We hope that you had a wonderful weekend and were able to enjoy some of the gorgeous weather as we sprung forward this weekend. Our winter sports team had fantastic seasons and have no wrapped up their seasons with Spring sports starting over the next several weeks. Track is up first with the first day of practice TOMORROW. Come ready to go! If you have questions about signing up for Spring sports please see Mindy or Amber in Athletics. We have so much to celebrate as our students continue to thrive in the classroom and our juniors are ready to rock the ACT on Tuesday. Remember, no school for 9th, 10th or 12th grade on Tuesday. Check out this week's Howl:

• Greetings Wolf Pack!
• Upcoming Events
• Women's History Month
• ACT 95 Waiver
• All Things ACT and March 11th
• College Visits this Week
• HBCU Trip!
• Structured Lift
• Talent Hunt
• Summer STEM Opportunities
• UW Pharmacy Open House
• SENIORS!
• Classroom and Student Spotlights
• Wolf Study Lounge
• In Case you Missed It!

March 10th-

• Boys and Girls Track Begins
• Youth Apprenticeship Information Meeting, 6:00pm at West, Room 1202
• Equity in Action with Dr. Michael Morgan, 220 Kroncke Dr.- 5:00-6:00pm
• Public Hearing on Waiver for ACT 95 and School Board Meeting, 220 Kroncke Dr- 6:00pm

March 11th-

• ACT for 11th grade
• NO SCHOOL for 9th, 10th and 12th grade
• Youth Apprenticeship Information Meeting, 6:00pm at East, LMC

March 17th- Softball, Boys and Girls Lacrosse Begin

March 17th-March 21st- Women's History Month Dress-up Days

March 18th- Spring orchestra and choir concert- SP East, 7:30pm

March 24th- Baseball, Girls Soccer Begin

March 24th-March 28th- SPRING BREAK NO SCHOOL!

March 31st- Boys Tennis, Boys Golf Begin

April 8th- TEDx Sun Prairie 4:30-7:00pm

May 10th- Prom!- 8pm-11pm- Monona Terrace- More details to come!

June 12th- Last day of school

June 13th- Graduation!

Checkout Daily Announcements here.

As we celebrated International Women's Day this weekend (Saturday, March 8th) and continue through Women's History month this week, we look forward to our Women's History Month Panel during Block 1 and SP30 this Wednesday. Students can sign up to attend a smaller breakout session through Flexi for SP30 on Wednesday.

Our SP West wolves and our speaker in our panel on Wednesday are becoming One of Many! The brilliance of our Wolves shines fiercely every day and we are excited to learn more about the leadership and brilliance of our guests on Wednesday.

At the School Board meeting on Monday, there will be a public hearing about SPASD requesting a waiver on how students are ranked in their class. This affects Sun Prairie East High School, Sun Prairie West High School, and Prairie Phoenix Academy.

Right now, Wisconsin’s Guaranteed Admission Program says high schools must rank students based only on their GPA at the end of 11th grade. The schools are asking for permission (a waiver) to change this rule so they can use other factors if students have the same GPA. These factors would be:

1. The number of high school credits earned by the end of 11th grade.
2. The number of advanced classes taken, such as AP or college-level courses.
3. ACT scores.

If you want to learn more or share your perspective, the meeting is on Monday, March 10, at 6:00 PM at the Hilltop Campus Board Room (Room 221), 220 Kroncke Drive, Suite #28. You can find the public comment guidelines HERE.

It's here! This Tuesday, is our 2025 ACT test for all of our 11th graders. No school on Tuesday, March 11th for 9th, 10th or 12th graders.

On behalf of our staff and scholars, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for your generosity in providing snacks for our students taking the ACT on March 11. Your kindness and support play a vital role in creating a positive testing environment, ensuring our students have the nourishment they need to stay focused and do their best. Your contributions reflect the strength of our school community, where we uplift and support one another. We truly appreciate you for being part of our students' success and for making a difference in their journey. Thank you again for your generosity and support! If you have not signed up yet, we are still in need of snacks for Tuesday, March 11th. Please sign up!

