The Howl

Greetings West Wolves and Parent/Caregivers,

Although the weather has been very indecisive lately we are excited that it is SPRING. It's hard to believe that we are already near the end of April. Prom and graduation are right around the corner. There is much to celebrate and look forward to. In this week's Howl check out several awesome upcoming opportunities for students including meeting SPASD Emmy Award-Winning Alumni Barry Lee Moe TODAY, Job Fair, Prom and so much more. We also look forward to our April in person Parent-Caregiver Partnership meeting tomorrow night at 6:00pm in person at West. See you then!

Jen Ploeger- Principal- jrploeg@sunprairieschools.org

Chai Lee- Associate Principal- cmlee1@sunprairieschools.org

Chad Whalley- Associate Principal- ctwhall@sunprairieschools.org

TODAY we are honored to welcome back an Emmy Award Wining SPASD graduate: Barry Lee Moe. Mr. Moe has won 2 Emmy's for his hair styling work. He has done hairstyling for: Pam & Tommy, Pose, Hollywood and Rent: Live just to name a few. Students that are interested in theater, cosmetology and/or hair design are invited to fill out this Google Form to attend the event at the beginning of 2nd hour and then stay for a Q&A breakout session. Please prepare 1-2 questions that you would like to ask Mr. Moe.

This Friday we will be hosting our April all-school assembly which will include: Autism Acceptance presentation by students, a Student-Staff basketball game, BSU and LSU half-time dance, and a physics demonstration. Students that are interested in playing in the game should sign up here no later than Tuesday, April 25th at 4:00pm. This event is for SP West students only.

We are excited to share with you our Graduation FAQ with all of the information you need to prepare for our 2023 Graduation Ceremony!

Although the weather has been indecisive about what season it is, we are excited that it truly is SPRING and Prom is right around the corner. Here is all the information you need to know about SP West's first ever PROM! Here are the highlights:

• Prom is May 20, 2023 at the Monona Terrace.

• Tickets go on sale starting Monday, May 8, 2023. No tickets will be sold after 4:00 pm on Friday, May 12, 2023.

• Tickets will be $35 each.

• Guest forms can be picked up in the Front Office starting Monday, April 24, 2023 and must be completed and returned by Friday, May 5th at 1:30 pm to be considered. All guest forms must be turned in to the FRONT OFFICE only.

• If you are hoping to attend another school's Prom and need your guest form signed please bring it to the admin office during lunch and deliver it to Ms. Blank.

Our next Parent/Caregiver Partnership meeting is THIS Tuesday, 4/25 at 6:00pm off the commons. See you tomorrow night.

Upcoming Parent/Caregiver Partnership Events:

• Tuesday, April 25th- 6:00pm in person at West
  
• Tuesday, May 23rd- 6:00pm in person at West
• If this month's lunch and morning options are successful please look for more opportunities coming up in May.

Students! Are you looking for a summer job or apprenticeship? Exploring career options or ready for a full-time position that matches your skills? Well, you're in luck! On Wednesday, April 26th 50 local-and national-brand employers will be at our West High School Job Fair. Plan to meet them during your lunch period. Take the opportunity to ask questions, explore their openings, apprenticeships, internships & career opportunities. Check out this detailed list of the businesses that will be joining us to prepare how to prioritize your time during lunch on Wednesday connecting with these partners. A shout out and thank you to the Business Education Partnership and Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring this event.

First Generation Student Virtual College Fair

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

12pm - 2pm (ET)

6:30pm - 8:30pm (ET)

Register NOW!

Go To College Fairs help students and families find answers:

• Learn more about the programs that colleges and universities offer first-generation students.

• Educational sessions will help you learn from experts how to make the most of the college experience.

• Visit college booths and chat live with admissions representatives.

• This experience will be ADA and WCAG compliant.

• Get helpful information about navigating a virtual fair here.

NCAA is offering a FREE Webinar about preparing for your future as a NCAA student-athlete.

Date: Sunday, April 30

Time: 6:30pm-7:30pm ET

Register HERE

Please consider taking a moment to celebrate a staff member that has had a positive impact you so far this year! This may be someone that you have connected well with, you have seen working hard, has tried something new or you just want to pause and recognize for all of their work as we launch SP West. You can fill out the form as many times as you would like to recognize different staff. They will receive an email with your note and, if public, will be included in our staff Newsletter next week! https://tinyurl.com/SPWestStaffShoutOut

Spring sports are in full swing! Check out our upcoming events this week.

Summer School

Summer school registration is now open. To be eligible for summer school transportation, you must register by May 16. We have numerous summer opportunities for students:

• Initial Credit classes (meaning it is the first time the student is taking a credit-earning class)

• Credit Recovery options (students who have previously failed a class may have the option to retake it in the summer)

• Enrichment classes (no credit offered; students take these classes for personal enrichment)

Registration is in Infinite Campus. See here for more info: High School Summer School Information

We have students working to start our very first Stomp and Shake team. If you or someone you know would be interested in being a coach for a Stomp and Shake team for the 23-24 school year please reach out to Mr. Nee and Principal JP ASAP. Stomp and Shake has deep roots in HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and would enrich our culture and community here at West with additional opportunities for students. Please reach out for more information as we work to launch this new club. Thanks!

