Bulldog Bulletin!
Week of 01/10-01/14
January 9, 2022
Let it snow...
Hello, Bigelow families & students! I trust each of you had a great weekend and were able to enjoy some fun in the snow with family, friends, and pets; our bulldog above surely did.
As we continue to manage Omicron/COVID-19, please take note of the following reminders:
- N95, KN95, or surgical masks are encouraged. You may cover with a cloth mask.
- No large student gatherings or assemblies (with the exception of lunch). We will continue to utilize our current safety protocols while eating, and will provide greater distancing & outside options whenever & wherever possible.
- Only NPS employees and students will be permitted in NPS buildings. There will be no visitors, with the exception of approved contractors and other essential workers.
- To note the above, parent/guardian meetings, including IEP meetings, should be held virtually.
- INDOOR field trips are not permitted until further notice.
- Athletic events are allowed only 2 parent/guardian spectators per student athlete.
- Similar to above—for music, theater, and fine arts performances, only parents/guardians will be permitted in the audience.
Additionally, we will continue our current pooled testing plan with 6th grade & staff only. We hope to include 7th & 8th grade in the near future.
Many of these updates may feel familiar, as they are the same guidances we followed in the fall. Let's be sure to remain diligent about following these guidances, monitoring symptoms consistently, and encouraging our students to practice proper mask wearing. Lastly, please be sure to thoroughly check your e-mail inbox & review all communications sent from Supt. Fleishman over December recess.
A LOOK AT THIS WEEK: Wednesday is our usual short day, with a 1:50pm dismissal, as Parent Conferences will begin at 2pm. Please be sure to stay abreast of your Parent Conference appointment dates & times; confirmation should be in your e-mail inbox.
Feel free to contact me, any other member of Bigelow Leadership, or the Executive Admin. Asst., Kersten Raso, with questions, comments, or concerns. Thank you, and have a great & safe week!
-Chassity Coston, Principal
WEEKLY COVID CASES
This week, Bigelow recorded 5 COVID cases. Close contacts and classrooms were informed and provided instructions, per our notification protocols. Information on districtwide COVID cases and vaccination rates can be found on the Newton Health and Human Services website here: NPS COVID Case Count and Vaccination Rates.
~MONDAY, 01/10:
- Day 1 of the cycle
- Advisory
- 6B Parent Conferences
- Bigelow School Council Meeting, 6pm. Public comment portion is open to public | join here; password: bigelow
~TUESDAY, 01/11:
- Day 2 of the cycle
- Principal Coston Office Hours; see scheduling information below
~WEDNESDAY, 01/12:
- Day 3 of the cycle
- Dismissal at 1:50pm
- Parent Conferences beginning at 2pm; check your e-mail for your meeting confirmation
~THURSDAY, 01/13:
- Day 4 of the cycle
- Advisory
~FRIDAY, 01/14:
- Day 5 of the cycle
- COVID testing for staff & 6th grade students
- T-shirt Fridays! Rock your Bigelow, college, athletic, educational, or favorite t-shirt/gear!
Principal Coston has several convenient ways to chat:
· Principal Office Hours | Every Tuesday, Principal Coston offers 10-minute time slots from 3-4pm if you have a quick topic to speak with her about.
· Principal Coston's Calendar | this method offers 30-minute slots for more time to discuss in-depth topics with Principal Coston.
· E-mail or call 617-559-6811 to directly contact Exec. Admin. Asst. Kersten Raso, and she will be able to assist in finding you a more convenient time to meet with Principal Coston.
From NPS Transportation...
CHROMEBOOKS & NPS LOGIN
NPS Chromebooks will REQUIRE an NPS Login starting January 10, 2022. Prior to January 10, students are able to log in with a personal Gmail address to NPS chromebooks. This was done to allow students to more easily access their personal email accounts. Allowing personal logins, however, also provides students a way to circumvent some of the filtering we have in place with our Chrome Filtering Solution (Deledao). Personal logins also prevent backend investigations such as who last logged into a particular device—important when we need to investigate misplaced devices, etc.
Implications:
- Students will need to use their NPS accounts to log in to NPS-issued chromebooks starting on January 10, 2022.
- Personal Gmail Accounts will no longer work for logging into an NPS Chromebook starting on January 10, 2022.
- Students that need to access personal Google Accounts can still do so by adding an additional google profile on top of their NPS profile once logged into the Chromebook. All extensions (including Network filtering), etc. from their NPS account will remain active.
- This change will be automatically pushed out to devices, though some devices already logged in may not immediately be impacted.
*NOTE*: Bigelow 6th Grade will continue to participate in COVID testing every Friday.
Newton's 54th Annual Community Celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. **SEE FLYER BELOW**
As many of you may realize, Newton's annual celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. is just around the corner.
Event details are available at newtonma.gov/mlk22.
Registration is required for all program attendees (bit.ly/newtonmlk22), and we hope to see you there!
This year, the program will be inspired by Dr. King's final work, "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?"
The Harmony Foundation and event planning committee are encouraging our community to read this book prior to the event. (More information here)
Monday, Jan 17, 2022, 09:30 AM
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RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Upcoming Important Dates:
- Monday, January 17: No School | Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Tuesday, January 18: 8F Parent Conferences
- Wednesday, January 19: i-Ready (7th Grade)
- Thursday, January 20: 7C Parent Conferences
- Thursday, January 20: i-Ready (6th Grade)
- Friday, January 21: i-Ready (8th Grade)
- Thursday, January 27: 6A Parent Conferences
- Friday, January 28: Quarter 2 ends
- Monday, January 31: Quarter 3 begins
- Tuesday, February 1: 6B Parent Conferences
- Thursday, February 3: Early Release | Dismissal at 11:20am
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