Juniors- You've got this! Please take a couple of minutes to review our Be ACT Ready! information. Most importantly- eat well, rest well, believe in yourself and SHINE!

10th graders, spend the day taking a free ACT diagnostic to get ready for the real deal your 11th grade year.

9th, 10th and 12th graders check out STEM at Madison College.

WIN time (sign up in FlexiSched with Mrs. Griffin)

• Wednesday, March 12: UW Eau-Claire

• Thursday, March 13: Ripon College

Lunch

• Thursday, March 13: UW River Falls

H.B.C.U. Trip 2025 High School Fundraiser

This unique opportunity will provide 40 juniors and seniors from Prairie Phoenix Academy, Sun Prairie East, and Sun Prairie West High Schools the chance to visit Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across multiple states this spring. The experience will include campus tours at institutions such as Central State University, Kentucky State University, Tennessee State University, Fisk University, and Lincoln University. In addition, students will visit significant African American historical landmarks, further enriching their learning and awareness.

100% of your donation amount will go directly to our fund for the students taking this trip.

If you would like to provide a donation by check or would like a record of your donation for tax purposes, please follow these steps:

Any donations can be documented on this SPASD Donation Form. Please note "HBCU Trip" in the where/who collected the donation line item. When the donation form has been completed, our business office will keep lookout for an incoming check. If you require an invoice, please email rmrake@sunprairieschools.org and we will have one prepared for you.

Please make check payable to:

SPASD Attn: Tara Zuelzke

501 S. Bird Street Sun Prairie, WI 53590

On the memo line please note "HBCU Trip"

Men of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity have finalized plans forthey upcoming Talent Hunt event! The event will take place on Saturday, April 5th, at 1pm in the Theater at Madison East High School!

We are welcoming students of all talents :) vocal, instrumental, dance, visual or photography, spoken word, all of the above! PLEASE HAVE STUDENTS USE THE QR CODE TO REGISTER BY MARCH 21ST!

First Place Prize is $500!

Second Place Prize is $300!

Third Place Prize is $100!

We will also have door prizes and a few performances from local and nearby community members!

Seniors needing FAFSA support can sign up for WIN time with Ms. Wagner on Thursday, March 13. A financial aid rep from Edgewood College will be here to work with students.

Congratulations to the Sun Prairie United Academic Decathlon team for their amazing performance at the State Competition on Thursday and Friday! The team finished 10th overall and have been invited to compete in the Online National Competition. Hanshika JaipravinKumar (West) and James Gammon (East) won individual 1st place gold medals in Interview. Henri Verhoeven (East) won a 3rd place bronze medal in Interview, and Alexis Cox (East) won a 3rd place bronze medal in Essay.

Other competing team members are Juliette Peterson (West), Cora Gaylord (West), Lucy Podoll (East), and Tom Kelly (East). Alternate team members are Keena Schroeder (West), Penelope Schlotz (East), Addison Heise (East), and Matthew Garstka (East) .

Anyone interested in joining the team for the 2025-2026 season can see Ms. Andreasen in room 1612 at West or Mr. Keal in room 1325 at East!

Everyone regardless of GPA is welcome!

Congratulations to Sadie Seidl for making it to state on beam!

Members of the Sun Prairie West Boys varsity bowling team are Leo Sprague 9, Brayden Knautz 9, Raymond Collette 12, Dalton Kast 10, Cooper Rodefeld 10, Zane Pienkowski 11, Gavyn Lynch 12 and Coach Mike Krachey.

For the 2024-25 season, SP West earned several accolades in the District Boys Varsity Division. Zane Pienkowski and Gavyn Lynch were named to the D4 All-District Varsity Boys 1st Team, with Pienkowski also receiving the title of D4 Boys Varsity Player of the Year. Both players will compete in the WI All-Star Challenge Tournament as part of the D4 Varsity Boys team on March 15th in Green Bay.

