While the incredible weather this weekend makes it hard to remember, welcome to December! Our winter sports are in full gear with competitions making a splash in the pool, tearing up the court, gliding on the ice and hitting the mat. We are excited to have our very own SP West Wrestling team this year with it being our first year separate from a United team. Mark your calendars to come and cheer on our student athletes throughout the season. December also brings our next round of music concerts. We are excited to be hosting band, choir and orchestra concerts in upcoming days. Join us as we enjoy music as a community. It is also hard to believe that the end of semester and course selection are just around the corner. Check out this week's Howl for important information for this busy time of year.

• Greetings Wolf Pack!
• Upcoming Events
• December Holidays Around the World
• Staff Appreciation
• End of Semester Wrap Up
• Course Request Season is Coming
• SP30 Food Drive Competition
• Badger Precollege
• Sophomores: STEM Academy
• Nutrition Spotlight
• Student and Classroom Spotlights
• In Case you Missed It!

December 9th- NO SCHOOL- Professional Development Day

December 10th- Orchestra Concert in the PAC at 8:00pm

December 12th- Blood Drive during the school day - 16 years +

December 12th- Band Concert in the PAC at 7:30pm

December 13th- Last progress report grades due before the semester ends

December 17th- East and West Combined Choir Concert at 7:30pm

December 20th- Winter Celebration. Modified Schedule. Regular dismissal time.

December 21st-January 5th- NO SCHOOL- Winter Break

January 10th- Last day for missing assignments and assessments

January 11th- Trivia Night to Benefit Girls Soccer

January 21st- Course Expo at WHS (Snow date- January 23rd)

January 24th- End of 1st Semester!

February 4th- Course Requests Due!

December is a fabulous time not only to spend with friends and family engaging in our own traditions and celebrations, but to pause and learn about other traditions and celebrations. Check out the resources below to learn more about different holidays that are celebrated here in our community and around the world.

What: Parent Led Appreciation Event for West HS Staff

When: Wednesday, December 18

Invitation: Inviting all Parents/Caregivers to donate food items or volunteer time or funds toward a Winter Holiday Sweets & Treats Appreciation event for West HS staff - teachers/aides/counselors/custodial/health/admin.

More Info: see Sign Up Genius for details: https://tinyurl.com/24WinterStaffAppreciation

Questions: parent: Linda Crawford-Fogg lindacrawford631@gmail.com

It is hard to believe that we are nearly 3/4 through this semester. This week we will be having our FINAL progress report of the semester before semester grades are due. The semester ends on January 24th.

Some important reminders as we begin approaching the end of the semester:

• Semester grades are what go on your transcript:
• They are what decides if you receive credit for graduation (if you fail the class you do not get credit).
• These are the grades shared with colleges
• Determine your GPA (Grade Point Average)
• Any failing grades at the semester result in athletic semester.

• ALL missing work (formatives and summative) are due JANUARY 10th. Please work with your teachers to get caught up now so there's no need to rush at the end.

• Students must attempt half or more of their summatives to pass.
• Examples:
• If there are 5 summatives in your English class you must have completed 3.
• If you only attempted 3 out of 7 of your history summatives you will not pass.

• SP30
• There are three lessons for each grade level to complete for the semester. ALL THREE MUST BE COMPLETE TO PASS>

• Resources available!
• Remember that we are here to support you.
• Sign up for WIN to get help and complete your missing work and make up summatives.
• Visit Wolf Study Lounge for help after school.

Over the next several weeks you will be starting to receive information about Course Requests for next year. Course requests are your opportunity to help chart out your academic career in High School and take advantage of incredible opportunities from Career and Technical Education to AP Classes to classes at Madison College or UW. Over the next several weeks we will be starting to highlight the process, timeline and information so that as a family you can begin to discuss what next year will look like for your scholar.

Four Year Overview:

• 9th Grade- As you start high school in 9th grade you experience an opportunity for choice and electives and many graduation requirements will fill the majority of your schedule.
• Math- Next year- Math 1
• Science- Biology (other options available but most students take Biology)
• Social Studies- World History or AP Human Geography (AP Hug)
• English - English 9
• PE- Foundations of PE
• Electives:
• World Languages- Spanish, French or German- Many colleges want students to have had 2 years of the same language
• Begin to explore the awesome worlds of: art, tech ed, family and consumer science, business and marketing, agriculture, computer science and so much more at the high school level

• 10th Grade-
• Continuing through your graduation requirements and options begin to open wider with AP Seminar for 10th grade English, second levels of courses like Drawing, Foods, languages, etc.

• 11th Grade-
• Incredible opportunities begin to open:
• Start College Now
• Early College Credit
• STEM Academy
• Fire Academy
• EMR Academy
• Youth Apprenticeship
• Work Based Learning
• Teaching Academy

• 12th Grade-
• It is our goal that by senior year EVERY Wolf would have a dual credit, certificate or off-site experience. Senior year is an opportunity to bridge into the world after high school while still having your Wolf support network. The opportunities are VAST including: becoming a certified nursing assistant while still in High School.

