Parent Communications

Dear Elementary Families - 

The Mead School District Learning and Teaching Department would like to share information regarding upcoming parent teacher conferences that will take place on October 12-14 in all of our elementary schools. 

This year, these conferences will take place in person. Families may let their classroom teacher know if meeting virtually is necessary. Parents will receive information from each child’s school with a link to sign up for a conference time. 

Conferences are a valuable resource for parents and teachers alike. They provide an opportunity to build strong communication channels between home and school. Information provided by families during conferences also assists teachers in creating the most effective learning environment possible for each student. 

Conferences take place twice each school year. This first conference will be used to set the stage for the year, with parents/guardians and teachers talking through ways to ensure success for that student. The next conference - taking place in February - is another opportunity for parents/guardians to learn more about their child’s progress. 

Each set of conferences takes place over a three-day period. 

October 12-14, 2022

12th: Early release at 12:45pm students; conferences 1pm-5:25pm

13th: No school for students; conferences 12pm-7:25pm

14th: No school for students; conferences 8am-11:50am

In honoring families who have special circumstances, we do have procedures in place for those of you that need multiple conference times. Please contact the school for assistance. 

If you have other questions, please contact our Learning and Teaching Department at 465-6000.

Dear Mead School District Families - 

On September 20, the Mead School District hosted the first of three events in our Future Ready Series. Hosted at Mead High School, the event drew more than 250 community members! Attendees were able to connect with more than 25 local partner organizations, listen to a keynote speaker and take part in a Q&A with local mental health professionals. The event is part of our commitment to providing an educational experience in which all students feel welcome, supported, and are ready for their future.  In order to support that commitment, our district will be hosting two more Future Ready community events during the 2022-23 school year, and we want to hear from you!

Below is the link to a survey for us to gather feedback from both community members who attended the event and others who weren't able to attend. This information will help us plan our next event.

The survey will take about 5-7 minutes to complete. We appreciate your time and support!

Click here to complete the survey.

Dear Mead School District K-6 Families, 

On behalf of Hooptown Youth League Basketball, the link below contains more information on the Hooptown Youth League and links to register. The deadline to register is Thursday, Sept. 22. 

Hooptown Youth League

Please direct questions to: hyl@spokanehoopfest.net.

Dear Mead School District Families and Staff - 

Preparing our students to be future ready is multifaceted and having the skills to navigate challenges, be resilient, and care for oneself is critical. As the first event of our Future Ready Series, the Mead School District is excited to provide an opportunity for our community to come together with local agencies to discuss student wellness and mental health, as well as connect with some of the resources available to our families. See below for more details!

Community Resource Event feat. Guest Speaker Tessa Stuckey
Date: Tuesday, September 20th, 2022
Time: Doors open 5:30 p.m., Event ends at 8:30 p.m. 
Location: Mead High School Mall and Theater

5:30-6:00 p.m.

• Hotdog and chips served
• Book fair available
• Childcare check-in
  • Childcare available in the library for kids ages 5-10

6:00-7:00 p.m.

• Guest Speaker, Tessa Stuckey - Author of For The Sake Of Our Youth
  • Raising kids in a digital and social media world brings unique challenges. Tessa will speak to the importance of connecting with kids and establishing the protective factors necessary to help our kids when they need it most.  

7:00-7:30 p.m.

• Community Resource Fair
  • Visit with community agencies from the Spokane area to learn more about the services they offer to support mental health and wellness.  

7:30-8:15 p.m. 

• Panel Discussion
  • Ask questions of our guest speaker and our community partners as part of a forum discussion related to student wellness.  
  • Topics will include: Understanding our Youth, Building Resiliency, Enhancing Protective Factors, Developing and Reinforcing Positive Relationships.

Dear Mead School District Families -

The Mead School District is continually exploring options to serve our families, and one way we’ve done that recently is the launch of our Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program in the Spanish language at Midway Elementary. This program was made possible by state grant funding, and as a requirement to this grant, we are looking at the possibility of expanding the DLI program to an additional elementary school in the district based on interest from families and students. 

Below is a link to a short (1-2 minutes) survey to gauge potential interest and languages of interest from our community. This survey is optional, does not collect any contact information and is not a commitment to any future program.

The deadline to complete this survey is Friday, Sept. 23, 2022.

Click here for the Dual Language Program Potential Expansion Interest Survey

Dear Mead School District K-6 Families, 

On behalf of Hooptown Youth League Basketball and for those interested, the link below contains more information on the Hooptown Youth League and links to register. 

Hooptown Youth League

Please direct questions to: hyl@spokanehoopfest.net.

 

Dear Mead School District Families - 

This is a reminder that our Wednesday Late Start schedule begins tomorrow, Sept. 7. Bus routes will run on the 40-minute late start schedule, so please plan accordingly. 

• Elementary (Grades K-5)
  • Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri.: 9:00 a.m.-3:20 p.m.
  • Wednesday: 9:40 a.m.-3:20 p.m.

• Middle School (Grades 6-8)
  • Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri.: 7:55 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday: 8:35 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

• High School (Grades 9-12)
  • Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri.: 8:00 a.m.-2:35 p.m.
  • Wednesday: 8:40 a.m.-2:35 p.m.

