June 12, 2026
Dear Saxe MS Family,
What a week! This is officially our last full week of the 2025-26 school year, and it definitely did not disappoint… With everything going on, this edition will be a little longer than others, but we appreciate you taking a moment to read, scroll, listen, or any combination of these to get a glimpse of what makes Saxe Middle School so special. Each week we do our best to provide some insight into the efforts we make to create and foster the most positive school climate/culture possible, while continuing to challenge and engage our students to be the best they can be and grow just a little bit more each day. We are proud of each member of our school community!
This week in the Saxe Weekly, we take a look at the latest Saxe MS podcast, Social Studies, Art, Robotics, Library, Latin, Science Workshop, an Egg Drop Challenge, Saxe Spirit, the 7th-grade field trip to Holiday Hill, Peer Buddies, caring for our grounds, Access Field Day, some TED Talks, the 8th-grade field trip to Brownstone Adventure Park, the 8th-grade Bash (Don’t Stop Believin’), inspiration, recess, “Teachers’ Pets”, Dogs of Saxe, and much more. Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!
Be Well,
Dave Gusitsch
Principal, Saxe Middle School
Upcoming Noteworthy Dates:
6/15 Yearbook Distribution/8th Grade Bagel Breakfast (8:00/8:40)
6/15 NCHS Graduation Walk (10:30)
6/17 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony Rehearsal
6/17 8th Grade Class Picnic
6/17 7th Grade Yearbook Distribution (12:30 -1:30)
6/18 Gr. 8 Promotion Ceremony @ NCHS (9:45am)
6/19 1/2 Day (dismissal at noon)
6/19 Parent Portal Open for Final Report Cards
*Quotes that resonated with us this week:
“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” – Dr. Suess
“When you stumble, make it part of the dance. Every misstep teaches a new move towards success.”-Unknown
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”-Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” — John F. Kennedy
“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” —John C. Maxwell
Saxe Jokes of the week:
What do you call a pile of cats? A meow-ntain.
Why did the glue get in trouble at school? It couldn’t stick to the rules.
Why do birds fly north in the summer? Because it’s too far to walk.
Did you hear about the guy giving away dead batteries? They were free of charge.
What did the custodian say when he jumped out of the closet? Supplies!
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!
Social Studies
Eighth graders wrap up their year in social studies by sharing their research on some aspect of the American Experience. It’s always wonderful to see the wide range of self-selected topics as well as student research and speaking skills! Thank you to Mr. Banas and Ms. Aufiero for sharing a couple of pictures
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Art
Each year, our 8th grade artists transform simple cardboard into a powerful symbol of community. Each student designed and constructed a unique structure, reflecting the many different ways people live, create, and express themselves. When combined into one large collaborative display, these individual buildings formed a vibrant communityscape that celebrates diversity, creativity, and connection. The project encouraged students to recognize that while our homes, experiences, and perspectives may differ, we are all part of something larger when we come together. The finished installation in the Saxe front lobby, is a striking reminder that our differences help build a stronger, more interesting community.
Robotics
It was a high-energy quarter in 7th grade robotics as students used design thinking to solve the real-world puzzle of how driverless cars work. By prototyping, testing, and refining their code, our students stepped into the roles of computational creators to tackle three unique challenges. First, a Time Trial forced them to break down complex routes into precise, optimized code. Next, the Most Creative challenge pushed teams to collaborate and express unique, out-of-the-box solutions to complex obstacles. Finally, an all-class race required students to systematically troubleshoot and debug their programs under real-time pressure. Through it all, they learned how to code, analyze data, and predict how technology impacts the world around them. Huge congratulations to everyone for their incredible teamwork, resilience, and creativity!
Library
Our Saxe Library is creative in their approach to get all of their books back before students head off for the summer… Please help them out & check lockers, bags, bedrooms, etc. to get books back by next week. Thanks for helping our terrific staff out!
Latin
8th grade Advanced Latin students celebrating their fine achievement on the 2026 National Latin Exam. “Gratulor omnibus!” (Congrats to all!).
Science Workshop
Students put on their “design thinking hats” in Science Workshop this week. Each student was assigned a specific role (fisher, construction worker, firefighter, etc.) to design a hat for. They first did some research in order to gain empathy for people in these roles and gain insights into what design features they might need in a hat before brainstorming and prototyping their ideas.
Challenge Egg Drop
During Grade 8 Challenge’s unit on Competing Systems, students studied the structures, behaviors, and resilience of competing economic and political systems during the Cold War. Their studies culminated with a competition of their own. Students were divided into “nations” of their own design and were required to propose, budget, and develop their own space programs. Each program submitted a proposal for various space race “milestones” along with blueprints and materials purchase orders for a “lunar lander.” The students then built their blueprinted designs within their set budgets. On Monday, they tested the quality of their designs in an egg drop challenge.
Saxe Spirit
We are excited to celebrate all the fun we have had this year at Saxe. The 7th and 8th grade leadership team is bringing you a special HAWKS celebration. Each day we will have some fun! Check out the graphic below for more information. GO HAWKS!
Happy Birthday
This week, we celebrate the following students – have a great birthday!
