Family and Student Handbook

Students are allowed in the building beginning at 7:00 am if they have the appropriate morning pass.  Students are to report directly to their appointment or morning help classroom without stopping at their locker.  First period begins at 7:38 am daily.  Dismissal is at 2:15 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and 1:45 pm on Wednesday. 

Students can only ride the bus assigned to him/her and must carry their bus pass at all times.  Students are not allowed to ride another student’s bus.  This is an important district policy and will be followed by all District 54 students.  No exceptions to this policy will be made.  Written requests by parents will not be honored.  Students must also show their bus pass each day as they get on the morning and after-school bus. If a bus pass is lost, students can purchase a new one from the main office. 

If your child is assigned a bus route and they stay after-school for an extra-curricular activity, then they are eligible to ride the late activity bus.  Students will need to present their bus pass to be allowed entry onto the bus. The late-run buses depart Mead at 4:00 p.m.

Note: Students may only ride the activity bus after staying for a school-sponsored event or activity. Students may not leave campus and return to take the activity bus home. All school and district regulations and policies are in effect during the transport of students to/from school.

The following are procedures which have been established because student safety is our primary concern.  We understand that some procedures may inconvenience you, but as stated above, safety is our primary concern.  

• There is no adult supervision prior to the 7:30 am bell.  Therefore, students should arrive at school no earlier than 7:25 am (unless coming early with an authorized morning pass provided by a teacher).  
• Students being dropped off by car during arrival or picked up by car during dismissal must follow these safety procedures:
  • The west side of Biesterfield Road from Gibson Road to the entrance to the Mead parking lot is designated as a “Drop Off Zone” ONLY (this area is designated in red below).
  • In the “Drop Off Zone”, cars must pull-up to the curb, drop off their student who can get out safely along the parkway, and then pull away.
  • The east side of Biesterfield will remain coned off so that there is no parking or dropping-off in this area (in red below).
  • Cars will NOT be allowed to park along the west side of Biesterfield Road from Gibson Road to the parking lot entrance (in red below).
  • If families would like to park with their student and wait for the Mead doors to open at 7:30 am, then those cars can park along the east and west sides Biesterfield Road south of the parking lot entrance or along Rutgers Road east of Biesterfield Road.
• Students being dropped off by car on Biesterfield or walking to school can assemble by door 2, door 5, or door 18 until the 7:30 am bell.  Please be careful where you park and drop off your student.  Parking too close to a crosswalk can restrict pedestrian visibility and result in a ticket.  All students should exit cars from the passenger side of the car only.  All students should cross the street only at the crosswalk.
• On dangerously cold winter days, students who arrive before the 7:30 am bell will be let into the school immediately upon arrival before the 7:30 am bell.  In case of extreme snow, students will need to be dropped off at the crosswalk in order to safely enter the building. Cars cannot block the driveway to let students off.  
• Students taking a bus will be kept on their bus until the 7:30 am bell after which they are to come directly into the school either through doors 2, 5, or 18.     
• State law requires bus drivers to use their stop signs when children are entering and leaving the bus.  Driving through the stop sign can result in a ticket.  This also holds true when students are exiting buses in the Mead parking lot.  No cars should be moving when the buses are loading and unloading students in the Mead parking lot.
• For safety reasons when busses are present, the Mead parking lot is CLOSED for car drop off during arrival 7:15-7:35 am and for car pick up during dismissal 2:00-2:20 pm.   

Student safety is our top concern.  By following all posted signs and driving regulations we can keep our children safe and help you avoid unnecessary tickets.  The police do patrol our area and they do issue tickets.  The entire Mead staff appreciates your patience and cooperation as we strive to provide a safe environment for our students.  

Students are not authorized to leave school property during regular school hours unless they are signed out by a parent or other authorized person. A parent or authorized person must come to the school office through our main entrance door 1 to sign out his/her student and may be asked to provide identification. Students will be dismissed through the office and only to adults who are listed as an emergency contact.

