Week of April 14th, 2025
The history of Spring Break can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks and their celebration of Spring, which they called “Anthestreria”. But the spring break tradition that we know today, believe it or not, began in the 1930s when a swim coach from Colgate College (now known as Colgate University), located in upstate NY, decided to take his swim team down to Fort Lauderdale for some pre-season swim training. Soon, other swim coaches decided to follow that lead, and the rest, as they say, is history. In 1986, MTV cemented Spring Break's legacy with their Spring Break special starring Mr. Rodgers and the Beastie Boys. They did not perform together.
For many, Spring Break is a chance to just relax and recharge. For others, it is a time for travel and to see family. Hopefully, for our Craig Community, it is all of the above. We hope you have a safe and wonderful “Anthestreria”,
Dr. Cap
THIS UPCOMING WEEK/SPRING BREAK/POST SPRING BREAK
Friday, April 11th - MAY LUNCH DELIVERY Ordering Window Open (www.myfooddays.com)
Monday, April 14th to Monday, April 21st - SCHOOL CLOSED: Spring Break
Tuesday, April 22nd - Classes Resume/Earth Day Cleanup
Tuesday, April 22nd - Afterschool Golf Clinics (3-4:30PM)
Wednesday, April 23rd - MAY LUNCH DELIVERY Ordering Window CLOSES (www.myfooddays.com)
Wednesday, April 23rd - TEACHER FEATURE Sign Ups DUE
Friday, April 25th - “Take Your Kid” to Work Day
Tuesday, April 29th - Afterschool Golf Clinics (3-4:30PM)
Wednesday, April 30th - TEACHER FEATURE: Dodgeball 2.0 (Mt. Lakes, 3-5PM)
MAY CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS
Thursday, May 1st - 3rd Trimester Progress Reports (Available Online-Parent Portal)
Saturday, May 3rd - CRAIG SCHOOL DRIVE IN (Montville Lots open at 6:30PM, Movie 7:30PM)
Tuesday, May 6th - TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY!
Wednesday, May 14th - CHS Prom “Carnival” at the Hanover Manor (6:30PM-9:30PM
Thursday, May 22nd - CHS Awards Celebration and Cookout (12:30PM, CHS Gym)
Friday, May 23rd - 12PM Close: Faculty Forum
Monday, May 26th - SCHOOL CLOSED: Memorial Day
CHS Alumni Speaker-AI Overview and Impact: This past Monday, we had a very special guest speaker, CHS alum Mihir. Mihir graduated from CHS in 2018, then from Pace University in 2023, and is currently a risk Analyst for Prudential in Newark.
Mihir spoke with the students of CHS about AI and how it will change our relationship with how we approach thinking. He shared that it will also change how we learn and gave examples of how he utilized it while he was prepping for his various security certs. He talked about how it has expedited how we gather information, and how it will impact current jobs and create new jobs that we haven’t even thought of yet. He wrapped up his presentation with the benefits of looking at colleges that offer internship programs and how his internship opportunities led to his current position today with Prudential.
CHS College Road Trip-Caldwell University: Last Friday, CHS hit the road to visit Caldwell University in Caldwell, NJ. Just 30 minutes from CHS and 22 miles from NYC, Caldwell U is home to 2200 students on its 70-acre campus. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the Director of Admissions, who guided our students through all that Caldwell has to offer, including their 36 undergraduate degrees, with their most popular programs including nursing, business, psychology, and education.
She also shared info on the Admissions process that most colleges follow and their 30 student-run clubs, which, like CHS, students have the opportunity to create their own! We then met with the Director of the SOAR Services program, who enlightened us on the various academic coaching services and supports that are available to students with learning disabilities.
Next, we toured the campus with two Caldwell U students who guided us through the various facilities, including lecture halls, esports rooms, science labs, the gym, and the fitness center. Our day wrapped up with lunch in the student center at their dining commons, where we hung with some undergrads and developed a better understanding of the “freshman 15”.
Thank you to Caldwell University for hosting us, Dr. Skerker for all her behind-the-scenes work to make this happen, and Ms. Steinel and Coach Norton for chaperoning.
