June 5, 2026
Dear Saxe MS Family,
As we round the corner on our last couple of weeks of the 2025-26 school year, we are still very much in full stride. The learning, experiences, and culminating activities will continue all the way up to the “final bell” as we make the most of every moment. This week in the Saxe Weekly, we take a look at the latest Saxe MS Podcast episode, Math, Leadership Team, birthdays, some outdoor learning, celebrating staff, Chorus, Hawks Gazette, the Special Olympics Torch Run, honoring veterans, Art, the Inspire Wall, the staff SPARK lounge, recess, Dogs of Saxe, and much more. Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!
Be Well,
Dave Gusitsch
Principal, Saxe Middle School
Upcoming Noteworthy Dates:
6/8: Meet the Coaches Night @ NCHS (6:30 pm)
6/9: Grade 7 Field Trip to Holiday Hill
6/10: Grade 8 Farewell Bash (5:30 pm)
6/11: Grade 8 Field Trip to Brownstone Adventure Park
6/12: End of Quarter 4
*Quotes that resonated with us this week:
“It is our choices… that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” — J.K. Rowling
“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.“—Marcus Aurelius
“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” —Beverly Stills
“Every day is a chance to learn something new.” – Unknown
“Change is the end result of all true learning.” – Leo Buscaglia
Saxe Jokes of the week:
Why did the tree take up a hobby? It wanted to branch out.
One bird can’t make a pun. But toucan.
What is smarter than a talking parrot? A spelling bee!
Did you know that the first french fries weren’t cooked in France? They were cooked in Greece.
Why should you never tell a taco a secret? Because they tend to spill the beans..
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
Students in Mr. Fiorillo’s Math 7 class have been learning about probability. They completed several experiments focused on experimental and theoretical probability, exploring the difference between what is expected to occur and what actually occurs. Students conducted probability tests using coin flips, rolling dice, and spinners. They then calculated the probability of outcomes as fractions, decimals, and percentages.
Leadership Team
The 8th Grade Leadership Students created an End of Year bulletin board commemorating their years at Saxe Middle School. Workshop teachers had their students fill out summer-themed graphics on both their favorite memories and what they are looking forward to as they transition from Middle School to High School… Thanks to our Student Leadership Team, led by Ms. Nettleton & Ms. Perretti, for organizing & creating this wonderful collaborative effort & display!
Outdoor Learning
There is something special about Spring around Saxe MS… Mr. DiGregorio & his Social Studies classes were taking advantage of the nice weather & inspirational settings around campus to work on their podcast projects. Can’t wait to see how they turn out! 🎙️
Celebrating Staff
During our Saxe MS staff meeting this week, we celebrated staff members who are hitting 5-year increment milestones… It’s so inspiring to see so many who have been here for DECADES! In case you’re wondering, Mr. Chard is wrapping up his 37th year (started in 1989)!
And, congratulations to Ms. Saab on her upcoming retirement!
Chorus
Our 7th-graders kicked off their Spring Choral Concert with a patriotic rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner & a terrific version of Sansa Kroma!
Nothing like a good solo & WOW did these 3 students knock it out of the park with their respective songs! Congrats to Ella (Part of Your World), Raheem (Back in Here), & Sienna (Cherish in the Dark) – Bravo!
8th-grade performed equally as impressively with their set of Drift Away and Unwritten!
So impressive to see our 7th & 8th graders together on stage performing the final 3 pieces – Amani Utupe, The Rhythm of Life, & Thank You for the Music… Excellent job & congrats to all!
Thanks to Mr. Antinou for managing the impressive sound & lighting system in our auditorium during the Spring Choral Concert!
Odyssey of the Mind
The results are in, and our students who participated in the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals out at Iowa State University last week finished in the Top 25 (out of 55 teams)! Congratulations and thanks for representing our school community so well!
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! Thank you to the following for your contributions: Gino Monaghan, Max Cohn, Nico Curran, Tiago Sirett, & Luke Loeffler…
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!
What a beautiful day to get a huge portion of Saxe MS outside to support the Special Olympics Torch Run down South Ave in New Canaan today! It was terrific to see our SRO, Officer Blank, & so many of our former students participating in the run, too! Check out the video for some Torch Run action!
The police support from several towns was impressive to see, too! Check out video 1 & video 2 for some of the action!
We kicked off the week at Saxe MS with a grade-level meeting to review many of the exciting upcoming events down the stretch, rules, expectations, AND celebrate how well our students have done over the course of the year! We look forward to finishing the year strongly! 💪
What a pleasant surprise to receive the below letter this week… One of our students’ letters was received by a US Army veteran recently, & he was so moved, he sent back a thank you note. The best part? He left his phone #, & picked up when I called! It was nice to thank him for the note, and more importantly, for his service to our country. Since the note was anonymous, we are not sure exactly who sent it, but Mr. Davan could not have been more complimentary, with comments like:
- The letter had perfect penmanship…
- I can’t imagine high school seniors writing a letter that well… (he hasn’t seen our NCHS seniors 🙂 ).
- We need more of what you all are doing at your school in the world…
If any teachers or students know which class or group sent letters to veterans, please let us know! I’d like to get this note to whoever sent the original letter.
The Saxe Art Community Project is underway in the Saxe lobby! Stay tuned as this amazingly intricate, detailed collective piece continues to grow…
Students have been busy “Surfing Through Memories” from their time at SaxeMS… Thanks to our Student Leadership Team for organizing & creating this wonderful collaborative effort & display!
I couldn’t pass up watching this activity in one of our courtyards this morning… First period just began & Ms. Walsh’s Science class kicked it off with a little fresh air & activity before heading back in for their lesson – great way to start the day!
The Saxe Inspire Wall continues to expand with some great, positive messaging that also happens to be good reminders for us all!
Perfect weather to “pack the racks” at Saxe! Love seeing how many students choose to walk, ride, or scoot to school every day!
It was great to have some of our former Saxe students back from NCHS to share information about their successful club, The Service League of Boys. Thanks for taking the time to visit during the lunch wave!
What does “progress” on a community space look like at Saxe MS? Lots of boxes & some warm, welcoming, comfortable, inviting upgrades to our SPARK Staff Lounge! This space is dedicated to helping staff find moments to relax, connect, & renew during the day. Thanks to all involved, & stay tuned for more upgrades as they arrive!
This motivated group of Saxe “laxers” enjoyed some friendly camaraderie & competition with some safe, “recess approved” equipment! Kudos to those who plan/coordinate this all on their own!
Dogs of Saxe
We had many Dogs of Saxe go through at arrival this week, but Benji was the only one I was able to get a pic of. Thanks to everyone who shares their dogs with us – we love it!
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
