September 7, 2018
Quote(s) that resonated with us this week:
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
~ Maya Angelou
Dear Saxe Family,
It was an eventful week at Saxe Middle School. It included a report to the Board of Education on the opening of school, meetings with the PTC, many classroom visits, and grade-level class meetings to emphasize the message of caring, kindness, and community. Below you will find some pictures and snippets of information from our week. Enjoy and thank you for checking out our Saxe Weekly. Have a great long weekend!
Upcoming Noteworthy Dates:
9/10 Rosh Hashanah (no school)
9/12 Grade 5 Parent Coffee
9/13 New to NC Parent Coffee
Saxe Resources:
Website: https://www.ncps-k12.org/saxe
Twitter: @SaxeMS
Weekly: SaxeMS.com
Want to check out the weekly from last week? Click, here.
VPA:
7th grade Art class discussing all the things that Art can be (inspiring, emotional, creative, etc.) Each student is choosing a word to illustrate.
Ms. Beatman’s students “leaving their mark” on the first day of school with tempera paint. They had 1 minute to paint a unique abstract mark (using school colors) in an effort to illustrate how everyone thinks differently and approaches problems in their own way.
Grades 5-8 are busy designing their portfolios. Each grade learns/explores with a different type of font style.
The most important work of the year is currently taking place in fifth-grade, how to open lockers! Students are showing early signs of mastering this all-important middle-school skill. Additionally, our youngest students are learning to navigate the halls, enjoy the playground, maximize their lunchtime, and make some new friends while catching up with those from elementary school. In all, it has been a very successful start to the school year in fifth-grade!
One of our fledgling groups of 7th-grade robotics engineers, enthusiastically teaching Dr. Ferreira about their latest creation:
Not all learning is programmed, and true innovation often happens organically when students are allowed to apply what we have taught them in a safe and nurturing environment. During Ms. Birdsall’s Imaginuity periods, students take advantage of the STEM lab to test out seedling ideas, develop prototypes, and engage with robots in their very own “Field of Dreams.” Already, students in grades 6-8 have begun gravitating to the lab during their respective lunches at the open invitation of Ms. Birdsall. This group of innovators, creators, and problem solvers, sometimes numbers into the 40’s, demonstrating that providing students with space, resources, and freedom to explore their ideas and skills is evidence of “If you build it, they will come.”
In addition to the many greats things happening in our classrooms, we are excited to announce that Mr. Petrakopoulos is working with NCHS teacher Mr. Cebulski to create an exciting opportunity for our students. In a few weeks, we will have a one of a kind TV studio. This will provide a wonderful learning opportunity for kids. If your child is interested in joining the Saxe video club please encourage them to see Mr. Petrakopoulos in room 214.
Math Department:
Math students in eighth grade were working on an escape room challenge in Geometry class. Students partnered and participated in rich discourse to analyze, solve, and use mathematical reasoning to persevere through their math work. Listening to the students productively reflect and use prior knowledge to solve clues was truly amazing! Student engagement and motivation was in full effect. Math is FUN!!!!!!
A few other snapshots:
The Saxe weekly 
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