October 9, 2026
Dear Saxe MS Family,
What a week! I’m not sure we could have packed any more excitement into these five days… “Celebrate Saxe” is always filled with entertainment and fun, but we “leveled up” this year and made it one for the ages… This week in the Saxe Weekly, we take a look at an important email notice from NCPS, Start with Hello Week, Columbus / Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the latest Saxe Weekly podcast, Celebrate Saxe, the Advisory drone experience, scenes around Saxe, a world-renowned artist visits Saxe, Mandarin, Math, STEM, Hispanic Heritage Month, Birthday shout-outs, community events, Walk, Ride, Roll to School Day, wellbeing, Social Studies, ELA, Science, inspiration, Art, Dogs of Saxe, and much more.
Whether you read each week from top to bottom, scroll through to scan a few photos, listen to the podcast, or any combination of these, we appreciate you checking out a snapshot of what makes Saxe MS the special place that it is! Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!
Be Well,
Dave Gusitsch
Principal, Saxe Middle School
** Please see the special note from NCPS (below). Since some people may not be receiving emails, please spread the following word amongst your friends:
To ensure you don’t miss important school announcements and updates, please check your email spam or junk folder for messages from our school district. If you find any NCPS emails there, select “Report as Not Spam” or drag them into your main inbox. This quick step helps your email provider’s algorithm learn that our communications are safe and ensures critical updates reach you directly.
Upcoming Noteworthy Dates:
10/12 – Columbus/Indigenous Peoples Day (no school)
10/13 – Start with Hello: Greet Someone New
10/14 – Start with Hello: Get to Know Your Classmate
10/15 – Start with Hello: Trusted Adult Thursday
10/16 – Start with Hello: Wear Green & Give a Compliment
*Quotes that resonated with us this week:
“Small daily improvements over time lead to stunning results.” – Robin Sharma
“With a smile and a song, life is just like a bright sunny day. Your cares fade away.” – Snow White
“You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot ― it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.” ― Maya Angelou
“Dare to dream; then, decide to do.” –Annette White
“No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.”-Unknown
Saxe Jokes of the week:
Why do cows have hooves and not feet? Because they lactose!!
What did the horse say after it tripped? I’ve fallen and can’t GIDDY UP!
What’s the most reliable part of your body? Your fingers, you can always count on them!
Why does everyone love snowmen? They’re cool.
What do you call friends you like to eat with? Taste Buds!
Columbus/Indigenous Peoples’ Day
This Monday, October 12, our country observes both Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Some celebrate Italian American heritage, others honor the history and enduring cultures of Native and Indigenous peoples, and many do both. Whatever the day means to you and your family, we hope you’ll take a moment to stay curious, ask questions, and/or listen to different perspectives. Last but not least, enjoy the long weekend!
Saxe Weekly: The Podcast
Interested in getting an overview of the latest Saxe Weekly in podcast form? Using Google’s Gemini Notebook, 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!
Below is a graphic representation of the latest Saxe Weekly created through Gemini Notebook for you to enjoy!
Start with Hello Week
Next week is our Start with Hello week at Saxe MS! Together with the 7th/8th grade Student Council, we have planned a small challenge or activity for each day to promote connection within our school. Please join in making a difference in building a stronger community for all, and have some fun along the way!
Celebrate Saxe
Here is the most recent message from our PTC… Thank you to everyone who has participated – it has been an amazing week! And, thank you to anyone else who chooses to participate over the weekend!
THIS IS IT — our FINAL DAY of Celebrate Saxe!
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our Saxe community, we are getting SO close to our $100,000 goal! This year, we’ve put a simple idea at the heart of Celebrate Saxe:
Every Saxe Student Has a Story.
And together, we have the opportunity to help shape the setting for those stories.
Your support helps us beautify and enhance the spaces where our students learn, grow, connect, and create their own chapters, creating a school environment where every student feels comfortable, supported, inspired, and proud to be part of Saxe.
Let’s reach our $100,000 goal and make an even bigger impact for our students.
Whether you’ve already donated or have been meaning to check it off your list, every gift matters. Every family who participates brings us closer to the finish line.
Can we count on you to help us write the next chapter for Saxe?
THERE ARE THREE EASY WAYS TO GIVE:
WAYS TO DONATE:
- ONLINE: Click HERE to donate now
- CHECK: Made to Saxe PTC delivered to the main school office
- CORPORATE MATCH: For company matching, please contact PTC Treasurer at saxeptc@gmail.com.
