2019.9.13 – Saxe Weekly – The Saxe weekly

September 13, 2019

Dear Saxe Family,

Our first full week of the school year is in the books! Students, staff, and our Saxe community are operating on all cylinders and I am continually impressed at the care, commitment, and professionalism that are on display each day in our community. Saxe is truly a special place; one that considers the whole-child while providing a well-rounded education.

To that end, we will be having our first “Connections” class next week (9/18). Goals are structured around becoming more emotionally intelligent, empathetic, building healthy relationships, and simply offering another opportunity to get to know one more trusted adult in the building. To read more about Connections, please click, here.

This week in the Saxe Weekly, we take a look at 9/11, School Counseling, Mandarin, Safety on and around the campus, Saxe Mascot, and more…

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Dave Gusitsch

Principal, Saxe Middle School

Upcoming Noteworthy Dates:

9/17 Saxe Welcome Back Coffee @ Waveny (9:30am)

Want to check out the “Saxe Weekly” from last week? You’re one click away, here.

*Quotes that resonated with us this week:

“It’s okay if some people don’t like you………..not everyone has good taste!”

“If you don’t like the road you’re walking….start paving another one.”

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising up every time we fall.”

“Either you run the day or the day runs you!”

“Kindness makes a bad day good, and a good day better.”

Remembering September 11, 2001 at Saxe

The above project was coordinated by the Saxe Art Department, and includes the name of each of the 2,996 victims of September 11th. Any student who wanted the opportunity to participate was given a list of names to hand-write on the piece. The building process proved as valuable as the finished project in that as each name was written, conversation was sparked. Who were these people? If two victims had the same last name, were they related? Were they working in the towers, or were they first responders? Students shared stories they had heard from parents and relatives from that day. It was a time to pause, and make connections. That’s what art is about.

This is the message that was read to students during morning announcements on Wednesday:

“Good morning Saxe Middle School. On this important date in our country’s history, please take a moment to reflect and acknowledge the victims, heroes, families, and all of those impacted by the events of September 11, 2001. We will now have a brief moment of silence…”

“A special thank you to the Saxe Art Department, and students, for the wonderful memorial they created in the art wing. Please take a moment to check it out… As a tribute to those affected by 9/11 please consider an act of kindness today, even if it is a simple smile or “hello” to someone. Thanks and have a great day.”

School Counseling

Saxe Counselors have been making the rounds meeting with classes to discuss the important role that our support staff plays in serving our entire community. Thank you, school counselors and support staff, you are appreciated!

Building Relationships

“All About Me” pages allow Saxe students, and adults, to get to know each other better and see what similarities they may have. Why does this matter? Relationships matter…

World Language: Mandarin

The Mid-Autumn Festival (also known as the Moon Festival and Harvest Moon Festival) is one of the three major festivals of the Chinese culture. Celebrations for mid-autumn take place across East Asia, in countries including China, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. While it has no fixed date on the Western calendar, it traditionally falls on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Lunar calendar – a full moon day. This year celebrations start on Friday, the13th of September. To read more please click, here.

Safety Reminder

We love seeing so many students walking and riding their bikes to school! Please remember to remind your riders to wear their helmets and both riders and walkers to look both ways, use crosswalk buttons, and cross slowly at any and all intersections/crosswalks. Thank you for helping us reinforce the safety protocol for all students!

Maximizing Usable Space at Saxe

Thanks to Dr. Clapp for taking the lead and continually re-envisioning spaces around Saxe for students to be able to sit and communicate, collaborate, or, just relax!

Saxe Mascot

After a full week of accepting responses, we will soon look to move to round 2 in the Saxe Mascot Challenge. If you, or your children, have not completed the quick google form, please do so (or encourage children to) while the “polls” are still open. There have been some great nominations!

From last week: The Saxe Middle School Family is PROUD, but who are “we”, really? Whether you had an East Eagle, a South Southpaw, or a Westy Whale, all of our Saxe students will end up as NCHS Rams. We are looking at our Saxe family to decide “who we are” at Saxe. This is history in the making! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas on what the official Saxe Middle School mascot should be and ultimately, who we are! To participate, please click, here, to access the Saxe Mascot google form. Please encourage your child(ren) to participate as well!