Our Co-Op girls team and our SP East boys team are headed to state. Two SP West bowlers, Zane Pienkowski and Gavyn Lynch, and one SP Eastbowler, Joe Myhre, qualified for the state singles competition. Sun Prairie members of the girls bowling team are Aly Rostan (12-SP East), Lilly Ryan (12-SP East), Jadyn Baker (9-SP East). They are coached by Cher & John Breunig. Last year our team took 2nd at state.

Our cast and crew of Murder's in the Heir put on an incredible run this weekend and made headlines.

Mr. Thompson led students through a kinesthetic review game to prepare for an upcoming summative while having fun, building community and getting in some good laughs.

The SP West forensics team had 11 students qualify for the national forensics tournament!

Duo Interpretation: John Kudrle / Maecie Ledden, Shlok Shah / Mouneeth Venigalla

Oratory: Pragnya Vella, Asha Sundaram, Yogitha Rajkumar

Oral Interpretation: Devin Willis, Siddhi Rajkondawar

Oratorical Declamation: Hanshika JaiPravinkumar, Ishaan Shukla

They will travel to Chicago in May for this competition!

Our Sun Prairie Adapted Hockey teams came together and attended the first ever statewide adapted hockey tournament. They played great and it was a wonderful learning experience for all of us. They received the coaches’ choice award.

Sun Prairie West DECA returns from State competition with some hardware! Sophomore Solie Curtin placed 2nd in Entrepreneurship- Start-up Business Plan and Sophamore Tea Schmoldt placed 3rd in Principles of Business Management and Administration. Both Solie and Tea will represent Wisconsin DECA (and SP West DECA) at International Career Development Conference in Orlando in late April.

A huge part of geometry is exploring all of the relationships that exist with triangles. Ms. Liddle’s geometry classes made mini posters about 26 different topics that relate to triangles.

Congratulations to Naveya Jackson on 1000 HS Career Points!

New Year, Same Supports! We’re excited to share some updates to our before and after school tutoring support program to better support your learning:

• Afternoon Study Lounge Relocated: The afternoon study hall has been moved to a new space—the Library—to provide a more focused and resource-rich environment.

• Additional Teacher Support: We’ve added more teachers to our tutoring sessions to ensure students get the help they need.

Be sure to take advantage of these new changes and set yourself up for success this year!

Let’s make this a fantastic year of learning and growth!

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.

If you don't already, please follow SP West on Facebook!

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!

This past Tuesday members of our Guiding Coalition attended our Spring SP100 day planning. The day was grounded in reviewing data, identifying areas of celebration and areas of continued focus and growth. This year our two hyper focus goal areas as a team are: increasing the percentage of our Black students that have 90%+ attendance, as well as, increasing the rate at which staff are reporting they have been acknowledged/affirmed for their practice in the last week.

• Attendance: Last spring 47% of our students who identify as Black/African American had an attendance rate of 90% or better. We are currently at 64%! While we still have significant work and growth to do to ensure that EVERY student has 90%+ attendance we are proud of the intentional actions that have led to this significant increase including: creating welcoming and inclusive classrooms through restorative practices and community building, focusing on the connections between students and teachers, consistent and high expectations and high support of the best place for students is in the classroom.

• Recognition/Affirmation. The percent of employees who answer “agree” or “strongly agree” with the Employee Engagement survey question "Over the past week, I've been acknowledged or recognized for my efforts, behaviors, and performance." From last Spring until now we have seen exponential growth from 38% to 69%. This was through intentional efforts of creating a culture of care and acknowledgement from adults to adults. We know that adults are best able to serve our students when they feel seen, known and valued.

As we continue through the Spring semester we are meeting weekly with our Student Senate, who is also reviewing the data, our action steps and providing student feedback on our progress and areas of growth.

Chromebook issues? No problem! Check out these Chromebook tips about Chromebook care and troubleshooting issues! More questions? Stop by the LMC and Ms. Walters or Mr. Coe will help you out. A reminder it is an expectation that every student have their Chromebook and charger in every class. Need help? We've got you... stop by.

