2023.10.6 – Saxe Weekly – The Saxe weekly

October 6, 2023

Dear Saxe Family,

This week brought another series of nice days, outdoor activities, and lots of meaningful learning and experiences, culminating with our fall Walk/Ride to School Day this morning. Thank you to everyone who helped make it possible and we appreciate every student, family (including dogs), and staff member who joined in the fun. It is our hope that events like this will inspire students and/or families to make this more of a common occurrence moving forward. There is no better way to start the day!

This week in the Saxe Weekly, we take a look at the official launch of the Celebrate Saxe ‘23 Campaign, the first episode of Saxe News, the latest 1-Second Everyday, National Custodian Appreciation Day, 7Blue Town Hall, Math, Science, Sustainability Club, Art, SRO Safety Tip of the Week, Treble Choir, ADHD Awareness Week, Walk/Ride to School Day, World Teachers’ Day, Leadership Team, Clubs, STEM, Scenes around Saxe, Dogs of Saxe, and much more. Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

Be Well,

Dave Gusitsch

Principal, Saxe Middle School

PS – Just a reminder, school is in session on Monday (10/9)…

Upcoming Noteworthy Dates:

10/6 Celebrate Saxe kickoff!

10/9 School is IN session 🙂

10/9 – 10/13 Celebrate Saxe Week

10/11 Celebrate Saxe School Assemblies

10/11 Celebrate Saxe Spirit Day – “Just Play” (more info below)

*Quotes that resonated with us this week:

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

“The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one’s destiny to do, and then do it.”—Henry Ford

“What you do today can improve all your tomorrows”—Ralph Marston

“Life doesn’t require that we be the best, only that we try our best.” – H. Jackson Brown Jr.

“Being happy never goes out of style.” — Lilly Pulitzer

Saxe News

Saxe News is back for 2023-24! Check out the first edition – enjoy!

Dear Saxe Families,

We are excited to announce the launch of our single fundraiser of the year, Celebrate Saxe. This ONE WEEK campaign is our one-and-only PTC fundraiser for student-specific initiatives that enhance and enrich our students’ learning experiences here at Saxe Middle School. 100% of money raised goes directly toward funding PTC teacher grants, school-wide initiatives and grade-specific programs that are not covered by the BOE’s budget.
This year, the theme of Celebrate Saxe is Just Play! And this is a special year because we are fundraising for the much-anticipated project to renovate and improve the blacktop activity space. The most highly-used space at Saxe has not been updated in 20 years.

During the week we will highlight how Saxe students use this space to play and how it is being reimagined into the beautiful and multi-functional Hawk’s Court.

From our PTC:

How can you be a part of Celebrate Saxe?
The Celebrate Saxe team needs your support! We have an ambitious goal of raising $150,000 and achieving 100% participation for this year’s fundraiser, and already have 100% participation from the Saxe PTC Executive Board. What you give isn’t as important as just being a part of the effort to make a difference in the programming and resources that distinguish Saxe as one of the best middle schools around!
In addition to supporting our teachers, who go above and beyond to create the best possible experience for every student, your contribution makes a big impact in the quality of your child’s education and experience at Saxe.
Please click HERE to donate now or mail/bring in your check payable to Saxe PTC, to the Main Office at 468 South Avenue, New Canaan, CT 06840.
Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see all the ways we CELEBRATE SAXE!
Thank you for making a difference!!
Co-Chairs, Celebrate Saxe

Let’s see that spirit as we Celebrate Saxe!

“Just Play” is our Celebrate Saxe theme. Next Wednesday (10/11), we will have a special spirit day to celebrate what play means to our students.

“How do you play? Whether it’s a sport, a board game, a card game, or your favorite adventure. Dress to show how you play! Creativity is a bonus.” *No props, please!

One Second Everyday

Back again this week – the latest Saxe Middle School 1-Second Everyday! “Life is made of seconds.” 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 2023-24 school year. Enjoy! (pro tip: to enjoy the video at a slower pace, change your viewing option to .75 speed).

National Custodian Appreciation Day – October 2nd

Saxe is lucky enough to have an amazing team of custodians! We recognize the hard work they put in every day to make our school run smooth and look amazing! Thank you to the entire staff for all they do!

Not pictured, but also greatly appreciated!: Martha Ochoa, Martin Rrapi, Bob Tonucci

The seventh grade Blue team had its monthly “Blue Team Celebration” at the end of September celebrating students who exhibited being kind, organized, and caring. These students were awarded Starbucks gift cards, certificates and ribbons of excellence, and, of course, loud applause from their classmates and teachers! After the recognition portion of the celebration, the entire Blue team was engaged in team building activities including a good game of team limbo! The monthly “Blue Team Celebration” is a true illustration of what we value here at Saxe… celebrating our learning community through caring, communication, and commitment. A big thank you to Ms. Korman, Ms. Thomas, Ms. Prinz, and Ms. Walsh for all of their efforts in organizing and providing an engaging and authentic celebratory experience for their students. Go 7 Blue!

Math

Students in Ms. Martin’s 8th grade Algebra class used their prior knowledge of solving one-variable equations to extend their thinking and solve literal equations. Students collaborated in groups at the vertical whiteboards and then shared their strategies with the class.

Mrs. Falcone’s 6th-grade math class students explored the distributive property and made connections to their understanding of factors. Students were able to collaborate with their classmates when solving problems on vertical whiteboards. This allowed them to move between discussions within their groups and the class as a whole.

Science

Through group collaboration and varying methods of investigations, 6th Purple Science has been working hard on bettering their understanding of Energy in our everyday lives.