Please notify the school office if any important contact information changes during the year.  Current home and work telephone numbers, addresses, and emergency contacts are essential.

To create a successful school year for students and teachers, attendance and punctuality are very important. Students who are absent miss a great deal of classroom instruction. Regular, daily attendance is a key factor for school success and is required by law. Unnecessary absence from school may have a negative effect on a student’s attitude, work habits, and progress.  However, students who are ill should not be sent to school for their own good and the welfare of others.

Please call 847-357-6002 by 8:00 a.m. each day your student will be absent. Please make every effort to schedule vacations and medical appointments around the school calendar.

Any student absences not reported will be marked as “unexcused”.  Excessive unexcused absences will be considered truant behavior.  Students and/or parents may check the Mead website at mead.sd54.org  for homework, email a teacher, or leave a message for a teacher through voicemail. The Parent Portal is also available for checking missing assignments, attendance and tardies.  The link can be found on our Mead website. Additionally, students can access the calendars of his/her individual Google Classrooms and find information about the day’s lesson and assignments.

Students and parents should be prepared to spend extra time outside of class to make up for learning missed due to an absence.

We welcome your visit to our school. For security purposes, all exterior doors to the building are locked at all times. You must enter the building through the main entrance door 1. Please ring the doorbell to the right of the front set of doors. A bell rings inside the office and a staff member will ask for the visitor’s name before releasing the door lock. When you hear the click, you will be able to open the door, enter the building, and report to the office.

All visitors must enter the office, sign in, and wear an identification badge while in the building during regular school hours. There are different sign-in books in the office. If you are having a meeting with a staff member, please sign in the “guest” notebook located on the front counter.

Mead visitors are welcome to use the washroom located in the main office. Please ask personnel in the main office to direct you to them should you need one. Items for students such as lunches, notes, messages, instruments, or homework will be delivered to students during lunch or after school from the office. Please do not take items directly to classrooms.

During school hours, 7:30 am-2:15 pm, you may leave a message on a staff member’s voice mail.  If your phone call requires immediate attention, please press 0 during the message or call the main office.

Each staff member also has an email address.  You can obtain their email and direct phone number by going to our website at https://mead.sd54.org/staff.

Additionally, district staff contact information can be found by visiting the district website at https://sd54.org/.

Parent conferences may be initiated at any time by parents or staff members.  In addition, an opportunity is provided in late November for conferences.  Parents can contact teachers via phone or email at any time.

Infinite Campus/Parent Portal

District 54 provides portal access for students and parents, this portal is Infinite Campus.   The District 54 Campus Portal is a safe, secure web-based communications tool that allows parents/guardians to participate more directly in their students’ learning and school lives. The portal provides online access to student grades, assignments, immunizations, test scores, demographic information and more. Parents and guardians will see information related to any student they are authorized to view. Students will only be able to access their own information.

Students receive access to the portal starting in the fourth grade.  If the student enters the district after the fourth grade, they receive access upon arrival.  If a parent would like to receive access to the portal they may contact the Portal Helpline 847-357-5110 for more information. Information about Parent Portal and the link to the site can be found at

https://sd54.org/resources/school-district-54-infinite-campus-parentstudent-portal-agreement/.

 Report Cards

Report cards will be available online through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal after the end of each trimester.  Schools will notify parents of the exact dates of availability each year.  Grades and attendance information on the report card become a part of a student’s permanent record. 

