Thank you to all of you that completed our beginning of the year communication survey. We are proud to currently have received an average rating for 3.2/4, and know that we still have room to grow throughout the year! If you have not yet completed that survey please do so now. The more feedback we receive the better we are able to meet the needs of all families. Some changes you will see in this week's Howl based on feedback includes: moving upcoming events to the front of the Howl, we have also moved the upcoming athletic events for the week closer to the top, additionally we have added the daily announcements that students receive so that parents/caregivers have the same information as well. Finally, during this opening portion of the Newsletter we will include an index of what is included for the week so that you do not miss important information that may be further down in the Newsletter.

In the Howl this Week:

• Upcoming Events
• Athletic Events at SPWHS September 25-30
• Democracy Project Information
• Pre-ACT on Wednesday Morning
• Senior Meeting and No Traveling Students
• Wisconsin Education Fair- At WEST this week!
• SEL Survey
• West Homecoming details including ticket information
• HBCU Real Talk Event Information
• Daily Announcements
• Parking Week 4

• Music Studio Info
• Classroom Corner: 9th Grade Network Information
• Classroom Corner: Mr. Rodgers Community Building
• CBITS Pass Consent for 9th Graders
• Hispanic Heritage Month!
• Apparel Links: Wolf Wear, AVID, Adapted Sports
• Included every week at the bottom: West High School Equity Statement and Theory of Action, One West, Non-Discriminatory Statement and information from previous Howls

Jen Ploeger- Principal- jrploeg@sunprairieschools.org

Chai Lee- Associate Principal- cmlee1@sunprairieschools.org

Ed Ford- Associate Principal- ebford@sunprairieschools.org

• September 25th-29th- Homecoming Tickets on Sale
• October 4th- Homecoming Parade- Main Street
• October 6th- Homecoming Game- Bank of Sun Prairie Stadium
• October 7th- Homecoming Dance- West Gym

On September 27, 2023 students will be taking a preACT exam that is similar to the preACT Secure (9-10th grade in the Spring) and ACT (11th grade in the Spring). It is different in that it is locally determined to administer, a paper/pencil version, multiple choice response only, and does not take as long to complete. It is similar in the type of questions it asks and the difficulty of those questions. This can help students get more familiar and feel more prepared for the exam that is administered through the state in the Spring.

Although the tests are slightly different, they still align with one another. So this can help educators respond to student needs through curriculum and instruction as well as other more personalized support. The results also help students know areas they can work on to set good, reasonable, goals. Results become available about 3 weeks after testing and will be shared and discussed with students so that they can understand their score report, areas of strength, and ideas for areas to improve.

This is scheduled during normal school hours. Students will report to school as typical and a designated testing location. Students with accommodations will receive those as typically aligned to ACT assessments. Please support each student with a #2 pencil and a calculator.

Thank you in advance for your support,

School Assessment Coordinators

Estimados padres/cuidadores de estudiantes de 9.º a 11.º grado:

El 27 de septiembre de 2023, los estudiantes tomarán un examen preACT que es similar al preACT Secure (grados 9-10 en la primavera) y ACT (grado 11 en la primavera). Se diferencia en que se determina localmente para administrarlo, es una versión en papel o lápiz, solo tiene respuestas de opción múltiple y no toma tanto tiempo completarlo. Es similar en el tipo de preguntas que hace y la dificultad de esas preguntas. Esto puede ayudar a los estudiantes a familiarizarse y sentirse más preparados para el examen que se administra a través del estado en la primavera.

Aunque las pruebas son ligeramente diferentes, aún se alinean entre sí. Por lo tanto, esto puede ayudar a los educadores a responder a las necesidades de los estudiantes a través del plan de estudios y la instrucción, así como otro tipo de apoyo más personalizado. Los resultados también ayudan a los estudiantes a conocer áreas en las que pueden trabajar para establecer metas buenas y razonables. Los resultados estarán disponibles aproximadamente 3 semanas después de la prueba y se compartirán y discutirán con los estudiantes para que puedan comprender su informe de calificaciones, sus puntos fuertes y las ideas sobre áreas a mejorar.

Esto está programado durante el horario escolar normal. Los estudiantes se presentarán a la escuela como de costumbre y a un lugar de prueba designado. Los estudiantes con adaptaciones recibirán aquellas que normalmente se alinean con las evaluaciones ACT.

Los estudiantes deben traer una calculadora y un lápiz de carbón número 2.

Gracias de antemano por su apoyo,

Coordinadores de evaluación escolar

While the 9th-11th graders are participating in the Pre-ACT on Wednesday morning, our seniors will be participating in a senior meeting! Seniors will meet in the PAC and the participate in different breakout sessions with important information they need as they start their senior year. Due to ALL grades having very important activities Wednesday morning there will be NO TRAVELING to East for classes this Wednesday.

