As our school year winds down, so too does our weekly newsletter.  This is our last newsletter for this school year and it includes all of our end-of-the-year events and dates to get us to the finish line! 

Everyday next week is a 12PM close day starting with our Trimester exams which run  Monday through Wednesday (June 13th-15th).  Thursday will be our last day of classes and we are excited to announce that students will also have the opportunity to sign up for elective courses for next year (more info below).  Throw in locker cleanouts, laptop and final textbook returns, and yearbook signings and it's a pretty awesome day.  And we wrap things up on Friday with our annual Spring Spirit Day and cookout!    

It has been an amazing year and one that we could not have pulled off without the trust and support of you, our parents. Have a wonderful and fun-filled summer and we will catch up with you in the fall.   

Dr. Cap

Monday-Wednesday, June 13th-15th

12 PM Closes: 9th,10th, 11th Grade Exams  

Thursday, June 16th 

12 PM Close: Elective Sign-Ups, Last Day of Classes

Friday, June 17th 

12 PM Close: CSHS Spring Spirit Day 

3rd Trimester Exams for 9th-11th Grade, June 13th-15th, Mon-Weds:  Trimester Exams will be held this Monday-Wednesday, June 13th-15th. Our daily exam schedule will be:

o    MORNING STUDY HALL 8:20-9:00AM

o    EXAM ONE 9:00-10:10AM

o    BREAK/MIDDAY STUDY HALL 10:10-10:50AM

o    EXAM TWO 10:50-12:00PM

o    DISMISSAL 12PM

Students should return all textbooks prior to the corresponding exam.  Also, laptops need to be returned by THURS if a student IS NOT ATTENDING SUMMER SCHOOL.  All summer school students should hold onto their laptops.  

Any textbooks or laptops not returned are subject to potential costs for families and can delay final report cards.  Students can leave early or arrive late with parent permission (email or phone call to the main office) if one of their exam blocks on a given day is a study hall.

Thursday, June 15th-ELECTIVE SIGN UPS/LAST DAY OF CLASSES: This Thursday, students will have the opportunity to sign up for elective courses that we will be introducing next fall.  These credit-bearing, graded courses will meet twice a week and each will run a full trimester.  Below are the electives and a brief description of each-

• • College Writing (11th and 12th Grade): In this course, students will learn research skills and develop college application essays (drafting, editing, and revising).  MLA and APA formats will be introduced.
  • Banned Books: This course will focus on various novels that were found controversial during different time periods of our history.  Discussion topics will include race, gender, politics, and economics. 
  • Intro to 3-D Printing: This course will demonstrate how 3D printers work and how they are used today.  Students will learn how to design, create and print their very own 3-D models. 

• Creating Vector Art: Students will learn to create computer-generated art using Microsoft Excel.  Works will range from vector illustrations to mosaic-like pixel art.

• Intro to Psychology: The course content will cover a basic introduction to the world of psychology.  We will explore what we know about human behavior, various historical viewpoints/schools of thought in psychology, and the basic principles involved in the process of learning.  We will also discuss high-interest topics such as abnormal psychology and states of consciousness with a specific focus on sleep and dreams.   Our course will wrap up with a study of the application of psychology to various career paths and other professions. 
• Shark Tank: Students will research, create, market, and ultimately present a good or service to the Shark Tank made of their teachers.  They will explore the basics of product development and marketing along with presentation and pitch skills! 
• Art Portfolio: This course is for future art majors looking to create a college worthy art portfolio that showcases their art skills and creativity
• Yearbook: Learn journalism skills while developing the yearbook for The Craig School High School. Students will learn about yearbook content, concepts, editing, photography, typography, design, and graphics.  
• CASS: Core.Agility.Strength.Sports Training: This course will incorporate strength training with cardio training.  Students will have the opportunity to learn about muscle groups, focused training regimens for specific sports, and how to choose and use various different forms of training tools ranging from resistance bands to kettle weights. 
• College Math (11th and 12th Grade): This course will prepare students for college math placement exams with a focus on algebra and geometry fundamentals. 
• Oceanography of NJ: Did you know the Jersey Shore spans about 130 miles?  Students will understand the physical and biological properties of the New Jersey coastline by exploring the ecosystems and its unique attributes.
• Environmental Science: Students will explore the human impact on the ecosystem by understanding how living organisms interact with the environment.
• Crossfit: In this course, we explore and address 10 core attributes of Crossfit training: cardiovascular endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. Each student will develop an individualized Crossfit program that ensures they will achieve their cross-fit goals.
• Walking Fitness: In this course, we will build aerobic capacity through walking. Multiple studies have concluded that walking (if done correctly) can be the best form of cardiovascular exercise. Walking at a steady pace for 20 plus minutes will put our cardiovascular system into a steady state of calorie-burning while having the lowest possible impact on joints and muscles. Studies have also found that walking can be as stress-relieving if not more than yoga especially when done outside. The only required equipment for this class are sneakers and a fitness tracker so we can track pace, steps, distance, and calories burnt. 
• Weight Lifting Basics: Students will learn the basic human movements (push, pull, squat, and hinge) and the practice and benefits of resistance to the major muscle groups.  Students will develop their own workout program that will increase body strength,  motor function, and muscle mass while improving their range of motions.  Students will have access to a variety of equipment and learn how to effectively and safely use squat racks, dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, resistance bands, and weight benches.
• Fundamentals of Mediation:  Students will learn how to become more mindful and build better strategies to calm themselves in stressful situations.  They will also practice basic postures and how to properly engage and breathe from their diaphragm.  There will also be opportunities to experience guided mediation.   