Achievement Grades

Achievement grades are determined based on assessment data (tests, quizzes, and homework).  Teachers use an average when determining a student’s achievement grade.  Achievement grade scale:

Standard Mastery Grades

Standard grades for English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science/Health, and Social Studies provide specific information on student progress related to the Common Core State Standards.  Each standard is evaluated using a 1-4 scale.  Cumulative Standards Mastery Grades are given for each content area based on an average.  Standards Mastery Grade Scale:

Honor Roll/President’s Award for Educational Excellence

High-achieving students will be recognized by the Mead staff.  At the end of each trimester, the honor roll recognition will be mailed home.  At the end of 8^th grade, the President’s Award for Educational Excellence recognition will be awarded to students.  To be awarded the President’s Award of Educational Excellence, students must be enrolled at Mead Junior High School for ALL six trimesters and only language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies grades count toward recognition.  The following are the benchmarks for high achievement:

American Legion & Lions Club Ron Foster Awards

Each year, the American Legion presents an award to a student winner and student runner-up from the graduating class.  Nominations are made by Mead staff members and voted on by all members of the graduating class.  The following criteria are used:

Each year, the Lions Club of Elk Grove Village presents a Ron Foster Award for Citizenship to one student from the graduating class.  The student presented the award have shown the following during his/her years at Mead:

• Stands for what is right
• High character
• High standards of conduct
• Adheres to truth and conscience
• Ability to lead
• Love and loyalty for country, institutions, and ideals
• Evidence of scholastic ability and application
• Kindness, unselfishness, protection of the weak, promotes the interests of all

Standardized testing provides valuable information about a student’s academic achievement level.  Scores may be used to monitor a student’s progress throughout his/her schooling. 

No single test can provide a complete picture of a student’s achievement! Classroom performance, teacher observation, and other tests help provide additional information about your child. Questions about your child’s test results should be directed to your child’s content area teacher or the school administration.

The specific dates of the assessment administrations will be communicated to parents and students as they become available.

MAP Testing

MAP is an adaptive assessment assessing reading and math.  All students will take the MAP tests in the fall, winter, and spring.  Teachers will use MAP scores throughout the year to measure student growth in reading and math, and score reports will be sent home to parents following each administration.  Students will work with their teachers to set growth goals on these assessments and reflect regularly upon their progress towards these goals.  MAP assessments are research-based tools that are reliable and valid, and which provide immediate feedback as to how students are progressing over time.  They help our teachers plan effective instruction based on the individual needs of the student.  

IAR Testing

The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) is the state assessment and accountability measure for Illinois students enrolled in a public school district. IAR assesses the Illinois Learning​ Standards and will be administered in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

Chromebooks are a valuable instructional tool to facilitate student learning.  Every student will be issued a district-owned Chromebook.  It is the student’s responsibility to appropriately maintain their Chromebook.  Daily expectations of students using Chromebooks are listed below:

• Take the Chromebook home every night.
• Charge the Chromebook every night.
• Bring the charged Chromebook and your charger back to school every day.
• Bring the Chromebook with you to classes as instructed by your teacher.

Chromebook handling and management expectations are listed below:

• Case should be used for transporting your device and charger. However, no other objects should be in the case with the Chromebook as they damage easily.
• Chromebook should remain in case when not in use.
• If a Chromebook has been lost or damaged/ destroyed, an appropriate replacement cost or repair charge will be determined.

Acceptable Chromebook use expectations are listed below:

• Chromebooks should never be in the bathroom.
• Chromebooks should never be in the gym or locker room.
• Chromebooks should not be near the water fountains or any liquids.
• Chromebooks should be on your desk/workspace, in your lap, in your backpack, or in your locker. They do not belong on the floor.
• Backpack should never be left unattended when the Chromebook is inside. It should be with you or in your locked locker.

Student security with Chromebooks is critical.  Student passwords will be created for each student and should NEVER be shared with other students.  The student passwords protect each student’s assignments, student’s tests and communications with their teachers.  Students are responsible for internet searches and all Chromebook usage done under the student’s ID and password.

Each student will be assigned their own locker and combination during the schedule release.  Their locker number and combination will be on the top of your student’s schedule that you can view on Infinite Campus Portal.  Students may also be assigned a PE locker.  Student assistance in keeping lockers and surrounding floor areas clean is expected and appreciated.  Students should not give their locker combinations to other students.  Valuables or large sums of money should not be kept in school.  Areas such as lockers, desks and other District property and equipment are owned and controlled by the District. District/school authorities may inspect and search these areas, without notice to or the consent of the student, and without a search warrant.  The school reserves the right to inspect lockers and remove anything in violation of school rules or considered detrimental to the safety of the school and/ or other students.  There will be NO external locker decorations permitted; however, each student can decorate the inside of their locker. 

