April 24, 2026
Dear Saxe MS Family,
It’s hard to believe that another week has already flown by, but here we are! While it may have moved quickly, there are a ton of great experiences, learning, activities, and scenes to share. We always appreciate you taking the time to read, scroll, listen (or, all of the above) as each edition of our newsletter provides valuable insight into what makes our school community unique and special. Thank you!
This week in the Saxe Weekly, we take a look at our Spring Daytime Open House schedule, the latest Saxe MS Podcast, an important note on digital safety, a student “shout out”, Music, Earth Day, PTC events, a STEM opportunity, Hawks Gazette, a lax game cameo, celebrating our Administrative Assistants, ELA, Science, Social Studies, Math, “Inspiration”, 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:
4/27-5/1 Spring Daytime Open House series (all details below)
4/28 Bus Driver Appreciation Day
5/1 School Lunch Hero Day
*Quotes that resonated with us this week:
“Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in.”― Leonardo da Vinci
“Education is considered an indispensable investment in oneself”-Unknown
“Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know.” —Daniel J. Boorstin
“Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.” – Carrie Fisher
“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” – Unknown
Saxe Jokes of the week:
Why do pimples make horrible prisoners? Because they keep breaking out.
How are parties organized at NASA? They planet.
If I ride my bike twice … does that count as RE-CYCLING?
I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I can’t put it down
Why does Waldo wear stripes? Because he doesn’t want to be spotted.
Spring Daytime Open House
Mark your calendars! Our Spring Daytime Open House series is a wonderful opportunity to welcome you into our school and give you a glimpse into your child’s learning. During your visit, teachers will share highlights from the past few months and celebrate the meaningful work students have accomplished over the course of this year. For anyone not able to attend, links will be shared from each session, along with links to slides for each of our World Language and Special Area classes, too!
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!
Digital Safety
Last week, we shared a communication from the high school on “Digital Wellness” that certainly applied to our particular age group (middle school) just as much. This week, following the communications that began going out on Sunday evening, the focus has shifted more strongly to “Digital Safety”. What we experienced over the weekend, and to start this week, is a reality of the digital world that we all live in, and we can not be too careful in reviewing how, when, and who, we interact with on any digital platforms. As our students “age-up”, there are many benefits to effectively interacting in the digital realm, but caution and care always need to be present. Below are some good/important reminders that online interactions can be serious and have very real consequences. Please read them and have conversations with your child(ren). In my personal life, I certainly used this as a learning opportunity and had a good discussion with my son using many of the points below, especially the last three bullets…
(Sent: Monday, April 20, 2026)
Dear Students and Parents,
Last week, I reached out to emphasize the importance of digital safety and vigilance regarding who we interact with online. Following the events of yesterday morning and into the evening, I am writing to provide clarity on a situation that caused significant concern within our community.
The Incident Overview
As many of you are aware, a series of mean-spirited emails and social media posts were directed at our students. These messages culminated in a post featuring images of what looked like water pistols and a suggestion that students should stay home from school.
I want to share the following findings from our investigation:
- The Source: The account responsible for these messages was a fake profile operated by an individual residing in another state.
- The Connection: In some cases, our students had been engaging with this account since middle school, sharing intimate personal details with someone they believed to be a peer.
- The Threat Assessment: With the immediate assistance of our local police department, it was determined that there was no credible physical threat to our campus. While we experienced a high number of absences today, we were able to maintain a regular and safe school day.
A Hard Lesson in Digital Safety
Our students were never in physical danger, yet this incident highlights the exact risks I warned of last week. This individual was able to cause widespread distress because they had spent years embedded in our students’ digital circles.
I must reiterate the following directives:
- Audit Your Circle: If you have never met a follower in person, they should not have access to your life.
- Protect Your Privacy: Sharing personal details, your own or your friends with “online-only” friends creates a vulnerability that can be exploited years later.
- Report, Don’t Engage: When an account turns “mean” or “off,” the solution is to block and report immediately, rather than continuing the dialogue. For example, the name of this account – “can’t get rid of me” speaks to the addictive and destructive nature of online behavior.
Moving Forward
I want to thank the students who stepped forward with information that allowed the NCPD and FBI to quickly identify the source of these posts. Your bravery in “saying something” was the key to resolving this swiftly.
Behavior of this nature is unacceptable and will not be tolerated, and we expect to hold those involved accountable. However, the best way to disarm these individuals is to deny them access to our community in the first place. Please take this moment to sit down as a family and review the privacy settings and follower lists on all social media accounts.
Our priority remains the safety and emotional well-being of our students. Let’s use this as a turning point to ensure our digital community is as safe as our physical one.
Best regards,
Bill Egan, NCHS Principal
Below is an infographic, created in Notebook LM, that also outlines some of the above important reminders in a clean visual format.
Student “Shout Out”
This week, there was some confusion on sub coverage for a particular class. Students remained calm and respectful in the hallway until they were let into the classroom. While they were waiting, two students took it upon themselves to walk down to the Main Office to make sure we knew about the sub not being present yet. We thanked them, and I walked back to the room with them to check in. The sub had not arrived yet, but what I did find was a full class, sitting at their tables patiently waiting for further instructions for their class. They were not standing, messing around, creating distractions, or doing anything that may be considered awry. Should I be surprised? Absolutely not. We have “great kids” here at Saxe MS! This was just one great, timely example of our students demonstrating terrific character and integrity. Here is a “shout out” to this entire class – nice job & keep up the great work!
Music
Please join in welcoming Ms. Nara Jeong, who will be teaching in the Music Department for the remainder of the school year – welcome aboard, Ms. Jeong!