Do you have items you are looking to donate including clothing and personal items? We need the following items for our SPW CARES closet in Student Services! Students may access our pantry when they need a change of clothing, extra items for home/moving around, or to support personal hygiene often when times are tough. Our SPW pantry functions 100% through donation. We are also thankful for community partners to meet greater needs!

Clothing should be in good shape - without stains, rips, or damage

Clothing:

• Mens sweatpants / joggers (prefer neutral colors) S - XL

• Mens t shirts S - L (prefer SP shirts, sports, plain black)

• Girls leggings S - XL (prefer neutral colors)

• Gender neutral or womens tshirts S - L (prefer SP shirts, sports, brands, plain)

• Sweatshirts S - XL (prefer SP, sports, brands, plain)

Hygiene Products (unopened):

• Face wash

• Laundry detergent (pods, liquid, or powder are all great!)

• Dishwasher detergent

• Shampoo and conditioner (especially for natural, textured, & curly hair)

• Toothpaste

• Antiperspirant Deodorant (mens & womens)

• Lotion (sensitive skin preferred)

• Acne stickers / patches

• Toliet paper

Other:

• Men’s wallet

• Backpacks

• Athletic / small duffle bags

These items can be dropped off to the Front Office or Student Services!

Interested in supporting our over 300 students experiencing homelessness in the Sun Prairie Area School District?

• Check out our Amazon Wishlist!

• Please fill out this form if you do purchase items from the Amazon Wishlist and you will receive information for your taxes.

If you have other items that you are looking to donate or have questions, reach out to our School Social Workers!

Susi Sirianni (last names A - K) at sesiria@sunprairieschools.org

Caitlin Fahey (last names L- Z) at cmfahey@sunprairieschools.org

Did you know all SPASD campuses are latex free? PROCEDURE KG-R PUBLIC USE OF SCHOOL FACILITIES- H.5 Latex balloons are not allowed in any SPASD facility. If participating in/decorating for a celebration please make sure only mylar balloons are used. Thank you.

9th, 10th and 12th graders, wondering what to do on March 11th while the juniors take the ACT? Check out the STEM Open House at Madison College. This is ALL of their STEM programming (not the STEM academy). Register HERE

As the year continues we continue to focus on having safe, healthy and open bathrooms at West. This is a combined effort between students, parents/caregivers, teachers, student services, and our "floor team". It truly take ALL of our One West community to ensure that our bathrooms are safe and open for ALL students. Our interventions include:

• Following up with and searching students who are in the bathroom when vape sensors go off or when there is a report of vaping.
• Following up with students who enter the bathroom in large groups (going to the bathroom is an individual activity)
• Following up with students who are more than one student to a stall
• Bathroom checks to start and end every day and every block with checking cameras and following up with students who are in the bathroom during time frames that vandalism takes place.
• Searching toilet paper holders, paper towel holders, ceilings and other places that High School youth try to hide vapes at school

We have also launched a group education model as follow up for students who have a behavior referral for vaping at school as a restorative approach in collaboration with consequences. Check out these statistics:

• Student Feedback Quotes:

• It was nice to talk to someone about nic/weed and not be judged - 10th grade student
• “It was very student based. I was actually engaged in the group and felt like I was safe to talk about it with other people who are going through the same thing as me” - 12th grade student
• It was cool to learn all the ways nicotine and cannabis harm your brain and body - 9th grade student

• Upon the first meeting Students reported:

• 8% want to quit immediately

• 42.3% of students expressed they want to reduce use

• 33.7% stated they are ambivalent about change

• 8% reported never wanting to use

• 8% stated they aren’t interested in any change (no interest in reduction / quitting)

• By the 4th session Student reported:

• 27.3% report they have quit

• 9.1% want to quit

• 45.6% have already reduced

• 9% want to reduce

• 9% might consider reducing

• 0% reported no interested in making any changes

• Student Reported Goals Post SBIRT or My Healthy Future Group:
• To cut back on the use of substances
• Continue to be clean
• Not to use at school
• no goal
• I quit
• not feeding into that urge
• Nun your business
• I’ve quit
• I want to quit using it on my own but use it occasionally with friends.
• Spend less money on weed

If your student is interested in participating in one of these groups please reach out to Ms. Caitlin Fahey or Ms. Susi Sirianni. We will accommodate self-referrals as much as space is available in the program. Students must opt in and agree to participate in the program.

