September 6, 2024
Dear Saxe MS Family,
We are just over a week into the 2024-25 school year and we have had an opportunity to experience so much already! It has been a terrific start and our staff continue to state how impressed, and proud, we are of this group of students. Our 7th and 8th-graders have established themselves as leaders and positive role models as students, and we are excited to work closely with them this year!
This week in the Saxe Weekly, we take a look at our first safety drill, a phone free schools reminder, grade-level meetings, our collaborative community, an SRO “safety tip of the week”, team meetings, Math, Science, a Saxe bday, Dogs of Saxe, and much more. Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!
Be Well,
Dave Gusitsch
Principal, Saxe Middle School
Upcoming Noteworthy Dates:
9/11 – Never Forget…
*Quotes that resonated with us this week:
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”–Malcolm X
“Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen.”-Conan O’Brien
Jokes of Saxe:
“Which stereos give the finest lectures? The ones with the best speakers!”
“Where do roses sleep at night? In their flowerbed!”
“Why does bread get lazy? Because it loafs around all day”
School Safety Drill
As we communicated earlier today, we held our first safety/evacuation drill this morning. Our students were quiet, respectful, and followed all safety procedures as expected. We are proud of our students and they deserve to be recognized for a job well done. This is a perfect example of important rules that need to be reliably followed, and they did a nice job being good “leaders”, and “leading the way” (part of the focus of our grade-level meetings this week). A special recognition to our teachers/staff for setting the tone and contributing to the success of the drill – thanks to All!
Phone Free Schools
Our Saxe Middle School students have been doing a nice job keeping their phones and personal tech devices “away for the day” (thank you!). We have received our shipment of lockable pouches and will be planning and communicating next steps over the next two weeks. In the meantime, below is a reminder from last week:
As a reminder for students and families, the expectation is that phones and digital communication devices (smart watches, wireless headphones, etc.) need to be “off and away” during the entire school day. This is not a change to our past practices, just a reminder to our students and staff. Please continue to power these devices down and put them “away for the day” before walking into the building (if it is easier, please feel free to leave them home) :). While we will still be using school-approved technology as part of the learning process, we look forward to helping students disconnect from unnecessary distractions, to connect with those around them during our time together! Lockable pouches for students will be rolling out in the next few weeks and we will continue to communicate information to support our Phone Free Schools.
And, here is some language that was released from the state recently (this slide was used in our grade-level meetings this week)…
Grade Level Meetings
An important component of our “Middle School Model” is the opportunity to connect with our students on a personal, class, team, or grade level. One of these opportunities to build and foster community is our “Grade Level Meetings”, which were held this week. These allow us to ensure consistent messaging, share updates (yes, some are reminders of school rules), and reinforce our commitment to every single member of our learning community. This all ties in with the ongoing work that our students have been involved in up to this point, and will be part of our work together throughout the course of this school year. Please feel free to check out the slide deck that was used for each respective grade level.
Collaborative Community
This week 7th and 8th grade students worked on building their Team “Charters” of how they want to feel in school, and, what they need to do in order to make it happen. Great way to start the year by setting up shared expectations to create thriving and productive learning communities!
SRO Safety Tip of the Week
E-bikes are a wonderful way to provide our children with a sense of freedom and fun. However, there are some very important things to keep in mind.
The State of Connecticut Regulations: Electric bikes may not have a motor with more than 750 watts, and they must be equipped with brakes that cease motor function when the brake is applied. The state classifies electric bikes in three categories:
Class 1 are pedal-assist-only, and the motor stops when you reach 20 mph.
Class 2 provide electric power whether or not the rider is pedaling, and stops providing power when the speed reaches 20 mph.
Class 3 continue providing electrical power up to 28 mph.
- A person under 16 years of age may not operate a Class 3 e-bike upon any street, highway, or bike or pedestrian path. Persons under age 16 may ride a Class 3 e-bike as a passenger only.
- Helmets are required for everyone on any e-bike.
- Electric bikes are prohibited from sidewalks and limited access highways.
- E-bikes are not allowed on paths designed for non-motorized traffic.
- Electric bicycles shall follow all of the rules of the roads like any motor vehicle, including yielding the right-of-way to pedestrians in a crosswalk.
- If the maximum speed of the roadway is more than the maximum speed of the cycle, the cycle must be operated in the right-hand lane or on a usable shoulder
For more information see Connecticut General Statutes 14-286a-d, and 14-289k or this article on the town website https://www.newcanaan.info/_T8_R511.php
Team Meetings
One of the most important elements of our team structure, our team meetings, have also already begun. These are an opportunity for teachers, counselors, support staff, & administrators to review student questions that have been submitted (anything from field trips, to assessment schedules, to phone free schools). These meetings will quickly grow to personalize toward the needs of students and families as teams work closely to meet the needs of each student on their team. Click on the following link to learn more about “middle school teaming” from our national organization, the Association of Middle Level Education.
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Below are photos and phrases that were included on our Saxe Middle School page (@SaxeMS) this week. Enjoy!
Working through some linear equations in Saxe Math this week… Our SaxeMS students did a nice job collaborating & problem-solving to work through the problems!
Grade level meetings this week were a great opportunity to connect with our respective SaxeMS classes to welcome them back, share some perspective, re-establish norms, & celebrate the great start to the school year! Here’s Dr. Ferreira with our 7th-graders – #Saxe2026!
Mr. Gusitsch leading our grade-level meeting at SaxeMS, welcoming back our 8th graders and setting the vision for their BEST year yet!
Some impressive graphics & descriptions to gauge student understanding in Saxe Science. They haven’t even covered DNA yet, but have included it in their work – I’m impressed!
Leave it up to our SaxeMS teachers to come up with creative ideas/visuals to assist in navigating our daily schedule – thanks & nice work!
Saxe Bdays
What’s better than a #SaxeBday shoutout to start the day? A SaxeMS Bday shoutout with your dog! Happy Birthday & hope it was the best one yet!
Dogs of Saxe
Thanks to Ms. Orlando for capturing our first crop of Dogs of Saxe in our first week back at SaxeMS! These little ones make our day!
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)
Website: https://www.ncps-k12.org/saxe
Saxe Middle School
Celebrating Our Learning Community Through Caring, Communication, & Commitment
