Dear Craig School Families,
Our second through fifth grade students have been enjoying their weekly mindfulness classes, starting with activities on self awareness and focusing on the present. Through games, videos, and class discussions the students learned to remain aware of what was happening and what they were feeling in that moment, whether they liked it, disliked it or were confused about it. This training has helped the students to increase their tolerance for seeing the unpleasant, neither identifying with it nor running away. We realized firsthand how important their mindful practices were as we entered the last two weeks of online learning.
So many of the students’ past experiences with virtual learning, prior to entering Craig were negative. The thought of returning to that platform for weeks of academics was daunting, but because of Ms. Berkeley, our lower school Social Clinician’s lessons on how to remain in the present, students were able to speak of the positives about the Craig virtual learning experience. Thoughts about the past and future are acknowledged, but not necessarily focused on. Students verbalized that Craig School does it differently. The structure was more like their day to day in-person than their past online, and the teachers were always available.
Because of mindful practice we were able to help our students avoid being caught up or dwelling on their past online experience or worrying about a future COVID scare. Everyone had an opportunity to reflect on something that had gone very well during their Craig virtual time. There were even those moments of gratitude that students got to spend more time with their favorite pet which wouldn’t have happened if they were in school! Ending the lesson with everyone using this sentence starter: I had the best feeling today when… set the stage for a positive outlook.
Now that we are back in school “in the present”, we look forward to expanding those opportunities for our students to be mindful and utilizing the daily practice that helps to bring it about. Let’s hope in-person and “in the present” is where we stay.
Sincerely,
Janet Cozine
February 1st (Tues)@8:30 am- PACS General Meeting - Open to All Parents and Community
February 18, 2022 (Fri) - 12:00 Dismissal
February 21. 2022 (Mon) - School Closed [Mid Winter Break]
CLINICIANS CORNER
It was so great getting to see all of our Badgers back in person at Mind Up! This week, students watched the short film “Crow: The Legend.” This award winning animation features John Legend and Oprah Winfrey who tell a story about friendship. In the movie, the crow makes the big sacrifice of losing his beautiful, colorful feathers in order to save his friends.
In addition to enjoying the short film, students gained a valuable lesson related to our recently discussed topic of respect. We discussed the meaning of making a sacrifice for people that we care about. Students were able to relate to the crow by sharing times that they, too, made a sacrifice for a friend.
This also tied into our lesson about self-respect and setting boundaries, since there are clearly some things in life that are too important to sacrifice. For example, we discussed how although we may sacrifice something that we want to play in order to be fair and take turns with our friends, we would not sacrifice something like our happiness or our wellbeing.
PACS EVERYDAY!
PACS General Meeting - Open to All Parents and Community
Tuesday, February 1st @8:30 am
Location: Craig High School
224 Changebridge Road
Montville, NJ 070454
***Please note the location. Meeting at the high school (not the LS/MS).
Thank you!
Go Badgers!
~Angelina
Log onto our store, browse our items, order for your student and your family and The Craig School receives 20% of the order! All of the proceeds from this go towards the community events that we have planned throughout the year for you and your students to enjoy!
PACS Executive Committee information along with membership forms are on our website.
It is not too late to join our membership, please email Angelina Bright, PACS PRESIDENT at pacs@craigschool.org
Reading and Writing in Social Studies
By Casey Kirkpatrick
Given the amount of information to process and the need to show understanding of content, it is no surprise that reading and writing are essential skills in any social studies classroom. By reinforcing the programs and strategies taught in The Craig School reading and language arts classes, The Craig Middle School social studies program becomes another opportunity for our students to hone their reading comprehension, critical thinking, and paragraph writing skills, all while learning about ancient civilizations or American history. Project Read: Report Form helps our students filter through nonfiction text to find the most important nuggets of information while the RACE writing strategy (Restate the question, Answer the question, Cite evidence to support your answer, Explain your answer) ensures that each written response is a stand-alone, thoroughly robust exploration of the material.
With a wide variety of media available to assist learning, from standard textbooks to specialized current events magazines, and supplementary primary source documents (all available both physically and digitally), our students learn best practices for targeting key ideas and important details. With daily writing assignments, our sixth-grade students are expected to cite text evidence (either through summary or direct quotation) to support their written responses. By eighth grade, our students are asked to show mastery of the material by going beyond what is explicitly stated in the text to explain their answer using information inferred from the text, class discussions, or other sources of information. From the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution to the Civil War, our Craig School Badgers are always writing about history!
All after school athletics are on hold until further notice
Boys Basketball - Grades 6, 7, & 8
Information & Sign Ups
Please visit the SquadLocker Basketball Store at SquadLocker
Coed Basketball Clinic - Grades 3-5
The clinic is on hold, more information to follow.
Girls Basketball - Grades 5, 6, 7 & 8
BADGER HOMEWORK SUPPORT
Dates Week of January 24th
Monday, January 24th
Wednesday, January 26th
Thursday, January 27th
Please remember to follow the same traffic patterns at homework support dismissal that you do at regular dismissal. Thank you!
If your child is leaving early or not coming to Badger Homework Support, please contact Mrs. Butter by email at bbutter@craigschool.org or via call/text message on the homework support hotline 1-862-207-9863. Thanks!
Save the Date!
Saturday, May 21, 2022
A Walk to Honor Janet M. Cozine
Thank you for participating in The Janet M. Cozine Fund. We appreciate all of the gifts and messages received from our current families, alumni families, alumni, faculty, and staff. Although we are well on our way towards raising the $265,000, there are still funds to be raised.
Please consider giving by using the donate button on this page.
You can also share our campaign mission with others.
https://www.craigschool.org/giving/janet-m-cozine-auditorium/ on social media, ask your company for a matching gift, or speak to others that may be interested in the Janet M. Cozine Auditorium.
Thank you again for your support of The Craig School.
Craig School Emergency Contact System: The Craig School uses a multi-tiered communication system that provides to our families, the highest level of certainty that you are made aware of any change in the opening or closing status of Craig Lower Middle School and Craig High. Our various communication tiers include:
DROP IN OPEN OFFICE HOURS with Dr. Loftin, Head of School
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday- LS/MS 2:00pm -3:00pm
Thursday - High School Campus - 2:00pm- 3:00pm
These hours are open for parents to schedule a meeting, drop in and discuss any issues or concerns or to just say hello.
973-334-1234
Birthdays: Please note:
We understand that some children want to share a “birthday treat” with their classmates on their special day. If you are planning to have your child bring food items into school for sharing please abide by the following:
Treats will be shared at snack time or homeroom (at the teacher’s discretion) and not during lunchtime or recess. We have more than one group-and sometimes grade- together at those times and it is difficult to single out only certain children for the treat while others are present.
If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Ellen Meisenbacher at emeisenbacher@craigschool.org
Thank you for understanding.
If you have any questions regarding the program, please contact Mary Calvano at mcalvano@craigschool.org.
ATTENDANCE
Drop Off
Please schedule student arrival no earlier than 8:00 am. Classes begin at 8:20 am.
All absences and late arrivals should be reported to our main office. Please send an email to Kimberly McGroarty kmcgroarty@craigschool.org OR call our Main Line (973-334-1234 x 101) before 7:30 a.m.
For more information on ways of giving to Craig, please contact Katie Burke, Director of Development, at 973-334-1234 or make a donation online by clicking here.
