November 21, 2018
Quote(s) that resonated with us this week:
“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” ~ John F. Kennedy
“It isn’t so much what’s on the table that matters, as what’s on the chairs.”
“It is not happy people who are thankful. It is thankful people who are happy.”
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
“When life knocks you down, roll over and look at the stars.”
Dear Saxe Family,
As the number of years grow that I am able to reflect on (i.e., getting older), I find each year that Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year. As a father and husband, I love the time that I am able to spend with my family. As a son, brother, and uncle, I cherish the moments that we are able to spend together as an extended family from our foundational roots of a family of four. As a cousin and a nephew, I appreciate the opportunity to spend time with those I have known the longest and see their respective families grow as well. With all of them, we share stories, laugh at old memories, and have fun creating new ones.
This Thanksgiving, I feel even more grateful to be part of this great family that we call Saxe. It has been a wonderful beginning to what I hope is a long relationship where we all get to reflect on the great history of this school and community, but also to enjoy the process of creating new memories along the way. Saxe truly is a special place.
Happy Thanksgiving to each of you. I hope that you are able to relax, rejuvenate, and enjoy your holiday as special time with family and friends. Enjoy!
Best,
Dave Gusitsch
Principal, Saxe Middle School
Upcoming Noteworthy Dates:
11/22 Happy Thanksgiving!
11/23 No school – enjoy!
11/28 School picture retakes
11/30 Alice in Wonderland (5th/6th Musical)
5th-Grade Report Cards Available via the Parent Portal
12/1 Alice in Wonderland (5th/6th Musical)
12/4 – 12/7 Early Dismissal for 5th-Grade Conferences at 12:30
“Brunch for Lunch” at 9:10 (5th-Grade Only)
Want to check out the weekly from last week? Click, here.
One Second Everyday:
Ever-expanding and back again for this week – Saxe Middle School 1-Second Everyday! “Life is made of seconds.” Check out a few seconds from each day of the 2018-19 school year (so far), showcasing so much of what makes Saxe Middle School great. This will be a recurring, bi-weekly feature. Enjoy!
Pro tip: want to enjoy it more? Set your youtube playback setting to play at .75 speed
Latest Saxe News – Thanksgiving Edition!
Thanks to the team at Saxe News, all who participated, and Mr. Petrakopoulos who oversees the club!
Departments and/or Grade Levels:
French
Whiteboard vocabulary practice with 8th graders:
Communicative Exercises with 7th graders
6th graders describing and identifying celebrities.
qui est ce type?
8th graders learning about France. Each of them researches a city and finds their own way of sharing what they have learned with their peers!
8th graders performing skits regarding what they are wearing. Is it too cold for this outfit? What can I wear when it’s raining?
7th graders communicative activities. Each student has information the other needs. Can you understand what I’m saying? Do you have what you need to complete the task? If not… what French can you use to ask me to be more clear???
6th graders communicative activities
School Climate
As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s difficult to feel anything but grateful walking through the halls of Saxe, especially as the excitement builds for the upcoming holiday. As adults, we have always known the importance of a positive environment in being able to thrive and realize our potential. To this end, all of our students have been reflecting on the charters that they recently created for their respective grade levels (see pictures below). Guided by the work of Dr. Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, students identified how they want to feel in school, strategies for feeling that way, and ways to address issues when individuals are not living by the charter. Finally, all students were given an opportunity to sign the charter, indicating their commitment to creating and contributing to the kind of learning environment reflected in the document. In order to support students in this goal, teachers, counselors, and administrators will use the charter to help guide conversations around making choices aligned with creating the kind of school they envision.
A word cloud with all of our words. Every one of them is important!
Saxe “in the News”
Check out a recent article that ran in the New Canaan News (here) about our very own Ms. Vivian Birdsall and that she offers our students at Saxe through STEM education. Enjoy!
Here is Ms. Birdsall with a fully “functional” 3D printed heart. Amazing!
Veteran’s Day Coverage from New Canaan News Online, here
Some of our students, staff, and veterans at Saxe. Thanks again to all involved in this wonderful day!
Safety Reminder
Please remember to drive slowly/cautiously in and around the parking lots of Saxe. We are proud to have many students who walk and ride to and from school. We also need to work together to ensure their safety. Please review the drop-off, pick up procedures, here. Thanks in advance for continuing to keep our students safe!
Have a great week and Happy Thanksgiving!
Saxe Resources:
Website: https://www.ncps-k12.org/saxe
Twitter: @SaxeMS
Weekly: SaxeMS.com
Celebrating Our Learning Community Through Caring, Communication & Commitment
The Saxe weekly 
One thought on “2018.11.21 – Saxe Weekly”