The judges are watching and the spotlight is on. The team stands in front and center of many people, waiting for the music to start. The weeks of practice comes down to that very moment. Mead freshman Miley Larsen has experienced this firsthand. Larsen is a yell squad member at Mead and is in more than just the yell squad. She is also in Level Up cheer. Level Up cheer is Larsen’s team, a competitive cheerleading company in Wahoo. They practice for week

From teaching 16 years at Fremont to transferring to Mead Public Schools, new first grade teacher Linda Swartz is ready to take this year on. She is excited to be at Mead for many reasons. “I was nervous, anxious and excited all at the same time,” Swartz said. Compared to her 25-minute drive to her old school, Swartz enjoys it a lot more now that she lives just down the street. “It was a lot bigger there, and I was used to teaching with a team of teachers at the same grade

They aren’t the star quarterback or the head cheerleader – and they didn’t spend a second campaigning either. Yet, Ava Marshall and Oswaldo Cruz walked away from the homecoming football game with crowns on their heads. Marshall, the 2026 homecoming queen, was in total shock to receive the crown. She thought her fellow classmate had a better chance of winning. Alivia Dunaway, Leigha Divoll and Peyton Markvicka were the other queen candidates. “I thought Alivia was going to w

“And for our queen…” Lily's heart pounded as she waited impatiently to see who was named homecoming queen. “Put your hands together for Lily Smith!” The crowd's energy was electric, but she can’t quite recall what happened next. After 20 years, the memories have faded, but she is always excited to tell her students her homecoming story. Believe it or not, teachers were once in high school. Students are often stuck in what's happening now and rarely consider that their

Students and/or parents can order the 2026-2027 yearbook in several ways. Bring $40 to Mr. Henkel or use the QR code below to order on line. Price will increase after Thanksgiving and again after Christmas. And next fall we will only have a limited number for sale.

He doesn’t climb trees for money; he does it because he loves it. A 16-year-old junior is turning one of his favorite hobbies into a licensed skill. This licensed skill would be arboriculture – managing plant health care alongside tree cutting and cultivation. Caleb Popken has been assisting his father’s tree and lawn-care business, Lawngevity, for almost three years now. After only being able to pick up sticks during these years, he is ready to take th

Homecoming traditions bring students together each year, but from last year to this year, changes have brought a new look to a familiar school tradition. Mead High handed over the student council club to a new advisor, Amanda Lee, and she looked to convert their 2026 homecoming dance in different ways. Senior Alivia Dunaway has been involved in student council since her sophomore year. She said some changes needed to be put into place. “I think the pas

Whether on the court or in the classroom, Jill Scanlon has made her presence known at Mead Public Schools. “You know that I’m not quiet,” Scanlon said. “I’m not just 6-foot-4, but I’m loud.” While she’s well-known after 12 years in Mead’s halls, many might not realize she was also a presence on the courts in college. During her five years at Peru State College, Scanlon participated in volleyball and basketball for the first two years. She continued to take part in volle

For the past few years, Mead has struggled with keeping a music teacher for more than a couple years. But this year might just be different with new music teacher Jeffrey Ingraham. According to principal Darin Kovar, Mead has not had the best success in finding a music teacher who is going to stay. Reasons why include many people don't want to go into teaching and many kids don't want to specialize in music, he said. The teacher who Mead officials hired to fill the vacant h

From one small school to another, junior Finn Griffith was the only student who transferred to Mead for the 2026-2027 school year. After previously going to Yutan, the small school setting was nothing new for Griffith. “It was definitely different at first, not knowing the building and the teachers,” Griffith said. “But it wasn’t that much different of a change still being at a small school.” Griffith wasn’t going through these changes alone. He had many people to help him.

Most families vacation on road trips to a nearby state, or fly to the other side of America, but some families take vacations to a whole different country. Whether that is to visit family outside the country or it’s an item they get to check off their bucket list, every family has their own way of vacationing. Holly Miller, science teacher at Mead Public Schools, took a trip to Hawaii and Australia for four weeks to check it off her husband’s bucket list. Miller and her hus

For most first-year teachers, entering a new environment can be filled with pressure and nerves. But for P.E. teacher Jarod Schwartz, he fit right in at Mead Public Schools. Schwartz, a first-year P.E teacher and girl basketball assistant coach, graduated high school from McCool Junction. After going to a small school his whole life, Mead felt like the perfect option for Schwartz. “When I applied to Mead, I liked the location,” Schwartz said. “After talking with administr