The week before December break is always Spirit Week at CHS. In addition to a shortened week, which always seems to generate high spirits in our students, we have our Spirit theme days, our annual Door Decorating Contest, our Ugly Sweater/Ugly Hoodie contest, a special guest speaker on WEDS, and, to wrap up our week on Thursday, our annual Spirit Day with food, fun events, and surprise alumni guests. Here is a preview of our week:
SPIRIT THEME DAYS
THURS SPIRIT DAY EVENTS
Upon our return in the New Year, next up on our Craig Community Calendar will be our 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!
That is preceded by our annual CHS VIRTUAL GRAD PANEL 2026 on Thursday, January 8th (10AM-10:45AM). We are currently finalizing our special panel of 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!
It’s going to be a festive week at CHS. To those families that are celebrating the festival of lights starting this weekend, Happy Hanukkah! And to all our CHS families, thank you for making our Craig Community so special. If we don’t see you before the holiday break, we wish you an amazing Holiday Break and a Happy New Year!
Dr. Cap
PS-REMINDERS: JANUARY LUNCH DELIVERY closes THIS MONDAY, December 15th (www.myfooddays.com).
Also, CEREAL DOMINO COLLECTION wraps up this WEDS, December 17, so final boxes need to be in by then. You can make this collection “G-R-R-R-R-eat!” (our cereal pun for the week!).
THIS WEEK
Wednesday, December 17th - CHS CEREAL DOMINO COLLECTION: Last Day to add to our Cereal Dominos!
Wednesday, December 17th - CAREER AWARENESS SPEAKER: Graphic Novelist, Mat Heagerty
Thursday, December 18th - 12 PM Close: Winter Spirit Day
Friday, December 19th to Friday, January, 2nd - SCHOOL CLOSED: Holiday Break
WHEN WE GET BACK FROM HOLIDAY BREAK
Monday, January 5th - Classes Resume
Thursday, January 8th - CHS Virtual Grad Panel 2026 (10AM-10:45AM, Zoom Link TBA)
Friday, January 9th - Alumni Night, Mt. Lakes Campus
Friday, January 16th - 12PM Close: Faculty Forum
Monday, January 19th - SCHOOL CLOSED: MLK Day
Saturday, January 24th - Badger Bowl-A-Rama Fundraiser
Tuesday, January 27th - Speaker Series- Gretchen Burman
THIS WEDNESDAY, DEC 17th-CHS Guest Speaker Series, Graphic Novelist Mat Heagerty: This Wednesday, CHS has a bunch of special guests. Our entire 8th grade will be joining us for our very special guest speaker, graphic novelist, Mr. 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.
First Ever Student Homecooking Lunch Gets a Big Thumbs Up: Last week, CHS had a delicious first-ever that looks like it might become a new school annual event. CHS senior Charlie celebrated his 18th birthday, with some help from sophomore Michael and a little guidance from Ms. Jahn, and put together our 1st ever Student Homecooking Lunch. '
Charlie went almost completely Italian with a 3-course meal that included homemade Penne Vodka, garlic bread, and Apple Crumble and Pumpkin Pie for dessert. They prepped, they cooked, they served, and they even cleaned up! We are putting out the call to our students to join us and take the lead on this monthly event. All it takes is a submitted menu for review and input from Ms. Jahn for reasonability and cost. Once approved, they will be assigned a Home Cooking month/date. Looking forward to January!
Badger Hoops Starts Up After the New Year: The CHS JV Basketball Team will start its winter season after the Holiday Break. This co-ed team is open to all Craig High students and is a fantastic opportunity to improve your fitness and basketball skills while being part of a supportive team. Practices will be held at the CHS Gym from 3 PM to 4:30 PM on the following Tuesdays:
We’ll finalize the game schedule in early January. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Coach Cap at ECaparulo@craigschool.org
CHS ESPORTS Team Hoops Starts Up After the New Year: The inaugural CHS ESPORTS TEAM will start its winter intramural season after the Holiday Break. This co-ed team is open to all Craig High students and is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your gaming and teamwork skills. Practices will be held in room 107 from 3 PM to 4:30 PM on the following MONDAYS:
Our Winter Season will be an intramural league with the goal of joining a HS league in the spring and competing against other HS ESPORTS teams across NJ. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Coach Cap at ECaparulo@craigschool.org
Badger Bowling Intramural League Starts Up After the New Year: The CHS Intramural Bowling League will get rolling after the Holiday Break. This co-ed team is open to all Craig High students and is a fantastic opportunity to improve your bowling skills while vying for the league title. League play and pick up will be at BOONTON LANES from 3 PM to 4:30 PM on the following THURSDAYS:
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Coach Crum at JCrum@cragschool.org
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:
Every level of participation directly strengthens the Craig experience for our students.
Register Today!
Scan the QR code in the newsletter or click the link below to get started:
https://fundraise.givesmart.com/e/DOp1sQ?vid=1nefvf
Regular admission is $50.
Need Assistance?
We’ve created quick how-to guides for registration, fundraising, and sponsorships, available on our website under Giving → Badger Bowl-A-Rama.
For additional support, please contact:
Mary Calvano: mcalvano@craigschool.org
Amanda Jahn: ajahn@craigschool.org
We Look Forward to a Fun and Meaningful Community Event!
Thank you for your enthusiasm and support, we can’t wait to see our community come together for this special day.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season and thank you for being such an important part of our Craig community.
Please visit our website for complete instructions on registering, fundraising and sponsoring.
For more information on ways of giving or to make a donation online you can clicking here.