Sustainability Club

Students in the Saxe Sustainability Club have been working hard to improve the greenhouse outside in the courtyard. This week they removed all the garbage and recycled any unusable materials from the greenhouse, weeded the ground/gravel, and organized the shelving to prepare for any plants that they will begin growing in the near future. Students also used the infrared camera to investigate the temperature of the greenhouse and to see if there were any leaks or sections that were not holding in the heat.

Art Department

Saxe artists dug deeper into our drawing unit this week, reviewing the elements of art: Line, Shape, Form, Color, Space, Texture & Value. Practicing these skills and concepts are the foundation to our next drawing assignment. Each grade level builds upon the last with a focus on representational drawing from observation. We can’t wait to display some of the final pieces in our hallways! Here’s a sneak peak of the sketching & planning phase:”

SRO Safety Tip of the Week

It is so great to see so many kids taking advantage of this wonderful weather and walking to school. Just a few reminders about our crosswalks. Always utilize a designated crosswalk when crossing the street. Press the crosswalk button to activate the lights. Look both ways and proceed across when it is safe to do so. There are multiple crossing locations that have our terrific campus monitors in them or a crossing guard, these are the best areas to cross! Additionally, those of you who are driving in the area, please be aware of your speeds around school zones and watch out for pedestrians! Let’s all work together to keep everyone safe!

-Your Friendly Neighborhood SRO, Officer Blank

Below is a message that went out a few weeks ago, and, we keep reminders on our digital displays around the building.

September 14, 2023

Dear Saxe Parents,

We have received some reports about students entering and exiting our campus by crossing the street(s) in areas that are not designated as official crosswalks. We understand that traffic can get busy and it may save a few minutes to drop off or pick up students in an area other than the designated areas, but proper safety practices must be followed. For a quick reminder, please review the appropriate Saxe drop-off/pick up locations & procedures.

This afternoon, we made an announcement to remind students about traffic & pedestrian safety near our campus. This is not in response to any one incident, but more of a proactive measure based on an increase in reports of safe rules not being followed. We will also include a reminder in our Saxe Weekly, our morning announcements, and on our digital displays around school. We ask that you have a conversation with your child(ren) about traffic safety, especially about the importance of using crosswalks appropriately near school, in town, or anywhere else (staying in the lines, waiting for the signal to cross, always watch/look for cars that may not see YOU, etc.). Thank you for partnering in keeping our school community safe!

Treble Choir

The 5th and 6th Grade Treble Choir is making even more great music this week! 6th grade students partnered with 5th grade students to work on new music. It was great to see the collaboration between these students and the friendships that are being built through music!

ADHD Awareness Month

The ADHD Awareness Month (October) Coalition is encouraging members of the ADHD community to express themselves through art, memes, short videos, and their own stories. Submissions can be made on the ADHD Awareness Month website. Selected submissions will be shared through the ADHD Awareness Month social media and on its website.

Twitter/X

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

Today marks the kickoff of the Celebrate Saxe ‘23 campaign with the theme of “Just Play”… Such an important ingredient in the day, life, & experiences of our students! We look forward to this week being a great one! Interested in donating? Feel free to click here (thanks!)

Good morning, Saxe! It may be a little hazy, but we won’t let that make us lazy… Join us for the fall Walk/Ride to School Day ‘23! We look forward to seeing walkers, riders, rollers, families, dogs, & anyone else who wants to join this “great way to start the day”!

Terrific turnout for the first wave of students on “Walk/Ride to School Day” at Saxe!

Twinning on Walk to School Day!! ⁦

Serious enthusiasm for the Lower Division wave of Walk/Ride to school day at Saxe (Click the link to watch)! A little hazy weather didn’t stop the fun & excitement!

Not sure who was more excited for our fall “Walk/Ride to School Day” at Saxe, students or staff?! Great enthusiasm all around!

The 2nd wave of walkers/riders to Saxe were a “spirited bunch” who enjoyed starting their day in a healthy, productive, & fun manner!

Another group of pics that came in from our Saxe Walk/Ride to School Day today – it was a terrific morning! Thank you to all involved, especially our New Canaan DPW & CERT crew!

Celebrating our Saxe Teachers – some of the best in the world!

Happy World Teachers Day to the best around! Thank you for all that you do for our students, families, and each other!

Students in Social Studies were filming their projects with a great view of Saxe as the backdrop!

Great turnout for Saxe Lower Division Student Leadership Team! #SaxeLeaders

Thanks to our NCPS Webmaster & Social Media Specialist, Michelle, for coming to Saxe (x2) to speak to our staff to consider ways to share some/many of the wonderful experiences that take place in our classrooms/campus!

Celebrate Saxe postcards are on their way, thanks to this committed group! Teamwork at its best!

Saxe library is “in the spirit”!

I didn’t catch the Saxe Rowing Club in action, but did see this committed group wrapping up a solid workout before school started – no better way to start the day!

The 3D printers were busy this week at Saxe! Students are so creative & love seeing their imagination come to life in the Design Lab!

Collaboration and planning are so much more effective when coupled with beautiful fall weather in one of Saxe’s outdoor learning spaces! Kudos to the 8th grade ELA and special ed team for taking advantage of both! ⁦

Supporting the Gracie Fund today with our NCPD and NCFD!

Grateful for the care & attention these pots are given to help make our Saxe campus look beautiful!

Thank you to our Saxe Custodial & Maintenance staff for keeping our outdoor spaces in such great shape!

Beautiful weather = Dogs of Saxe

Have a great week, see you next Friday!

Thank you to all of our Saxe Weekly contributors! Each weekly edition is an example of collaboration in action. A special thanks to Melissa DiMeglio for the continuous stream of positive, optimistic quotes!

Saxe Resources (live links)