October 23, 2026
Dear Saxe MS Family,
It does not seem possible that we are approaching the end of our first quarter of school next Friday, but here we are (already)! As the leaves continue to turn, the days get a little shorter, and the temps get a little cooler, we are reminded that the seasons are changing, but we have been fortunate to have some amazing days to keep getting outside. And, it looks like the streak will continue all the way through next week! You will see a few photos from being out and about on our campus, below. Whether you are just scrolling through or reading from beginning to end, we appreciate you checking out a snapshot of our school community in our latest Saxe Weekly!
This week, we take a look at the latest Saxe MS Podcast, a Q1 reminder, Halloween prep, a Yondr reminder, Digital Citizenship Week, a trip to the NCHS Dome & Maker Space, Mandarin, Math Buddies, Hawk’s Eye View Literary Magazine, Start with Hello, a warm welcome to some new staff, birthday shout-outs, some fun tunes, Saxe alum jammin’ out, Health Ed, Design Lab & Innovation, Math, STEM, recess, 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:
10/27: Advisory
10/30: End of Quarter 1
10/31: Halloween (No Homework)
*Quotes that resonated with us this week:
“Never let the thought of striking out get in your way.”-Babe Ruth
“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” -Edmund Hillary
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”– Winston S. Churchill
“Success is not just about reaching the top but about enjoying the climb.”-Unknown
“How else do we return to ourselves but to fold /The page so it points to the good part”—Ocean Vuang
Saxe Jokes of the week:
What do you get when you divide your Jack-o’-lantern’s circumference by its diameter? Pumpkin-pi!
Where does a ghost go on vacation? Mali-boo!!
Where is the best place to sit when a submarine is diving? Inside.
How can you tell a vampire has a cold? He starts coffin!
What do ghosts serve for dessert? I scream!
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!
General Reminders
Just a reminder, Quarter 1 ends next Friday, 10/30. All of our staff members have been reminded to review student grades, outstanding work, etc., and communicate with anyone who may need to get assignments in or tie up any loose ends. We encourage you to do the same! Please have a conversation within your family to determine if there is anything you may need to take care of before the end of the quarter and/or grades are complete. Communication is one of the most important skills we work to build within our school community, and this is a great time to practice it!
Halloween
As we look ahead to next week, we recognize that Halloween is a fun time of year for our middle school students. While we do not plan anything formal as a school, many students choose to “get in the spirit” by dressing up. For those choosing to wear a costume to school on Friday (10/30), please be sure to follow the guidelines below:
- Appropriate school dress protocols still apply as outlined in the “Personal Appearance” section of our Saxe MS student handbook, found on page 11.
- Please arrive at school dressed in costume. Students will not be permitted to change or apply makeup or hair products in school.
- If makeup is part of a costume, it should be applied in a manner that does not lend itself to smudging or transferring to anyone/anything else.
- Costumes are not permitted to include anything that would be considered a weapon (or toys representing weapons).
- Costumes should not include handheld props, noisemakers, restrict movement or vision, or consist of anything that would prevent students from full participation in any/all classes.
- Costumes should not be distracting to classmates or teachers or be overly graphic, suggestive, or depict violence, blood, or gore.
- If costumes do not follow the above guidance, are considered inappropriate, or compromise safety in any manner, students will be asked to contact home for a change of clothes.
Phone Free Schools: Pouch Checks
As a friendly reminder, as part of our commitment to Phone Free Schools, we will be conducting pouch checks in the coming weeks, starting as early as next week. Please ensure you have your Yondr pouch with you, it’s in good working condition, and you are locking up any personal digital devices each day. If you have any questions or need a replacement pouch, please reach out to Dr. Kleis. Thanks for helping keep our schools “phone free”!
Thought Exchange Survey Reminder
Your voice matters & it’s not too late to respond! NCPS recently launched its latest ThoughtExchange survey and is seeking your perspectives on technology use in our district. The survey (emailed by Dr. Luizzi on October 16th) takes just 5–10 minutes to complete, and your feedback will help guide future decisions about how technology is used purposefully to support student learning in our schools. If you are a parent or guardian of a current NCPS student, please check your email to complete the survey by Monday, October 26th. Please note: Families with multiple children attending NCPS should complete a separate survey for each child, as experiences with technology can vary by school and grade level.
Digital Citizenship Week
Grade 7: To recognize Digital Citizenship Week, all Grade 7 students and teachers took time to learn together about what it means to be thoughtful, responsible, and informed digital citizens. The week provided an opportunity for teachers to pause and engage in these important conversations alongside their students. Grade 7 students focused specifically on thinking traps, exploring how common patterns of thought can influence how we interpret online information and respond to situations. This learning builds on the digital citizenship instruction already taking place in Grades 7 and 8 Workshop rotations, as well as lessons embedded across content areas.
