Mead Junior High

Greetings Mead Community,

The new school year is right around the corner, and this week’s Mead Minute is packed with information to get your family ready! Dive in below for crucial info on the first days of school, fall sports, health updates from the nurse’s office, and opportunities to connect with the PTA.

We are excited to welcome our mustangs back soon and look forward to seeing you at next week's Mead and Greet block party!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

Tricia Leong, Principal

Alex Csuk, Assistant Principal

There have been some staff changes which are listed below. Please join us in welcoming the following new staff members to Mead:

On August 10th, your student’s schedule will be visible on the Infinite Campus Portal starting at 9am. 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 700 students in our school, the task of ensuring that all students are placed into both of their requested electives is challenging.  

To access your student’s schedule on the Portal, follow the steps below:

Your student will be randomly assigned a hallway locker where they can keep their instructional materials and personal items. Their locker assignment and combination is unique to them and not to be shared. Please note that 8th grade students will keep the same locker assignment and combination that they used during their 7th grade school year—only current 7th grade students will receive a new locker assignment. Each student’s locker assignment and combination will be typed on their class schedule that they can pick up at the Mead and Greet event or during their first day of school. 

To access your student’s locker assignment and combination on the Portal, please use the steps below.

The 2026-2027 school supply list is linked below 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, click the store icon at the top of the applicable lists to create your cart. Your student will be able to drop off their school supplies during our Mead and Greet event or bring them on the first days of school.

The 2026-2027 school year will start for seventh grade students on Monday, August 17, 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. Students will have opportunities to familiarize themselves with the building, staff, and students at their new school, practice opening their lockers, and go through their schedule. The school year will start for eighth grade students on Tuesday, August 18. This day is exclusively devoted to learning about what it means to be We Are One. On this day, all students are asked to bring a lunch to eat, their school supplies, and their class schedule. During the first days of school, we will be reviewing with the students a number of school policies. Please take a moment to talk with your student about key points found linked below.

Please note that junior high school hours are earlier than elementary school hours. We start the school day at 7:40am. with the entry bell ringing at 7:30am. and conclude at 2:15pm. Please note: Beginning Wednesday, August 19, every Wednesday is designated for staff development. Students are dismissed 30 minutes early on Wednesdays at 1:45pm.  

Girl's Basketball:

There is an informational meeting for Girls’ Basketball on Thursday, August 20 from 2:30-3:15 (There will be an Activity Bus that day after school at 3:50). Make sure to sign up through Infinite Campus. Your daughter MUST have an up-to-date physical on file in order to tryout. 

8th grade tryouts are on Monday, August 24 from 2:30-5:00

7th grade tryouts are on Tuesday, August 25 from 2:30-5:00

Any questions, please see Ms. Gerlinger or Mr. Bautista!

Cross Country:

Whether you're an experienced runner or trying the sport for the very first time, everyone is welcome. If you're willing to run, we'll help you improve, fall in love with the "first" sport, compete, and have a ton of fun along the way. Don't miss out on an incredible season filled with teammates, races, personal records, and memories that will last a lifetime. Don't wait—register today and join the Mead Cross Country team!

Athletic Fee for the 2026-27 School Year:

With fall sports starting shortly after we return to school, I wanted to remind families that District 54 will be charging an athletic participation fee this year to students participating in sports to cover a portion of the costs of uniforms, transportation, officials, supplies and equipment and coach stipends. The fee would be $50 for one sport, $40 for a second sport and $30 if a student were to participate in a third sport this school year. The fee will appear in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal after a student has been rostered to a team. 

Physicals:

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 13 months from the date of the exam. If you have any additional questions about your student’s physical and/or immunizations, please contact our school nurse.

Medication at School:

To ensure the health and safety of all students, our school has a strict policy regarding the administration of medication during school hours. If your child needs to take prescription or over-the-counter medication while at school, please follow these requirements:

For the safety of all students, no over the counter medication should be carried by a student, unless indicated in their specific Care Plan and doctor’s orders and reviewed by the school Nurse. The school does not stock any medications to be given to students. Therefore, if your child should need any medication during the school day, please follow this process in order to have medication at school for your child.

Care Plans:

If your child has any medical condition that requires specific care or treatment while attending school, a physician care plan which includes documentation and instructions should be sent to the school nurse. Conditions include Asthma, Allergies, Seizures, Diabetes. etc. If there is medication that is indicated in the doctor’s documentation that must be brought in by a parent/guardian along with the district medication form. Both the Care Plan and medication will be reviewed and appropriate communication will be provided to your child’s teacher.

The medical condition/Care Plan materials were mailed at the end of last school year and can be brought in when school starts.

If you have any questions about Medications or Care Plans at school, feel free to contact Ms. Bartels, Mead School Nurse. She can be contacted at 847-357-6016, Parent Square or email at Melissabartels@sd54.org

District 54 will continue to implement a digital learning program that includes issuing a Chromebook to all junior high school students. Students will receive their Chromebooks on Friday, August 21.

Mead’s Curriculum Night will be held on Thursday, August 20. This evening provides our staff the opportunity to interact with you and help set the tone for a positive school year. During Curriculum Night, you will have an opportunity to meet our staff, hear about our curriculum, special programs, and student expectations. The evening’s program will begin at 6:00pm in the gymnasium with a presentation by Administrators. Please note that Curriculum Night is an adults-only evening so please bring a copy of your student’s schedule with you to Curriculum Night! 

Our annual Mead Night @ Boomer's will be on Friday August, 28 starting at 6:30pm. Our very own Mead Choir will be performing the National Anthem before the game starts. There is a post-game firework show as well. A portion of each ticket will be donated back to support the Mead Choir program.

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. If your student rides the bus to and from school, please note the following procedures:

From Hot Lunch to Spirit Wear to Dine & Donate, our programs only happen because families step up. Stop by the PTA table at Mead's Meet & Greet on Thursday, August 13 to sign up for membership. Visit our PTA page to see committee chair openings, every hour you give makes a difference!

Our first PTA meeting of the year is Tuesday, August 19 at the Elk Grove Village Public Library (Darlene Graves Conference Room) — come see what we're planning for the year ahead.

Buy an AMC Movie Bundle through our GroupRaise campaign and AMC donates 20% back to Mead PTA, vouchers work at any AMC nationwide, so share with family everywhere! Help us hit our goal of 100 bundles sold before time runs out.

Electric bikes, scooters and skateboards are not permitted on District 54 property, due to safety concerns including the potential for accidents and the possibility of fire associated with such devices. This applies to students, as well as to family members and friends who may be picking up or dropping off students at school.