Bus Drivers will be checking students' Bus Tags to ensure they are riding their assigned bus. Students with no bus tag or a bus tag with a different bus number will not be allowed to board the bus. If you need a new bus tag, please see Miss Andi in the front office right away Monday morning.

Westopoly is BACK and live NOW! What is Westopoly? Westopoly is library programming available to ALL SP West Wolves. How does it work? Swing by the library for your day roll of the dice to learn what activity you land on. Earn tickets for completion of activities and use tickets to be eligible for prizes. Start playing TODAY!

Support our SP West CARES Closet & Pantry! Do you have items you are looking to donate including clothing and personal items? We need the following items for our SPW CARES closet in Student Services! Students may access our pantry when they need a change of clothing, extra items for home/moving around, or to support personal hygiene often when times are tough. Our SPW pantry functions 100% through donation. We are also thankful for community partners to meet greater needs!

Clothing should be in good shape - without stains, rips, or damage

Clothing:

• Mens sweatpants / joggers (prefer neutral colors) S - XL

• Mens t shirts S - L (prefer SP shirts, sports, plain black)

• Girls leggings S - XL (prefer neutral colors)

• Gender neutral or womens tshirts S - L (prefer SP shirts, sports, brands, plain)

• Sweatshirts S - XL (prefer SP, sports, brands, plain)

Hygine Products (unopened):

• Face wash

• Laundry detergent (pods, liquid, or powder are all great!)

• Dishwasher detergent

• Shampoo and conditioner (especially for natural, textured, & curly hair)

• Toothpaste

• Antiperspirant Deodorant (mens & womens)

• Lotion (sensitive skin preferred)

• Acne stickers / patches

• Toliet paper

Other:

• Men’s wallet

• Backpacks

• Athletic / small duffle bags

These items can be dropped off to the Front Office or Student Services!

Interested in supporting our over 300 students experiencing homelessness in the Sun Prairie Area School District?

• Check out our Amazon Wishlist!

• Please fill out this form if you do purchase items from the Amazon Wishlist and you will receive information for your taxes.

If you have other items that you are looking to donate or have questions, reach out to our School Social Workers!

Susi Sirianni (last names A - K) at sesiria@sunprairieschools.org

Caitlin Fahey (last names L- Z) at cmfahey@sunprairieschools.org

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County’s College Night: This event is designed to provide valuable insights, primarily for students in 9th-11th grade, into the college application process, financial aid options, and finding the right college fit.

Here are the event details:

• Date: Wednesday, February 26th, 2024
• Time: 6:00–8:00 PM
• Location: Allied Club (4619 Jenewein Rd, Madison, WI)

Students who attend will have the chance to:

• Learn about financial aid, scholarships, and grants
• Get tips on the college application process
• Connect with representatives from UW-Madison, Madison Area Technical College, UW-Milwaukee, Edgewood College, and more
• Explore resources from various colleges and financial institutions
• Enjoy free food and enter a gift card raffle!

We are grateful for our volunteers and visitors at SP West! Here are some reminders of our visitor procedure. If you are going to be interacting directly with students please make sure you fill out the volunteer form. Background checks are taking 2-3 weeks to process. Once you have filled it out it is good for 3 years at all SPASD schools.

Sophomores, sign up now for a free ACT diagnostic test! While the juniors are taking their ACT, get a head start for your own test. The Sun Prairie Public Library is partnering with Galin Education to offer a realistic ACT experience. This diagnostic test will help you work out some test-taking jitters as well as help you focus your studying. Please bring a calculator if you have one. Advance registration is required.

