Yesterday, Mead Junior High School practiced a Hard Lockdown Drill in accordance to the standardized crisis response plan established by School District 54 and the local police and fire departments. These drills are conducted each year so that students and staff are familiar with the best practices should there ever be a crisis situation in the school. Today’s drill was an unannounced drill so that we could test our systems and evaluate how we respond.  The Elk Grove Police Department, who assisted in running the drill, was impressed with our students and staff and how well they did during the drill.

After each drill, we reflect as a staff with local emergency responders to determine if there are any procedures we might need to review with the staff and students. We obviously hope never to need to use these procedures, but it helps all involved to know that they have the skills needed to respond if an emergency should arise.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to make you aware that situations sometimes arise requiring us to enter into a soft lockdown. This procedure allows students to remain in their classes and allows classroom activities to continue while school, police, or medical personnel are able to respond. We may call a soft lockdown to keep hallways clear for medical personnel or to ensure student privacy in certain situations. During these situations, the parents of the students involved will be notified.

We appreciate your continued support as we work together to keep our children safe. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly.

David Szwed

(847) 357-6070

Welcome back and Happy New Year! We hope that the break provided you and your family time to enjoy the holiday season or at least some of the nicer weather. On Monday, we welcomed the students back to Mead with our annual New Year’s celebration to start the day. This all-school gathering allowed us to come together and to reflect on the year and make some resolutions to make the rest of the year a successful one. Additionally, we had a guest speaker address the students today on the topic of online and digital safety. Please continue to partner with us and ensure that your our students are safe and responsible with their online and social media interactions.

Though it has only been one week, our staff and students have returned to our daily routine and we are excited to continue our work together. It is a great time to reflect on the successes from the year so far and to recognize the potential of the year yet to come. Looking forward to a positive and productive 2019!!

Mr. Szwed and Mrs. Carey

Please read below for the latest news, reminders and updates from Mead Jr. High and School District 54.

Mead at a Glance
1/21: MLK Day – No School
1/22: Volleyball vs. Addams 3PM; Wrestling @ Addams 3PM
1/24: Wrestling vs. Frost 3PM; Volleyball @ Frost 3PM
1/28: Volleyball vs. Sandburg 3:15 PM
1/31: Volleyball vs. Keller 3PM; Wrestling @ Keller 3PM
2/14-15: Student-led Conferences (see info)
2/15: 5Essentials Parent Survey Closes

Hot Lunch Orders – Deadline Extended
PTA Hot Lunch Orders are now being accepted for the second half of the school year. We are utilizing a new ordering process, so please be sure to read below carefully. Online orders and order form with payment must be submitted by Monday, January 14th  2019. No late orders will be accepted.

To order hot lunch:

• Go to https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4719396/Mead-PTA-Hot-Lunch-Winter-Spring-2019
• Complete the new online order form to place your order
• Go to www.bit.ly/MeadPTApayment
• Be sure to fill out the form completely and accurately
• Return the signed parent permission form with full payment to Mead office

Thanks for your support of our PTA. Please direct any questions to Lorie Simon at 630-624-5476 OR Christine Szarzynski at 847-652-2992.

Note:Information can also be found on the Mead website.

5Essentials Survey Update
All District 54 parents are encouraged to take the Illinois State Board of Education’s 5Essentials Survey  at https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois. The parent survey is only 26 questions will allow parents to share their thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness and help us guide school improvement. The parent survey will be available online through Feb. 15 2019.

Snow and Ice Removal
As we start this year’s snow and cold weather preparation, we wanted to reach out and remind everyone that the District 54 does plow some easements up to the buildings. Parents and students use walking routes to and from school; however, we do not salt the easements. For the most part they are on park district property.  Please be safe when walking to and from school.

