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LS/MS Newsletter- Dec 18th

THE CRAIG SCHOOL

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Message from the Director

Dear Badger families,

As we head into our holiday break, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our entire school community. This season offers a welcome pause—a time to rest, reflect, and enjoy moments of connection with family and friends. I am deeply grateful for the care, dedication, and partnership that fill our days at school, making our community such a special place to learn and grow.

Wishing you a joyful, peaceful holiday and a healthy, happy New Year. We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for the year ahead.

Have a wonderful holiday break,

Jen Guthrie

CALENDAR INFO

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) - High School Virtual Grad Panel- link below

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

1/9 (Fri) - 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Alumni Night - 7th and 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 - 2:15 pm

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

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

1/27 (Tues) - Virtual Speaker Series- 7:00 pm - 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

Author Visit Mat Heagerty

Wednesday, December 17th, was our first visiting author to our new media center! We welcomed Mr. Mat Heagerty, a professional graphic novelist known for such works as Lumberjackula, Martian Ghost Centaur, and Unplugged & Unpopular. He is based out of Vermont, and when he is not writing or attending comic-cons, he is visiting schools around the country, sharing his positive message of turning learning disabilities into superpowers and building resilience.

These messages were prevalent throughout his presentation to our students, where he walked through his career trajectory, the process of creating a graphic novel, and the various specialists that it requires, from character development to actual publication.

He also guided our students in a group collaboration to create our own comic book characters and story. Our youngest group of students developed a radioactive giant hamster, wielding a 6-7 curse on an unsuspecting upset hamburger who had just lost his job at the local McDonald's. His very happy fry-guy friend was comforting a sad chicken nugget that wanted to climb the city buildings, but alas, was unable, with no means of climbing.

Leadership Council Community Outreach

Thank you for all of your donations to our Leadership Council’s fall fundraiser. The 8th graders went to St. Hubert’s on Wednesday to meet some of the pets we are supporting and brought our bounty of supplies. A special thank you to our committee chairs, Alexa Lockwood and Harper Loughlin, for communicating all the details to our community and organizing this fundraiser. Thank you to our Leadership Advisors, Laura Given and Amy Stickley, for cultivating these leadership skills with our students.

Craig Cross Campus Experiences 2025

This past month, Craig unveiled a new student community program, Cross Campus Experiences. These experiences provide opportunities to unite our MS and HS while connecting students with other students who share common interests.

Our first adventure was an Art Experience. The CHS Chapter of the National Art Honor Society joined with artists from our 8th grade for a special visit to the Montclair Art Museum (MAM). Our day began with a Chipotle lunch in West Orange. Next stop was the MAM, where our tour guide, Damon, highlighted various impactful works of art, including works by Claire Rosen, Tom Nussbaum, and one of their latest installations, Christine Romanell’s 3-D laser-cut plexiglass halos. These halos became the basis for our time in the museum's art studio, where our students created hanging personalized, 3-D reflective spirals.

Our next adventure was a Health and Safety training program. The CHS Chapter of the National Honor Society joined our 8th grade for a CPR/AED certification workshop. The two-hour workshop covered Child and Adult CPR, as well as training on the use of an AED. All of our Craig participants are now CPR-certified card carriers.

We wrapped up our day with a Home-cooked lunch with the entire CHS community, courtesy of our CHS Lunch Program Co-Ordinator, Ms. Jahn.

PACS

ALUMNI EVENTS

Alumni Night 2026-January 9th, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. All 7th and 8th-grade students are invited to come play basketball, socialize, and eat some pizza. If your child is interested, please respond in the RSVP below.

Alumni Night RSVP 2026

ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS

CHS PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

Craig High School Virtual College Grad Panel, Thursday, January 8th, 10 AM-10:45 AM: We are excited to extend an invitation to all of our Craig parents to join us for our annual CHS virtual grad panel on Thursday, January 8th, from 10:00-10:45 AM (CHS Grad Panel Zoom Link, Passcode 8675309 if needed).

For the 1st time ever, we have put together a panel made up exclusively of members of the CHS Graduating Class 2025. This is solely based on the diversity of post-secondary placement amongst this graduating class. Our panelists will share their insights on navigating the college landscape, from their starting point in choosing a school and major to the challenges they have encountered and the resources available to students with learning disabilities. We hope you will join us. Below are mini-profiles of our grad panel speakers.

Mary, CHS Class of 2025 (FDU-Fairleigh Dickinson University, NJ)

Attending Fairleigh Dickinson University, Florham Park/Madison campus
Studying Early Childhood Education with a major in Humanities. Also, in a 5-year master's degree in the Quest Program.
Utilizes the Regional Center and the Academic Support Center.
Member of the Catholic Campus Ministry. Interested in joining the Women in Business Club, and next semester, looking into joining a sorority on campus.

Madison, CHS Class of 2025 (Beacon College, FL)

Attending Beacon College in Leesburg, Florida
Studying Anthrozoology (study with animals)
Utilizes weekly meetings with a designated learning specialist, open office hours with her professors, and the Beacon Writing Center
Looking into joining the equestrian club next semester

Chloe, CHS Class of 2025 (SCAD-Savannah College of Art and Design, GA)

Currently enrolled at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Atlanta, Georgia
Pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Animation, but still considering a second major.
Has a weekly meeting with the director of disabilities for executive functioning. She utilizes GeoI notes (notes recorded by her computer, which then transcribes the professor’s lecture into a presentation for future reference). Additionally, she attends weekly tutoring sessions in the library for select courses.
Looking to join the animation club.

Jada, CHS Class of 2025 (Hampton University, VA)

Currently enrolled at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia
Pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communications with a minor in sports management.
Utilizes the support system of the Student Success Center when taking tests and quizzes, and attends office hours with professors.
Member of the AI Club and Sister II Sister. During the spring semester, she plans on joining the SLP (Student Leadership Program)