2025.8.29 – Saxe Weekly (#291)

August 29, 2025

Dear Saxe MS Family,

What a wonderful first week of the 2025-26 school year! In addition to the weather being just about perfect every day, there was so much to celebrate… This is part of the goal of our weekly newsletter – to share highlights and snapshots that take place throughout the building, for you to witness some of the learning, experiences, and fun that our students and staff have each week. Thank you for taking a moment to scan, enjoy, and gain some insight as to what really makes Saxe Middle School the special learning community that it is!

As we go into the long weekend, it is worth reflecting on all that we have to be grateful for (including the extra day to spend time with family, friends, or even pets)! This week in the Saxe Weekly, we celebrate TONS of “Welcome Back” moments, problem solving (already), “positive postings”, a Special Education Roundtable at the NC Library, setting goals, team building galore, a wandering Mantis, chess, recess, Art, Music, PE, World Languages, a shoutout to our bus drivers, custodial, and maintenance teams, staff PL, scenes around Saxe, Dogs of Saxe, and so much more. Enjoy and have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Be Well,

Dave Gusitsch

Principal, Saxe Middle School

Upcoming Noteworthy Dates:

9/1 – Labor Day, Building Closed

*Quotes that resonated with us this week:

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” — Nelson Mandela

Dstymie

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” — John Dewey

Saxe Jokes:

What did the triangle say to the circle? You are pointless.

What is a math teacher’s favorite season? Sum-mer.

Welcome Back!

Welcoming our students back into the building each year is an annual highlight. The energy and enthusiasm that accompany our students and staff through interactions both big and small is absolutely contagious. At the end of the first day, a quick video montage was sent out sharing some of the exciting, meaningful, and fun moments that took place throughout the day. If you didn’t get a chance to check it out and would like to, you are welcome to watch it here:

Some of our first students to arrive at Saxe MS for the 2025-26 opening day… They were prepared & excited to get back at it!

The first bus rolled up to Saxe MS this morning, bringing the first of hundreds of students back into the building for our opening day of the 2025-26 school year – what a great day all around!

The morning drop-off line at Saxe MS was filled with smiles, waves, & friendly greetings as students, parents, & staff saw each other for the first time to start the 2025-26 school year!

It was great to have our Superintendent, Dr. Luizzi, & members of his Cabinet, here at Saxe MS on “Day 1”, and throughout the week, to greet students, families, & staff as we launched into the 2025-26 school year!

Building the foundations of a positive learning environment was a priority over the course of the first week at Saxe MS. No one said it had to be easy, either! It’s been a terrific start to the 2025-26 school year!

Just a few of the Team Boards around Saxe MS that are prepared to populate with personalized “pieces” as the positive learning environment goes beyond just the walls of the classroom! Stay tuned as they expand!

The 8Blue tree at Saxe MS has bloomed with some terrific messages that are good for all to see! Power Of Positivity

8Purple is ready to build on their bulletin board this year at SaxeMS… One of the best ways to begin is by the notes left by their former students, to their current students! Great messages & advice!

Student Connections

It is nice to see 8th graders reconnecting at recess!

NCPS Special Education Roundtable

Join New Canaan Public Schools Special Education Administrators on September 3rd from 1-2 pm at the New Canaan Library in a roundtable discussion on how to build effective partnerships and efficient communication with school special education teams. The discussion will focus on the following as well as time for questions and answers.

1. Initial referral to the special education process (timelines, evaluations, etc.)

2. Services available

3. Measuring student progress (data!): How do I know if my child is improving?

4. Communicating with your child’s team

5. Exiting special education: What’s next?

You can learn more about this event at the New Canaan Library website.

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

There is nothing like the energy of the hustle & bustle of the start of a school year at Saxe MS! It has been such a positive vibe having everyone back in the building & we are looking forward to great things in 2025-26!

A few Saxe MS classes spent time reflecting on their “Hope” for the 2025-26 school year… These will hang in the classrooms & be good reminders to continually “inspire” students & staff alike!

The Saxe MS Cafe got a “floor upgrade” this summer & it held up nicely as it was officially christened with the first lunch waves of the 2025-26 school year!

Building the foundations of a positive learning environment were a priority over the course of the first week at Saxe MS. I’d say our staff & students took the ball & ran with it… It’s been a terrific start to the 2025-26 school year!

Our Saxe MS campus looked great & was ready to welcome all of our students & staff back to kick off the 2025-26 school year… Thanks to all involved!