Families interested in continuing these conversations at home can find helpful resources through New Canaan CARES and Common Sense Media. Both offer valuable information and guidance to help families support children’s well-being and navigate today’s digital world together.
NCHS Dome
It is always a highlight for our Saxe MS students to take their annual trip over to NCHS to visit The Dome! It is such an amazing resource, and so neat to see them engaged in this collective, immersive experience as they travel around our planet & through our galaxy! Thanks to all involved!
And, as part of the trip, our Saxe MS students also got to experience the NCHS Maker Space. In addition to some terrific learning opportunities, it’s also a great snapshot of what they get to look forward to in their educational journey!
Mandarin
Last week, a group of 8th-grade Mandarin class volunteers visited 5th-grade classrooms and shared their mini-lessons on teaching numbers and the celebration of the traditional Chinese holiday, the Mid-Autumn Festival. Fifth-grade students were excited to learn how to count numbers from one to six with a dice game 毽子(jiàn zi). After learning the holiday food tradition of mooncakes, the fifth graders colored and made their own 3D paper mooncakes to bring home to “enjoy”.
Math Buddies Reminder
The following announcement is for anyone interested in Math competitions. The NCHS Math Buddies have offered to run some study sessions at the New Canaan library to help prepare interested students for the AMC8. We encourage interested students to reach out with any questions using the contact information below. Thanks to our student and staff coordinators!
Hawk’s Eye View
A few members of The Hawk’s Eye View team are pictured here as we launch our school’s literary magazine for the year. We’re excited to curate and celebrate a collection of our students’ writing and art that showcases the creativity and voices of our school community!
Start with Hello
We received such a positive response to our Start with Hello activity as staff received notes from their current or former students. Talk about making you feel special – wow! Below are just a few of the notes; there were HUNDREDS! Thanks to all involved!
Welcome, New Staff
It is always a privilege & an honor to welcome our newest staff members to Saxe MS! Even though the year is underway, we still continue to onboard some new staff… Welcome aboard, Ms.Ellis! (French Teacher) & Mr. Taliercio (Custodial Team).
Happy Birthday!
A special shout-out to our Saxe students who are celebrating their birthdays this week & next – Happy Birthday!
X
Below are photos and phrases that were included on our Saxe Middle School page (@SaxeMS) this week. Enjoy!
Each Friday at Saxe MS, we play a quick little jam over the PA to spread some joy & put out some good vibes… Today’s selection was the “Friends” theme song by the Rembrandts (“I’ll be there for you… 👏 👏 👏”).
What a treat it was to see & hear some of our former Saxe MS, & current NCHS students, performing at the New Canaan PS BOE meeting this week… They sounded terrific & looked like they were having fun performing, too – congrats to all involved!
The Saxe MS 8Green bulletin board has been updated with their seasonal selections for this month! Great to see our student and staff personalities coming through in this collective display…
Our Saxe MS health ed classes were engaging in some rich discussion on the importance of quality sleep, and the best ways to personalize “stress reduction environments”… These are important life lessons to apply (&, good reminders for adults, too)!
In addition to our Saxe MS students changing/upgrading their account passwords to a more safe/secure format, they also spent time on “thinking traps” as part of Digital Citizenship Week ‘26! Bonus: these lessons align with #healthed discussions – great practice of life skills!
It is always rewarding seeing our Saxe MS students “working with their hands”… Whether it was the Chomp Saw, 3D printer, circuitry, or many other examples, they were “all in” in the Design Lab during Shark Tank this week!
Even the hallways around the SaxeMS Design Lab & Library turn into functional collaboration spaces as our students design, create, produce, iterate, & so much more!
Always terrific seeing our Saxe MS students up & out of their seats, working through problems around the room with their partners or groups! Here is a snapshot of a Math class in grade 8…
Alright, I’ve seen a lot of student creations (Click the links to watch!) here at Saxe MS, but this one is tremendous! Take a look at how the code/robot responds to different weather forecasts – each one (rain, snow, sun, fog, etc.) has a reaction & sound. The sunglasses & umbrella are great!
Saxe MS Recess vibes = great moments!
What a terrific note from one of our former Saxe MS students! (&, as an added bonus, it was accompanied by some cookies!)
Not the best photo, but a terrific message! Love passing this frequently updated sign on East Ave…
#BelieveInYourself
Scenes around Saxe
Sometimes, you just need to take a quick moment to appreciate the “scenery of the season”… We are so fortunate around SaxeMS (&, CT/NE in general) this time of year!
Dogs Of Saxe
We love seeing these family members at SaxeMS arrival throughout the week – it makes our day!
Have a great week, see you next Friday!
Thank you to all of our Saxe Weekly contributors! Each 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!
