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LS/MS Newsletter - Dec 12th

THE CRAIG SCHOOL

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Message from the Director

Dear Badger Families,

It is hard to believe that we are headed into the last week before our break! We have a lot planned for this last week! We are wrapping up our fundraiser for St. Hubert’s with an 8th grade trip to bring the donations on Tuesday. We are welcoming author Mat Heagarty to campus on Wednesday for workshops and a book signing on Wednesday. Thursday, we host our annual Gingerbread STEM Winter Wonderland day, and send out our academic reporting.

Wednesday, December 17th: Please see the information in our Community section of the newsletter for information about Mat Heagarty and a link to purchase one of his books if you’d like him to sign it.
Thursday, December 18th: Gingerbread STEM Winter Wonderland hosted by our science teachers and PACS.
- Grades 2-5 have their day centered around the theme of Jan Brett’s, Gingerbread Friends. This beautifully illustrated story follows a gingerbread man all through the town while he is looking for friends, only to find out that Mattie was busy at home baking him an entire gingerbread village with more friends than he could ask for. The students then have a chance to decorate their own gingerbread house and make a gingerbread friend. Thank you to Mrs. Restieri and Mrs. Kutcher for organizing these activities.
- Ms. Arena and Mrs. Vaporis have been working with their grade 6-8 science classes on their gingerbread STEM activity. The students will work in small groups to plan a two-story gingerbread house complete with a theme. The students will have 60 minutes, a box of graham crackers, a jar of icing, and the edible decorations to complete their build. Not an easy challenge!
- Since all of this building is such hard work, PACS graciously helps us out by offering a beautiful wonderland respite in the cafeteria, where students enjoy hot chocolate and cookies. Thank you, PACS! We are looking forward to a wonderful, fun-filled day!
- Homeroom teachers are working with their students to plan a small holiday celebration. Please watch your email for more information.
Academic reporting consists of Goals & Objectives and Report Cards
- Goals & Objectives will be emailed from records@craigschool.org. These are the individual skills the students are working on in each class. They are marked three times a year, at the same time as the report cards. Some skills will have an NI, Not Introduced, meaning they are skills that are forthcoming this year. Similarly, it is not unusual to see 1’s and 2’s on the Goals & Objectives at this point in the year. Although a skill may have been introduced, it will take time during the year to develop. The progress reports for any related services your child has are also included in this email.
- Report Cards will be available to view and download in Veracross beginning December 18th. For those who are new to The Craig School, the report cards will have elements you are used to seeing, and some that will look a bit different. You will see an overall grade and then a subset of skills for the main content areas. We intend that the details will help you understand your child’s strengths and areas of growth in all skill areas. The accommodations that the teacher employs to address your child’s unique learning profile, along with your child’s work habits in the class, are also listed on the report card. It is with these accommodations in place that your child has earned their respective grade.
- If there are any questions the teachers or I can answer about the goals and objectives, our grading policy, or the accommodations for your child, please do not hesitate to reach out. Those are conversations we love to have as we partner with you to celebrate our students’ perseverance and success.

Have a great weekend,

Jennifer Guthrie

Director of the Lower & Middle School

CALENDAR INFO

December 2025 Important Dates

12/15 (Mon) - After School: Badger HW Support, Girls Basketball Game Away, Boys Basketball Practice

12/16 (Tues) - After School: Girls Basketball Home Game

12/17 (Wed) - After School: Badger HW Support, Boys Basketball Practice

12/18 (Thurs) - Noon Dismissal: Gingerbread STEM Day

12/19 (Fri) - No School: Enjoy Winter Break

January 2026 Important Dates

1/5 (Mon) - Classes Resume

1/5 (Mon) - After School: Badger HW Support, Girls Basketball Away Game

1/6 (Tues) - After School: Girls Basketball Away Game, Boys Basketball Practice

1/7 (Wed) - After School: Badger HW Support

1/8 (Thur) - After School: Badger HW Support, Girls and Boys Basketball Practice

1/9 (Fri) - 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Alumni Night - 8th Graders invited to attend

1/12 (Mon) - After School: Badger HW Support

1/13 (Tues) - After School: Art and Music Club

1/14 (Wed) - After School: Badger HW Support and Swim

1/15 (Thur) - Spirit Day:

