2024.10.18 – Saxe Weekly – The Saxe weekly

October 18, 2024

Dear Saxe MS Family,

It may have been a short week, but we packed quite a bit into those four days! This week in the Saxe Weekly, we take a look at Latin, Mandarin, Art, Music, Halloween, the NCHS Class of 1964, Sights around Saxe, “personalizing pouches”, a comet, Dogs of Saxe, and much more. Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

Be Well,

Dave Gusitsch

Principal, Saxe Middle School

Upcoming Noteworthy Dates:

10/21-25 National School Bus Safety & Bus Driver Appreciation Week

*Quotes that resonated with us this week:

“Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get”― W.P. Kinsella

“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.”– Napoleon Hill

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”-Winston S. Churchill

“For success, attitude is equally as important as ability.” – Walter Scott

Saxe Jokes of the Week:

“Why was the geometry teacher late to class? She sprained her angle”

“What dog is the best swimmer? A lap dog”

“What’s a nice gift to give a pastry chef? Flours!”

“Why did the frog take the bus to work today? His car got toad away”

World Language

This week, 7th grade Latin students were involved in activities to wrap up their unit about occupations in Roman times, including preparing for a “job interview” in Latin! Students chose a specific job to apply for, such as a farmer (agricola) or a doctor (medicus), also indicating what skills are needed to be successful and why they should be considered for that position. Classmates then had the opportunity to interview one another!

In Grade 8 Mandarin classes, students enthusiastically collaborated on designing a new uniform for Saxe Middle School as part of their group project. After presenting their designs in Chinese, their excitement and pride were captured in photos, showcasing their creativity and language skills…

Art

The Visual and Performing Arts department has been reinforcing Creating through all of our classes! Students in the Visual Arts are continuing to refine their skills using various Elements of Art, which are the building blocks to how all art forms are made. In the last Saxe Weekly, we included samples of projects that included the Elements of Line and Shape. Students are now demonstrating their knowledge of Value, which is the lightness and darkness that is added to create dimensions of an object. Students are using graphite pencils in order to model this Element and bring their next few projects to life!

Keep an eye out for our displayed work on how students have used Value in their upcoming projects!

Also as you roam the halls, take a quick stop and glance at the beautiful Fall Art Show that is hanging in the auditorium and music hallway. You’ll be impressed with the amazing work that is already being created by our artists and the skills that were retained over the summer!

Music

What are skills classes for a music ensemble? Saxe Middle School has three performing ensembles- Choir, Orchestra and Band. These classes typically meet as a large group in concerts during the year and show you all the hard work that they put in during their time with their teachers. But as with all good instruction, there needs to be time for students to work in small groups to focus on instrument and voice specific techniques and master individual music standards in order to play well as a group. Tada! This magic happens in our Skills classes!

Our ensemble teachers are able to group students as best they can to place them in the proper learning environment (ie, musical instrument family, grade level groups, etc.) in order to teach specifically to the instrument type and reinforce student independent musical skills. These skills will support their practice at home, give them specific points for reflection on their playing, and provide special opportunities to make connections with other students to get to know each other personally and as a learner. These smaller classes also allow for targeted, personalized instruction that can support all students right where they are! This is a great opportunity for your child to gain the necessary skills in a safe, supportive learning environment.

But what if playing in a large ensemble isn’t quite right for me? Stay tuned for the next VPA installment of the Saxe Weekly to hear about our Music Explorations and Music Technology programs at Saxe!

VPA

Join the NCPS Visual and Performing Arts Department as we kick off our musical year with a collaborative choral festival! This casual introductory concert connects our singers across the district in grades 4 through 12 through a short showcase at New Canaan High School on November 7th. Come and “meet” each of these ensembles and get ready for a great year of vocal music!

Halloween ‘24

As we look ahead to the week after next, we recognize that Halloween is a fun time of year for our middle school students. While we do not plan anything formal as a school, many students choose to “get in the spirit” by dressing up. For those choosing to wear a costume to school on Thursday (10/31), please be sure to follow the guidelines below:

Appropriate school dress protocols still apply as outlined in the “Personal Appearance” section of our student handbook, found on page 13.
Please arrive at school dressed in costume. Students will not be permitted to change or apply makeup or hair products in school.
Costumes are not permitted to include anything that would be considered a weapon (or toys representing weapons).
Costumes should not include handheld props, noisemakers, restrict movement or vision, or consist of anything that would prevent students from full participation in any/all classes.
Costumes should not be distracting to classmates or teachers or be overly graphic, suggestive, or depict violence, blood, or gore.
If costumes do not follow the above guidance, are considered inappropriate, or compromise safety in any manner, students will be asked to contact home for a change of clothes.

We look forward to enjoying the spirit that Halloween brings for many and appreciate you helping us follow our charter when planning for a fun day!

Bus Driver Appreciation

Next week is National School Bus Safety & Bus Driver Appreciation Week! We are so grateful to have such wonderful drivers working for our district. If you happen to be at a bus stop at any point, please give them a warm word of appreciation if you see them during the week!

NCHS Class of 1964

One of the highlights of the week was hosting the NCHS Class of 1964 for their 60th union! When they graduated, Saxe WAS their high school (before moving to its current location in the early 70s)… While things have changed & the building has grown quite a bit since they left (2-3 major renovations/additions), the memories they shared as we walked the halls were crystal clear! One of the highlights for them was having six of our current students join as tour guides. The questions they asked, and the stories they shared, that spanned the generations was truly an experience to behold!

Here is Everett explaining one of the many 3D printed pieces that was recently produced in the Design Lab:

The alumni enjoyed a special slideshow that was produced to “Welcome them back”! Feel free to check out the “Class of 64 slideshow” to take a trip down memory lane, NCHS style!

Sharing stories and reminiscing what the high school fields looked like 60 years ago:

We got to hear some stories about the bleachers, sports events on the courts (“tales from the hardwood”), and events like “sock-hops” in the gym:

Thanks to Emi, Finn, Cam, Eli, Everett, and Cooper for making the tour special!

Here’s the group that joined for the tour:

After the tour ended, one of the members of the Class of ‘64 shared a trivia packet they put together with interesting facts about their classmates. This is just one page of 5 or 6, and “WOW”! They have some amazing collective experiences…

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

The weather continues to be amazing for students to enjoy being outside at Saxe MS this week! And, the fall scenery isn’t too shabby, either (check out that full moon, too)!

Great day to capture some moments for the Saxe MS Yearbook (&, Weekly newsletter)!

Some action shots during #SaxeRecess today – another “perfect day”!

Saxe MS 8 Red has finalized & displayed its Team Charter. Great choice of words to make the school environment be the best it can be!

Saxe MS students have been getting creative with personalizing their personal technology pouches – these look great!

Note: if you would like to have your personalized pouch featured in the Saxe Weekly, ask Mr. Gusitsch and he will be happy to include it!

This theme is timely as we have recently seen northern lights, a super full moon, a comet, and apparently, there is a tiny asteroid that will act as a “second moon” for a little while longer… Below are a couple of pics that Mr. Gusitsch caught on the way home this week (view looking west in Redding)…

Dogs of Saxe:

A few of our favorite Dogs Of Saxe who visited at morning arrival this week!

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)