Students should bring their own lunch to school.  There is no cafeteria service.  Students can purchase water, refreshments, and snacks from the vending machines in the cafeteria.  Please encourage your student to be responsible and bring their own lunch to school every day.  When lunches are brought to school after the students arrive, it can be disruptive.  With a focus on student and staff safety, District 54 will not allow food delivery services (including, but not limited to, GrubHub, DoorDash, and local restaurants) to our schools. We will continue to have hot lunch days, which are planned events, organized and supervised by school or PTA volunteers. However, we will no longer accept other outside food deliveries to keep our schools secure.  The PTA sponsors special days when hot lunches and pizza may be purchased in advance. 

The Mead staff has developed three short rules that we expect everyone in the Mead community to abide by:

• BE RESPECTFUL
• BE RESPONSIBLE
• BE SAFE

 It is our goal to make the understanding of these expectations as clear and easy for the students as possible.  During the course of the school year, we will review building expectations to increase our students’ understanding of what to do and how to behave in order to abide by these three rules in the various areas of our school.  NOTE: These expectations are in place during the school day and apply to all after-school/extra-curricular events and activities that our students attend.

Student Dress Guidelines
Student dress should not disrupt the learning environment at the discretion of the school administration.  Private body parts should be covered with opaque material.

Bicycles, Skateboards, Scooters, In-line Skates

Our primary concern is for the safety of ALL students.

• Students are not permitted to ride bicycles, skateboards, roller blades, roller skates, scooters, or other wheeled devices on school property between the hours of 7:15 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
• Students using one of these items to come to school must remember they cannot ride these on the school property.
• If your student chooses to ride something to school, please note that bicycles should be locked in the rack on the south end of the school; however, there is no secure place to store any other wheeled devices at our school. Since these items are valuable, we encourage you to talk with your student, and decide together whether or not you wish to assume the risk of having such items here at school.  Should storage of wheeled devices other than bicycles become a problem, the school reserves the right to suspend this privilege at a future date.

Valuable Personal Items

Students are strongly encouraged not to bring valuable or treasured items to school. This includes cell phones, iPads, or other electronic devices as well as special mementos such as jewelry, cash, souvenirs, or other prized possessions. We cannot be responsible for such costly or irreplaceable items.

We are unable to secure student’s personal items while at school. Parents should not allow their students to bring these items to school. When in doubt, leave it at home.

Students should not buy, sell, or trade any items among themselves. This avoids any questions about ownership and helps protect student property. Several lost-and-found locations are located in the school and individual classrooms. The tables outside of the main office and gym serve as the primary lost-and-found locations. Please feel free to check them for any missing articles when you are in the building.

 Electronic Devices

Any device brought to school must be kept off and not used from 7:38 am to 2:15 pm during the instructional day.  Electronic devices include, but are not limited to cell phones, tablets, personal computers and/or gaming devices.  District 54 Board of Education policy states:

“Students are permitted to possess personal electronic devices while on school property. A teacher or supervising staff member may restrict the use of or access to personal electronic devices at any time. The possession and use of smartphones, cell phones and other electronic devices are subject to the following rules:

• They must be kept out of sight and in an inconspicuous location, such as a backpack, purse or locker, unless use is authorized by the teacher or other authorized staff member.​​​

• They must be turned off or silenced during the regular school day unless the supervising teacher grants permission for them to be used or the use of the device is provided in a student’s individualized education program (IEP).
• They may not be used in any manner that will cause disruption to the educational environment or will otherwise violate student conduct rules.

• They may not be used for creating, sending, sharing, viewing, receiving, or possessing indecent visual depictions or non-consensual dissemination of sexual images.

