2020.1.10 – Saxe Weekly – The Saxe weekly

January 10, 2020

Dear Saxe Family,

I hope your new year is off to a wonderful start and any resolutions that you set out to challenge yourself are still keeping you motivated. The first full week of 2020 at Saxe was filled with quite a bit of excitement and activity. This week we take a look at Social Studies, World Language, The Nat Geo Bee, Grade 5 Team Meetings, G8 to G9 Transition, Daytime Open House information, Art, Trout & Salmon Club, the latest one-second everyday, and more.

Enjoy and have a great weekend,

Dave Gusitsch

Principal, Saxe Middle School

Upcoming Noteworthy Dates:

1.13: Board of Education Public Hearing – School Start Times

1.14: Grade 5/6 Winter Concert

1.15: General PTC Meeting (9:30 am @NCHS Wagner Room)

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

*Quotes that resonated with us this week:

“Don’t decide that you can’t…… before you discover that you can.”

“You are the artist of your life. Don’t give your paintbrush to anyone else.”

“Today you have the power to change your story.”

“Starve your distractions. Feed your focus.”

“There are two ways to be happy: change the situation, or change your mindset towards it.”

A Hero Amongst Us

This week, 8th-grade Science teacher, Steve Tomasiewicz sprang into action when a student was drinking water out of a water bottle and the cap unexpectedly came off and lodged in his throat. Without hesitation, Mr. Tomasiewicz had a student summon the nurse and immediately began administering abdominal thrusts. After a tense period of time and about twelve thrusts later, the cap became dislodged and the student was able to breathe again. After being evaluated by our UD school nurse, Ms. Paine, we are so pleased and grateful to report that the student is fine, considering. Thank you to Mr. Tomasiewicz, and everyone involved!

Back again for this week – the latest, updated Saxe Middle School 1-Second Everyday! “Life is made of seconds.” Check out a few seconds from each day of 2019 (so far), showcasing so much of what makes Saxe Middle School great. This is a recurring, bi-weekly feature. At the end of the year, we will have a full version that includes every single day of the 2019-20 school year. Enjoy!

Departments and/or Grade Levels:

Social Studies

In our current unit 8th-graders are considering how geographic and economic expansion transformed the identity of the US during the 19th century. Students are working in groups to research topics such as The Louisiana Purchase (1803), The Indian Removal Act and The Trail of Tears (1830s), and the Annexation of Texas (1845). To share their understanding, students will facilitate a lesson with their classmates giving context and allowing peers to look at primary sources from the era.

The National Geographic GeoBee

The 4th annual Saxe National Geographic GeoBee was held last night in the Saxe auditorium. Congratulations to winner Rowan Richey Elliott and runner-up Drew Bench. Ten finalists competed in the Bee, showcasing their knowledge of not only the United States but of world geography. This impressive group of students included Drew Bench (8), Will Langford (8), Adrian McMahon (8), Miles Chisholm (8), Jake Donohue (7), Rhea Jha (7), Niyathi Iyengar (6), Rowan Richey Elliott (6), Jeremy Schubert (6), and Emma Greenhut (5). Honorable mentions include William Hanover (8), Thomas Demirjian (5), Peter Farese (6), Andrés McMahon (5), John Ryan (5), and Jenna Vigano (5). Congratulations to all for the hard work and preparation. Rowan will next advance to take the state qualifying test. Thank you to Mr. Fusci and Ms. Fulco for their hard work and passion coordinating the geography club and bringing the Bee to our school.

The National Geographic GeoBee is an annual competition designed to inspire and reward students’ curiosity about the world. Students in grades four through eight from nearly 10,000 schools across the United States will compete in the 2020 National Geographic GeoBee for a chance to win college scholarships and the glory of being the National Geographic GeoBee Champion.

World Language: Latin

Students reviewing information about the twelve Olympians. Here, an 8th grade Latin student is reading in Latin to his peers about Juno (the queen of the gods in Roman mythology).

8th grade Latin students were asked to look up the meanings of Latin expressions (such as amor omnia vincit = love conquers all). Some members of the class decided to turn it into a successful group effort.

World Languages: Mandarin

Grade 6 students learned one of the essential components in Chinese characters, radicals. While they learned to write and recognize characters, they also created a drawing or video of radicals.

Grade 7 students worked together to research the countries that they are interested in. They looked into the country’s architecture, food, official languages, etc.

Grade 5 “Color Team” Meetings

This week grade 5 color team meetings (Red, Blue, Green) that took place during which students reviewed the Saxe Behavior Expectations Matrix (linked here), and renewed their commitment to our grade level charter (linked here) by pledging “to do just one thing” related to safety and respect and their continued commitment to excellence!

Save the Date: Grade 6-8 Daytime Open House

You are invited to attend a Saxe Daytime Open House for your child(ren) during the week of January 27th – February 4th, 2020. The schedule doc (here) has more detailed information and depicts the specific day, date, and time for each respective grade/team. We look forward to seeing you here!

Grade 8 to Grade 9 Transition

On Thursday, Jan. 10, NCHS and Saxe staff hosted a meeting for parents of 8th-graders to provide them information about NCHS and the transition to 9th-grade. Thanks to all who attended! The presentation was videotaped and will be posted online, along with the slideshow, for those who were not able to attend. The NCPS staff emphasized to parents that they are all working together to support their children’s’ transition to the HS and are available throughout the spring to discuss the process and answer their questions.

The presentation highlighted key aspects of NCHS, including the process for preparing the students, the schedule, the various course options, and the many opportunities at NCHS such as co-curriculars, the arts, and athletics.Saxe school counselors began the introduction with students on Monday, Jan. 6. The students were engaged and eager to learn more about NCHS. There will be two additional lessons this spring, as well.

All information for students and parents will be posted on the Saxe homepage under 8th to 9th Transition Website, and there are also important resources on the NCHS website, such as the Program of Study, which details the courses available. Students and parents are encouraged to talk with their Saxe school counselor at any time with any questions or for further information. This is an exciting and important milestone for students and families, and NCPS staff is looking forward to partnering with them throughout the journey.

Around Saxe

Our main lobby display cases, thanks to our terrific PTC, are in place and filling up quickly! The work that is on display is impressive and we look forward to seeing our student’s creativity showcased all-year long…

Trout & Salmon Club

Here are a few pictures from the Saxe Trout Club, which recently expanded to include salmon! Please stay tuned for more coverage as the eggs hatch and the fish grow (and, are ultimately released)…