Craig School Annual Drive-In Saturday, May 3rd:
On Saturday, May 3rd, marks the return of the Annual Craig School Drive-In, where we will be hosting a Saturday Night viewing of the computer-animated adventure comedy......THE GARFIELD MOVIE in our vast CHS parking lot!
We will also have a full concession snack stand run by the CHS Class of 2025 as a fundraiser for their upcoming Senior Adventures to Hershey Park. Popcorn, Hot Pretzels, Hamburgers, and Hot Dogs will all be available for purchase, so mark your calendars. Arrival will be between 6-7 PM, with movie time closer to 7:30 PM. So SAVE THE DATE!
CHS Teacher Features 2025
Our first after-school TEACHER FEATURE starts up when we get back from Spring Break. It is “Dodgeball Battle 2.0 in Mt. Lakes”. Dr. Cap will drive any students participating over to Mt. Lakes so all parents have to is cut a check for $75 and arrange for pick up at 5PM on WEDS, April 30th. In addition to the Dodgeball feature, we have a couple more amazing opportunities:
The cost for each is $75 (checks made payable to Craig School) and the due date for sign-ups is WEDS, April 23rd. Any questions, contact our Craig Coordinator for Development, Mary Calvano, at mcalvano@craigschool.org
CHS Volleyball Wraps Up: CHS wrapped up its volleyball scrimmages last week at the Reeth-Furlong Gym in Mountain Lakes. For our final games, we mixed and matched with our LSMS, which added an additional element of fun and camaraderie to our Volleyball battles. Watching our High Schoolers engage with our younger students between points was an added bonus to what was a wonderful experience. Big thanks to Mr. Furlong for making this happen and Coach Stickley and Cuccio for welcoming our players as if they were their own. Few pictures to wrap up our season-
Afterschool Golf Clinics Start Up After Spring Break (Tuesdays, April 22nd, 29th, May 6th): Afterschool Golf Clinics start up when we get back from Spring Break. We will practice our golf fundamentals at CHS with the goal of a May trip to Twin Willows in Lincoln Park to put our golf skills to the test. No equipment or experience is necessary. Students can see Dr. Cap or CHS Senior, Jada, if interested in joining us.
THE CRAIG GOLF EVENT NEEDS YOUR HELP!
Here are 2 ways you can help.
First, our online auction will run alongside the outing, and we need your help to make it a success! Thanks to our generous Craig families, we’re bringing back the Amazon Wish List for easy item donations. Simply select an item, and it will be shipped directly to Craig School to be bundled into auction packages. All items must arrive by May 21st.
Every contribution - big or small - helps make this event successful. Thank you for supporting Craig’s largest fundraiser!
For questions, contact: Amanda Jahn (ajahn@craigschool.org), or Mary Calvano (mcalvano@craigschool.org)
The second way to help - attend the outing and/or dinner. Details are:
Craig School Golf Outing, Tuesday June 17th, 2025: The Craig School’s 19th Annual Golf Outing, Dinner & Auction Fundraiser
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Ballyowen Golf Club
Join us for a fantastic day on the course or come for dinner and our exciting auction - all to support The Craig School!!
For more details and to register, visit: 19th Annual Golf Outing, Dinner & Auction Fundraiser
For questions, please contact Mary Calvano at [email] or call 973-334-1234 x We can’t wait to see you there!
CHS Summer Program July-August 2025: Summer School registration is now open, so here is what you need to know. The Craig High Summer Program will be held at our Montville facility during the month of July through early August (July 7-August 1, Monday-Thursday 9 am-12 pm). We also have our “Counselor in Training” opportunities during the afternoon Enrichment Program. For more information and the summer academy registration form, visit our website at https://www.craigschool.org/academics/summer-academy/ and click on the High School tab.
Ordering CHS Lunch Delivery- MAY LUNCH DELIVERY: With Spring Break next week, it made sense to get an early jump on placing our MAY LUNCH DELIVERY orders. The ordering window for May is now open, Friday, April 11th through Wednesday, April 23rd. To re-order, go to www.myfooddays.com. If you have any questions, reach out to our CHS Lunch Program Chair, Ms. Jahn, at AJahn@craigschool.org
For more information on ways of giving or to make a donation online you can clicking here.