• Any cellular phone or electronic device may be searched upon reasonable suspicion of sexting or other violations of policy. All sexting violations will require school administrators to follow student discipline policies in addition to contacting the police and reporting suspected child abuse or neglect when appropriate.
• Student use of electronic devices without authorization from a teacher or other staff member, in an unauthorized location, for an unauthorized purpose, or in violation of District student conduct policies may result in disciplinary action.
• Electronic devices are subject to search by school personnel as permitted by law and District policy. Refusal to comply with a staff member’s request may result in confiscation of the device.

• The District reserves the right to revoke a student’s use of a personal electronic device at any time.”

Tardiness to Class/School

Students  must be in their assigned classrooms on time.  Tardies will be tracked daily in every class period and consequences will be given for excessive tardies by administration.  Parents will be notified by the administrator if a student’s tardiness is deemed excessive.  If the student’s tardiness is excessive, the student will be assigned lunch detention or after-school detention(s). 

Hall Passes

Any student without a hall pass will be returned to class immediately. Students are required to sign out each time he/she leaves the classroom and must carry with them a lanyard/written pass.

Morning:  Students may enter the building before the 7:30 a.m. bell for academic help

• Students must enter before 7:20 a.m. Students will not be allowed to enter after 7:20 a.m. (except 1^st period Early Start Math students).
• Upon entering, students must inform the office staff of the teacher they will be working with before school.
• Students are not allowed to go to their lockers; they must report directly to their classroom.
• Students who come in for morning help should remain in the designated classroom until 7:25 a.m. 
• Students wandering the hallways in the morning will be sent to the office.

Gold Hall Pass: To be used when students are leaving the room and going to a location for an undetermined amount of time and may not be returning to the original room.  If a student is issued a Gold Hall Pass, he or she must check in with his or her teacher, present the pass to be signed, then go to the indicated destination.  Destinations:

• Main office
• School nurse’s office
• Guidance Department’s offices
• Band/Orchestra lessons

Badge Hall Pass: To be used when students are leaving the room to go to another location and are expected to return within a class period.  Destinations:

• Restrooms
• Lockers
• Another classroom

Book Bags/Backpacks

Students are required to store their book bags/backpacks in their lockers when they report to school at the beginning of the day.  No book bags/backpacks are to be carried from class to class.  At the end of the day, students may use their book bags/backpacks to take books home.  Students may not use purses/lightweight drawstring bags as book bags during the school day.   

Students will be issued a Chromebook case for the transport and protection of the device. Students are prohibited from using these cases as backpacks for carrying other school supplies and/or personal belongings.  However, please ensure your child brings their charger with them everyday to school. 

Research provides strong evidence that, when used appropriately, homework benefits student achievement.  The purpose of homework is to enrich or extend school instruction, and to give our students opportunities to maintain new learning through independent practice.  At Mead Junior High, homework will be utilized to emphasize the importance of learning in settings other than a classroom.  Students are asked to do their personal best on all work in a timely manner.

Students will be held accountable for all assignments.  A zero will not be given on an assignment provided the assignment is satisfactorily completed in a timely manner.  Late work will be accepted and graded for no less than 50% of the total grade.  At the end of the unit, the missing assignment may be marked as a zero in the gradebook.  In addition, modifications and adaptations to homework will also be made at a teacher’s and/or team’s discretion as necessary.

As always, please feel free to contact your student’s teacher(s) if there is a specific concern.

Class Work Support Program

The Class Work Support Program is a missing assignment support program.  Any student who has five or more missing assignments will be provided a letter on Monday morning specifying their missing assignments and details about the Class Work Support Program.  The Class Work Support Program includes some or all of the following:

• An Afterschool Class Work Study Hall may be required for your student to attend on either Thursday afterschool to provide a protected time to hold them accountable and support them for completing their missing assignments.
• A Class Work Advisor (Mead staff member) may be assigned to them as part of our Homework Check In Check Out program to work with them on organizational skills.

