Joseph Sears students in kindergarten through eighth grade create numerous drawings, sculptures and paintings in their art classes throughout fall, winter and into spring. Student artwork is displayed throughout the building and in April, parents are invited to tour the building with their children to view the various pieces during The Joseph Sears School Annual Art Exhibit. The Art Exhibit tradition began in 1975.

Every year on the first Thursday of June, the principal presents candidates for graduation to the Kenilworth Board of Education. During the ceremony, each graduate who has had a previous generation (e.g. parent, grandparent, great-grandparent) attend Joseph Sears is recognized and the names of that graduate's relatives are read. Relatives in attendance are invited to stand and be recognized. Joseph Sears graduates either wear a white dress or a combination of a blue blazer and khaki pants.

Upon the conclusion of the graduation ceremony and a reception for the graduates, a parade ensues. Graduates break off into pairs and ride in special vehicles, usually driven by their parents or relatives, and parade around the village to cheers from members of the Kenilworth community. A final graduation party for the graduates takes place after the parade.

Graduation Parade Route

The Joseph Sears Parents' Volunteer Association sponsors Family Fun Day each year prior to the start of school. Family Fun Day is an opportunity for parents and children to spend time together, catch up with old friends and get to know new families in the district.

Scamper is the annual Girl Scouts variety show performed in January for Joseph Sears students, parents and the Kenilworth community. The Scamper performance originated in 1943 as a way for Girl Scouts to thank the Kenilworth community for their support (and the purchase of cookies!) The tradition continues on as Girl Scouts in grades four through eight entertain through dance, song and performance skits. While technically not a school tradition, Scamper is produced, written and performed almost exclusively by Joseph Sears students and parents, the latter of which are affectionately referred to as "Scamper Moms."

Halloween at Joseph Sears means costumes, candy and, of course, the annual Halloween parade! Joseph Sears students and teachers dress in costumes and parade around the school where parents and neighbors (often dressed up themselves) line up to cheer them on. Halloween parties are held in classrooms immediately following the parade and the Village of Kenilworth usually has trick-or-treat take place later that night.

In connection with their studies of the Constitution and the events that led to the founding of the United States of America, the fifth grade class performs a series of historically-accurate songs and skits each year entitled, "We the People." The performance, which occurs in late spring, marks the beginning of the transition from elementary school to junior high at Joseph Sears.

Field Day is a special tradition at The Joseph Sears School celebrated through competition between the tigers (blue) and wildcats (white) in sporting events, track meets and relay races. Each new student is designated as either a tiger or a wildcat when they arrive at The Joseph Sears School. The designations are made by family, meaning a student inherits the designation given to his or her first relative that attended Joseph Sears.

The Joseph Sears School Parents' Volunteer Association holds a benefit fundraiser each year to raise money for activities and projects that support Joseph Sears students and faculty. The fundraiser culminates in a donor benefit party in the spring, which dates back to the JSSPVA's inception in the late 1960s. In recent years, the Benefit has included a service component where classes perform service projects throughout the year to raise money for charity.

In the 1920s, then-Superintendent Elmer Nygaard had Joseph Sears 8th grade student perform one of Shakespeare's plays before the Kenilworth community. The tradition continued with each passing tradition and lives on today. The play, which has become an informal rite of passage for graduating Joseph Sears students, is performed by the entire 8th grade class with support from parents and the faculty from the Performing Arts Department.