As we begin to talk about course requests for next year start thinking not only about what you want next year to look like but where you are and where you are going on your four year plan to get you to your post-high school plans.

Help support our community while competing for a prize! From 12/4-12/18, clubs from around the school will be collecting items from the 10-12 dens to see who can raise the most items for our local food panty; Sunshine Place. Students can bring items to their SP30 homeroom and earn points for their den. Scan the QR code on the poster below to see the points awarded for each item. The winning den will receive a special trophy and a treat day provided by Sun Prairie West FFA. We look forward to seeing your donations and may the best den win!

At Badger Precollege, we create innovative programs for students in grades 2–12 who want to explore their academic interests, learn more about the college experience and meet new friends. Our programs support educational and social growth by challenging students’ curiosity and expanding their academic interests. Summer 2025 program registration opens January 13

We offer a range of courses, from engineering and computer science to art and psychology. You can explore all of our summer 2025 courses at the link below. Choose a subject you already know and love, or pick something new to explore in a low-risk environment!

Registration for all summer programs opens on January 13, 2025. Courses fill up on a first-come, first-served basis, so mark your calendars and apply early. Limited need-based scholarships are available.

We look forward to seeing you next summer!

Search Badger Precollege classes

Did you know that you can be a full time Madison College student your Junior and Senior Year studying STEM while still being a Wolf? The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Academy is an INCREDIBLE opportunity for students thinking about entering those careers and wanting a jumpstart on the next step of their education. This program is FREE and includes additional supports as you transition to the college level. Sophomores, apply today!

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

Rishab was selected as the youth representative for the United Way for Dane County Board of Directors!

Geometry classes were exploring dilation using a rubberband "pantograph" to enlarge pictures.

Members from the Social Studies department participated in a Flannel Dress-up Day for staff members.

Students in Ms. Herrera’s World History class are playing a review game based on the scientific revolution and utilizing teamwork and whiteboards to beat their classmates in a competition!

Congratulations to Girls Volleyball on an incredible season! Check out these highlights:

Big 8 First Team All Conference:

• Audrey Davis
• Sari Marks
• Dani Smith

Big 8 Second Team All Conference:

• Olivia Quinton

Big 8 Honorable Mention:

• Anna Korab
• Porter Pate
• Cora Stewart

2024 American Volleyball Coaches Association Girls High School All-Region Team:

• Sari Marks

2024 Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association All State Second Team:

• Sari Marks

Alumni saxophonists Sebastian Roman just moved back from the US after living in Peru and opening a jazz club and school. He came to West to play with our students in their jazz ensemble.

SP West and SP East students participated in our 23rd annual Mentor Program, where high school students are matched up with a 5th grade beginner and works with them for three weeks in a row. Students left with new (teaching and learning) skills and there were lots of smiles!

We need YOUR input too! Do you have an idea of something that should be included in the Howl? Your ideas are always welcome. Email our Admin Associate to the Principal, Jordain Blank at jnblank@sunprairieschools.org.

STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION

No student may be unlawfully discriminated against in any school programs, activities or in facilities usage because of the student’s sex (gender identity, gender expressions, and non-conformity to gender role stereotypes), color, religion, profession, or demonstration of belief or non-belief, race, national origin (including limited English proficiency), ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, homelessness status, sexual orientation, age, or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability. Harassment is a form of discrimination and shall not be tolerated in the District. It is the responsibility of administrators, staff members and all students to ensure that student discrimination or harassment does not occur.

(SPASD District Policy JB)

If a student or parent/guardian would prefer to have this information translated into Spanish, please contact us at 608-834-6620. Si un estudiante, padre ó guardian prefiere tener esta información traducida en Español, por favor contactenos en el 608-834-6620.

If a student or parent/guardian would prefer to have this information translated into Hmong, please contact us at 608-834-6630. Yog tus me nyuam lub xiv los yog niam thiab txiv/tus neeg muaj cai saib xyuas tus me nyuam xav tau qhov ntawv ntawm no ua lus Hmoob, thov hais rau peb paub rau ntawm 608-834-6630.

We strive to keep The Howl as streamlined as possible with all of the important information for our community. To the end once something has appeared in The Howl, it will move here to the "In Case you Missed It!" section. Take a moment to peruse and make sure you have not missed important info!

State Report Cards are one measurement of success and areas of growth for a school. It is by no means a full picture of who we are as a community, however, it is one way to assess our current state.

This week the 23-24 State Report Cards were released and we received our first State Report Cards as a One West community. Our first school year we were evaluated under an alternative measurement as a new school. This year we were evaluated alongside all of the schools in Wisconsin. In our second year of existence we exceed state expectations and achieved the highest possible score (100) for ELA growth and exceeded the state average for both ELA and math achievement and growth. We are in the top 20% of all 9–12 high schools in the state.

