October 31, 2025
Dear Saxe MS Family,
Today marks our 300th edition of our weekly newsletter, the Saxe Weekly. We are in our 8th year of sharing snapshots of a day in the life of our Saxe students and staff, and sometimes, it’s challenging to put into words all that makes Saxe Middle School special. We always share quite a few exciting moments of learning, activities, and experiences with pictures and text. But, we also know that a picture is worth a thousand words. The colors, the joy on our students’ faces, the depth of the moment as you look past the focal point and into the background, and even just the scenes or instances that “need no words”. Whether you read each word from top to bottom, or just scroll through to check out some of the photos, we appreciate you taking a moment out of your day to step into the world of our wonderful learning community!
This week in the Saxe Weekly, we take a look at the latest Saxe MS podcast, a ton of Halloween spirit, “building community”, Nat’l Stress Awareness Day, Nat’l School Psychology Week, Robotics & App Inventor, STEM, AI, French, Spanish, Knitting & Crocheting Club, Music, NC Cares community event, Library, snacks at Saxe, Shark Tank, some Team celebrations, Saxe Clubs, a.m. announcements, Saxe spirit, Fall Scenes around Saxe, Dogs of Saxe, and much more. Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!
Be Well,
Dave Gusitsch
Principal, Saxe Middle School
Upcoming Noteworthy Dates:
11/4 – NO SCHOOL – Election Day
11/6 – Photo Retake Day
*Quotes that resonated with us this week:
“No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself.” ―Virginia Woolf
“Feelings are much like waves, we can’t stop them from coming but we can choose which ones to surf.”-Unknown
“Next time you feel nervous about stepping outside your comfort zone, remind yourself; “I feel fear because it’s new, not because I can’t do it.”-Jeff Moore
“The best things in life often don’t come easily. Don’t worry if you’re running into challenges, they’re just part of the journey.”-Unknown
“Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.”-John Wooden
Saxe Jokes of the Week:
Who won the skeleton beauty contest? No body!
What type of money do you use in outer space? Starbucks!
What candy do you eat on the playground? Recess Pieces
Why are skeletons so calm? Because nothing gets under their skin!
What’s a skeleton’s least favorite room in the house? The living room!!
Saxe Weekly: The Podcast
Interested in getting an overview of the latest Saxe Weekly in podcast form? Using Google’s Notebook LM, we are able to offer an option to listen to all of the great “goings on” in our school community while you are “on the go”, with the Saxe MS Podcast! We invite you to give it a listen… Enjoy!
Building Community
This week, we utilized our small chunk of time that we set aside each month for an Advisory block to capture a Saxe MS “whole school photo”. This helps reinforce the goal of this time to remember that we are simply dedicating some space to “Have fun & build community”! We planned the timing to coincide with the amazing backdrop of the classic New England foliage and to include some of the beauty that we are surrounded by… It was a team effort to transition outside, coordinate spaces by team, & guide students into the appropriate portions of their “letter”. This is another example of creating unifying experiences that are memorable for our students, staff, and entire school community (and, hopefully, having a little fun along the way)! A special thanks to our dedicated SRO for helping make it all happen with the planning map, and the drone shots!
We went from “concept”:
To “classic moment!”:
Check out more photos and video links below in the “X” section!
National Stress Awareness Day
On Wednesday, November 5, 2025, we will recognize National Stress Awareness Day by providing 7th graders the opportunity to collaborate with counselors in a lesson focused on stress management. Students will be reminded that stress is a normal, expected part of day to day life and is something that we can handle. During morning announcements, teachers and students can participate by taking a breath or reflecting on something they are grateful for. Throughout the day, teachers will engage the students in coping strategies and can submit their favorite activity for a chance to win a gift card.
