successfully complete the first couple days of school. Yay! :-)
Special thanks to each student & family for showing up in a major way to make the "return-to-school" experience unforgettable. We truly were thoughtful with our opening plans & hope that each student felt welcome walking through the Bigelow doors to start another school year.
There is plenty of information included within this newsletter for your family to digest. Feel free to contact me, any other member of Bigelow leadership, or the Executive Admin. Asst., Kersten Raso, with questions, comments, or concerns.
Lastly, we look forward to meeting all of our students & their families at our Bigelow Back to School Block Bash on Tuesday, 09/14 from 4:30-6:30pm behind the school! See flyer for more details toward the bottom of this newsletter; please bring cash for food trucks. We can't wait to see you all!
-Chassity Coston, Principal
What's going on this week?
- Day 3 of the cycle
- Bulldog Block; students will receive Chromebooks
~TUESDAY, 9/14:
- Day 4 of the cycle
- Bigelow Back-to-School Block Bash! 4:30-6:30pm; bring your whole family!
~WEDNESDAY, 9/15:
- Day 5 of the cycle
- First Day of Hispanic Heritage Month
~THURSDAY, 9/16:
- No School; Yom Kippur
~FRIDAY, 9/17:
- Day 6 of the cycle
- T-shirt Fridays! Students, rock your Bigelow, college, educational, or favorite t-shirt/gear!
School Focus & Priorities 2021-2022 • #GrowBigelow
We are committed to #Grow(ing)Bigelow through a more unified vision of culture & collaboration. The ways in which we will accomplish this is through these top priorities for 2021-2022 (aligned with NPS):
● Relationships & connection through social-emotional learning & wellness
● Universal Design for Learning (UDL), with supports from MTSS (RTI) & Student Services
● Equity, Culturally-Responsive Pedagogy, & anti-racism
H E L P F U L • R E M I N D E R S :
~School start time: School starts at 8:05am this year, which is different from previous years. 8:05am is also when attendance is taken. Please ensure your child is arriving to school on time.
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Behavioral expectations in the classroom, cafeteria, & hallway
- Cell phones & social media expectations (phones should be in lockers during school day)
- Dress code
- Have a combination lock for lockers
- Backpacks/bookbags in lockers
- Lunch seat numbers (when weather causes indoor eating)
- Proper mask wearing
~In-school rapid COVID testing will begin next week. More information to come.
Bigelow PTO Family Directory
The Bigelow PTO Family Directory is hosted online at Membership Toolkit. The access is free and it can be used by all Bigelow families. The directory is run and funded by the PTO thanks to your support!
The online platform is a secure and easy-to-use tool that organizes contact information from all Bigelow families unless they specifically opt-out. It is a convenient, environmentally conscious system, that can be updated throughout the school year. Click the link below for more info.
Join FORJ to Help Strengthen Bigelow’s Work around Racial Justice!
Bigelow Middle School FORJ (Bigelow FORJ) is a school-based chapter of Newton’s Families Organizing for Racial Justice (FORJ). Bigelow FORJ is a group of devoted parents, faculty & administrators committed to raising anti-racist children who acknowledge the pervasiveness of systemic barriers, speak out against injustices, and seek action-oriented solutions.
We invite parents and children to engage in critical conversations that support questioning, challenging & dismantling systemic racism, structural inequities, including anti-Blackness, racial discrimination, unconscious biases & all other forms of racial injustice and social exclusion.
Please email us at bigelowforj@gmail.com and tell us if:
- you would like to get our monthly announcements;
- you’d like to join our leadership committee;
- you have some ideas about how to promote antiracist work at Bigelow; and/or
- you'd like to participate in broader conversations on antiracism, diversity & inclusion.
We are currently developing plans for this year and seek new energy and ideas. Thank you!
Margo Michaels and Kaori Urayama (parents of 7th graders)
DESE Pilot 7th Grade Social Studies Curriculum
Join Jazz Band!
Jazz Band will be a place where students can improve on their instruments by playing Jazz, Funk and other big band sounds. Rehearsals will be held before school on days 3 & 6. Questions? Contact Mr. Ed Harlow at harlowe@newton.k12.ma.us. See flyer below for more details, or click here to sign up!
Upcoming Dates:
- Friday, September 24: 8th Grade Car Wash & Bake Sale
- Friday, September 24: T-shirt Fridays! Rock your Bigelow, college, educational, or favorite t shirt/gear!
- Thursday, October 7: Early Release
- Monday, October 11: No School; Indigenous People's Day
Quote of the Week!
Contact Principal Coston!
Please know that I am committed to the continued excellence of Bigelow Middle School and its families, faculty/staff, & surrounding Newton community. I look forward to an amazing, progressive, and world-changing school year as we work together to #GrowBigelow.
Please feel free to contact me as needed. In the meantime, stay safe & well.
Email: costonc@newton.k12.ma.us
Website: newton.k12.ma.us/bigelow
Phone: 617-559-6800
Twitter: @ChassityCoston