The Howl
It was a heavy week in our Sun Prairie Community as we grieve the loss of two young lives due to a tragic accident. When such loss happens, it is felt deeply and broadly, in ways and in places we cannot fully anticipate. Our Student Services staff will continue to be available for students to process, talk and express their feelings related to this or any other situation.
Winter also fully arrived this past week bringing heavy snow totals, two snow days and now ushering in artic air. Wind chills this week have the potential to be dangerous. If your student is in need of winter gear (hats, gloves, coats, etc) please have them connect with Student Services for additional resources. Also we have LOTS of coats currently residing in our lost and found. If you haven't seen your student's coat for some time please have them stop by the Front Office to see if it might have ended up in our Lost and Found.
This week we look forward to our RESCHEDULED Course Expo- Now on Wednesday evening from 5:00-7:00pm. This is open to ALL 8th-11th grade students and their families to learn about courses for next year. We look forward to seeing you there.
Monday, January 15th- No School- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Monday, January 15th- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration at Boys and Girls Club Sun Prairie 10am
Wednesday, January 17th- RESCHEDULED Course Expo- 5:00-7:00 PM at West
February 1st- Course Requests for 2024-2025 DUE in Xello
- February 13th- Dane County Youth Assessment during school- Modified schedule- no SP30
- February 18th- February Frost 5K
- March 12th- Juniors (11th Grade) ONLY- ACT Testing
- April 9th- Freshman and Sophomores (9th and 10th Grade) ONLY- Pre-ACT Secure Testing
Course Selection is coming up! Just a reminder of what to expect!
Course Expo is THIS Week!
Families are invited to connect with SPEHS and SPWHS teachers at the Course Expo. School staff will be available to answer questions regarding course offerings, including early college credit opportunities.
January 9 from 5-7pm at Sun Prairie West- IF there were to be a snow day on Tuesday we will reschedule the SP West Course Expo with new time and date to come.
January 11 from 5:30-7:30pm at Sun Prairie East
Virtual Course Exp available HERE
Sophomore Families- We invite you to attend to learn about a variety of opportunities available for your scholar next year. We will have representatives from Start College Now, Early College Credit Opportunities, STEM Academy, Fire/EMT Academy, ACCEL Academies and Dual Credit/Transcripted Courses.
AP (Advanced Placement) night will be held in conjunction with the Course Expo. Presentations will be made every half hour in the East Library/West Performing Arts Center so we encourage you to make this a part of your visit. You will be able to hear what Advanced Classes are, the workload, expectations, and different AP classes available.
Important Scheduling Dates:
Now - February 1: Students and families should explore the many classes offered at Sun Prairie High Schools by using the 2024-25 Course Guide (Spanish version).
January 12-Feb 1: Students are encouraged to schedule a time with their counselor for assistance with scheduling and course selection if desired. Please visit the virtual course expo website for more information on our courses and contact information for our student services staff.
January 23-February 1: Students will have dedicated time in SP30 to work on schedules and ask questions
February 1: Schedules are due! Students will submit their schedules in Xello during SP30.
Our annual state wide exams are approaching. Mark your calendars:
- March 12th is our ACT testing day which is a JUNIORS (11th grade) only day. No school for 9th, 10th and 12th graders that day.
- We will follow that up with our Pre-ACT Secure Testing on April 9th for Freshman (9th) and Sophomores (10th) graders ONLY. April 9th is a no school day for 11th and 12th graders.
Is your student looking for ways to get ahead in studying for the ACT? Here are a couple resources:
FREE - all students have access to Methodize in their Xello accounts. Methodize offers free study guides and practice tests
For Cost - ACT Prep Plus. Offered by CESA 5, students can register for prep sessions throughout the year.
Ending the Semester: We are in the final 2 weeks of the semester. It's time to FINISH STRONG. A reminder that these semester grades are the grades that determine credits, GPA, go on transcripts and have athletic implications, including SP30. Make sure you have completed ALL of your Xello lessons and are PASSING SP30 or that will result in an F on your transcript and create athletic ineligibility. Finish strong!!!
- Week of January 14th: The last week of the semester is used for reflection of learning, summarizing learning or additional opportunities to show growth, skills and knowledge, community building and closing out of learning communities in preparation for schedule changes.
Since 1980, every three years over 20,000 Dane County youth in grades 7-12 are surveyed regarding their opinions, concerns, attitudes, behaviors and experiences to provide educators, community agencies, parents, policy-makers and funding bodies the data needed to inform grant writing, program development and public policy. The last survey was administered in 2021.
Dane County school districts, including SPW, will be administering the Dane County Youth Assessment to all students on 2/13/2024. Please review the links below for more details on the survey, participation options and who to contact for questions.
Parent consent HERE
Consentimiento de los padres AQUI
Parking Lot Reminders
As we reach the halfway point in the year a few parking lot reminders:
- When dropping off or picking up students use the designated drop-off/pick-up lane OUT SIDE of the student parking lot. We have had many parents/caregivers waiting for students IN the student parking lot, this blocks students in causing students to be late to work, etc. Additionally, student drop-off/pick-up should not take place in the visitor/staff parking lot at the front of the school, this additionally causes congestion.
- While waiting to pick up a student DO NOT pull into handicap parking lots if you do not have handicap plates or placard. We have had many instances of families picking up students that need access to these spaces to load the student and their wheelchair and they cannot access them because others are using the space for waiting.
We know that with a student population of ~1400 students drop-off/pick-up can be a very busy time and waiting can cause frustration. However, if we all work together and follow the system everyone's needs will be met. Thank you!
$40 Fee
In the last few weeks we have gotten a few questions concerning a $40 fee that you may have received a bill for in the mail if it has yet to be paid in Infinite Campus. This $40 fee is to cover consumable costs for all of your students classes. In the past students were charged separate fees for many classes, examples include: foods, art, some science classes, etc. This meant that some families were paying hundreds of dollars in additional fees based on their students' interests, course load, etc. The business office at a district level did an analysis last year and revised our fee structure. Now students are charged one blanket $40 fee for all courses. This money goes to funding consumable items by students, things that they consume and/or take home. Please reach out to Principal JP if you have further questions.
Welcoming Schools
As we continue to bring our equity vision at SP West and the District's equity statement to life we wanted to share information regarding Human Right's Campaign's Welcoming Schools. HRC Foundation's Welcoming Schools is the nation's premier professional development program providing training and resources to elementary school educators to: Embrace All Families, Create LGBTQ+ and Gender Inclusive School, Prevent Bias-Based Bullying, Support Transgender and Non-Binary Students. HRC Foundation’s Welcoming Schools is the most comprehensive bias-based bullying prevention program in the nation to provide LGBTQ+ and gender inclusive professional development training, lesson plans, booklists and resources specifically designed for educators and youth-serving professionals. The program uses an intersectional, anti-racist lens dedicated to actionable policies and practices. It is designed to uplift school communities with critical tools to embrace family diversity, create LGBTQ+ and gender inclusive schools, prevent bias-based bullying, and support transgender and non-binary students. This week we are re-elevating Welcoming Schools resources to our staff and community. Learn more about Welcoming Schools here.
