January 9, 2026
Dear Saxe MS Family,
Happy 2026! It is my hope that you had a terrific break and a nice first week back. The days are getting longer, and it is amazing how quickly a week can fly by following a break. We will continue to share snapshots of the exciting, enriching learning experiences that take place, and this week is no exception. We appreciate you reading, scrolling, or listening to just a few of the many moments that help make our school community the special place that it is!
This week in the Saxe Weekly, we take a look at the latest Saxe MS podcast, welcome to a new staff member, grade 8 to 9 Transition meeting, ELA, Student Leadership, a Transportation update, Spanish, community events, scenes around Saxe, recess, our mascot, Dogs of Saxe, and much more. Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!
Be Well,
Dave Gusitsch
Principal, Saxe Middle School
Upcoming Noteworthy Dates:
1/16: Quarter 2 Ends
1/19: Martin Luther King Day – School Closed
*Quotes that resonated with us this week:
“Instruction does much, but encouragement everything.”-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”-Unknown
“This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change.” – Taylor Swift
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”-Unknown
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.” – Martin Luther King, Jr..
Saxe Jokes of the week:
What do you say when you see someone after midnight on New Year’s Day? I haven’t seen you since last year!
What New Year’s resolution should a basketball player never make? To travel more
Why was the Roomba late for class? It overswept
Why are plants bad cheerleaders? Because they’re always rooting for themselves.
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!
Welcome Aboard
One of the most important things we do each year at Saxe MS is onboarding new staff. We are excited to have Ms. Einhorn join our team as our Interim Special Education Administrator for the second half of the 2025-26 school year! Welcome aboard, Andrea!
Grade 8 to Grade 9 Transition Coffee
There was a great turnout for the 8th to 9th Transition Coffee at NCHS this week! Thanks to our School Counselors & Admin teams from both schools for putting on such a thoughtful, informative session! And, of course, thank you to all who came out to join! For more information, please feel free to visit our Saxe 8th to 9th Grade Transition Site. If you missed the meeting, you are welcome to view the recording of the session, here.
If you would like to review all of the slides from the presentation, you are welcome to view them, here: 2026 8th to 9th Grade Transition Parent Coffee
ELA
As the culmination of our 7th-grade Dystopia unit, students selected a pivotal scene from their book club novel to adapt into a new medium. After analyzing how authors use techniques to shape meaning and intended effects, students chose to create a video, a graphic novel scene, or an audio recording. Throughout the process, they examined how changing the medium can alter the audience’s experience while preserving the original meaning and impact of the scene. Pictured here are groups collaborating in our innovative Design Thinking spaces to bring their adaptations to life.
Student Leadership
One of the highlights of working with students is hearing about their creative & inspiring ideas to create, build, & give back to our community. This dedicated group from our Saxe Leadership Team brought a terrific plan forward that we are excited to build upon, and include everyone!
Transportation Update
Below are a couple of reminders regarding transportation as they relate to updated school bus routes going into effect on Tuesday, January 20th. Here is a link to the NCPS Transportation Services if you would like to visit the website directly.
Dr. Luizzi’s email from this week:
Spanish
Prior to the break, 8th-grade Spanish carolers had an opportunity to stop a few classes down the hallway to sing to some of the 6th-grade classrooms. What a great way to get into the holiday spirit!
NC Community Events
Below are a couple of upcoming community events that may be of interest to you. We are fortunate to have such an active community for both our children and parents. Thank you to all involved in organizing these meaningful events!
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Below are photos and phrases that were included on our Saxe Middle School page (@SaxeMS) this week. Enjoy!
Good morning & welcome back, Saxe MS! Hope everyone had a great holiday break & Happy New Year! Here’s to a great 2026!
Seasonal sign bench entering New Canaan on East Ave – Happy New Year!
Playground & fields too snowy during Saxe Recess? No problem! Thanks to our facilities team & some creative thinking, we’re able to offer all our Saxe MS students an opportunity to get outside just about every day, all year… We know how important this is – Thx to all involved!
The Saxe MS morning crew kicked off 2026 the right way – getting some fresh air & activity before school started each day! Their dedication is inspiring…
Thanks to our Saxe PTC & facilities team for this new storage shed to keep equipment & supplies for outdoor activities! We look forward to stocking it up & using it each day!
Always nice to see our Saxe Hawks mascot visit & watch out over our campus!
Dogs Of Saxe
Just one of our Dogs Of Saxe who were out to brave the cold & see their humans off for the first school days of 2026!
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