Spring has officially sprung, I finally feel safe saying I don't think we will have any more SNOW DAYS! Woo hoo. We have ONE MORE to make up, but no more asynchronous. This one will be in person.

• Friday, May 26th- This date was originally scheduled as a professional development day. With the snow day last week it is now a student attendance day. Please mark your calendars and plan for students to be AT school this day!

With the spring approaching, Counselors wanted to send the Junior presentation to all Junior families as a refresher one more time:

If any junior student would like to meet regarding their future planning, students are welcomed to make an appointment with their assigned counselor between March 26 and April 28, 2023. Please use the scheduling links below:

Ms. Saldana (Last names A-G): cmsalda.youcanbook.me

Mr. Medema (Last names H-O): https://keithmedema.youcanbook.me/

Ms. Wagner (Last names P-Z): https://wagner-counseling.youcanbook.me/

Thank you for everyone's partnership addressing our bathroom culture at West. We continue to celebrate improved culture around our bathrooms! Thank you for partnering with us as we build our Wolf community, we truly are stronger together. Bathrooms should be a safe place for all students!

Reminders:

• Students should only be going into the bathroom to use the restroom. There is access to mirrors and sinks in the hallway to check your hair, wash you hands etc. Therefore, there is no reason for a large group of students to enter the bathroom together.
• Students that are in the bathroom in the bathroom when we receive a report of vaping will be searched. We will be piloting a vape sensor very soon to see if it is a model that meets our needs as a district.
• Students responsible for vandalism will be given consequences in our behavior matrix including paying for repairs, suspension and possible recommendation for expulsion for repeated behavior over time.

The Down Syndrome Association of South Central Wisconsin is looking for volunteers! Students- please consider signing up here.

As we head into the beginning of 4th quarter we are focused on resetting attendance expectations as we finished the year strong and prepare for strengthened systems and structures supporting ALL students being in class, every block, every day, bell to bell. Please review this slide deck with your student.

Did you know 97% of youth who vape, use flavored products? Synthetic Nicotine has been called a “loophole” for recent policies and laws.

Synthetic nicotine, which is created in a laboratory and not derived from tobacco, has become increasingly popular. Stanford University identified six manufacturers of synthetic nicotine and 98 brands claiming to contain synthetic nicotine.

Many e-cigarette makers that used tobacco-derived nicotine have recently switched to synthetic nicotine to avoid regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For example, Puff Bar, the top vape brand among youth, was told by the FDA in July 2020 to stop selling their flavored, tobacco-derived e-cigarette products. In March 2021, the company returned to the market with synthetic “tobacco-free nicotine.”

In addition, many of the chemical methods through which companies such as Puff Bar make the synthetic nicotine their products contain are unknown…Nicotine use during adolescence can disrupt the formation of brain circuits that control attention, learning, and susceptibility to addiction. Research has shown early age of smoking and pleasurable initial experiences are correlated with daily use and lifetime nicotine dependence.

Synthetic nicotine is still nicotine—a highly addictive substance that research suggests is as addictive as heroin, cocaine or alcohol. Nicotine is especially harmful to adolescents, as it impacts brain development. A young person’s memory, attention levels and ability to learn are all negatively affected by nicotine. Products containing synthetic nicotine will not help you quit smoking like nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) and other quit-smoking products can. (https://www.lung.org/blog/synthetic-nicotine)

Read more in “What is synthetic nicotine and what does it mean for the youth vaping epidemic?” from truthinitiative.org

Continued changes are coming and have come to our lunch lines. Distributed dining is now available in 1300/1400 seating area! This is another option for students to grab an a la cart lunch. Perfect for students that enjoy eating in the quiet lunch area or any other students that would like to try a new dining option.

A few reminders as we continue 2nd semester:

• Parents/Caregivers be sure to use the pick-up/drop-off lane for dropping off and picking up your scholar. DO NOT pull into the student lot or the staff/visitor lot as this causes congestion and potential accidents.

• Handicap stalls are ALWAYS reserved for vehicles with a license plate or placard. Never pull into a handicap stall to wait for someone you are picking up or dropping off. We have had several instances where our scholars are unable to be picked up by their accessible vehicle because other vehicles were in those spaces.

• Students: make sure you have your parking pass and parking in the student lot.

• As we continue 2nd semester we will be rebooting parking lot enforcement including tickets. Please reach out with what questions you have.

As we prepare to start the year we are in need of awesome subs to help take care of our students when staff are out. Are you looking for a new opportunity? Do you know someone looking? Can you help spread the word? Please help us get the word out so that we can ensure that our students have the very best people supporting them even on days staff (teachers or support staff) need to be out. Having an ample supply of fantastic subs is also a great way to support our staff by allowing them peace of mind when they are out. Contact mtiseli@sunprairieschools.org with any interest/questions or contacts.

• Support Staff Substitutes

• Substitute Teachers