2021.12.17 – Saxe Weekly – The Saxe weekly

December 17, 2021

Dear Saxe Family,

The holiday season is special for many reasons. What I love most are the acts of kindness, generosity, and, yes, the outfits, that make it so much fun to be around others! From spirit days to celebrate one of our charter words (“comfortable”), to the seasonal holiday wear that our students proudly don, and everything in between, it has been an eventful week!

This week in the Saxe Weekly, we take a look at professional learning, PTC cookie exchange, tons of Saxe Spirit, some fast runners, clubs, STEM, VR, our first Charter Flag signing, positive messaging, some amazing December weather, dogs of Saxe, and much more. Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

Be Well,

Dave Gusitsch

Principal, Saxe Middle School

Upcoming Noteworthy Dates:

12/23 – Early Dismissal (7/8 @ 11:30 am, 5/6 @ 12:20 pm)

12/24 – 1/2 – Winter Break – Enjoy!

*Quotes that resonated with us this week:

“You can’t fall if you don’t climb. But there’s no joy in living your whole life on the ground.” – Unknown

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

– Edith Wharton

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein

“Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault

“Practicing What We Preach”

There are many examples of putting what we teach in action. One example that I am most proud of is the professional learning session that was held for our staff on Thursday afternoon. It was a combination of our ongoing work with emotional intelligence, social-emotional learning, the power of gratitude, and all centered on our focus on “caring”. Staff had an opportunity to reflect and share what they are grateful for. This was a wonderful collaboration between our faculty senate, NCPS Be Well committee, our Saxe staff, and a nice way to celebrate our ongoing work!

Cookie Exchange

Here is a look at the first official Saxe cookie exchange… Our Saxe PTC & parent volunteers are second to none! 90+ volunteers and over 5,000 cookies as a way to celebrate and show appreciation to our amazing staff. Thank you! (Yes, that is a “cookie tree”! Unreal…). A special thank you to Jayne Benton and Krystie Inman for their tireless efforts in coordinating this great event! Hopefully, it will be the first of a longstanding tradition 🙂

PS – You can almost Taste and Smell this VIDEO!

Thanks to the amazing team of professionals who collaborated to design & deliver one of the best Saxe staff meetings in a while… Positive messages, EI, SEL, Gratitude, raffles, tons of cookies, & many happy winners – congrats to our “top winners”, each got a Ninja & cookware!

A look behind the scenes at the first official Saxe cookie exchange!

Saxe Spirit

“Comfortable” was the word of the day today and the holiday spirit was ever-present!

Staff were “all in” as well!

Saxe in the News

Last weekend several students competed in the USATF Junior Olympics Nationals in Paris, Kentucky with the New Canaan Blazers. Conditions may not have been great, but we are proud of the outstanding outcome. Congratulations to all involved!

5th -Julia Savelli

6th – Gabrielle Savelli

8th – *Eliana Savelli, *Delia Bakal, James Bakal and Quinn Kilkenny

*Members of the 13/14 girls team that finished 8th in the nation!

Tweet Street

Below are photos and phrases that were included on our Saxe middle school Twitter page (@SaxeMS) this week. Enjoy!

Loving the holiday spirit at Saxe! There’s nothing quite like it and the joy it brings to students and staff alike is quite special…

PS – that headband lights up. It’s awesome!

The Saxe Arts and Crafts Club was busy making some impressive holiday creations! Thanks to Ms. Duncan for providing these wonderful opportunities for our students!

Great turnout for the Saxe Rowing Club! Thanks to Mr. Ellett for providing this great opportunity for our students!

These guys are voluntarily out here EVERY morning to begin their day at Saxe! No better way to start the day than with a little fresh air, exercise, & fun with friends. It brings a smile to my face… Oh, and the backdrop in the sky isn’t too shabby either!

Our 6th Grade STEM Lunch Club students were creating with SculptrVR on the Oculus Quest. Students are having fun and they are very creative! We can’t wait to print their models! Check out the video HERE.

Our amazing class of 2025, signing their very own Saxe Charter flag!

Some great messages on the 8Red board! Remember, you can light countless other candles without ever dimming yours!

What glorious December days we had at Saxe this week! Here are some of our 6th-graders enjoying some fresh air, activity, & sunshine during recess.

Thanks to our amazing Saxe Hospitality volunteers for the great breakfast to start the day today!

Almost There…

It is important to use the time over break to relax, rejuvenate, and enjoy spending time with those you care about most. Students will not be assigned homework over break and will hopefully be able to do each of the aforementioned!