The Rise Up Family Newsletter

Greetings PPA Caregivers, Families, and Friends,

We are in the last month of the year 2024!!! Whew, I will say it again..time really flies when you are working hard! We have two weeks left before winter break as well. This week was the start of workshop round 3, ask your scholars about their new workshops.

Thanks to all the families that came out to support the Harvest Celebration. PPA’s staff and scholars were excited to have you!! There was continuous conversation about this event. Your scholars also participated in Reality Rocks!! The volunteers that came out to support this event commended our scholars on being respectful, kind, mannerable, fun, hardworking human beings. It’s been a great experience hearing the compliments from so many Sun Prairie community members.

As a reminder we are continuing to ask families to support their scholars in achieving positive attendance goals. This is a partnership between PPA and families to enhance attendance.

We are entering the colder days and I am asking caregivers to remind students that they should continue to park in designated student parking spaces.

Lastly, Monday Dec 9, 2024 is a PD day for staff. Students do not attend school on this day.

I appreciate all of the families reviewing the newsletter! There’s a vast amount of information that’s shared in the newsletters so continue to scroll down.

Be well,

Ms. Sconiers

We have Hats, Hoodies, T-Shirts, Sweatpants and more.

Click on the link below to order your new PPA Clothing.

The PPA Store will be open through 12/10/2024.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Home | PRAIRE PHOENIX ACADEMY

Attendance line: 608-834-6900 Line 1

Please use this number when calling in a student for an absence, illness or an appointment.

You can call the office at 608-834-6900 ext. 5507 for any reason that your student will be absent. Please call the attendance line or the office at 608-834-6931 if your student needs to leave early. Calls will be made when students leave grounds without a guardian's permission.

School day is from 9:00am - 3:20pm.

Follow PPA on Facebook! See our events, photos of activities, and other important updates and information. https://www.facebook.com/PPASunPrairie/

PPA Specific information to keep in mind:

As a reminder, students that are driving should review this information. It is important for our student drivers to continue to be safe for themselves and others in our parking lots and on the roads. Please note that students that do not park in the designated student parking session:

First offense- a verbal warning and ask to move their vehicle to the proper area

Second offense- parent communication

Ongoing offenses will be discussed with families and hopes of a resolution

Scholars should be prepared to learn everyday! Chromebooks should be with students daily. To reduce students transporting their wonderful Chromebooks they have the opportunity to leave the CB’s at PPA to be charged. Those that turned in Chromebooks will be able to pick them up from the main office. We will not issue a Chromebook to students if they have one or more already checked out to them. Please have your scholar return any damaged Chromebooks to the main office. We have a limited number of Chromebooks that students may use as loaners but that is on a first come basis.

We had our Harvest Celebration with families, students and staff on Tuesday, November 26th.

During this round we are focusing on the probability aspect of geometry. We started out by watching and analyzing the probabilities of the game show “Deal or No Deal”. Then, we played as a class! The students had fun picking the cases and being the banker, where they had to use chance and probability to determine what their offer would be.

Scholars in this workshop have been learning the building block and essential background information and vocabulary about what ecology is, and what ecologists do. Classwork this week has been focused on the relationships between organisms in an ecosystem. Biodiversity and the differences within life systems is the next topic that we will be getting into. We will start this lesson by doing a “biodiversity of car species in the PPA parking lots” math and science data collection and graph creation.

Our student run cafe, Hugga Mugga, officially reopened for business on Thursday, December 5th! We are back with new branding and an emphasis on the connection between nutrition and mental health. We now sell products and drinks that have been more thoughtfully chosen based on their impact on our brains, bodies, and emotions!

Therapy in Schools at Prairie Phoenix Academy

In the Sun Prairie Area School District, we have different ways to support students' mental health. These include activities to help everyone build relationships and learn social-emotional skills, small group support for some students, and one-on-one help for others. At Prairie Phoenix Academy (PPA), we provide all these levels of support to meet the social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs of our students.

