Our SEL program is one of our expanded programs throughout the Lower School this year. SEL stands for Social-Emotional Learning. As educators, we know that all learning relies on the emotional well-being of our students. If our students are unregulated in any way, then learning is impacted. This could be when they are sad, tired, too excited, anxious, etc. Our teachers are learning the Zones of Regulation approach with our students. This system gives teachers and students a visual way to identify how a student is feeling to start problem-solving how to adjust. When your child is experiencing regulation issues at home, you may find it helpful to refer to the following graphic about the Zones. Having that consistency between school and home will help your child regulate their emotions (in both places!).
Dear Badger Families,
With our first few weeks behind us, homework and Badger Homework Support have started. We are happy to see so many of our families taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity. Please take note that next week, due to the testing in Reading, Language Arts, and Math classes, there will be no HW Support this coming week.
As we begin homework, it is always a good idea to review the expectations with your children and to make sure they have the time and space to support their learning. Your child will have their homework and reference sheets in their black organizational binder. Feel free to make or ask for an extra copy of frequently used reference sheets to have posted or readily available where your child does their homework. Other tools like pencils, a place to charge their laptop, headphones, and access to a printer, are helpful to have already set in place. A workstation already set up helps ensure that homework time is spent on homework rather than set-up.
In our Lower School, students will get daily homework, Monday through Thursday in Reading, Language Arts, and Math. Each teacher will have their own way of organizing it for the week, but students will have an agenda with the homework written in each night. The assignments will be for repetition and reinforcement of skills being taught in the classroom. The repetition of skills is vital to move the information into long term memory.
Our Middle School students will also get daily homework, Monday through Thursday in Reading, Language Arts, and Math. In addition, Science and Social Studies will be worked into their schedule. Our sixth graders will get Science and Social Studies homework once a week, it will increase to twice a week in seventh grade, and then three times a week in eighth grade. While preparing for an assessment or completing a project, this will be more frequent. The type of homework middle school students get will also begin to change. As students move through middle school, their homework will involve less review and reinforcement of basic skills and focus more on developing and practicing executive functioning skills.
Middle school students are tasked with larger assignments that require the use of executive functioning skills such as planning, organizing, and initiating. Assignments are introduced as a whole, broken down into manageable pieces with input from the class, and approached with overarching strategies and reference sheets that students learn to use across disciplines. The teachers at The Craig School are very purposeful with their assignments, their delivery, and their intent.
Homework can be a difficult part of the day for some students and families. The Craig School has tools and programs in place to make it as smooth as possible. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you or your child are having trouble locating, organizing, or completing homework assignments. Our teachers truly want to partner with you to make the best possible learning experience for your child.
With Badger Pride,
Jennifer Guthrie
Director of the Lower & Middle School
October
Leadership Council
This week 7th and 8th grade students who chose to be in leadership were assigned committees. Each committee is meeting at different times so it is important that leaders check Google Classroom and listen to morning announcements to remind them of their meeting days. We have over six committees currently running! If your child has not applied for Leadership, it is not too late. The door is always open. Contact Laura Given, lgiven@craigschool.org
Don’t forget to register for this event! It will take place October 5 from 6-8. We will create 10,000 meals in 2 hours! It will be a fun but inspiring event. Students can stay after school for games and pizza. Parents are invited at 5:30 to join us for pizza and then roll up your sleeves! You can wear a baseball cap instead of the hair cap they will provide. Hoping to see you there! Any questions contact Laura GIven - lgiven@craigschool.org
Frost Valley
We are excited to offer the Frost Valley environmental trip for our 7th and 8th-grade students. For over 30 years, The Craig School students have participated in a program at the Frost Valley Environmental Education Center in Claryville, New York, as part of their educational and social curriculum. Our students will leave on October 18th and return on October 20th. Please be on the lookout for the Frost Valley Packet in your child's VIP folder. Please contact Mr. Furlong with any questions or concerns at NFurlong@craigschool.org
Our language arts teachers begin each year with a review of basic sentence structure using Project Read Framing Your Thoughts. This program, like all Language Circle programs, was designed and is implemented with the core principles of Orton-Gillingham instruction.
Taken from The Project Read Story
Framing Your Thoughts starts with teaching the sentence frame, being a capital letter and a stop sign, and continues to a bare bones sentence, a subject and action verb. Students more familiar with the program will quickly move into learning the four predicate expanders, why, where, when, and how. We refer to these as the four triangles as that is how they are symbolized in the Framing Your Thoughts program. The reference sheet for the predicate expanders is one that students will use for writing across all subject areas once they are comfortable with it.
Badger Soccer CO-ED for grades 5th to 8th.
Badger Fencing for all grades. Remember to order your fencing gear!
Please note this change in schedule.
October 3, Tuesday, 3:05 pm to 4:00 pm
October 4, Wednesday, 3:05 pm to 4:00 pm Last Day of Fencing
If you are interested, please click the link below.
No Badger HW Support this week.
Back to School Coffee Rescheduled
Due to Back to School Night being held on October 12th, the Coffee with PACS will now take place on October 17th 8:30-9:30am in the Lower/Middle School Cafeteria. We look forward to connecting with you and sharing all the ways to get involved with PACS.
All School Annual Drive-IN-Movie
Saturday, October 14TH @ HS Parking Lot
This is an event that is fun for the whole family. We are looking for snack donations. If you can help out, Click here to sign up.
TRUNK-OR-TREAT
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27TH @1:00PM
We still have slots open if you want to decorate your trunk for our Trunk or Treat.
Click here to sign up
For more information on ways of giving or to make a donation online you can clicking here.
Lower/Middle School
15 Tower Hill Rd
Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046
Phone 973-334-1234
Fax 973.334.2861
Craig High School
24 Changebridge Road
Montville, NJ 07045
Phone 973.334.1234
Fax 973.334.1288
Administration
10 Tower Hill Road
Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046
Phone 973-334-1234
Fax 973 334 1299