- Reminder: The Saxe PTC is a 501(c)3 organization. Your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
We are incredibly grateful for the generosity, enthusiasm, and support of our Saxe community. Thank you for helping make Saxe a place where every student can write a story worth remembering.
Let’s finish strong!
With gratitude,
The Celebrate Saxe Committee
Advisory – “Celebrating” our Saxe Community
On Tuesday, we used our Advisory time to capture a Saxe MS “whole school photo” against classic New England fall foliage. Beyond a fun, lasting memory, it reinforced the purpose of this time: to “Have fun & build community!” It was a true team effort, from moving everyone outside to guiding students into their sections of the “letter” and “number.” Experiences like this bring students and staff together to connect, have fun, and celebrate being part of Saxe. Thank you to our SRO, Officer Blank, for creating the planning map for the drone shots, and to our friends in the NC Parks Dept for the letters and numbers to stand on. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Wondering what it looks like to move 700+ Saxe MS students & staff to capture one of our best community-building activities to date? Well, here you go! In color, or infrared (which, as an added bonus, happens to show up as our school colors)… We are grateful to all involved!
Some moments you just can’t script… Capturing our mascot soaring overhead as we stage our SaxeMS schoolwide photo? Incredible! Pure Hawk pride (feel free to click to watch it soar by)… Go, Saxe Hawks! (Note: see the hawk flying toward the flagpole against the white background of the roof!)
What started out as a wild idea on the office board, turned into one of the most iconic photo moments of all time at Saxe MS (Click the links to watch the magic!)… Thanks to all who helped make it possible! #SAXE2627
People ask, “How do you get 700+ Saxe MS students & staff outside, lined up, & ready for not 1, but 2 group photos?!” The answer: A bit of optimism, a ton of planning, & some help from our friends in the NC Parks Dept, including their robot field painter, “Frankie”… Thank you!
It may not look like much, but this is the layout that helped us successfully guide 700+ Saxe MS students & staff through the paces to capture some iconic group photos… Thanks to all involved!
The day before was also picture perfect as we ran through our final setup & routine! I may be a little biased, but Saxe MS really is a beautiful building & campus…
Celebrate Saxe Assembly
On Wednesday, we welcomed award-winning artist Marco Santini, whose art has landed around the world… Murals, pools, dance floors, the UN, Sotheby’s, Bloomingdale’s, Ringo Starr (yes, of the Beatles), & yes, soon literally on the moon, to name a few! The best part of the assembly? When our students responded with a terrific list of words representing what they “Love about Saxe” through some art of their own… This was such an inspirational & proud moment to see!
Here are a few shots of our students, locked in…
Marco Santini worked on this project throughout the day, capturing the voices of our Saxe MS students, to create this amazing piece of Art that will proudly hang in our school for many years to come!
The art was great (especially for only a few minutes of time to work), & hearing the stories behind each was even better! Our Saxe MS students never cease to amaze me…
Saxe MS is grateful for Mr. Santini bringing his talents to our school community for all to experience – thank you!
Mandarin
This year the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival was on Sept. 25. Last week in G7 and G8 Mandarin classes, students started their celebration with a discussion of custom and legend. To further experience the gist of this festival, G7 students made their own 3D moon cakes with paper and art materials. G8 students created the lanterns with 3D wood printing frames and rice paper painting. It was a good time for students to also embrace the cultural elements while using the Mandarin language!
Math
Our 8th Grade Pre-Algebra classes are mastering the Pythagorean Theorem, investigating the relationships within right triangles, and applying these geometric principles to solve complex, real-world problems.
7th Grade STEM Lunch Club
This month in STEM Lunch Club, students brought their curiosity and critical thinking to life as we kicked off our LEGO- series! One group tackled the engineering problem of bridges, using empathy to understand real-world structural needs as they began to ideate and prototype weight-bearing LEGO bridges. Meanwhile, our robotics crew showed incredible adaptability as they explored sensor mechanics and programmed their LEGO robots to navigate complex challenges. Throughout the session, clear communication was key as partners tested their builds, used the iterative process, and refocused their goals after each trial.
Hispanic Heritage Month
October is Hispanic Heritage Month. During this time, we recognize and honor the many contributions of Hispanic Americans to our community and beyond. This week, we celebrate the lives and work of Jose Andres. Their contributions have helped shape our society and continue to inspire us all!
Happy Birthday!
A special shout-out to our Saxe students who are celebrating their birthdays this week & next – Happy Birthday!
