Dear Families, 

Thank you to everyone who joined me for last month’s Coffee with the Head. I am hosting another opportunity to join me this week. Please join me at the next event which is this Wednesday, March 20th at 8:30 in my office located in the Blue House on the lower campus. I will also be meeting folks at the High School in the meeting room on Thursday, March 21st at 8:30 am. 

We can discuss anything you would like, but some topics might include your experience with Craig thus far, your hopes and dreams for Craig, our upcoming events, how you could plug in and engage with other Craig parents, how the school could help you with your student at home. This is not a formal event with a set agenda; we can talk about anything you want! 

Anyone is welcome to come to either campus! 

I look forward to meeting you face-to-face. Plus, the more of you who attend, the fewer muffins I have to eat!

Warmly, 

Susan Schmitt

Before we get to this upcoming week at Craig High, let's talk about next weekend and more specifically, The Craig School Annual Chili Throwdown being held Saturday, March 23rd on our Mountain Lakes campus from 11-1 PM.   

If your goal is to find something fun for the family to do for a couple of hours then that aligns perfectly with our goal of bringing the Craig Community together for a couple of hours of fun!  Love to have you join us and there is still time to RSVP to come out and enjoy the Chili Throwdown (RSVP to Attend The Chili Cook-Off 2024).   And did we mention that there will be Pinatas?

This upcoming week at CHS, we will be hosting trimester exams and Parent-Teacher conferences.  Here are a few things specific to our trimester exams to keep in mind: 

• Each day is a 12 PM close so a reminder to your transportation company goes a long way in helping your teen not be that kid who is still at school at 1 PM
• Students start their school day with a morning study period and exams start at 9 AM.
• There is a mid-morning study period and break time between their two daily exams

Our primary goal for trimester exams is not to gauge a whole trimester of learning but to provide our students with a progressive, comprehensive safe test prep experience that is typical of HS courses and mirrors a potential post-secondary experience they will encounter one day.  Our kids did a great job during first trimester exams so we are feeling confident that they will do so again.  They got this!

As far as our Parent Teacher Conferences go, here is how our Virtual PT Conferences will work-

• You will receive an emailed schedule of Conferences by Monday, March 18th with specific times and specific Zoom links to each of your teen’s teachers whose classes meet 5 days a week.
• You will click on a Zoom Link at the designated time and that will bring you to the Zoom waiting room where the teacher will invite you to join the virtual meeting
• Each one-on-one Zoom session will be for 10 minutes. 
• In order to maximize your time, feel free to email any specific topics that you would like to discuss to that specific teacher
• There will be a two-minute virtual travel time between conference zooms to allow you to pull up the next link

Zoom you next week,

Dr. Cap

OUR UPCOMING WEEK

Monday-Friday, March 18th-22nd

12PM Close: Faculty Forums, PT Conferences and 2nd Trimester Exams*

Saturday, March 23rd 

Craig School Annual Chili Throwdown (11AM-1PM)

THE WEEK AFTER THAT

Monday, March 25th 

2nd Trimester Report Cards VERACROSS/Start the 3rd Trimester

Tuesday, March 26th 

Afterschool Tailgate League (3-4:30PM, CHS Gym)

Wednesday, March 27th

Craig School Speaker Series: When Nothing Seems to Work- How to help students with ADHD get unstuck and build resilience with Dr. Sharon Saline  (6:45 pm Zoom-REGISTER and ZOOM LINK) 

Friday, March 29th 

School Closed: Good Friday

APRIL SNAPSHOT AT CHS

Monday-Friday, April 1st-5th 

School Closed: Spring Break

Monday, April 8th 

Classes Resume  

Friday, April 19th

12PM Close: Faculty Forum

Friday, April 19th

Craig ALL SCHOOL Drive-In (7PM, Montville Campus Parking Lot) 

Craig School Chili Throwdown NEWS-Time to RSVP:  The countdown clock to the Craig School “Chili Throwdown” now stands at one week and counting.   Calling all Craig School families and friends of the Craig School, your company is requested for our Annual Craig School Chili Throwdown so RSVP NOW!  RSVP to Attend The Chili Cook-Off 2024

This year, we are going well beyond chili with a NACHO BAR, DESSERT TABLE, and SMASHING PINATAS so it should be a fun couple of hours for every member of the family!  And know that it’s not a Craig community event if you aren’t part of it. Hope to See you on the 23rd! 

THIS WEEK REMINDERS

12PM Closes/Trimester Exams/Parent-Teacher Virtual Conferences THIS WEEK: Just a reminder that the week of March 18-22 is ALL 12PM Close Days.  During our week, our faculty will be holding forums, our students will be having trimester exams, and we will be hosting our Winter Virtual Parent-Teacher Conferences for Parents.  

Trimester Treats for Trimester Exams:  Craig High School students will be taking exams the week of March 18th.  PACS is organizing treats and drinks for the students to enjoy between exams and keep them energized and focused!  Here is the link to sign up to host a treat and yes, there are fruit options! 