National School Psychology Week
November 3-7 is National School Psychology Week! This year’s theme, “Finding Your Path” recognizes the ways that school psychologists take an active role in helping everyone in their communities determine paths to learning, growth, and overall well-being that meet their unique needs. Through their deep expertise and training in consultation, collaboration, and evidence-based practices, school psychologists lead their communities by empowering others to set their destination and find a route that fits their needs, all while sharing tools to help them thrive along the way. To help pave the way, we have planned five days of thematic activities for students, families, and school communities. (https://www.nasponline.org/)
Robotics & App Inventor
Our Robotics students wrapped up their time trials and final races this week! After weeks of designing, building, and programming their robots, students put their creations to the test on the course. Each team worked through the design process to improve speed, accuracy, and consistency.
Beyond the excitement of the races, students also practiced important skills such as iterative problem solving, collaboration, and computational thinking. They analyzed data from their runs to identify ways to optimize performance, demonstrating the same kind of real-world thinking that engineers and computer scientists use every day.
STEM & AI
In our 8th Grade Science/STEM Workshop class, students are diving into the exciting and rapidly evolving world of Artificial Intelligence. They’re learning how AI works, exploring its real-world applications, and discussing what it means to use AI responsibly. Through hands-on activities and critical thinking exercises, students are developing the skills to become informed, ethical consumers and future creators of emerging technologies.
French
Students recently completed their end-of-unit presentations and performed entirely in French. They worked hard to prepare their presentations and did a fantastic job demonstrating what they’ve learned. Merci de jeter un coup d’œil et de célébrer leurs efforts avec nous! (Thank you for taking a look and celebrating their efforts with us!)
Spanish
8th-grade students are learning how to give instructions and directions to others. Their current performance task is to teach their classmates something that they enjoy. We have transformed our classroom into a sports center- where all students participate in swim, squash and soccer lessons, as well as learning how to prepare favorite foods and drinks (including mate), magic tricks, origami, and more!
In celebration of Dia de los Muertos, 7th-grade students are learning about the Ofrenda, and its importance to this very important Mexican holiday (also celebrated in other Latin American countries). The students have read about the holiday and compared similarities and differences to traditions around this date in our own culture. ¡Feliz Día de los Muertos!
Student Photos
Knitting & Crocheting Club
The knitting and Crochet club is a place to make friends, relax, and make a cool project. Beginners to advanced students are welcome to join! And sometimes, “special guests” make an appearance….
Note: this is much more challenging than it looks, but I had a GREAT teacher! 🙂
Aladdin Jr. The Musical – November 7th and 8th
Join us for an Arabian Night! Disney’s Aladdin JR. is based on the 1992 Academy Award®-winning film and the 2014 hit Broadway show about the “diamond in the rough” street rat who learns that his true worth lies deep within.
The story you know and love has been given the royal treatment! Aladdin and his three friends, Babkak, Omar, and Kassim, are down on their luck until Aladdin discovers a magic lamp and the Genie, who has the power to grant three wishes. Wanting to earn the respect of the princess, Jasmine, Aladdin embarks on an adventure that will test his will and his moral character. With expanded characters, new songs, and more thrills, this new adaptation of the beloved story will open up “a whole new world!”
Don’t miss out! Join us Friday, November 7th at 7pm and Saturday, November 8th at 1pm and 4pm to see the show!
Click here to purchase your tickets today!
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Below are photos and phrases that were included on our Saxe Middle School page (@SaxeMS) this week. Enjoy!
What started as an idea in the spring, ended up coming together in an epic way! The weather was perfect, the fall foliage was on full display, & we were able to get 650+ @SaxeMS students & staff out for a great group photo… Thanks to our @SaxeSRO for the amazing drone shots!
It was a great time, all around!
To top it all off, our mascot did a fly-over!
To see a “Hawks-eye view” from around the flagpole, feel free to click, here!
Part of the fun was having the drone fly over the group as everyone looked up and waved with excitement! To see a “Hawks-eye view” of this scene, feel free to click, here!
What a way to start the week at Saxe MS! Thanks to Ms. Jarosik & Ms. Benware for this amazing Halloween-themed spread for all to enjoy!