Sun Prairie West HS will be hosting the Wisconsin Education Fair on Friday, September 29th, 2023. All juniors and seniors will attend the WEF from 9am-9:45am. Our students will have access to over 90 Colleges, Universities, Speciality Schools and Military Branches. This is a great opportunity to chat one-on-one with a representative. Students will register for the WEF during SP30.

HERE is a list of representatives that will be there.

Some Questions your students should be asking:

• Tell me about your most popular programs. What makes them so popular?

• What are your application deadlines and how much to apply?

• What do students like most about your school?

• Also, a fantastic follow-up question is: What is the biggest complaint from current students?

• What kinds of students are happiest at your school?

• What is your admission criteria?

• Tell me about your campus location.

• How does your career planning department compare to other colleges/universities?

• Can you give me the names of a few students whom I could talk to about their experience at your school?

• What is the average total cost—including tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, and other estimated expenses—for the first year?

• What percentage of students graduate with debt?

• What is the average amount of student loan debt for graduates?

• Are there on-campus work opportunities for work-study students? What if I don’t qualify for a work-study job?

• If I am awarded a grant, can I expect it to remain constant all four years (assuming my financial circumstances don’t change)

This Tuesday all students will be completing an 8 question SEL survey in SP30. Makeups for anyone that missed completing it Tuesday will happen Wednesday and Thursday. This fall data give us important information on students current strength and areas of growth on the identified SEL standards. It will also allow us to evaluate growth throughout the year. Here are the 8 questions that students will be answering:

• I can express my emotions in a variety of ways and understand that how I express myself impacts others.
• I have skills and strategies to achieve any goal.
• I can assess the progress I'm making towards reaching my goals and adjust my actions accordingly
• I can recognize barriers to success and know how to overcome them
• I understand personal bias and use strategies to overcome stereotypes
• I use effective strategies to develop and maintain positive relationships
• I understand my role in conflict and can change my behavior to resolve it.
• I can create plans to address needs and solve problems in my community.

Each question is answered on a scale of: definitely, sort of, not really and no.

We are very excited for our SP West Homecoming Week NEXT Week! This week tickets are on sale from 9/25 at 8am to 9/29 at 4pm HARD deadline. Ticket purchase are through GoFan using the QR code below. If you need to pay with cash or have additional questions please see Mindy Ripp in Athletics or Kinsey Detert in the front office. Check out all the information below on events throughout the week including dress up day themes for student's at school each day.

WHAT: HBCU Real Talk: Provided by Big Future for FREE

WHERE: Virtual

WHEN: October 3 and October 10 @ 7pm CT

Real Talk, our virtual event series for Black students and their parents, is back! We’re kicking off the season with two nights to help students decide whether an HBCU or PWI is right for them. These events are the perfect opportunity for students to interact directly with admissions reps and current college students.

Night 1: Tuesday October 3, 7pm

HBCU’s, PWIs and You: Join us and connect directly with HBCU and PWI reps from across the country as they share real talk on selecting a college home that aligns with each student’s personality and college and career aspirations.

Night 2: Tuesday, October 10 7pm

The Real Tea on HBCU’s and PWI’s: Want to know what college life is really like at HBCU’s and PWIs. Students and their families can connect with current Black students who will spill the tea!

Sign up HERE

Have you ever walked by the screens while in the building at West and thought, I want to make sure my student knows about that? Thank you to for the reminder to include our student announcements here every week so that parents/caregivers can have the same information to remind and encourage student involvement.

All students that have purchased parking passes have received their parking pass. Students need to park in their designated parking spot. Each of the student spots are labeled with a number and students are expected to park in their personal spot. If someone has parked in your spot please come directly to the front office to complete a "someone parked in my spot" form. All students that desire to park on campus need to have purchased a parking pass ($30/semester) and have their parking pass displayed. Students that park in the front lot in front of the main entrance/athletic entrance or the side lot near Door 24 may receive a parking ticket. Officer Sessums continues to issue warnings for a first offense and has begun ticketing for second offenses. Please see the front office staff for questions on parking.

Our 9th grade networks are up and running supporting our 9th graders to have an successful transition and incredible start to their 9th grade experience. This includes: teachers meeting weekly to problem solve and support students, intentional connections with families and with other support staff, creating identities within the 9th grade networks as Earth, Fire, Air and Water Wolves and during Homecoming Week they will participate in their first intra-ninth grade network competition. We have an outstanding 9th grade class and are excited for the legacy they are already creating as Wolves!