Schools will open their doors at the normal time on Wednesdays with supervision available for students who need additional support. This time frame until they transition to breakfast or class lineup will be supervised, but not structured with activities.

Wednesday Late Start does not apply to students in Mead Learning Options programs, including North Star, Five Mile Prairie, Mead Virtual Program, Aspire or Outdoor School. Students in those programs will begin at their normal start time. 

Reminders for High School students who attend Skills Center Programs on Wednesday:  Each Wednesday, students must board a bus at 8:40 a.m. at Mead High School or Mt. Spokane High School to travel to their program of study at NEWTech Skills Center. 

For more information about Late Start Wednesdays, click here.

 

Dear Mead School District Families and Staff, 

We are excited to share with you a save-the-date for the first of three family engagement community events we'll host this year as part of our Future Ready initiatives. This first event will feature a guest speaker and a number of community partners to help connect our families and staff with local mental health resources and information on Sept. 20 at 5:30-8:00 p.m.

A week prior to the event, we'll send out more specifics about our guest speaker, community partners and timeline for the evening.

Please look for more information in the near future! 

Dear Mead School District Families - 

As part of our learning program, the Mead School District provides Chromebook access to all students. This device is the property of the Mead School District. Families have the opportunity to enroll in the district’s optional Chromebook Insurance Program (CIP) annually. 

While not mandatory, this insurance program is highly recommended as it provides coverage in the event the device is lost or damaged.  

To opt into the insurance program, there is an annual fee. Free/Reduced lunch options requests available at your school.  Fees must be paid prior to September 16, 2022.  To purchase Chromebook insurance, follow the directions here: Purchasing Chromebook Insurance Using Online Payments.

Chromebook insurance costs, coverages and more information are available at the links below:

• For Grades K-2 (excludes Mead Learning Options), please note that Chromebook Insurance is NOT being offered for K-2 students, as these students’ Chromebooks will reside mainly in the classroom and will be managed like other K-2 classroom materials.
• Elementary (Grades 3-5) Chromebook Insurance Flyer
• Secondary (6-12) Chromebook Insurance Flyer
• Mead Learning Options (K-12) Chromebook Insurance Flyer
  • MLO includes North Star School, Five Mile Prairie School Elementary and Secondary, Mead Virtual Program 6-12, Engine K-5 Mead Virtual Program, Mead Outdoor School

Opting out of the program means families of students in Grades 3-12 (K-12 for Mead Learning Options) will be held financially responsible for the full cost of repair or replacement associated with any damaged, lost or stolen equipment. A fine will be placed on student accounts for the cost of replacing or repairing the equipment. 

Lack of action prior to September 16, 2022, will be considered an opt-out. 

Questions? Please contact your child’s school with questions on how to purchase Chromebook insurance.

Dear Mead School District Families - 

The Washington Department of Health released updated K-12 COVID-19 Requirements for the 2022-23 school year - the full document is linked here. Important changes to the state guidance are listed below, but please refer to the DOH document linked above to get the full update.

• Students or staff who have tested positive are required to isolate for 5 days before returning on Day 6. The date of symptom onset or positive test is Day 0, the following day is Day 1. 
  • The individual may return to school/care after the isolation period if:  
    • Their symptoms have improved or they are asymptomatic, AND 
    • They are without a fever for the past 24 hours without use of fever-reducing medications.
• Students/staff who have symptoms of COVID-19 are required to follow this symptom flowchart here. 
  • COVID tests are available at school. 
• The District will update our COVID-19 dashboard and report to SRHD with positive cases on a weekly basis. 

Our goal is to keep our classrooms healthy and safe, and the best way to do that is to keep students/staff home who are sick. Thank you for your assistance in keeping our schools a positive and healthy environment!

 

 

The following message was sent to families of students who are registered to ride the bus for the 2022-23 school year.

Dear Parents/Guardians, 

Thank you for registering your student(s) to ride the bus with Mead School District Transportation Department. Your student(s) have been assigned to a bus and routed for the upcoming school year. Please confirm your student(s) bus route number, departure/arrival time and bus stop location before the start of school. You can access this information here by entering your Home address.

Important note: Beginning on Sept. 7, bus riders will be picked up 40 minutes later on Wednesdays.

If your student(s) is a pre-schooler or has an IEP, you should receive a phone call from our office staff no later than the following Friday. 

For questions, please contact us by email at transportation@mead354.org or by phone at (509) 465-6107.

Sincerely,
Mead School District Transportation Department

 

Dear Mead School District Families, 

Mead School District Nutrition Services welcomes you to the 2022-23 school year. This important newsletter linked below includes beneficial information for all families in our district, including meal prices, meal payment procedures, free/reduced meal qualifications and forms. Please read through the entire linked document for information pertaining to your family. 

For questions regarding meals or Nutrition Services, please email nutrition@mead354.org or call (509) 465-6100. 

2022-23 Nutrition Services Information Packet (PDF)

Thank you,

Mead School District Nutrition Services