News

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year at Margaret Mead Junior High!  We hope everyone is having a relaxing and enjoyable summer.  Included in this letter is information that will be helpful to you and your student for the first day of school.
 
INFORMATION DAY
Information Day is Wednesday, August 9, 2023 from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Information Day will be hosted in the Mead gymnasium; however, we encourage families to walk the hallways to locate their student’s locker and classrooms.  Please enter through door 5 (After-School Event Entrance) on the north side of the building.  On Information Day, you will receive a checklist detailing what can be done during this time.  Please see below for the opportunities available to you when you arrive for Information Day:

• Stop at your student’s grade level table to receive registration documents, check to ensure that all contact information is accurate, check that your student’s “Chromebook and Internet Usage” agreements are marked, and turn in completed registration documents.
• Visit our front office table where you can pay for consumable fees, an optional milk fee, and optional Chromebook Insurance may be purchased.
• Visit our School Nurse to turn in completed physical form and update nurse with regard to your student’s medical information.
• Pick up the “Welcome to Mead” folder.  Please take the time to read through the contents in the folder to answer important questions about Mead and the upcoming school year.    
• Pick up your student’s schedule—they will need this schedule during their first days of school.
• If applicable, pick up and complete the application for free/reduced lunch. 

An adult must accompany each student to Information Day.  Prior to your arrival, please check your registration/residency to ensure that it is complete and update all email addresses and phone numbers prior.  If you have not proven residency for the 2023-24 school year, please bring in proper documentation to serve as proof of residency (lease, closing documents, in lieu of lease).  Please know that if proof of residency is not current or registration is incomplete, then your student will not be able to attain their class schedule on Information Day until updated.  If you are unable to attend Information Day, you may retrieve your Information Day materials during office hours after Information Day.
 
#MEADMADE DAY
On Thursday, August 17, we invite our families to come to Mead for #MeadMade Day from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm.  This day is optional and is devoted to helping your Mustang start the school year by getting acclimated to the school before the busyness of the year starts on August 21 and 22.  Please bring your student’s class schedule and school supplies during your visit.   On this day, please enter Mead at our main entrance (door 1) and ring our doorbell where one of our wonderful secretaries will welcome you in!  They will provide you with a “#MeadMade” checklist that will include a building map, fun scavenger hunt, and directions on how you can show off your #MeadMade spirit during your visit!  During your walk around the building, make sure you to stop by your student’s locker to drop-off school supplies, decorate the inside of their locker (make sure there is a picture of the family in there 😊), and practice opening their locker as many times as needed!  We then encourage you to walk the hallways of Mead to find their classrooms.   Don’t forget to stop by the cafeteria to take a picture at the #MeadMade “Selfie Station”!  This day is an optional, easy, and fun way to get your student acclimated to Mead Junior High!   
 
STUDENT CLASS SCHEDULES
On August 9, your student’s schedule will be ready for pick-up at Information Day.  The schedule will also be visible on the Infinite Campus Portal HERE after this day.   Please know that our priority when creating your student’s class schedule is ensuring that your student is placed in the appropriate core content subject classes (language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and PE/health).  Once those classes are scheduled, every effort will be made to honor your student’s elective requests.  However, due to priority scheduling placed on core content class placement, we cannot guarantee that your student will get the electives they have requested.   With nearly 650 students in our school, the task of ensuring that all students are placed into both of their requested electives is challenging.  You will receive more information regarding your student’s class schedule in August.  
 
SUPPLY LISTS
The 2023-24 school supply list is attached for your reference.  District 54 has set up an option for families to purchase school supplies online.  If this is something you choose to do, please refer to the attached supply list as you navigate the purchase site found on our Mead homepage HERE to help you better determine the supplies needed for your student.  Your student will be able to drop off their school supplies during our #MeadMade day detailed above on Thursday, August 17 or during the first days of school.   
 
FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL
The 2023-2024 school year will start for seventh grade students on Monday, August 21, with a special day devoted to just the incoming seventh graders. On this day, seventh grade students are asked to bring a lunch to eat, their school supplies, and their class schedule. The day is designed to provide positive experiences for our seventh graders that will ensure a smooth transition from the elementary to the junior high school and lessen the anxiety. We call the day “Move Into Mead”.   At “Move Into Mead”, seventh grade students will have opportunities to:

• Familiarize themselves with the building, staff, and students at their new school
• Practice opening their own lockers
• Hear a number of meaningful presentations including a preview of all of the great activities and sports offered at Mead

The 2023-2024 school year will start for eighth grade students on Tuesday, August 22 with a special day that we call our “We Are One Day”.  This day is exclusively devoted to learning about what it means to be Mead Made! On this day, all students are asked to bring a lunch to eat, their school supplies, and their class schedule.   
 
SCHOOL HOURS
Please note that junior high school hours are earlier than elementary school hours.  We start the school day at 7:38 a.m. with the entry bell ringing at 7:30 a.m. and conclude at 2:15 p.m.  Please note:  Beginning Wednesday, August 23, every Wednesday is designated for staff development.  Students are dismissed 30 minutes early on Wednesdays at 1:45 pm.  
 
BUSING 
If your student is eligible to ride a bus to and from school, then the District 54 Transportation Department will mail your student’s bus pass to your home before school begins in August.  If your student rides the bus to and from school, please note the following procedures:

• All students riding a bus are required to show their bus pass upon boarding the bus.  If a student loses their bus pass, a replacement bus pass may be acquired in the main office.
• If your student is assigned a bus, please encourage them to take the bus home after school for safety reasons.
• For students who choose to stay after school hours for sports and/or clubs, we do run an activity bus that will take your student home.  The bus begins loading students at 3:50 pm and departs Mead at 4:00 pm.  Please encourage your student to take advantage of the activity bus and stay at Mead for our great extra-curricular offerings.

 
PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS
If your student plans to try out for one of our athletic teams and/or participate in intramurals, per School Board Policy, current physicals are required of all students to be on file prior to try-outs and/or participation in any inter-scholastic or intramural sport.  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 physical examinations are good for one year from the date of the exam.  If you have any additional questions about your student’s physical, please contact our school nurse.
 
FALL SPORTS
We encourage our Mustangs to get involved in extra-curricular activities during their time at Mead. Girls Basketball starts on Thursday, August 24 and Girls/Boys Cross Country starts on Monday, August 28. Please note that both sports require a current physical on file to participate. Please visit our “Mead Sports” page HERE on our website for more information.  
 
CHROMEBOOKS
District 54 will continue to implement a digital learning program that includes issuing a Chromebook laptop computer to all junior high school students.   Students will receive their Chromebooks on Thursday, August 24.
 
MEAD PTA
We have an absolutely amazing and dedicated PTA that works diligently to support our students.   Our PTA meetings are held the second Tuesday of every month.  On Information Day, you will be able to pre-order weekly PTA Hot Lunch and PTA Pizza for your student.  Our PTA website will be updated frequently with information about how you can support Mead.  The Mead website, PTA website, and our community emails serve as wonderful forms of communication to send out regular updates.  
 
MEAD STAFF
There have been some staff changes that should be noted.  Please join us in welcoming the following new staff members to Mead:

• Mrs. Rachel Bobren will be joining our guidance department as a school social worker
• Ms. Mikaela de Leon will be joining our encore department as a Spanish teacher
• Mrs. Angelica Huber will be joining our guidance department as a school counselor
• Mrs. Patti Judd will be joining our student support team as an instructional assistant
• Mrs. Christine Kissamis will be joining our special education department as an instructional classroom teacher
• Mrs. Katie Maggio will be joining our mathematics department as a mathematics teacher
• Ms. Kelly Skaleski will be joining our language arts department as a guided reading support teacher
• Mrs. Erin Whalen will be joining our science and mathematics departments as a science and mathematics teacher

 
This year promises to be a great one!  Enjoy the remaining weeks of summer and prepare yourself for what is sure to be an exciting school year.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding the coming school year, please feel free to contact me at any time.  I look forward to seeing you soon.
 
Sincerely,
 

M. Scott Ross
Principal