The Rise Up Family Newsletter

Greetings PPA Caregivers, Families, and Friends,

This has been a wonderful start up of the school year!! It has been an amazing 2024 and I look forward to a wonderful 2025!!

I have said this plenty of times and will continue to state that there is an immense amount of gratitude I have for the PPA Community. The students and families make the PPA experience “like nowhere else”. The staff ensures that PPA’s environment, experience, and equity lens is “like nowhere else”. It is an honor to be a part of this outstanding community!!

In other news, it saddens me to say that one of our wonderful staff members will be moving on to a new position in SPASD! Sheri McLean our Student Services Administrative Associate will always be a part of the PPA family and will truly be missed. Luckily will still be able to communicate with her regularly, as her new role is the SPASD’s Registrar. Congratulations Ms. Sheri!!!

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

12/21/24 - 1/5/25 No school

1/6/25 First day back after break

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.

PPA scholars took a field trip to the parking lot! We have been studying biodiversity, and how to measure it. Students charted how many different “species” of automobiles were in the parking lot and we used this data to mathematically formulate the diversity. We used the Shannon Diversity Index, which is a mathematical formula that measures the diversity of species in a community by taking into account both the number and proportion of species. This formula is used often in ecology and population genetic studies. It was a cool way to make a seemingly intricate mathematical model applicable to our school and lives.

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=

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.

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.

2024 - 2025 Senior Planning Presentation

UPCOMING FAFSA NIGHT AT PPA!

• Wednesday, January 15, 2025, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

• Thursday, February 27, 2025: During Family/Teacher Winter Conferences

• Set up FAFSA Accounts here (parent and student should set up separate accounts at least 3-5 days prior to FAFSA Night)
• Laptop (Let us know if you need one)
• An email address with login information
• Social Security number

• Birth, death, marriage, and divorce dates

• Tax returns/W-2s for the prior-prior year to the FAFSA

• Current bank account balance(s)

• Other income amounts (social security, child support, unemployment, etc.)

• Value of any other assets

Madison College Application Dates at PPA! (12:40 pm - 2:35 pm)

• Wednesday, January 8, 2025, 12:40 pm - 2:35 pm

• Wednesday, February 5, 2025, 12:40 pm - 2:35 pm

• Wednesday, March 5, 2025, 12:40 pm - 2:35 pm

Students interested in taking Start College Now courses for the 25 -26 school year, please contact Annetta Wright. Applications are due March 01, 2025.

Sophomores, the applications for the STEM Academy at Madison Area Technical College are available. Please see Annetta Wright for more information. Click here for the STEM Academy Application

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.

Winter Break Journaling Adventure for Students!

We’re excited to offer your student a fun and reflective activity over winter break—the 12 Days of Journaling! Each day, students will receive a new prompt to explore their thoughts, share holiday traditions, set goals for the new year, and more. It's a great way to stay engaged while reflecting on the past year.

Upon completing the journal, students will receive a small reward when they return to school.

To participate, simply have your student follow this link:

bit.ly/12daysofjournaling

The journal will be live from December 21 - January 5.

We encourage you to support your student in this rewarding experience and look forward to seeing how they reflect and grow over the holidays.

Happy Holidays!

• Holiday Break Basketball Open Gym Dates:

• January 2nd & 3rd at 11AM-3PM(Unless weather permits)

• February 28th at 11AM-3PM

• March 25th & 26th at 11AM-3PM

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

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