CO-PRESIDENTS' LETTER
Dear Saxe Families,
February may be the shortest month of the year, but there’s no shortage of amazing things happening at Saxe! The second academic quarter has just wrapped up, the Open Houses for grades 6-8 are nearly complete and the recent orchestra, band and choir concerts were the perfect antidote to the winter blues.
The Saxe PTC remains busy working on a variety of grant requests. Over the last month we were able to make further enhancements to the ever popular Saxe Cafe including colorful lunch box storage bins, coat racks and additional games for the children to play during recess on those cold winter days.
There are a number of additional grants still working their way through the approval process and we shall share the results of those in the weeks to come. Winter Break begins on Friday, February 14th and we hope you’re headed somewhere warm! No matter where you’ll be, enjoy the time off with family and friends.
Best,
Geri Mohr and Patty Zoccolillo
Saxe PTC Co-Presidents
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PRINCIPAL'S LETTER
Dear Saxe Parents,
It is tough to believe that we are already in February… We wrapped up our last full week in January with a great initiative called "Start with Hello." It was wonderful to see our students acknowledge the importance of inclusion and recognizing that their words and actions truly make a difference. This can be as simple as that “hello,” a quick smile, or just inviting someone sitting alone over to their lunch table. This, by the way, happened this week and it was awesome. I am proud of the continued focus on the whole-child and the overall experience of our students (and staff) in our school. Our positive school climate and culture is part of what makes Saxe Middle School special and creates the best environment possible for our students to learn, our staff to work, and all of us to enjoy/appreciate. A special thank you to you all “our parents” as well for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Dave Gusitsch
Principal, Saxe Middle School
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Open House Grades 6-8
Feb 3-4
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No School
Feb 14: Prof. Learning Day
Feb 17-21: Winter Break
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"Throwback Thursday" Spirit Day
Feb 13
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Grade 6-8 Daytime Open Houses
Feb 3 and 4
There are still a few daytime Open Houses taking place this week.
Click HERE
for the schedule, which has more detailed information and depicts the specific day, date, and time for each respective grade/team.
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Parent Program—Raising Humans in a Digital World
Wed, Feb 5 at 6:30 PM, Saxe Auditorium
Co-sponsored by New Canaan CARES and the Saxe PTC
TikTok, Snapchat, Fortnite, Instagram—these are all part of your middle schoolers lives and they are here to stay. Technology has many positives for our students but many downsides as well. Educator Diana Graber, author of “Raising Humans in a Digital World” will lead a frank discussion on how to avoid the potential harms of technology while focusing on the many rewards.
Recipient of the National Association for Media Literacy Education’s 2017 Media Literacy Teacher Award, Graber will instruct parents on how to protect their child’s reputation and personal information online, provide tips on helping middle-schoolers develop “on-line” social emotional skills such as empathy and respect, provide guidance on balancing virtual and real life and offer advice on how to avoid cyber bullies and online predators. To register please
click HERE
.
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Applications Due for I3 (Formerly Innovation Night)
Feb 7
Students grades 2-12 are invited to showcase their passion for innovation, problem solving, and technology. The event, now called I3 (Ideas, Integration, and Innovation), will take place on April 1. This year students are challenged to design a solution that addresses a problem or need in the world around them. Click
HERE
for more information.
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"Throwback Thursday" Spirit Day
Feb 13
The Saxe Spirit Club invites all students to dress up for the "Throwback Thursday" Spirit Day. Each grade dresses for their decade:
- 50s - 5th Grade
- 60s - 6th Grade
- 70s - 7th Grade
- 80s - 8th Grade
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Volunteers Needed: Faculty & Staff Appreciation Luncheon
Please consider helping with the Saxe Faculty & Staff Appreciation Lunch on February 14. You can donate your time, your talents (cooking/baking) or, if you're just too busy, we've provided a monetary donation option. All are greatly appreciated!
Click HERE
to volunteer. Contact
Lotten Mulligan
for more information.
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Thank You to Our PTC Volunteers!