Health Reminders
Cold and flu season is here! In order to help keep all of our Mead students and staff healthy, please follow these helpful guidelines:

• If your child is vomiting, having diarrhea, or has a fever of 100 or higher, he/she should not come to school.
• If a student is at school and these symptoms occur, you will receive a call from our school nurse to pick up your child from school.
• Students need to remain at home for at least 24 hours after they stop vomiting or having diarrhea and are fever-free without using any fever-reducing medicines.

Please remember to notify the office (847-357-6068) each day your child is absent.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Student-Led Conferences
Please join us on February 14-15, 2019 for student-led conferences at Mead. During these conferences, your child will have an opportunity to share with you his/her academic progress and personal growth. Students should bring their Chromebooks with them to conferences as they will be used to facilitate the student-led portion of the conference. You will then have an opportunity to meet briefly with all of your student’s teachers individually.

Sign-up for these conferences will again be conducted electronically through a link that will be sent out to parents in late January.

FINAL Yearbook Orders
Yearbooks Must Be Pre-ordered!  The deadline to purchase a yearbook is February 20, 2019.  Go to http://www.jostensyearbooks.com to purchase by credit card.  Order forms are available in the main office or can be accessed on our website if you would like to pay by cash or check.  The cost is $30.  Yearbooks will be distributed the last week of school in May.  Do not miss out on this memorable keepsake!

Schaumburg Parent University – January classes
Schaumburg Parent University (SPU) is designed to involve more parents in the life of the school, to strengthen family relationships, and to improve parenting skills that will ultimately result in improved student success academically, socially and emotionally. There are two evening programs scheduled for January. Please note that child care is always available.

Learning how good outcomes in adulthood are connected to strong emotional regulation and resiliency skills in childhood – 5:30-7 p.m. on Jan. 14

This educational seminar will focus on teaching parents of children and adolescents concrete skills towards improving emotional regulation, problem-solving skills, and nurturing resiliency for optimal functioning in school, extracurricular activities, and social life. Adults only.

Literacy Night – 6-7:30 p.m. on Jan. 23
Come join us for a night of interactive writing where your family’s creativity is in control of the story line. Clues will lead you to special treats as well as a keepsake. Parents and students, aged preschool – eighth grade, are welcome.

These events will take place at the District 54 Professional Learning Center, 522 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg. Please register by visiting https://goo.gl/TB49x7. For more information, contact Meg Kwak at 847-357-6586 or spu@nullsd54.org

District 54 Cold Weather Response Plan
In order to help parents better prepare for the severe cold weather and snow we often get during winters in our community, I wanted to share with you the District 54 Severe Cold Weather Response Plan. Though District 54 makes every effort to keep our schools open and operational, circumstances beyond our control oftentimes dictate school closings.
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La Universidad Schaumburg para Padres – Clases de enero
La idea de la Universidad para Padres es envolver más a los padres in la vida escolar, para fortalecer las relaciones familiares, y mejorar los conocimientos de crianza que finalmente resultarán en un mejor éxito académico, social y emocional del estudiante. Hay dos programas nocturnos para enero. El cuidado de niños está siempre disponible.

Aprenda cómo los buenos resultados en la edad adulta están conectados a una fuerte regulación emocional y habilidades de adaptación adquiridas durante la infancia – 14 de enero 5:30-7 p.m.

Este seminario educativo se enfocará en enseñarles a los padres de niños y adolescentes habilidades concretas para mejorar la regulación emocional, habilidades para resolver problemas y fomentar la capacidad de recuperación para un funcionamiento óptimo en la escuela, actividades extracurriculares y socialmente. Sólo para adultos.

Noche de Alfabetización – 23 de enero 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Únase a nosotros para una noche de escritura interactiva donde La creatividad de tu familia está en control de la historia. Las pistas que cada familia recopila en el camino les llevaran a encontrar una pequeña sorpresa que les servirá como un recuerdo de este memorable momento juntos. Padres y estudiantes (preescolar – octavo grado) son bienvenidos.

Estos eventos se llevarán a cabo en el Centro de Aprendizaje Profesional del Distrito 54, ubicado en el 522 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg. Regístrese visitando https://goo.gl/TB49x7. Para obtener más información, comuníquese con Barb Velez al 847-357-5074 o spu@nullsd54.org.