Trimester Treats March 2024

We will be collecting treats through Tuesday morning, MARCH 19th.  If you have any questions, please contact CHS Parent Rep, Laura Lee Yohanan at pacshs@craigschool.org

April LUNCH DELIVERY Program Ordering Window Now OPEN:  The April LUNCH DELIVERY ordering window will open starting this Friday, March 15th through next Monday, March 25th. To reorder, go to www.myfooddays.com

Grace (CHS Class of ‘24) to attend Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) in the Fall:  We are excited to announce that Grace has made her final college decision and will be enrolling at Fairleigh Dickinson University!  Grace is looking forward to joining the FDU community. She is interested in studying Education with the ultimate goal of pursuing a career as an Orton-Gillingham Reading Specialist. Congratulations to Grace and her family!

FDU has two campuses in Northern New Jersey - the Florham Park/Madison campus and the Metro campus in Teaneck. They also have two study-abroad sites in Canada and England. Students can choose from a variety of majors including video game animation, advertising, cybersecurity, criminal justice, education, hospitality, marine biology, and public health.  FDU offers renowned support services through the Regional Center for Learning Disabilities. This award-winning program is recognized as one of the best comprehensive support services offered in higher education, with all-inclusive academic advising, coaching, counseling, tutoring, and a summer preparatory program. The Regional Center runs great online and in-person programming for prospective students and families.

CHS Chemistry Create Personalized Periodic Table T-Shirts: The CHS 11th grade Chemistry Class is currently exploring the Periodic Table of Elements.  

Under the guidance of Mr. Simpson, our Juniors seized the opportunity to use what they had learned about the Symbols of the various Elements to create their very own personalized T-shirts that spell out their name. using the Symbols of the Elements to spell out our names.

Craig High Afterschool Tailgate League 2024:  Our tailgate league started up this week.  First, we met to lay out our tailgate events that will make up our TAILGATE PENTATHOLON, a series of 5-events to crown our Tailgate Champ for 2024.  The voted-on events include CORNHOLE, PING PONG, KNOCK OUT, LADDER TOSS, and DARTS! Next began our tailgate training which will lead us to our first series of official scoring. 

Our next tailgate gathering will be TUES March 26th from 3-4:30 PM in the Craig High Gym.  There is still time to get in on this.  Students should see Dr. Cap if they are interested.

CHS Summer Program July-August  2024:  Summer School registration is now open so here is what you need to know. The Craig School High School Summer Program will be held at our Montville facility during the month of July through early August (July 8-August 2, Mon-Thurs 9 am-12 pm).  We also have our “Counselor in Training” opportunities during the afternoon following the morning 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.

Spring is around the corner, let's celebrate, and spread joy and cheer by supporting Craig School's Annual Giving!!

Thank you to all who've donated! We're working hard to reach our goal and need everyone's support.

Every gift matters. Annual Giving covers essential enhancement programming like photography, script handwriting, social and emotional learning, athletics, and more, beyond tuition. Your support isn't just about today; it's about securing tomorrow's opportunities.

Additionally, achieving 100% participation opens doors to additional grant funding.

Together, let's keep Craig thriving!!

Donate Here - Every Gift Matters!

If you have any questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to Mary Calvano, Advancement, at mcalvano@craigschool.org or call 973-334-1234 x229.

Thank you for being a key ingredient to Craig's success!

18th Annual Golf Outing 

Save the date! Our 18th Annual Golf Outing, Dinner & Auction is on Tuesday, June 18, 2023. Even in winter, it's never too early to dream about hitting the course. Get ready for a fantastic event – more details are coming soon!

HIGH SCHOOL

Craig High School students will be taking exams March 18-22, 2024.  PACS is organizing treats and drinks for the students to enjoy between exams.  Please sign up below to bring something in. Treats are due by MONDAY, MARCH 18.

Sign Up

If you have any questions, please contact Laura Lee Yohanan at pacshs@craigschool.org

March 23, 2024

All School Chili Cook-Off  will take place March 23rd from 11:00AM-1:00PM in the Mt Lakes Cafeteria. 

Afterschool Art Studio on MONDAYS in March:  Afterschool Art Studio is happening on Mondays throughout March and there is still time to join.  The next dates are Mondays March 4th, 11th, and 18th. Pick-up will be at 4:15 PM at the first-floor middle doors. Interested students should see Mrs. T (KTartaglia@craigschool.org) 

PARKING MESSAGE

Mountain Lakes Campus

We are very grateful to have such an involved community! As with any large family, we can overwhelm those around us sometimes. Please help us by doing your best to be considerate of our neighbors whenever you come to campus.

As you come to campus for drop-off, pick-up, and various activities, please continue to be good neighbors to our community. Ideally, when picking up at regular dismissal time, please try to come as close to 3:00 as possible. It is even fine to plan to be here at 3:10. I certainly understand that not all family schedules allow for waiting until 3:00 and just ask that you do what you can. If you must line up before 3:00, please be very mindful of not blocking the road or driveways on either side of Laurel Hill Road and obey idling laws by turning off your car.

When coming onto the Mountain Lakes campus for activities, whether they are during the day or after school, please continue to be considerate of our community. Please only park in lined spots in our lot, in empty spots in the Blue House parking lot, or across the Boulevard at the Masonic Lodge.

We truly appreciate your support of and commitment to your children and The Craig School!