CSHS Spirit Day, Friday, June 16th: Spring Spirit Day officially wraps up our school year.  It is a day of celebration, fun, and food.  We will start our morning with some breakfast treats followed by some fun relays and tournaments, a school-wide game, or an art project (student choice) and culminate in a Spirit Day cookout.  The day wraps at 12PM. 

PACS EVERYDAY!

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!

CRAIG SPIRIT WEAR STORE

CHS Summer Reading-The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time: This summer, we are going to try another Craig High first.  We are going to read a novel across all grades, the award-winning “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time”.   We have copies for each student and will hand them out with their summer project options list before the school year wraps up.  During July, we will be setting up some book club Zooms for students to meet and discuss the book.  Links and more info will be sent out in early July.   

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon. It is a story of a quirky teenage boy who clings to order, deals with a family crisis, and tries to make sense of the world as he sees it. The book is reviewed as a story about difference, being an outsider, and seeing the world in a surprising and revealing way. 

The novel is from the first-person perspective of Christopher, a 15-year-old boy described as "a mathematician with some social difficulties."  He lives in England, loves math, idolizes Sherlock Holmes, and has difficulty reading people's expressions and putting himself in others' shoes. He can be very literal in his understanding of what people say to him, which presents some unique challenges.  

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has won numerous Young Adult book awards, including the Whitbread Book Awards for Best Novel and Book of the Year, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book, and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has been nominated for many other awards, including Outstanding Books for College Bound and Life-Long Learners, YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, and ALEX Award (top ten books recognized for young adults). Readers have voted it as having one of the top five happy endings ever!  

CSHS LD Wall of Fame 2022:  9th graders in Mrs. Browns’ Social Dynamics class completed their annual LD Wall of Fame project.  Students spent weeks researching a famous person of their choosing- all who have learning disabilities. The project culminated in the creation of some amazing posters and impressive class presentations.  This year's additions to the CSHS LD Wall of Fame include the success stories of Barbara’s Corcoran (Shark Tank) Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), and Muhammad Ali (boxer). 

World History Spotlight-Superior Society Project: The 9th grade World History class just wrapped up their unit on Ancient Athens and Sparta with their "Superior Society" team presentation and debate project. Each group consisted of two class members who represented either the Spartan or Athenian societies. They presented their case as to why their society was superior using colorful slides, props such as Spartan swords and even a stuffed Socrates plush! After their presentation, the opposing team was able to challenge the presenters with one rebuttal, opening a lively debate that allowed the whole class to demonstrate their knowledge of these famous societies of Ancient Greece. Great job to our expert debaters in the 9th grade!

10th Grade BIO Fermentation Balloon Experiment:  To wrap up their recent studies on fermentation, our 10th grade Biology students experimented with yeast, sugar, and water.  Carbon dioxide was produced and filled their balloons after the yeast metabolized the sugar. Pic of the results are below.

TUESDAY, June 21 at Ballyowen Golf Club!

 Our Annual Golf Outing is looking for support!  You can join us for golf, sponsor a faculty member, join us for dinner or even become a tee box sponsor!  Registration at  Craig School Golf Outing Registration and learn more about the event at https://www.craigschool.org/giving/annual-events/.   Please reach out to Katie Burke, Director of Development, at kburke@craigschool.org if you have any questions. I hope you'll join us for this fun day on the links!

HOW TO ORDER FROM THE CRAIG SCHOOL AMAZON WISH LIST:

Please use this link to purchase items from the Amazon wish list - 

https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/QAOTOZYIDNPK/guest-view

Items may be shipped directly to The Craig School at:

10 Tower Hill Road

Mountain Lakes, NJ  07046

If you have any questions or are having problems accessing the Amazon Wish List 

please email Amanda Jahn at amandajahn77@gmail.com or Katie Burke at kburke@craigschool.org

JANET M. COZINE AUDITORIUM

Thank you for all of your support for the Janet M. Cozine Auditorium renovation. We are grateful to everyone who has contributed to this project, and for those who have gotten involved and shared their experiences at The Craig School.

Our campaign continues and as of today we have raised $165,000 with gifts from every constituency of the school: students, parents, faculty, staff, former faculty, alumni, alumni parents, and grandparents. A testament to Janet's 42 year career and the impact made on the lives of so many families that are a part of Badger Nation.

Our goal is to raise $265,000 for the completion of the project.  If you have not given to the campaign, please consider a gift today to celebrate our esteemed Director of the Lower and Middle School, Janet M. Cozine.

You can pledge here:

Donate to the Janet M. Cozine Auditorium,

pay via Text2Fund by texting Badgers to 71760,

pay via Paypal at https://www.craigschool.org/giving/ 

or send a check made payable to The Craig School. 

DROP IN OPEN OFFICE HOURS with Dr. Loftin, Head of School

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday- LS/MS Campus  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.

kloftin@craigschool.org

973-334-1234

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:  

• Craig Notification Call System:  The Craig Notification call is a voice activated system so you need to say HELLO once and allow the system to activate.  If you say HELLO followed by another HELLO in rapid succession, the system will not activate and not start the recorded message.  If you are unable to take the call, it will leave a message. 

• School Email Blast:  We will send out an email blast to all of our families and students.  Keep in mind that emails are dependent on the internet so if that’s down, so are emails.

• News12:  We also post any change in our status on News12 on Cablevision.  It scrolls along the bottom of the screen and updates regularly (https://newjersey.news12.com/new-jersey-school-closings)      

• Twitter and Facebook: Follow us at THE CRAIG SCHOOL on twitter and facebook
  • https://twitter.com/thecraigschool
  • https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Craig-School/179053514357?ref=br_tf

• Text  Dr. Cap:  As a last resort to check school status, you can always text Dr. Cap at (973)534-9054.