Earth Day
Some of our 7th-grade students showed wonderful initiative this week by volunteering their time to clean up the recess area in honor of Earth Day. With teamwork and pride, they worked together to make our outdoor spaces cleaner and more enjoyable for everyone. Their efforts are a great example of responsibility, community spirit, and care for the environment. We are proud of their leadership and commitment to making a positive difference!
PTC Reminder
Let’s Celebrate Our 8th Graders! The 8th Grade Activities Committee is in full swing, organizing exciting year-end celebrations for the Saxe class of 2026! Stay in the loop by visiting the Saxe 8th Grade Activities Website.
To Do List:
Mark your calendar with the key dates below
Order your class of 2026 lawn sign HERE (deadline to order is Wednesday, May 20th)
Get your student’s ticket for the Saxe Bash HERE
STEM Opportunity for MS Students
Have you wondered what it’s like to be a doctor or a scientist? If yes, we invite you to a special STEM event on Monday, April 27, in room 119 right after school at 2:45pm. The Connecticut Science Center, in partnership with Julia Owsiany (Ambassador from Young Women in Bio) will be coming to our school for a special interactive event “Operation Artery.” This is a great opportunity to participate in a hands-on science event! Please email Julia Owsiany if you would like to attend!
Raising Kids in A Digital World
You may use this link for more information and to RSVP for this upcoming event!
Hawks Gazette
Check out the latest editions of the Hawks Gazette! Thanks to our students and staff advisor, Mr. Myers, for this fun, interactive format in which to learn more about, or engage with, Saxe Middle School. We enjoy seeing Saxe through the lens of our students!
Or, check out the latest edition by accessing the Hawks Gazette Google Site, directly.
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Below are photos and phrases that were included on our Saxe Middle School page (@SaxeMS) this week. Enjoy!
We often say “the people” are what make Saxe MS as special as it is… Here is just one example of staff caring about students not only in the classroom, but also in their “real lives”! Mr. Chard caught a lax game down in Greenwich last weekend & the girls were pumped to see him!
This week, we saluted one of the absolute best teams of Administrative Assistants around! Thank you, Michelle, Melissa, Lin, Lisa, Ashley, & Roseann for all that you do for us & Saxe MS- you are APPRECIATED!
We are so fortunate to have such a terrific staff in our Saxe MS Cafeteria. Thank you for providing nothing but the best for our students & staff – delicious!
The leaves have popped & are officially back. They are also a nice backdrop for the Saxe MS morning crew, who have made a habit out of starting their day out with some fresh air & activity – no better way to start the day!
Happy Earth Day 2026 from Saxe MS! We continue to remind our school community to think globally & act locally, every day!
What makes our Saxe MS so special? Our students! Here are just a few of our caring, environmentally & community-minded students who opted to spend some time on Earth Day “picking up” around our campus. Thank you to all involved (including our staff members who provided the tools!)
Seeing our Saxe MS 8th-grade students present their ELA projects to their peers from across the ENTIRE grade level in the Library, Think Space, & Design Lab was a definite highlight of the week! Congrats to all of our students & staff for putting together such a wonderful experience!
Not only did our Saxe MS students perform well with their ELA presentations in the Library/STEM spaces this week, but they also provided/received some valuable feedback as well!
Fun to see our Saxe MS students “See, Think, & Wonder” as they begin a new unit in Saxe Science!
It’s always enjoyable to visit Saxe MS classrooms & see the positive messaging that seems to be “ever-present”. Each provides a unique perspective & they are all great reminders, for everyone! Here are just a few…
We are often asked how much “screen time” our students have on any given day. While it varies by subject, unit, & even lesson, its use is always part of our teachers’ thoughtful planning. When tech IS used, it’s intended to provide a richer experience than would otherwise be possible. Sometimes it is “shared” to provide context for the lesson, other times it is more individual/specific to a student or their unique learning style/needs. And, often, there is “no tech” at all… Regardless, we strive to maintain an appropriate balance for our Saxe MS students!
Here are a few more snapshots from across content areas & grade levels at Saxe MS over the course of the week!
And, sometimes, the best classes aren’t even in the classroom! Our Saxe MS teachers are encouraged to think “outside the box” (or, room) to provide opportunities for unique & engaging learning experiences!
The plants in the Saxe Science classrooms continue to do well… Can’t wait to see them mature & even plant some outside on our Saxe MS campus!
Always inspiring to see what the Saxe MS 3D printers are churning out! Such creativity on display & the sky is the limit!
The”Inspire Wall” at Saxe MS continues to grow with so many positive, insightful additions! Thanks to Ms. Orlando for continually working with her students on this wonderful, collaborative creation!
We had a great turnout today for the collaborative Saxe PTC & New Canaan Cares parent meeting on “Strengthening Executive Functioning During the Summer”. Just like many other important life skills, these require repetition & practice. There were many great ideas for students & adults!
Thanks to Mr. White & our Professional Learning team for the meaningful session on our final New Canaan Portrait of a Grad competency – Communication (also 1 of our Saxe MS “5 Cs”). Staff also got to see how the work we do here translates to our students’ futures at NCHS!
8 Blue has Saxe MS students “looking on the bright side” with positive reminders throughout the month of April!
8 Purple also has Saxe MS students “looking on the bright side” with positive reminders for the month of April!
And, 8 Green has Saxe MS students “looking on the bright side” with positive reminders for the month of April, too!
Nothing like a good “collaborative puzzle” to build community within the classroom &/or team!
A “behind the scenes” look at our recent interviews for our upcoming Saxe MS Spring Daytime Open House – can’t wait to see how the video turns out!
Great to see the “positive message sign” updated along East Ave this week!
Scenes around Saxe
Just a couple of shots from around the Saxe MS campus as Spring continues to flourish… We are so fortunate to be surrounded by these beautiful sights each day, especially this time of year!
Dogs Of Saxe
Cali & Luna made our week with their visits during morning dropoff 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