Community Events
Back by popular demand! Join us at The Dome on Wednesday, October 21st at 6:30 PM for the event of the year as we explore the comets, asteroids, and mysterious visitors that travel through our solar system. This special evening features Edge of Darkness, a stunning 25-minute film that takes viewers soaring over the towering cliffs of comet 67P, diving into the bright “lights” on Ceres, and witnessing the first-ever close-up views of the dwarf binary planet Pluto/Charon and its moons. Following the film, guests will enjoy a live presentation that brings these celestial objects to life and explores how they move through space. Tickets are $15, with all proceeds from sales directly supporting student programming at The Dome. Visit The Dome’s Eventbrite or click here to purchase your tickets today!
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Below are photos and phrases that were included on our Saxe Middle School page (@SaxeMS) this week. Enjoy!
We are looking forward to another beautiful morning for our Saxe MS Fall Walk, Ride, or Roll to School Day… Can’t wait to see all of our students, families, & dogs along the route!
What a wonderful morning for our Saxe MS Fall Walk to School Day! The weather was absolutely PERFECT & it was great to see students & families walking, riding, scooting, & even roller skating in to school today. No better way to start the day than with some fresh air & sunshine!
And the colors, scenery, & lighting around Saxe MS didn’t disappoint, either!
Each year during the first week of October, Saxe MS holds “Celebrate Saxe”. This year, the theme is “Tell your story…” and we will have plenty of stories to share over the course of this week! Monday started with some “popcorn for all” during lunch & it was a big hit!
Our 7th-graders at Saxe MS listened intently as award-winning artist, Marco Santini, shared where his art has landed around the world… Murals, pools, dance floors, the UN, Sotheby’s, Bloomingdale’s, Ringo Starr (yes, of the Beatles), & yes, soon literally on the moon, to name a few!
Same with 8th-grade:
Crowd participation was terrific at Saxe MS as Marco Santini used his approach of turning art into human connection!
This week, as part of Celebrate Saxe, we were fortunate to have Marco Santini present to our Saxe MS students & staff. His talents “Turn Art into Human Connection” & his experiences are truly “out of this world” (he has a piece of art scheduled to literally go to the moon)!
Thank you to Dr. Kleis for running our PL session this week at Saxe MS on our upcoming TriState visit on Wellbeing. Great job & thanks to all involved in this important work!
Who doesn’t love a superhero?! Students in Ms. Freeman’s Saxe MS Social Studies classes use multiple resources to bring their characters to life & many are impressive!
Students in Ms. Ginolfi’s Saxe MS Math class worked through problems together, in pairs, & independently with some personal white boards… Great way to provide multiple perspectives to understand the problems!
Students in Ms. Tomasio’s Saxe MS ELA class spent some time on reflections & evaluating their work – great life skills!
Students in Ms. Mangino’s Saxe MS ELA class were busy during their Gallery Walk & the conversations were inspiring to listen to!
Speaking of inspiration in Ms. Mangino’s ELA class, I’m happy she pointed out these stars that hang in her room… The blue ones are goals for all of her students; the gold ones are words of encouragement parents wrote during our recent Saxe MS Open House… Wow, what great reminders!
Students in Ms. Martin’s Saxe MS Math class were using every part of the room to work through problems with their partners… Sit, stand, move, walk, table, desk – so many options… Love seeing students collaborating in a manner that works best for them!
Ms. Lashendock’s students were testing their reasoning & creativity as they reviewed some former Saxe MS students’ “art puns” before diving in to create their own… Test your brain & see if you can solve any of these!
Students in Mr. Tomasiewicz’s Saxe MS Science class were just casually perusing some light reading on Meiosis & then diving into some rich conversation on their favorite models!
Students in Ms. Dunn’s Saxe MS Science class continue to study genetics & the conversations were fantastic!
It was fun to see some STEM in action this week! This project reminded me of “Land Speeders” from Star Wars… Some of them really got moving & traveled quite far!
Community
On Tuesday, we used our Saxe MS Advisory period to build community, TOGETHER as ONE! 700+ students & staff congregated on the Saxe MS front lawn, & were able to spell out “SAXE” & “26-27”, having a little fun socializing along way… These moments matter & the day was perfect!
Dogs Of Saxe
We enjoyed our fine 4-legged visitors who dropped off their humans for school at Saxe MS this week!
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.
Saxe Resources (live links)
Website: https://www.ncps-k12.org/saxe
Saxe Middle School
Celebrating Our Learning Community Through Caring, Communication, & Commitment
PS – On the go and interested in getting an overview of the Saxe Weekly in podcast form? Using Google’s Gemini Notebook, we are able to offer an option to listen to all of the great “goings on” in our school community while you are out & about, with the Saxe MS Podcast! We invite you to give it a listen… Enjoy!
