Elementary Signature Programs

SIPs, trips, Sharing Assembly, Wide Open Wednesdays, and more - our elementary students have many opportunities to engage in uniquely Mead experiences!

Student Independent Projects (SIPs)

Every trimester, students in Grades 3-5 have one block per week to work with faculty on a study project in an area of interest or passion. At the end of the trimester, students present on their study to their peers and discuss - often sparking new ideas for a next SIP!

Reflection and Sharing Assembly

Every Friday afternoon, all Mead students gather for the last block of the day to engage in sharing assembly. Part of the Mead focus on social emotional learning, this assembly is an opportunity for every student who wants to do so to share an anecdote, read a poem, play a short piano piece, or otherwise express themselves. Sharing assembly is cited by grads as one of the great uniquely Mead experiences.

In This Section

Mead gave me the tools I needed to really know who I am.

Alumnus Class of 2016

Service Learning

Held outdoors, the Mead "Wide Open Wednesdays" schedule includes Student Independent Projects, STEAM team challenges, academic club electives, LAB periods, and whole school ‘nature lunch’ and ‘outdoor explore.'

Light and Life

Imagine that you and your friends have only one week to dream up and put together a performance festival of artistic expression and ingenuity.

You must imagine and vet every element, then sketch, script, stage, rehearse, and pull it all together, while simultaneously engaging in a week of creative workshops. And finally, you will display and perform everything you have prepared for all of your friends and families.

Now imagine that you are just 7 years old. Or 9. Or even 11. Crazy, right!? Yes crazy, and wonderful, and a transformatively powerful lesson in team work, creativity, pragmatism, and the power of resilience.

Light & Life, considered to be one of Mead's finest community traditions, has K-8 faculty and students step away from usual routines for one week in December (around the time of the winter solstice), and come together to try something that they've never done before, be it dancing, singing, acting, painting sets, managing a light board, designing a costume, or myriad other offerings.
The Light & Life tradition consists of two distinct parts– the daily workshops, and the evening celebration, which includes both exhibits from many of the workshops as well as on-stage performances.