Grade 8 Promotion Ceremony
Do you have family interested in watching the 8th-grade Promotion Ceremony to celebrate their family members’ time at Saxe MS, but they are unable to join? No problem, we’ve got a link for you! Our ceremony will take place on Thursday, June 18th at 9:45 a.m. and all they need to do is click on this link to join in virtually!
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, & Colin Saari…
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!
Despite the slower-than-expected start, the Saxe7th-grade field trip to Holiday Hill in Prospect, CT was a huge success this week! The weather was great and there was something for everyone to enjoy… Sun, fun, food, socialization, activities, or just plain old relaxation!
Look at that view!
As my own kids say, “phone eats first”… The food was really good for serving thousands of people per hour!
Interested in joining Peer Buddies? Check out this info and consider getting involved in one of the best groups at Saxe. Thanks to all involved, you’re an inspiration!
When you have a couple of 8th-graders who request a photo for the Saxe Weekly, you happily oblige! Thank you for being fine, upstanding citizens of Saxe gentlemen; you make us proud! Keep up the great work!
Thanks to Remzi for getting our 8th-grade celebration banner up & on display for our end of year events over the past couple of weeks at Saxe! (and, another thanks to Ms. Jordan for the amazing planters that grace our entrances!).
What do you get when you have staff who truly care about our Saxe campus? Care and attention to detail. Thanks to Mr. O’Leary for cleaning up our welcome sign area. It looks so much better & you are appreciated, sir!
Mr. O’Leary was also hard at work taking care of our Saxe courtyards, too – thanks again!
The Access Field Day was a huge success this week! Congrats to all who participated & thanks to all of the Saxe staff and students who made it possible!
Our auditorium at Saxe is a terrific spot to hold the culminating TED talks for Challenge classes. Impressive work and congrats to all!
The ”Surfing Through Memories” display outside the MS office at Saxe MS continues to grow with some terrific reflections on our students’ time spent together this year (&, beyond)!
The grounds are ready & the weather is cooperating (so far) for a wonderful evening of celebrating our Saxe MS students at the “8th-grade Bash”… Thanks to all involved in getting this amazing setup up & running!
Our Saxe MS students are having a blast at the 8th-grade Bash! Thanks to all involved in making this possible… What a wonderful way to celebrate them all as the Class of #Saxe2026!
Thank you to our amazing SaxePTC for providing such a wonderful experience for our Saxe MS students for their 8th-Grade Bash this week! It was a fun evening with games, candy, dancing, & tons of terrific memories being made as they celebrate the final couple of weeks together!
Oh, & the Colony Pizza Truck was a HUGE hit for Saxe MS students & staff alike!
Thank you to our amazing Saxe PTC for providing such a wonderful experience for our Saxe MS students (&, staff) for their 8th-Grade Bash this week! I’m not positive, but there may be evidence that the adults had almost as much fun as the kids!
Is it 1981 or 2026?! It doesn’t matter that generations have danced to this song, the past 45 years (I remember it from the 80’s 😂), Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’(Click the link to watch!)” NEVER gets old! So fun to see the energy still flowing from this timeless classic!
Our Saxe MS 8th-graders had the absolute best day for their field trip to Brownstone Adventure Park this week! It was 90+ degrees – perfect for a water park!
Not sure which group of Saxe MS students won this tug of war, but it looks like they were having fun!
Students & staff alike had a blast on the Saxe MS 8th-grade field trip to Brownstone Adventure Park this week. What a wonderful opportunity to explore, interact, have FUN, & celebrate the last week or so of the school year together!
Is there anything more exciting than a culminating activity that includes having your project dropped off the roof of Saxe MS to see if it survives the fall?! The annual Egg Drop is always fun, but this year was a huge success with some terrific creations surviving the plunge!
Thanks to Mr. Chard for sharing this recent publication with us – very timely!
And yes, I may have gotten one stuck on the side of the building with a less than stellar release (it did land safely)!
The Saxe MS “Inspire Wall” continues to expand & motivate all who stop to take a moment to read these thoughtful submissions!
The Saxe MS Latin classes took advantage of one of our beautiful outdoor spaces to hold their annual award ceremony, celebrating their hugely successful results on the recent National Latin exam. Congrats to all!
Our students get older, but they still enjoy a good game during recess! Here are a few of our former students who’ve been with us on their NCHS Senior Internship the past 5 weeks, showing our current students “how it’s done”! Plus, after that game the other night, “Knicks fever” was real here this week! 🙂
“Teachers’ Pets”
Thanks to Ms. Frazier for putting out the call to display Saxe MS staff pets – what a terrific response! Look at all those amazing pets…
Dogs of Saxe
Mr. Chard’s class is finishing up a unit on eclipses and he shared a picture that one of his students sent to him. He calls it, ”Dog’s first eclipse: 2024” 🙂
Nice weather as the Dogs of Saxe join in the ride to drop their humans off to school! Thanks for sharing them with us – we love it!
Ms. Orlando absolutely spoils Teddy with treats!
Goose & Posie partnered up to drop their human off at arrival this morning – thanks for visiting!
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