In addition, your student can take advantage of our before or after-school content study halls. Please contact your student’s teachers for more information about taking advantage of our content study halls to support your student’s work completion.    

Listed below is the weekly process that Mead will utilize to keep students accountable for missing assignments:

1. Teacher enters incomplete assignments as “missing” in the Infinite Campus Portal Gradebook.
2. Monday 9th Period: Students with five or more missing assignments are provided a list of their missing assignments. 
3. Wednesday morning: Students with five or more missing assignments are provided a list of their missing assignments.  In addition, parents/guardians will receive a message informing them that their student is required to attend a mandatory study hall afterschool on Thursday unless they get their missing assignments below 5. 
4. Thursday afterschool: If a student fails to get their missing assignments below 5, then they will be assigned to Afterschool Class Work Study Hall on Thursday from 2:15-3:50 pm to complete their missing assignments. 

This cycle will repeat weekly.  If you have any questions about the program, please let us know.  Students’ missing assignments can be checked daily on the Parent Portal.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum
One of the most important parts of our student support system is that social-emotional-behavioral skills and expectations are taught directly to the students. The lessons will teach all the students what is expected of them as an adolescent and how they are to behave. Every Wednesday morning, the District 54 Board of Education-approved Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum will be taught to our students by our staff. All students will be taught skills that will benefit them as young adults and life-long learners.  During the opening weeks of school, our teachers will spend the first days of school discussing school culture and classroom climate.

“Horseshoes” -A Reward System
Another part of the PBIS system is the use of consistent positive reinforcement of appropriate behavior. All staff members who observe students following the Mead expectations will issue “Horseshoes”.  Students will be receiving “Horseshoes” for demonstrating appropriate behavior. Students can earn “Horseshoes” in all areas of the school and from all staff members. Research shows us that positive reinforcement is one of the best ways to maintain appropriate behavior. The Mead staff is committed to making sure that students who demonstrate positive behaviors will receive “Horseshoes”.  Ask your child about the Mead Mall, Golden Horseshoe Locker, and other ways to use their earned “Horseshoes”.   

Building Discipline
Emphasis at Mead Junior High School is for students to practice self-discipline and accept more responsibility for their behavior.  Behavior that is disruptive to the education process and infringes upon the rights of others will not be tolerated.  Students displaying significantly inappropriate behavior will receive an office discipline referral.  Parents will be notified by the school administrator following an office discipline referral.  

PBIS Data Collection
Unfortunately, even with teaching our expectations and offering pre-corrections, some students will still demonstrate inappropriate behavior.  Statistics show that this is a small percentage of a school’s population, less than 20%.  For those instances, there is an Office Discipline Referral Form. The form will help teachers be more consistent not only with enforcing our Mead expectations, but also in taking corrective action when students have demonstrated a misunderstanding of our expectations.  We will also use this document and data to track where our students could benefit from re-teaching and reminders of the Mead expectations.  

Examples of student actions that would result in an office referral would include: fighting; insubordination; serious verbal abuse or use of profanity or obscenity; acts that jeopardize the health, safety, and welfare of another; repeated and willful behavior that constitutes disregard for the rules and regulations of the school; and chronic behaviors involving tardies, absences, classroom disruptions, inappropriate language, and missing assignments.

1. Speak to your student about his/her behavior.
2. If you continue to have concerns after speaking with your student we ask that you contact the staff member who issued the consequence.

Our goal is to teach students positive behaviors, so that all students can work in a school environment that is safe, fun, free from distraction, and conducive to maximum learning potential.