Mr. Rodgers' math classes this week learned what it means to work as a team as they worked collectively to get a marble down and around a chair and to a target. They learned the importance of trusting each other, all being a part of the process and that a learning community relies on one another, and had some fun in the process!

We are committed to partnering with you in supporting your child as a strong learner. This school year, Sun Prairie West high school is offering a program to students who have experienced stressful events or who are experiencing other stressors in their lives. People who have experienced a trauma or those experiencing significant stress may develop symptoms. This can show up as not wanting to go to school or as difficulties with class work and concentration.

In partnership with Journey Mental Health Center and the United Way, we are offering a program for all 9th graders called REST (Resilient response to the Effects of Stress and Trauma).

The staff at Sun Prairie West High School will be screening all 9th graders on Monday October 9, 2023.

Students whose questionnaire score indicates symptoms of depression or traumatic stress will have a face-to-face conversation with a school staff or REST Team member. These conversations are meant to provide support and to determine what resources would be useful for the student.

This form only covers the screening and follow-up conversation. If you DO NOT want your child to participate in the REST screening, please complete the form below and return to Susi Sirianni, Sun Prairie West school social worker by Friday October 6, 2023 or just reach out to Susi Sirianni and express that you would like your student to NOT participate. If you have questions or would like more information about the REST screening, please call Susi Sirianni at 608-478-1700 ext 5335 or email sesiria@sunprairieschools.org.

Is your student in AVID? What to support the AVID program on a district level? Check out the AVID apparel store, open now!

As we start the 23-24 if you are looking for Wolf Wear, please consider supporting the Pack Shack (our school store) and purchasing items for this online store.

Did you know that last year Sun Prairie Schools were the FIRST schools in the area to start an adapted sports league? Our students competed in soccer, floor hockey and whiffle ball. As the teams enter year 2 please consider supporting this fantastic program by purchasing ASL (Adapted Sports League) apparel: https://spadaptive2023.itemorder.com/

September is Suicide Prevention Month. Here are resources as we work as a community to destigmatize talking about mental health and suicide prevention.. Please remember you are not alone in supporting your child/children and they are not alone. We have student support staff available yet this summer and as we start the school year to support your student, please don't hesitate to reach out and we will get them connected: jrploeg@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.

As we start the school year please take 2 minutes to provide us feedback on our communication! Survey in English. Survey in Spanish.

Please take a look through the links below for more information on some technology updates to our filter policy, our loaner Chromebook procedures, and our new focused browsing tool called Securly Classroom.

ENGLISH LINK

SPANISH LINK

As we start year 2, united as One West, we need to talk about: vandalism and lunch rooms. Last year we had a problem with vandalism at West that cannot continue into year 2. It takes ALL of us to ensure that we are taking care of our beautiful building. Even if you never participated in any vandalism (which is 98% of the student body), together as a PACK we need to be united that this is not who we are as Wolves. If you see something, say something. Positive peer influences can stop the act before it starts. Additionally, if you see something damages report it to an adult right away. This will allow us to pinpoint the time to narrow our search to identify the responsible parties.

Additionally, last year we had a problem with students not cleaning up after themselves after lunch. Both inside in our dining spaces and in the courtyard. We have an incredible, beautiful building and 2 custodians for the entire building during the day. We will miss Alex as he moved to Oshkosh and welcome Dino to day shift. Jose and Dino are fantastic humans and they simply cannot cleanup after 1500 other people during the day. They are here to help make the system function by providing us with toilet paper, towels, etc. It is your responsibility to clean up after yourself. If you see something on the ground, even if it's not yours, pick it up. Clean up carefully after yourself during lunch.

Together we can and will take care of this amazing facility and live out PACK on a daily basis.

As we prepare for our first home Wolf football game of the year this Friday night, please review the updated event guidelines for the 2023/2024 school year. We are beyond excited to take the field, stage, pool, court, pitch, course and so much more as Wolves for the first time. Together we can make these fantastic, safe and enjoyable events for all.

What questions do you have that we could answer in a future addition of the Howl? We are co-creating a brand new school and we want to hear your voice! Please fill out this quick survey with questions, topics for future newsletters and highlights/future events.

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. More information!

• Our wages for substitutes are in the top 5% in Dane County.
• Control your own schedule.
• We financially support you with Department of Public Instruction training (8 hours) for a 3-year substitute teaching license.
• We will provide you with technology training so you have the skills you need to succeed in supporting students and staff.
• Earn a $100 bonus for working 5 days in a month. (More info about the incentive program below)
• Earn an extra bonus for working in targeted schools and positions.
• Lunch provided through our award-winning school nutrition program.
• Full or part time positions are available!