PPA recently partnered with Crossroads Counseling Center in Sun Prairie to offer therapy at school for a small number of students. These students may have challenges that make it hard to get this kind of help outside of school. Rochell Floyd, MA, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 10 years of experience working with adolescents and families in mental health care. She comes to PPA one day a week to provide therapy to students during the school day.

The PPA Student Services Team and Principal have created a process to identify students who may need this service. This process includes talking with caregivers and getting their permission. No student will receive therapy without their consent and their caregiver’s permission.

Rochell is also available at PPA to talk with staff and provide information about mental health and related services. She may help staff and students during difficult situations. These brief interactions don’t require caregiver consent because they are short and focused on the moment. If these interactions become more frequent or involve ongoing support, caregivers and students will be asked for consent.

If you have any questions about these services, please contact Principal Sconiers at nsconi@sunprairieschools.org. We’re excited to welcome Rochell to the PPA community!

Please visit the SPASD Local and Support Resources website for more information about community resources. https://www.sunprairieschools.org/district/reopeningtogether/support-resources?post_category_id=

Spirit of Giving

The Spirit of Giving program matches families in need of gifts for their children during the December holiday season with community members who want to help. If you signed up for Spirit of Giving:

December 14: Gift pick up-NEW LOCATION (Heartland Church)

Empty Stocking Club

Empty Stocking Club is the last of the holiday programs open. Registration closes on December 4th.

Register HERE

Once you have registered, you will be sent a voucher. Gift pick up will be on December 11 and 12th at Alliant Energy Center in Madison from 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM.

With any questions or concerns about these programs please reach out to Social Worker Ellie Donaldson. Email: ehdonal@sunprairieschools.org, Call/Text: 608-501-1506. All PPA families should have received information. If you did not, please reach out. If you miss the deadline, please reach out. Limited gifts may still be available.

Winter Clothing

It’s getting cold! If you need winter gear, we have some in our free closet at school! Please reach out to Ellie, Ms. Ayanna, or other school personnel. Additionally, you can request to shop at CARDS closet for the winter season through Ellie, please reach out and STAY WARM!

Laundry Love

Neighborhood House provides a free laundry service, Laundry Love, twice a month at the Mound Street Laundromat (1306 Mound St.). Laundry Love takes place on:

Every First Thursday of the Month

6-8pm, with last load in at 7:30pm.

Every Third Tuesday of the Month

9-11am, with last load in at 10:30am.

Laundry Love operates on a first come first served basis and individuals are limited to three loads max. No reserving/pre-loading machines. Neighborhood House provides laundry detergent and payment for the machines.

Next Dates:

Thur. December 7, 6-8 pm

Tues. December 19, 9-11 am

2024 - 2025 Senior Planning Presentation

• Seniors who plan to continue their education after high school, please create your FAFSA Account (and help your parents also create their account).

• The FAFSA Application meeting will be held on Dec 11, 2024, starting at 5:30 at PPA. (See info below)

• PPA Students, are you interested in taking a second-semester course at your boundary school or taking an online course through JEDI? Please contact Ms. Annetta Wright. Parent, and Principal approval is required.

FAFSA NIGHT HERE AT PPA!

Prairie Phoenix Academy

Wednesday, Dec. 11th, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm

SENIORS AND PARENTS

If your student is going to college (2 or 4 years) Students and PARENTS/Guardians must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

Please create a FAFSA ID at studentaid.gov (1 to 5 days) BEFORE FAFSA Night.

Needed documentation

• Laptop/Chromebook (please let me know if you need a laptop)

• An email address with corresponding account log-in information

• Social Security number

• Dates: birth, death, marriage, and divorce information

• Tax returns and/or W-2s for the prior-prior year to the FAFSA you are submitting.

• Current bank account balance(s)

• Amounts of any other income (social security, child support, unemployment, etc.)

• Value of any other assets

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Ms. Annetta Wright, School Counselor for Alternative Programs. alwrigh@sunprairieschools.org

Ladies, are you interested in coming together with other young women of various ethnicities and cultures to foster a sisterhood that encourages unity, and wellness, while addressing issues and problems concerning young girls of color? Join us in the Dry Lab on Tuesdays at 1:25 pm. See Mz. Annetta for more information.

