THE HOWL
Monday, November 2nd, 2026
Dear families,
At our school, our commitment as an AVID campus is to equip every student with habits that foster long-term academic confidence and college/career readiness. This year, one of our primary instructional focuses across all subject areas is Focused Note-Taking —a powerful, research-backed strategy that turns simple note-taking into a dynamic tool for deep understanding.
Many students naturally view taking notes as a single event: sit down, write what is on the board, and close the notebook when the bell rings. Certainly, this is what many of us did in high school and college. However, cognitive science shows that without revisitation, human brains forget up to 70% of new information within 24 hours. Focused Note-Taking breaks this cycle by transforming notes from a passive record into an active learning process.
Why We Revisit Notes: The Multi-Touch Process
The core advantage of Focused Note-Taking lies in spaced repetition—returning to notes multiple times over several days. Each time a student interacts with their notes, they strengthen connections, move information from short-term to long-term memory, and build higher-level thinking skills.
We are striving for every teacher to design learning so that students practice a multi-step approach:
Taking Notes: Recording essential information, main ideas, and key vocabulary during a lesson.
Processing Notes: Reviewing notes shortly after class to highlight core concepts, clarify confusing ideas, fill in gaps, and delete unnecessary details.
Connecting Thinking: Asking deeper questions in the margins—moving beyond "what" happened to ask "why" and "how" concepts connect.
Summarizing & Reflecting: Writing a concise synthesis at the bottom that answers the central question of the lesson and reflects on the learning.
Applying Learning: Using the processed notes as an active study guide for projects, discussions, and assessments.
When students revisit their notes repeatedly, study time before exams changes from stressful, late-night cramming into a confident review of material they already understand.
How You Can Support at Home
You don't need to be an expert in algebra, chemistry, or world history to help your child build these habits! Here are three simple ways to support Focused Note-Taking at home:
Ask for a 2-Minute Tour: Ask your child to pull out a notebook and show you a recent page of notes. Have them point out where they highlighted key ideas or wrote their summary.
Prompt the "Why": Ask open-ended questions like, "What was the big takeaway from this lesson?" or "How does this topic connect to what you learned last unit?"
Normalize Daily Review: Encourage your child to spend just 5 to 10 minutes each evening scanning and processing the notes they took that day.
Thank you for partnering with us as we empower our students to take control of their learning, think critically, and build skills that will serve them for a lifetime.
Warmly,
Peg Shoemaker
Principal
Student ID's
Do you need a new student ID for our new ID policy and check in procedure? We are now able to print ID's in the front office. If you had a photo taken at registration or picture retake day and have misplaced your ID then a replacement ID can be reprinted for you. A fee of $5 will be entered in Infinite Campus. Once the fee is paid the ID will be printed and left in the front office for you to pick up before/after school, during passing time, or during your lunch period. If you still need a photo taken this year you will receive a link to schedule a time to come to the front office to have a photo taken and an ID printed. DO NOT come to the front office without an appointment or during instructional time! Please email Tina Schwersinske @ tmschwe@sunprairieschools.org to request an ID
Read-Along Corner 📖
Next Chapters: 6 & 7 on November 9
College Rep Visits
Representatives from the following colleges will be in Student Services during WIN time this week. Sign up in FlexiSched with Mrs. Griffin.
Tuesday, November 3 - UW Whitewater
Wednesday, November 4 - Ripon College
Thursday, November 5 - UW Stevens Point and Madison College
HBCU Festival - Virtual
The 24th Annual ASBC HBCU Fest is coming November 13th (4pm - 8pm ET) –14th (8am - 4:30pm ET), and you do not want to miss it!
Whether you're a student searching for the right college, a parent planning for your student’s future, or a counselor helping students reach their goals, the ASBC HBCU Fest is your opportunity to connect, explore, and GET AHEAD!
Admissions. Scholarships. Connections. Opportunity.
With 70+ colleges and universities participating over two action-packed days, students can:
🌟 Meet college representatives face-to-face
🎓 Get on-the-spot admission decisions
💸 Have college application fees waived
🏆 Discover scholarship opportunities
📚 Learn about programs, majors, and campus life
🤝 Build connections that can open doors to their future
Questions or need more information? Contact the HBCU Fest Planning Committee at hbcufestival@alfredstreet.org.
SET Marketing Academy Survey
The SET Marketing Academy is partnering with the Bank of Sun Prairie. These students are tasked with gathering information and data about community perception of the Bank of Sun Prairie. Please consider completing a short survey to help gather that information. https://forms.gle/UrgAoorVJFLh7ME86
English 10
All English 10 students in Ms. Shay, Ms. Moran, and Mrs. Hirsts’ classes have made their departure into the reading of the graphic novel The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds. After the adventure is over, all classes will return together to the West PAC to watch the epic movie starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and Tom Holland in order to analyze the transformation of the characters from print to big screen!
Multilingual
Our ESL students are sharing their knowledge through informational writing! We’re celebrating their learning, writing, and growing confidence in English!