PBIS Tier II Interventions

Used to teach and reward appropriate behavior.  An intervention we use is called, “Check-In, Check-Out (CICO)”.  Students check in and out with an assigned staff member at the same time at the beginning and end of each day. During the day, after each class period, students touch base with their teacher and discuss the student’s behavior during the class period. Teachers rate the student’s behavior according to their Daily Progress Report (DPR) card and provide feedback to the student in addition to possibly re-teaching appropriate behavior expectations. CICO with individualized features is similar to the standard CICO procedures with one or more of the following changes: change location or time of Check-In and/or Check-Out; change Check-In, Check Out person that the student meets with; individualize student expectations/goals beyond the regular school-wide behavior expectations.

A registered nurse is at Mead Junior High every day from 7:30 am to 2:15 pm. Parent communication will be made by the nurse’s office if a student is ill and needs to go home. Any questions you have about immunizations, physicals, medications, or special health concerns should be directed to the nurse at 847-357-6016. 

Beverages and Snacks in the Classroom

Students are allowed to bring a water bottle and snacks with them to school.  However, to reduce potential mess, we do encourage students to leave their water bottles and snacks in their lockers. Students are allowed to bring water bottles and snacks with them throughout the day to eat including in classrooms at the teacher’s discretion.  Please ensure your student’s water bottle has a secure lid.  Please ensure that your student’s snack follows the following guidelines:

• First and foremost, snacks must be nut-free to promote an inclusive learning environment sensitive to our fellow student’s allergies.
• We encourage students to bring healthy snacks like fruit.
• Aside from fruit, the snacks must be a prepackaged, single serving item (smaller than the size of a fist).
• The snack should not be a distraction to the learning environment. In plain terms, students should not eat a snack in the classroom that is loud to eat, messy, or smelly.
• Students are not allowed to bring meals into the classroom to eat. This includes fast food items which are a distraction to the learning environment.

Medication Policy
Medications will be given to your student in accordance with Board of Education policy requiring:

• District 54 consent form signed by the parent;
• District 54 form completed by the physician; and
• Medication in a prescription container (this includes all over-the-counter medications)

Bus Procedures for Students on Crutches
A doctor’s note is necessary for a student to use crutches in school. If your student rides the bus to school and is on crutches, please contact the school nurse at 847-357-6016 as soon as possible. The nurse will provide you with “Request for Medical Busing” forms. Parents/guardians and physicians must complete these forms before a student on crutches will be allowed to ride the bus to and from school. Once the school nurse receives the completed forms and the doctor indicates the student can climb stairs, arrangements will be made for a representative from First Student to come to school and observe the student’s ability to safely navigate the stairs on the bus. Parents will be notified by the school nurse of the outcome.

Physical Examinations
State law requires students to have an updated physical examination and all required immunizations on file.  If a student has hopes of participating in an interscholastic sport and/or intramurals, then they must have an updated physical examination on file in the nurse’s office and a signed permission form. This form will provide information on the updated concussion policies followed by District 54 to ensure the safety and well-being of our students.  If you have any questions about your student’s physical, then please call the school nurse.

Should I send my student  to school?
The reasons that may constitute a student being sick and unable to attend school include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, contagious disease and rash of an unknown origin.  Regarding a student having a fever, your student should be fever-free without medicine for 24 hours before returning to school.  Students who are ill should not be sent to school for their own good and the welfare of others.

Mead offers a support system for all students, staff, and parents.  A School Psychologist, two School Social Workers, School Counselor, and a Dean of Students are available.  Each member of this department will be a resource to allow that students, staff and parents have consistent support when needs arise.  Counseling is available to all students for academic, behavior, social/ emotional, or personal issues.

Generally, we assume that students well enough to attend school are also well enough to participate in Physical Education related activities. An exemption to participating in PE requires a doctor’s excuse.  Every day that a student-athlete is medically exempt from participating in Physical Education, he/she is not allowed to participate in intramurals, interscholastic sports practice or scheduled games that afternoon/evening.  Students are encouraged to change into a PE uniform each day.  Sweatshirts and sweatpants can be left in student’s gym lockers so they are prepared for going outside in the colder weather.  The uniform and sweatshirts/sweatpants are available to purchase from your student’s PE teacher.    