• • • Holiday Break Basketball Open Gym Dates:

    • January 2nd & 3rd at 11AM-3PM

    • February 28th at 11AM-3PM

    • March 25th & 26th at 11AM-3PM

    SPASD STUDENTS ONLY, NO TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED. (Located at PPA, Door 10 by ramp)

    
    

    • If you are interested in helping plan PPA’s 3rd annual Health and Wellness Bazaar, PLEASE fill out this form to pick what role you want to have in this work!

    H&W Bazaar Volunteer Form

    (ashale@sunprairieschools.org)

    
    

Cafeteria Corner, December 2024

Nourishing Our Future: Enhancing School Meals

The Sun Prairie School Nutrition Department is committed to providing nutritious and delicious meals that fuel your child's growth and learning. We are excited to share some of the ways we are improving our school meals program:

1. Fresh, Local Ingredients:

• Farm-to-School Partnerships: We are partnering with our distributors, Gordon Food Service and V. Marchese to bring fresh, seasonal produce to your child's plate. Every Middle School and High School in the district has a Hydroponic growing tower and supplies us with fresh Romaine lettuce for our entree salads and salad bars.

• Reduced Processed Foods: We are minimizing the use of processed foods and artificial additives. Our homemade roasted vegetable recipes are well liked by the students and contain small amounts of olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. These include roasted fresh broccoli, butternut squash and green beans.

2. Diverse and Flavorful Menu Options:

• Cultural Cuisine: We are offering a variety of cultural dishes to introduce your child to new flavors and cuisines. New recipes this year include Asian seasoned rice, long grain and wild rice, taco meat made from scratch and more.

• Vegetarian and Vegan Options: We are expanding our vegetarian and vegan menu options to cater to diverse dietary needs. This year at our High Schools and Middle Schools we have plant based chicken nuggets and buffalo wings, spicy black bean burgers, black eyed peas and rice, along with many cheese entrees and salad options.

3. Educational Initiatives:

• Nutrition Education Programs: We are meeting with classes, student council groups and student clubs to share nutrition information and receive feedback from students as to what they would like to see offered for breakfast and lunch at their schools.

• Taste Testing: We are involving students in taste-testing new menu items to encourage their input and preferences.

We believe that healthy eating is essential for a child's overall well-being. By providing nutritious and delicious meals, we are supporting your child's academic success and future health.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely, Barb Waara, Director of School Nutrition

bmwaara@sunprairieschools.org 608-834-6527

We hope you’re having a great school year! We wanted to take a moment to remind everyone of

an important safety policy regarding our school buses. For the safety and well-being of all

students, parents/caregivers are not permitted to board the school bus for any reason.

We understand that sometimes it might seem convenient, but keeping the bus environment

secure and on schedule is our top priority. If you need to speak with your child or address

something related to transportation, please contact your school principal or Brinda Thompson at

Kobussen Buses at (608) 825-8700, and they will be happy to assist you.

Thank you for your understanding and support in helping us maintain a safe and efficient ride for

all our students.

¡Esperamos que estés teniendo un excelente año escolar! Queríamos tomarnos un momento

para recordarles a todos una política de seguridad importante con respecto a nuestros

autobuses escolares. Para la seguridad y el bienestar de todos los estudiantes, Los

padres/cuidadores no pueden subir al autobús escolar por ningún motivo..

Entendemos que a veces puede parecer conveniente, pero mantener el entorno de autobuses

seguro y a tiempo es nuestra principal prioridad. Si necesita hablar con su hijo o abordar algo

relacionado con el transporte, comuníquese con el director de su escuela o con Brinda

Thompson en Kobussen Buses al (608) 825-8700, y ellos estarán encantados de ayudarle.

Gracias por su comprensión y apoyo para ayudarnos a mantener un viaje seguro y eficiente

Email: nsconi@sunprairieschools.org
Website: https://www.sunprairieschools.org/prairie-phoenix-academy-home
Location: 220 Kroncke Drive, Suite 13 Sun Prairie, WI 53590, USA
Phone: 6088346901