Cardinal Call

It has been a busy few weeks to be a Cardinal. Our art students were at UWM for the Visioneers Design Challenge, FFA was preparing for the annual plant sale, the theater program was putting on the spring play, Radium Girls, and our Track team hosted the Paul Frank Invitational. Not to mention the jazz band is preparing to leave for New York for the Essentially Ellington jazz competition. Please wish all our Cardinals good luck in representing our community in everything from agriculture to jazz. Go Cardinals!

Sincerely,

Jim Ertel

Principal

Due to a special staff appreciation event and assembly, we will have a modified schedule for Monday 5/5.

If you wish to opt your student out of the Direct Admit Wisconsin program, please complete linked form below. Additionally, more information about the program can be found on our school district website, LINKED HERE.

In April, Sun Prairie Area School District proudly supported 15 Hmong high school students from both Sun Prairie East and Sun Prairie West High Schools as they attended the 2025 Hmong National Development Conference (HNDC) in Minneapolis. For many of these students, this was their first opportunity to be immersed in a national space designed by and for Hmong leaders. Over four days, they interacted with Hmong judges, educators, entrepreneurs, and veterans. During these interactions many shared stories that deeply affirmed the students’ cultural identity, resilience, and leadership potential. During a reflective moment of sharing one student participant said, “I used to be embarrassed to be Hmong, but now I realize it’s my strength.”

Just days later, these same students helped lead Sun Prairie’s Hmong Heritage Night, an event that welcomed over 200 community members to celebrate 50 years of Hmong resettlement in the U.S. Students participated in a vibrant fashion show, performed traditional songs, and helped host hands-on cultural activities for families and children. Perhaps most moving was a storytelling art exhibit where families listened to elder Hmong women share their lived experiences—from refugee camps to their first days in America. Through both HNDC and Heritage Night, our Hmong students were not just participants, they were at the heart of the story. These experiences gave them space to be seen, heard, and empowered to envision their place in the next 50 years of Hmong leadership. We want to extend a very heartfelt thank you to Jennifer Yang, Myxee Yang, Tony Jennaro, and everyone else who helped to make these opportunities very successful and impactful. For more information feel free to contact the Department of Systemic Equity and Inclusion.

Join us at Sun Prairie East High School on Monday, May 12 for an evening celebrating cultures that make our community shine! Hosted by our Black Student Union, Latino Student Union, and United Asian Club, this special event will feature an exciting lineup of student performances and delicious food for sale representing a variety of cultures.

Doors open at 6:00 PM and the festivities kick off at 6:30 PM. Bring the whole family and experience the rich diversity of our school!

Please save the date for our spring academic awards nights:

• Senior Scholarship Awards Night/Academic Awards: May 15

Families of Multilingual Learners, mark your calendars! Join us at Sun Prairie East High School on Wednesday, May 22 for an evening designed to support, inform, and celebrate your scholar's journey.

We'll cover important topics like ACCESS testing, Infinite Campus tools (including attendance, communication, and summer school), and graduation requirements—plus, there will be time for your questions. This is a great opportunity to connect with staff, ask questions, and learn more about how to support your scholar's success at Sun Prairie East!

Event time to be announced soon—stay tuned!

Congratulations to our theater department on their production of Radium Girls!

Visioneers Design Challenge is a statewide competition for students grade 6-12. It's part college campus tour, part design career exploration, and part creative problem solving.

Our students did SO well this year. As a school, we earned 8 blue ribbons, 5 red, and 1 white. Students competed in long and short term challenges in Photography, Architecture, Fashion, and Graphic Design.

Ms. Boberg was approved as the next Associate Athletic & Activities Director for Sun Prairie East High School at the 4/28/25 school board meeting. Please see her welcome message below:

As a proud Sun Prairie alum, it is an honor to serve this school and community as your Associate Athletic & Activities Director. This marks my 13th year in public education and my 12th year within the Sun Prairie Area School District, where I have worked as a physical education and health teacher, coach, and former middle school sports coordinator.

I hold a master’s degree in Athletic Administration and recently earned the Certified Athletic Administrator (CAA) designation through the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA). My husband and I are fortunate to live in Sun Prairie, where we are raising our three children and two dogs.

It is a privilege to be Sun Prairie’s first female Athletic Director. I am excited to carry forward our strong tradition of excellence in both academics and athletics and to support the success of our vibrant and diverse school community.

Tutoring is available after school in the LMC on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. We have staff on hand that can help with all core content areas and students are able to make up summative assessments during 5th hour with coordination from their instructor.

As we look to the 2025/2026 school year, please mark you calendars for our "Keys to Success" event. Keys to Success is a optional orientation program for new students to the Sun Prairie High Schools. More information can be found in the flyer linked below.

Rain, rain, go AWAY! We have had a wet stretch of weather which has resulted in a number of spring contests being postponed or cancelled. If you are a spring athlete please pay close attention to the Sun Prairie East athletic page for updates on make up times. Also, a big shout out to our theater department for their production of Radium Girls. It was amazing to see all the Cardinal supporters out this weekend at the play, track invitational and FFA plant sale.

Ms. Boberg CAA

This is a reminder that in order to be eligible for athletic practices or contests, students must be present at school, in class, for at least half of the school day. Any absences must be pre-arranged (e.g., doctor or dental appointments). If a student misses half or more of the school day due to an unexcused or non-prearranged absence, they will not be allowed to participate in athletic activities that evening. We appreciate your continued support in helping our student-athletes meet the expectations of both the classroom and their sport.

Please join our FFA students as they host Food for America at the Statz Brothers Farms.

The annual FFA plant sale is here. Information about the event can be found on the flyers below.

• Tickets are for sale on GoFan
• You will need your student ID number to purchase tickets - Your ID number is your access code
• Ticket sales will run from May 5-May 8. This ticket window WILL CLOSE at midnight.
• No re-entry to the dance, initial entry must be before 9:30 PM.

Please see the linked information for upcoming contests.

• Prom - May 10
• Multicultural Night - May 12
• Senior Awards Night - May 15
• Multilingual Family Engagement Night - May 22
• AVID Senior Night - May 27, 6-8 PM at the SPWHS Auditorium