A special thank you to the extraordinary parent volunteers who helped chair the five Performing Arts Concerts in December and January:
Meg Saunders
for choir:
Jayne Benton, Lori McLaughlin
and
Suzanne Messina
for Band; and
Caryn Frick
for orchestra. We’d also like to thank the following parents who helped out each night and made sure the students were on stage and ready to play:
Sue Amis, Kristina Ancker, Sara Bakker, Silvia Baldini, Rita Bettino, Susan Brown, Rachel Descenza, Betsy Magrattan, Gina Madrazo, Rita Nagle, Liz Orelup, Patricia Pagano, Cindy Pan, Leann Pantaleo, Shilpi Sahay, Tamara Shelley, Lisa Strupp, Catherine Walker, Denise Wartinbee, and Joyce Wu.
We’d also like to thank
Stefania Bop
p and
Mary Lydon
for supplying coffee, water and baked goods for all of the 8th grade parents who attended the 8th to 9th Transition Parent Coffee. Our children, teachers and parents appreciate your willingness to help during these busy months!
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Note From the School Nurse:
State Requires Physicals for All 6th Grade Students
Connecticut State Law requires all students to have a physical exam during 6th grade
.
The CT Health Assessment form needs to be on file in the nurse’s office
by the last day of 6th grade
. They will accept physicals dated from
June 1, 2019.
Upon completion of the exam, please send the completed CT health assessment record to the lower division health office. Please contact school nurse
Joelle Graham
(
203-594-4526) with any questions.
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Cakes 4 CARES
Feb 9, 2:30-4:00 PM at the New Canaan YMCA
Don’t miss this annual fun-filled family event! Cupcake decorating, face painting, cake baking contest and more!
Click HERE
for more information.
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Friendship Matters: Fostering Connections in Childhood
Feb 11, 9:30 AM at East School
Come listen to clinical psychologist Dr. Lauren Pote talk about friendship skills during each developmental stage at this joint elementary school PTC meeting. What can we expect our children to understand about friendship? How can we help them while fostering their independence? The snow date for this event is Feb 12.
Click HERE
for more information.
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New Canaan CARES Presents "How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen"
Feb 26, 10:00 AM at New Canaan Library (Lamb Room)
Based on the popular book, parents of children ages 2–7 are invited to come learn strategies for communicating effectively with the young children in your life. Help your little kids grow into self-reliant big kids who are positively connected to their parents, teachers, siblings and peers. Featuring Beth O’Brien Head of Early Childhood at New Canaan Country School.
Click HERE
for more information and to register.
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Middle School Night at the Y
Feb 29, 7:00-9:30 PM at the New Canaan YMCA
Middle schoolers take over the Y for a night of endless activities—Scooter Pool, Group Exercise Center, Wagner Room, Wellness Center, Zone Challenge by Parisi, Spinning, and a special monthly event. Pizza and snacks will be available for purchase. Pre-registration is available online or at the front desk and is strongly recommended.
Click HERE
to register.
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Register Now for New Canaan Spring Softball
Join the fastest growing sport in town! Our successful, self-esteem building program teaches the game of softball and stresses the importance of being a team player. Our Little League rec program’s regular registration period is open to Kindergarten through 9th grade girls through February 16th.
Click HERE
to register. Contact
Kristin Boroff
with any questions about the program.
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New Canaan Saxe Squash Registration
Registration is open for New Canaan Squash. Programs are available for boys and girls kindergarten through 12th grade. New this year is a girls-only Squash Fit program for girls 5th-8th grade. New to squash players are welcome to try a complementary class.
Click HERE
for more information on any of these programs or contact
Taylor Benevento
for 7/8th grade and
Ipek Savasoglu
for 5/6th grade
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Donate Your Used Computers
For almost two decades, Computers for Kids program has been collecting and fixing up gently used computers at Saxe to give to families in need. If you know a child or family in need of a computer, please contact
Patty Potts
.
If you have an unused laptop or desktop computer to donate, please bring it to the Saxe Lower Division Security Desk labeled with your name and address. Laptops are in especially high demand. Community member Julius Alexander prepares the CPUs for us, custodian Bob Tonucci organizes stock and finds monitors, keyboards, etc. to work with the CPUs, and our Saxe Lower Division Security Staff accept donations and help recipients pick up their "new" computers. This program would not run without their generous help, and new volunteers are always welcome.
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