1/15 (Thur) - After School: Badger HW Support and Robotics

1/16 (Fri) - Noon Dismissal: Faculty Forum in the afternoon

1/19 (Mon) - No School: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

1/20 (Tues) - After School: Art and Music Club

1/21 (Wed) - After School: Badger HW Support and Swim

1/22 (Thur) - After School: Badger HW Support and Robotics

1/24 (Sat) - Badger Bowl-a-Rama Fundraiser at Boonton Lanes 11:30 am - 2:00 pm

1/26 (Mon) - After School: Badger HW Support

1/27 (Tues) - After School: Art and Music Club

1/27 ( Tues)- Speaker Series: Gretchen Burman

1/28 (Wed) - After School: Badger HW Support and Swim

1/29 (Thur) - After School: Badger HW Support and Robotics

February 2026 Important Dates

2/12 (Thur) - Family STEM Night 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

2/13 (Fri) - Noon Dismissal: Faculty Forum in the afternoon

2/16 (Mon) - No School: Mid-Winter Break

2/17 (Mon) - No School: Mid-Winter Break

COMMUNITY NEWS

THIS WEDNESDAY, DEC 17th-Author Speaker Series, Graphic Novelist Mat Heagerty: Mat will be sharing his segway into the world of graphic novels, the writing process from idea to the written page/drawn panel, his own personal struggles in school, and how he flipped the script on his dyslexia and made it his superpower! He now travels the country talking to students about the strengths of learning disabilities.

You can purchase copies of Mat’s graphic novels on his website (Mat Heagerty COMICS) by clicking on the COMICS link at the top. There is an AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE link on that page that you can use for quick delivery, and students are welcome to bring their copies into school to have them signed.

After School Activities for Winter

We are offering Swim, Robotics, Music, Art and Dance.

An email for all clubs offered was sent to you earlier this week.

Please sign up for the clubs on the link below.

CLUB SIGN UPS

Craig Middle School Alumni Night on Friday, January 9th. The event will be held on our Mt. Lakes campus in the Wilson building in the Reeth-Furlong Gym from 6-8 PM. Students and Parents can RSVP at RSVP Link Craig Alumni Night to make sure we don’t run out of pizza and cake!

CHS VIRTUAL GRAD PANEL 2026 on Thursday, January 8th (10AM-10:45AM). Join us as our former Craig grads who will be sharing their personal insights into navigating the college landscape, from choosing a school and major to the resources available to students with learning disabilities. The panel will be Virtual, and we will share the Zoom Link and alumni speaker bios prior to the panel. In the meantime, SAVE THE DATE!

PACS

Gingerbread STEM & Winter Wonderland

PACS is excited to help kick off one of the sweetest Craig School traditions — Gingerbread STEM & Winter Wonderland! This beloved event is led by our incredible faculty and staff, giving students a fun and festive morning of hands-on holiday STEM activities to celebrate the season.

PACS is delighted to add a little extra warmth to the day by hosting a Hot Cocoa Bar with a special treat for all students and staff.

If you would like to volunteer at the Hot Cocoa Bar from 8 am-12 pm, please email pacs@craigschool.org to sign up.

Wishing everyone a joyful start to the holiday season!

ATHLETICS

Girls' Basketball sign-up!

Girls Basketball Sign Up 2025-2026

Boys basketball sign-up!

Boys Basketball Sign Up 2025-2026

Advancement

Dear Craig School Community,

We are excited to officially invite you to join us for a brand-new community event, our first-ever Badger Bowl-A-Rama! Following our Head of School’s video announcement, we are pleased to share full event details and registration information below.

This family-friendly fundraiser was created in response to our community’s request for an event that brings students, families, alumni, faculty, and friends together in a fun, inclusive way while supporting the programs that make The Craig School exceptional.

Event Details

Date: Saturday, January 24, 2026

Location: Boonton Lanes, 720 Myrtle Avenue, Boonton

Check-In Opens: 11:30 AM

Bowling: 12:00–2:00 PM

Prizes & Wrap-Up: 2:00–2:15 PM

Registration includes: 2 hours of bowling, shoe rental, pizza, and soda.

Ways to Participate

Whether you plan to bowl or support the event from afar, there are several ways to get involved:

● Register as an individual bowler

● Build a team of up to five bowlers

● Create or join a peer-to-peer fundraising page to champion Craig from anywhere