• Sun Prairie Public Library Community Room
• Tuesday, March 11, 2025
• 9:30am - 1:00pm

Register HERE

SP West Student Senate is BACK! After meeting a couple of times this fall our SP West Student Senate is back in full swing. Last week students met to dive into our SP100 goals and analyze data from 1st semester.

Students analyzed our 1st semester overall data trends identifying areas of celebration (9th graders- YOU ARE ROCKING IT) and areas of growth (juniors and seniors we have a ways to improve) and identifying next steps including student-to-student conversations to understand why this is happening and how we can improve as a One West community to reach our goal of 90%+ attendance for EVERY Wolf.

This past Friday in SP30 all students in 9th-11th grade reviewed their Pre-ACT scores from this fall and began goal setting for the spring Pre-ACT or ACT for our 11th graders.

Each student received a personalized email with detailed information about their scores from the fall and then as an SP30 they reviewed how to interpret this information.

We laid the foundation to begin preparation for Spring Pre-ACT and ACT testing.

And students began goal setting for their spring tests.

• What are you the proudest of from your fall Pre-ACT test?
• What area do you hope to improve in this most from the fall test to the Spring?
• How can I best support you in that process?
• Let's look over the email you received late last week with detailed information about your fall test.

We want our families to stay informed and connected to resources. If you need information or support visit Resources for Immigrant Students & Families webpage.

Sun Prairie Schools are a welcoming place for all students and families, regardless of their immigration status.

At the Sun Prairie Area School District:

• We stand by all of our students, staff, and families.
• The Sun Prairie Area School District celebrates and values our diverse community. We support and are inclusive of all students, staff, families, and community members of all races, ethnicities, faiths, national origins, immigration statuses, political viewpoints, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities.
• We stand by our immigrant students and families. All are welcome and safe in our schools regardless of immigration status.
• All children will be safe and loved in our schools…..Every Child, Every Day.
• Important Information

Stay up to date with trusted sources of information:

• Centro Hispano (Website, Facebook, Instagram)
• Voces de la Frontera (Website, Facebook)
• If you have an immigration-related emergency you can call or text Voces de la Frontera 24/7 hotline at: 414-465-8078. You also may wish to contact the Dane County Immigration Affairs Office and Fabiola Hamden at 608-242-6260 or hamdan@countyofdane.com.
• Know your rights (English), (Spanish)
• You may also wish to develop an emergency plan for your family, for more information please visit the following Centro Hispano’s Community Resource Page.

Gun safety is a shared responsibility that affects the well-being of our entire community. Visit the district’s Gun Safety Resource page for more information.

Dear Sun Prairie Community Members,

As the Superintendent of Sun Prairie Schools and the City Administrator of Sun Prairie, we want to express our shared commitment to gun safety in our community.
Gun safety affects all of us, and it is our shared responsibility to work together to protect our families, schools, and neighborhoods. Proper firearm handling and secure storage are essential to establishing a culture of safety. It is crucial for everyone to understand how to safely store firearms and what to do if they encounter one.

For our students, gun safety means having a safe place to learn and grow. We want to teach young people what to do if they see a gun, and we want them to feel comfortable telling an adult if something seems unsafe.

Parents and caregivers play a significant role and can help protect the community by ensuring secure firearm storage, recognizing potential dangers, and knowing how to respond responsibly in unsafe situations.

We support initiatives like the Gun Safety Education Project, led by the Sun Prairie Youth & Families Commission, which promotes public awareness of firearm safety by offering education on secure firearm storage, reporting lost or stolen firearms, distributing gunlocks, and more.

We understand this can be a difficult topic, but we believe by working together—parents/caregivers, educators, law enforcement, and all community members—we can make a difference and make our community safer for everyone.

We need your help to promote gun safety. We encourage you to talk to your family, explore available resources, and share information with your neighbors. Together, we can continue building a culture of responsibility, set a positive example for our kids, and keep our community safe for everyone. Thank you for being part of this important effort.

Sincerely,

Brad Saron, Superintendent
Aaron Oppenheimer, City Administrator

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