December 5, 2025
Dear Saxe MS Family,
Well, I guess we applied one of the life skills that we teach today – adaptability. I don’t believe anyone saw that unexpected school closure coming today, but it is my hope that everyone kept warm and has their power back on by now! Even though it was a shortened week, we still have quite a few moments to share and celebrate! As always, we are grateful to those who take a moment to scan our weekly newsletter to get a sense of what makes Saxe Middle School so special…
This week in the Saxe Weekly, we take a look at the latest Saxe MS Podcast, Math, Science Workshop, Yearbook reminders, Saxe spirit, some old-school fun in the cafe, Clubs, sights 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:
12/9: Grade 8/NCHS Band Festival
*Quotes that resonated with us this week:
“The only limit to our realisation of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Success isn’t about the end result, it’s about what you learn along the way.” – Vera Wang
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”-Aristotle
“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” – Babe Ruth
“We fall down, we get back up again. That’s the process.” – blogger Thea Easterby
Saxe Jokes of the week:
How do bulls pay for their groceries? They charge them!
What is a snowman’s favorite snack? Ice Krispy Treats.
Which month of the year is the coldest? Decem-brrrrr!
Why did Santa go to the podiatrist? He had mistletoes!
What do you get if you cross a snowman and a dog? Frost-bite!
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!
Note: We have been using Notebook LM to create our podcast for the past couple of months, and recently, noticed the “create an image – infographic” option. It’s a pretty neat representation of the latest Saxe Weekly and may become part of our weekly update – enjoy!
Math
Mr. Santoro’s class spent the week working with unit rates and complex fractions. Students worked together in small groups to analyze different sets of data and make a conjecture about who was the fastest.
Science Workshop
Last week in 8th Grade Science Workshop, students took on our Turkey Zipline Engineering Challenge, where they designed and built gravity-powered systems to safely transport a “turkey” down a zipline. Working with limited materials and real engineering constraints, students brainstormed, prototyped, tested, and improved their designs while practicing safe and responsible tool use in the lab. The room was full of creativity and problem-solving as teams explored how factors like weight, friction, and stability affected their designs. From speedy ziplines to carefully balanced carriers, students showed impressive teamwork and innovation. It was a fun and engaging way to apply the design thinking process before the break!
8th Grade Baby Photos
We have gotten a great response so far from 8th grade families so far! We would love to have a photo of every 8th grader! We are looking for a baby (or toddler) photo which will be added along side their yearbook photo. When uploading the photo to the form below,, it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that the photo be named LASTNAME.FIRSTNAME so that we can connect the right photos to the right students. The deadline for photos is January 19th, 2026. Please contact Carianne.Mackenzie@ncps-k12.org or Lisa.Jarosik@ncps-k12.org if you have any questions! Thank you in advance for helping us make this Yearbook special for every 8th grader!
8th Grade Yearbook Ads
Would you like to put an ad in the back of the yearbook for your 8th grader? They are easy to create and really fun! You can use the link below to make one. Prices are $80 for a ¼ page and $45 for an ⅛ of a page. Prices are good until December 19th. So get yours in today!
Saxe Spirit
This Could Get UGLY… December 23rd is Ugly Sweater Day! Do you have what it takes to rock the UGLY? We would love to see everyone in their best “worst” sweater! Add it to your calendars for a fun day at Saxe!
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Below are photos and phrases that were included on our Saxe Middle School page (@SaxeMS) this week. Enjoy!
We typically get out for recess at Saxe, everyday… This week, the weather decided not to cooperate for one day, but our students made the most of it with some good, ol’ fashioned, no-tech, activities – tons of fun all around! Thanks to all involved for keeping these supplies ready!
Old school Battleship – a timeless classic!
Giant Table Jenga was a big hit!
There were some creative architectural designs that were built up, too!
The Sustainability Club was back at it this week! The Thyme plant was ready for some trimming & I’m sure it will be used to enhance some delicious meals at home – enjoy!
Caught some more Pickleball Club action this week at @SaxeMS… This dedicated group is improving each week & I got to see some impressive rallies!
The morning crew keeps the streak alive into December! Proud of these students who are committed to arriving early each day to get some movement & activity in before the school day begins… No better way to start their day!
Not to be outdone by our students, this dedicated crew of (&, NCPS) staff members gather each week to start their Friday with a little hoops action. It was fun to watch for a bit, & these guys are out there hustling!
Sights Around Saxe
The temps were dropping this week, but the views around campus were tremendous, including the full moon!
Dogs of Saxe
Lil Weezy, Chuck Norris, & Snacks were back for a visit to Saxe at morning arrival this week. Love seeing our many 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)
Website: https://www.ncps-k12.org/saxe
Saxe Middle School
Celebrating Our Learning Community Through Caring, Communication, & Commitment