It is the philosophy of Mead’s interscholastic sports and extracurricular activities program to provide a variety of opportunities to teach values in a competitive and/or fun atmosphere while enhancing character through organized activities. Mead believes that participation in interscholastic sports and extracurricular activities is an integral part of the educational process and allows for the development of skills in both group and individual experiences. Mead believes that participation is a privilege and that students participating in sports and/or clubs will uphold Mead’s behavioral expectations of respect, responsibility, and safety during their school hours and in their community at large.  A student must be present in school for at least half the day in order to participate in any extracurricular or after school sports, intramurals or clubs.  If a student is not able to maintain these behavioral expectations, the Mead faculty reserves the right to suspend/remove a student from the sport or club. Students not participating in Physical Education are not eligible to participate in Intramural and Interscholastic sports.  

If your student is assigned a bus route and they stay after-school for an extra-curricular activity, then they are eligible to ride the late activity bus.  Students will need to present their bus pass to be allowed entry onto the bus. The late-run buses depart Mead at 4:00 p.m. Note: Students may only ride the activity bus after staying for a school-sponsored event or activity. Students may not leave campus and return to take the activity bus home.

Academic eligibility from the District 54 Interscholastic Sports Manual:

• To be academically eligible for the following week, a student may not be failing any class or have a “D” in more than one class.
• Students not meeting academic requirements will attend a study session during practice time supervised by the coach and will be ineligible for practice and competition that week.
• At the start of the second week of ineligibility, the student may be removed from the team at the discretion of the principal and coach.

The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is a membership organization.  We rely on our members to contribute their time and skills to our school.  Every person who joins the PTA is giving something special to his or her student but also the entire school community benefits as well.  We are dedicated to providing programs and events that strengthen the Mead school community.

The PTA consists of an executive board of elected officers in addition to volunteer chairpersons of a number of committees, which include:

• Cultural Arts
• Scholarships
• 8^th grade Dance
• Pizza Tuesdays & Hot Lunch Thursdays
• Membership
• PTA Reflections
• Volunteer opportunities

Everyone is invited to attend PTA meetings held on the second Wednesday evening of each month, August through May.  A teacher representative is present at each PTA meeting and shares the many happenings of each grade level.  Also, the Principal and Assistant Principal attend the meetings and parents receive vital information concerning our school.  

The Mead PTA encourages a community spirit among parents, teachers and students.  Our members coordinate many programs that are enjoyed by our students throughout the school year to support education and promote parental involvement.  Parents and teachers are urged to join this volunteer organization and participate in its activities.

District 54’s mission of ensuring student success cannot be accomplished without the support of the families we serve. We are committed to delivering accurate and timely information to all families, so that you may support your child. District 54 uses a variety of methods to communicate with you. Please familiarize yourself with the following.

District 54 and Mead JHS website — http://sd54.org
In addition to information about the district, you will also find a website for each of our 28 schools, a link to the District 54 Education Foundation and PTA websites, agendas and minutes from the School Board meetings, and our Virtual Backpack with flyers from nonprofit community groups.

Online Event Calendar
The District 54 online calendar is located at http://sd54.org/calendar and can be subscribed to through Google. Each school also maintains its own calendar on its website.

Infinite Campus Parent Portal
The Infinite Campus Parent Portal is a website where parents and guardians can log in and view their children’s report cards, grades, assignments, immunizations and test scores. You can also use the portal to register and pay fees online. The Parent Portal can be found under Popular Links at http://sd54.org. If you haven’t registered, contact your child’s school to obtain log-in information.

Social Media
You can follow District 54 online at Facebook.com/D54schools, Twitter.com/D54schools, and  Instagram.com/SchaumburgD54Schools.  You can follow Mead online at Facebook.com/meadmustangs54 and Twitter.com/meadmustangs54.   

District 54 Visions E-newsletter
If you are interested in receiving our district newsletter in your email inbox after each School Board meeting, sign up at http://sd54.org/email-signup.