From the youngest participant in our Early Learning Centers, and on up through the Eighth Grader, the Mead student is learning about him or herself and developing the skills to relate and respond to the community and the environment. Students learn not only to acquire knowledge, but also to use it: to negotiate, pursue, confront, act, follow through, risk, receive, retrieve, and express knowledge. This process fosters in each student a positive self-image as a life-long learner.
Each person is unique and develops in his or her own way. In addition to teachers in core academic subjects, including the arts, the Mead student receives individual attention from a teacher whose sole responsibility is to advocate for the social, emotional and educational well-being of the child. Parents and caregivers engage in a dynamic relationship with staff to understand and participate in this process. This partnership helps children negotiate an educational pathway that integrates personal development with academic achievement.
Each person must learn to function, contribute and find fulfillment within the community. While the community supports individual expression, each person must learn to respect the needs and goals of others. Our program helps students to recognize and value this balance. Many aspects of diversity are woven into daily life at Mead, and students experience the broad array of ideas and perspectives in their social and learning processes that are necessary to understand and embrace a diverse and interconnected world.
Mead's committed faculty presents a thoughtful and intentional educational program, exposing students to a rich curriculum that demands complex thinking and offers many avenues for learning. Students work with faculty to become partners in the educational process. By voicing their goals and committing to the process of learning, they become stewards of their own education. The School's educational approach incorporates current findings in neuroscience and educational research about the brain-body connection. A Mead education emphasizes concentration, reasoning, investigation, evaluation, intuition, reflection and decision-making.
All members of the Mead community ... teachers, families, and students ... are honored, accepted, supported, and addressed clearly and honestly. Students must feel safe to take the educational and personal risks necessary to acquire skills and self-confidence. This approach reflects the value Mead places on individuality, but also an awareness that long-term learning occurs when the learner has a positive emotional connection with the experience.
Our Mission
To inspire and challenge students to achieve deep learning and become independent, creative thinkers.
Our Philosophy
The Mead School cultivates the skills and values needed for emotionally, socially, and intellectually fulfilling lives. We believe that each child possesses innate curiosity and passion for learning, and that when these are sparked, children learn eagerly and joyously.