El Plan del Distrito 54 para Responder a las Inclemencias del Tiempo Frio
Con el fin de ayudarles a prepararse para las inclemencias del tiempo frío y la nieve que a menudo recibimos durante el invierno en nuestra comunidad, quisiera compartir con ustedes el Plan del Distrito 54 para responder a las inclemencias del tiempo frio. Aunque el Distrito 54 hace todos los esfuerzos para mantener las escuelas abiertas y funcionando, a veces circunstancias fuera de nuestro control dictan la cancelación de clases.

In last week’s email I included a letter asking you to take the Illinois State Board of Education’s 5Essentials Survey for parents and sharing with you our plans to administer the student survey at school. Please note that since that time, Illinois has changed the date for the student survey, which won’t be available until Dec. 11. It is still our plan to complete the survey at school prior to winter break. If you do not want your child to participate, please contact me by Nov. 19. The parent survey will be available online through Feb. 15 2019, at https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois.

5Essentials Parent Survey letter 10-18

5Essentials Parent Survey Letter Spanish

If your student plans to try out for one of our athletic teams and/or participate in intramurals, an approved and current physical is required to be on file prior to try-outs or any participation in an inter-scholastic/intramural sport per Board Policy. All new students entering our district must present proof of immunizations and a health examination prior to the first day of attendance. Please note that physicals are good for one year from the date of the exam. If you have additional questions about your child’s physical, please contact our school nurse.

Interscholastic Sports Permission form

All yearbooks must be pre-ordered!  Orders are due by 12/21/2018.  A plain yearbook is $30.  Place orders by going to www.jostensyearbooks.com or submit  an order form; which can be found below, with payment to the main office. Don’t delay!

New Yearbook Order Form

Starting Thursday, August 23, all students who receive (non-paid) busing are eligible to take one of our late run buses. The buses depart Mead at 4:00 PM every weekday with the exception of Wednesdays. Maps of the routes are available in the main office.

Safety for our students and staff is a top priority.  As a reminder, traffic needs to enter the Mead parking lot from Biesterfield and exit out to Gibson. Our parking lot is CLOSED for student drop off during arrival 7:15-7:35 and for student pick up during dismissal 2:00-2:20 p.m.  Please be careful where you park and drop off your children.  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 crosswalks at the corners of Biesterfield and Gibson.   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 parking lot.  No cars should be moving when the buses are loading and unloading students in the Mead parking lot. Thanks for your attention to these guidelines as we work to keep Mead students safe.

The safety of all Mead students is a top priority for us.  Each year we undergo practice scenarios that allow our staff and students to simulate a crisis situation.  These practices include evacuating from the school building and buses, taking shelter during a weather related crisis, and responding to an emergency situation in the school building.  Please read the attached letter for more information regarding our emergency response procedures.  As always, feel free to contact the main office at 847-357-6000 if you have any questions.

Crisis Plan and Drill Parent Letter 8-18

Crisis Plan and Drill Parent Letter 8-18 Spanish

Report cards will be available on the Parent Portal on June 4, 2018. Paper copies will only be made available to families unable to access the online version.

Are you searching for an innovative way to empower your children over the summer? Are you looking for a comprehensive approach to summer learning that combats boredom and keeps everyone engaged? Look no further! We have created a new website with a wide range of challenges at each grade level to help prevent the summer slide. Visit the School District 54 Virtual Learning University to tackle challenges for literacy, math, science, social science, language and culture too!  Each content area has multiple challenges to keep your children’s minds focused and active throughout the summer weeks! Within each category you will find family activities, individual activities and places to visit in our community and surrounding areas.  We hope you’ll encourage your children to visit our Virtual Learning University often throughout the summer to challenge themselves and to keep your family learning together. Click here to access the Virtual Learning University or find the link under Popular Links on the District 54 website.