“No-tech” (operating in the physical world), & high-tech, operate in the same room at Saxe MS as Ms. Nicholas’ STEM for Social Good Club works on some projects, & the 3D printers “do their thing”, at the same time!
This hallway at Saxe MS has been shared already in previous weeks, but it’s too good to not share another pic as we celebrated Halloween this week! Thanks to Ms. Giannetta for this fun, creative display!
Got to see some of our Saxe MS students laying down some “neat beats” in Music Tech this week!
Thanks to New Canaan Cares for bringing Jennifer Wallace to NC/Saxe MS to discuss her latest book, “Mattering”. It was a terrific discussion that resonates with the work that we do as educators (&, as people) on a daily basis… Thank you!
Thanks to Carolina for delivering some fun “boo-quets” this week! What a fun way to spread some seasonal joy around Saxe MS!
Here’s a classic candid that will surely end up in the 2025-26 Saxe MS Yearbook!
Some great signage for the 2025-26 Saxe Yearbook… Don’t forget to order yours – you don’t want to miss out!
Saxe Shark Tank is back! And, what a day to present… Nothing sets the scene for a “serious presentation” like an audience in costume for Halloween! Our Saxe MS students are pretty dedicated & the show went on without missing a beat. Nice job by all involved!
What makes middle teaming special? The opportunity to learn, explore, connect, experience, & build community with a specific group of students & staff over the course of a year… 7Blue held a Team celebration to round out the 1st quarter & had some fun to boot!
Guten tag! Mr. Zeiser in all of his German glory! And, as we were taking the photo, Ms. Harris walked by & agreed to join in the Halloween fun at Saxe MS!
The newly updated displays outside the Saxe Library look great & have some excellent, positive messaging as well!
Here are just a few of the Saxe Clubs who have continued to actively recruit new members… Interested in joining? There’s still time!
Another beautiful morning to get active & have some fun before the school day starts at Saxe MS!
Ms. McGurk’s Halloween spirit is next level! This is some serious commitment, driving in to Saxe MS this morning with her “Skeleton Co-pilot”!
Even though they were in the Halloween spirit, these two were “locked in” during Saxe MS morning announcements – nice job!
Sometimes finding the “magic of middle school” (Click to watch!) is simply seeing our Saxe MS students hard at work, in costumes, working with their hands, building monsters out of recyclables & art supplies!
Halloween isn’t “just for kids” at Saxe MS! Here are just a few of our staff members who joined in the holiday fun!
What’s one way to make a viral trend “not so cool” anymore? Embrace it & let the adults have fun with it! This group of Saxe MS staff members did just that, & it was priceless to see the looks on students’ faces as they walked by!
Neat to see how creative our Saxe MS students are as they incorporate themselves, their classrooms, & some impressive imaging to bring their experiences to life in French class!
What makes middle teaming special? The opportunity to learn, explore, connect, experience, & build community with a specific group of students & staff over the course of a year… 7Purple held a “family meeting” to round out the 1st quarter & look ahead to Q2!
Some seasonal sights around @SaxeMS on this beautiful Halloween day!
The weather may not have been perfect, but that didn’t stop our Saxe MS students from enjoying the timeless fall classic activity of “catching leaves”! So many smiles & so much fun to see!
What’s better than Ms. Orlando’s Friday morning Chicken Dance (Click to watch!) at Saxe MS? Friday morning Chicken Dance with Halloween costumes!
The Halloween spirit was strong at Saxe MS arrival today, including this spirited bunch who hustled in to make it on time – nice work!
Mr. T brought the Halloween spirit to Saxe MS today! This has to be one of the most intricate, detailed costumes I’ve ever seen. And, there have to be a couple of dozen switches & lights that actually make it all look like it’s straight out of the movie!
Good morning and happy Halloween from Saxe MS! Have a great day, All!
Dogs of Saxe:
Just a couple of our favorite Dogs Of Saxe as they see their humans off to school this week at
Saxe MS!
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