We know that the first two years of launching our school community had their fair share of challenges. If we can accomplish this amidst those challenges, the sky is the limit for us as a One West community. Can't wait to see what this year and beyond has in store.

The Sun Prairie Wellness Coalition is hosting a screening of the film Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age. Registration is required and once an individual or group registers, they will have a two week window, from December 1st through 15th, to view it in your home whenever you want!

Screenagers explores parental struggles over social media, video games, academics and internet addiction and offers solutions to help kids find balance. Registration is required and once an individual or group registers, they will have a two week window, from December 1st through 15th, to view it.

On Friday, all Freshman attended an ACP Planning Presentation in the PAC. Students gained valuable information about their academic and career plans at SPW. You can view the presentation HERE

Topics included:

• Graduation Requirements

• Reviewing Transcripts

• Testing options

• Academic and Career Opportunities

What is the STEM Academy?

The STEM Academy is a dual enrollment program for Sun Prairie Area School District high school students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Mathematics. Students take full-time college classes at Madison College in 11th and 12th grade to earn transfer level credit towards an associate degree while completing high school requirements, at no cost to students and families. More information can be found at this website. There will also be an informational meeting in the evening on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at SP West.

Who can apply to the STEM Academy?

Tenth grade students who meet the entrance criteria can apply. Current entrance requirements are at least a 2.25 cumulative GPA, 90% attendance rate and minimum progress toward high school graduation requirements. Since Sun Prairie has a limited number of available spots in the STEM Academy, application to the program does not guarantee admission.

How do students apply for the STEM Academy?

The application can be found HERE, and there are paper copies available in Student Services. All completed application materials must be turned into Student Services no later than Monday, February 24, 2025 at noon.

Please contact Mrs. Griffin (rlgriff@sunprairieschools.org) if you have questions.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available to submit for next school year. You can fill out the FAFSA on the Federal Student Aid website. If you would like support filling out the FAFSA, Sun Prairie East will host College Goal WI on January 7, where there will be financial aid advisors available to help.

The Sun Prairie Area School District is required by state and federal law to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities who are in need of special education and related services. This process is known as “Child Find”. The Sun Prairie Area School District is also required to provide annual notice of its Child Find activities. Below will find a copy of our annual Child Find Notice with the procedures for accepting and documenting a referral. The notice is provided in English, Spanish and Hmong.

As a school district we engage in yearlong school improvement planning that is broken into three 100 day cycles. We just completed our first 100 days and last week our Guiding Coalition (leadership team) spent a day reviewing the work we have completed thus far this school year, celebrating the success, trouble shooting the areas of growth and planning for our next 100 days.

As a part of the day each team created a graphic representing celebrations from the first 100 days in the form of: a tree!

The Roots: The roots of our work during the first 100 days were the strategies and actions that all of our other work has been grounded in. Our roots this fall have been norms and agreements among adults, with students and across spaces. We have intentionally built consistency through tightening our universal practices (pass expectations, expectations of students being in classrooms, etc) and restorative practices school wide.

The Trunk: The tree trunk in our illustration is the adult practices that grow out of the roots and allow the branches to grow. Our adult practices have including a universal practice of teachers analyzing student learning in their professional learning teams to identify what students have learned and areas they still need to grow. Additionally we have been engaging in and reflecting on personal and professional learning including Courageous Conversations around race and that the best place for students is in their assigned class.

The Branches: The product of the roots and the trunk are the branches. The results that we have seen so far this fall has been improved attendance, a decrease in the use of out-of-school and in-school suspension and that our professional learning teams are student focused and collaborative.

We have great momentum this fall, moving in the right direction. We have seen a significant uptick in tardies in the last month and next week will have more data on attendance, what is going well and areas we need to grow.

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.

On Friday, all Sophomores attended an ACP Planning Presentation in the PAC. Students gained valuable information about their academic and career plans at SPW. You can view the presentation HERE.

Topics included:

• Graduation Requirements

• Reviewing Transcripts

• Testing options

• Academic and Career Opportunities

As your Deans of Students, we’re here to support you in any challenges you might face. If you need to report bullying, harassment, or conflicts with teachers or peers, please reach out to us. We’re committed to helping you get the assistance you need and will connect you with the right resources to resolve the situation. Rest assured, all conversations are 100% confidential, and our goal is to ensure you feel safe and supported at school. Stop by any time and visit us across from the Restorative Practices space (1423) and next to the Admin Office (we are between 1400 and 1500). - Coach Rob and Ms. Diaz

Our before and after school tutoring is up and running!!! Schedule out time this week to stop by the Wolf Study lounge to get help, catch up, or study for your classes.

• Morning Tutoring: 8:05 AM – 8:35 AM

• After-School Tutoring: 3:50 PM – 4:40 PM- Activity bus available at 4:45pm
  

Questions? Reach out to Nehemirah Barrett @ntbarre@sunprairieschools.org

Great work on the progress made! Keep up the great work.