In This Week's Issue:

• Mark Your Calendars - Dates to Know!
• Teacher Appreciation Week May 4 - May 8 [Action Required]
• Raffle Donations Request
• BASCP Cradles to Crayons Clothing Drive
• BASCP 2026 - 2027 Sign Up Information
• Community Notes
  • Note from Anna Nolin
  • Newton's 250th Anniversary Parade

• May 1st - BASCP Sign Up 9 A.M

  • Principal Appreciation

• May 4 - May 8: Teacher Appreciation Week 

• May 6: School Nurses Day

  • Bowen's Incoming K Visit & Screening, 12:50 p.m.

• May 7: NPS Early Release, Student Dismissal @ 12:10 p.m.

  • Kindergarten to sponsor staff lunch - more details to come!

• May 28: All School Community Meeting hosted by Kindergarten (K families invited), 8:30 a.m.

• May 31: PTO Spring Carnival Event

• June 25: Last Day of School

We are looking for Bowen families to donate to our raffle. Groups of families can join together for a prize donation as well! Some past Bowen family prize donations with high popularity have been:

• Gift cards to Amazon, Apple, restaurants, or a local retailer your family frequents

• Electronics such as a Fitbit, games, tablets, etc.

• Tickets to sporting events or shows

• Unique experiences only YOU can provide!

We need prize commitments by THIS FRIDAY May 1st to be included in the raffle booklet.

Prizes will be drawn mid-late May. 

To donate, please email raffle@bowenpto.org with the item you are donating. If you want to contribute but are still deciding what to donate, please email us for suggestions!

Also, we could always use the extra help, so donating your time for some tasks for the raffle or the Spring Carnival on May 31st would be wonderful!

The raffle is, by far, the PTO's biggest fundraiser of the year. If you own a business or know someone who does, would you be willing to donate a service/product for us to raffle off? Lots of things can be raffle prizes - like that gift card that's been sitting in your wallet and not used yet, an appointment for finance advisory services, or that popcorn machine you won at another raffle that's been sitting in your basement for 10 years. 

It’s great to see students enjoying the spring weather and riding their bikes to school! A few quick reminders to help keep everyone safe: please make sure students wear helmets, use the school bike racks, and lock their bikes during the day. Thank you for your support in keeping our students safe! 

Spring clean your closets and help the Bowen After School Program make a difference for children served by Cradles to Crayons.

BASCP is back for our fourth year of collecting donations to support local families in need. Your gently used items can provide comfort and confidence to a child in our community.

When & Where

• Dates: May 4th – May 15th
• Location: Items will be collected at BASCP (280 Cypress Street, Newton MA) from 3:30pm-6pm.

What to Donate

• We are looking for quality items in all Child, Youth, and Adult sizes:
  • Gently Used: Clothing, jackets, and shoes.

Must be NEW: Socks, underwear, and pajamas (PJs).

Note: Please ensure all gently used items are clean and free of significant stains or holes.

Hello Bowen Community:  

We congratulate Dr. Guzzi on her new role as principal in the Wellesley Public Schools; her long-standing service to NPS is recognized and for it, we are grateful. We also applaud her taking on this new leadership challenge! Now we must turn our focus to the leadership transition.  Given the lateness of the school year, and the value I place on a thorough search process involving many community participants, we will appoint an interim principal for the 2026-27 school year and conduct our search process for the permanent principal beginning in Fall of 2026.  

Please share your ideas on this Thought exchange feedback survey for initial thoughts and feedback on principal selection, knowing that we will hold meetings and provide other surveys as we prepare for the permanent principal selection process and creation of our materials to describe the Bowen community and attract candidates.  I will be back in touch with a schedule for the permanent principal search once we select the interim principal to serve Bowen students and families in the leadership transition.      

I look forward to discussing the future of Bowen with all of you and working together on the superintendent advisory committee (SAC) to select the permanent principal commencing in the September of 2026.  The “sweet spot” of timing in our region in order to appoint the strongest principal candidates possible is early winter, so please let me know of your desire to serve as a caregiver representative on this committee.  This committee will aid Human Resources and Assistant Superintendent Farag in selecting finalists to recommend to me for potential hiring.    

Please let me know if you are interested in joining the future interview committee by emailing me at  nolina@newton.k12.ma.us.   Our team will also be visiting in the fall to conduct listening sessions with caregivers, staff and students about your desires for your new permanent principal. 

Please also reach out with any questions or concerns!

Sincerely,

Dr. Anna Nolin

Superintendent of Schools

We’re looking for community groups and teams ready to bring music, movement, color, and fun to the streets in Newton.

We’d love to hear from:

• Dance troupes
• Youth and adult sports teams
• Drumlines, bands, and music performers
• Cheer squads and spirit teams
• Costumed characters and mascots
• Cultural groups and community organizations

...and anyone with a creative idea to help make the parade unforgettable!

If your group can march, perform, dance, play, cheer, or entertain, we want you to be part of this year’s walking and rolling 2-mile celebration. All entries should feature a patriotic theme in keeping with the spirit of the event as we come together to honor those who have served our country. You can tow a float as you walk, march or dance your way down the parade route.

** Don't have a group or team to add? Join the NPS Float and march with NPS mascots, families and staff - more details to come. **

Participants will meet at 2:15pm at Newton City Hall for the 3pm kickoff, and finish at Coletti-Magni Park by 5pm Saturday May 17th.

Email Cluc@newtonma.gov with your ideas and to learn how your group can join the parade lineup!

#newtonsalutetoservice

At the top left of each newsletter, there is a link to view as a web page. Open the link and find a Google Translator drop down menu at the top right corner!