Grateful for our SaxeMS Custodial & Maintenance Teams & the special care they give our campus to help make our learning environment be the absolute best it can be! Whether our students realize it or not, their surroundings play a positive role in their experience(s)! Thank you!

Planners, postcards, & pleasant greetings were just a few of the preparations to help our Saxe MS pupils feel positively welcome as they returned for the 2025-26 school year!

Reflecting on the first week back for the 2025-26 school year, our Saxe MS is extremely grateful for the support of our Saxe PTC! As a welcome back gift, staff were treated with a little “utility pack”, including a little caffeine pick-me-up!

Note: Interested in joining or learning more about our fabulous Saxe PTC?! Check out more info on the official Saxe PTC site 🙂

Thanks to Ms. Jarosik for putting together some pretty authentic-looking student IDs, with photos, so our new students could feel just as included as our Saxe MS students who were with us last year! (New/official IDs will be issued after Photo Day)

Collaborative team building & “getting to know” classmates continued throughout the week at Saxe MS! Ms. Campbell’s class reflected on stories that have been shared in their class, with some amazingly creative images to boot!

Collaborative team building & “getting to know” classmates continued throughout the week at Saxe MS! Ms. Smith’s class used teamwork to put puzzles together, without speaking! They also enjoyed trying to follow along the “The Wright Family Camping Trip” story!

Dr. Ferreira was not afraid to step in & show our Saxe MS students “how it’s done” (Click the link to watch!) during recess today!

We had a surprise visitor during recess at Saxe MS today – the state insect of CT! It was safely relocated to a patch of grass to continue on its “mantis way”…

We had some excited Saxe MS staff members as we celebrated the opening of the 2025-26 school year!

Gotta give these SaxeMS students credit. Not only are they resourceful & having some good, quality, fun social interaction during lunch, they are PR geniuses with this amazing display! Way to “market the brand”! Rumor has it, they got Mr. Lepisto in on the action!

Recess at Saxe MS has been VERY popular as we kick off the 2025-26 school year! Such a great opportunity for students to get outside, get fresh air, be social, be active, & just “be kids” for a little bit each day – so valuable!

Day 2 at Saxe MS brought more beautiful weather & an opportunity to get outside for some quality “get to know you” team building!

Caught this impromptu moment of several of our Saxe MS Music teachers waiting for some students. They were great sports & agreed to humor me with a quick group shot. We are grateful for these caring professionals! (next time, we will get the whole group…) 🙂

Day 2 at Saxe MS & we got to check out students & teachers in action in World Language, Art, PE, & Music…… Here are a few shots from Spanish & Mandarin!

… Here are a few shots from Art!

… Here are a few scenes from the Phys Ed realm!

… Here are a few shots from Latin & French!

Our Saxe MS students are definitely cared for all day IN the building. Here’s a huge shoutout to the folks who get them TO & FROM the building… We salute you, NCPS Bus Drivers – thank you!

“Stunning” is the best way to describe the first morning of the 2025-26 school year at Saxe MS! We could not have asked for a more beautiful day!

Day 3 of Staff Professional Learning at Saxe MS & our teachers kept the energy up & ideas flowing! Our students are fortunate to have such committed, dedicated professionals who create the best learning environment possible!

Grateful for the New Canaan Parks Dept & the care they give to our Saxe MS grounds. Campus is looking great for our first day of the 2025-26 school year – thanks to all involved!

“Day 1 Eve” of the 2025-26 school year & the building is looking great thanks to our amazing custodial & maintenance crew at Saxe MS! Every inch of this enormous building is given care & attention… Thank you to everyone who has played a part!

Just a few of the fresh, ready spaces for our students as they returned this week!

Love this “sign bench” on East Ave. that gets updated every month or so. This is by far one of my favs – “NC kids are the BEST. Have FUN at school!”. New Canaan is a special community & we love the support at Saxe MS (& the rest of the NCPS schools)!

When I was creating a post for our Saxe MS community earlier this week, I figured I’d try the “Create an Image” feature… Guess it’s not quite ready for prime time yet 😂

Dogs of Saxe

Dogs at Saxe MS morning drop-off… Staff dogs before school started…. Dogs on t-shirts… Dogs Of Saxe are back! (&, we couldn’t be happier)!

Cutest visitor of the morning at Saxe MS 🙂

Ms. Frazier is leading off the “Pet of the Week” board in her Saxe MS Music classroom with her very own Dogs Of Saxe, Charlie!

These may not be official Dogs Of Saxe, but I think the prints my daughter’s roommate made up for their house are hysterical! Our dogs, Melvern & Tommy, mixed with a little AI, create some amazing bathroom decor!

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)