Cardinal Call

Thank you to our families who were able to connect with our staff during our fall conferences. If you were unable to meet with all your student's instructors, please feel free to reach out to staff to set up additional times to meet if necessary. November 4th marks the end of quarter one. We have updated grading policy language this school year, which has been included below as a reminder for students and families. Let's have a great week!

Sincerely,

Jim Ertel

Principal

The one page document below details the adjustments to the grading policy for 2025-2026. Changes have been made to our past policy around deadlines, the missing work floor, retakes, multipliers, and incompletes. Teaching staff will be working to finalize some department-level parameters when they return to work next week. Those decisions will be reflected in course-level syllabi and will be communicated by the teaching staff at the start of the school year. Here are some key highlights:

• Deadlines: All formatives and summatives due by the end of the quarter, which includes retake
  attempts. Assessments returned to students with feedback less than one week before the
  end of the quarter will be put on the next quarter’s grading window.
• Missing Work: M=40%. Missing assessments at the end of the quarter will remain M, 40%. The
  lowest possible score for an attempted assessment is 50%.
• Retakes: Every student is guaranteed an opportunity to take and retake an assessment once within the quarter the assessment was assigned. Students can make up an assessment from an absence regardless of attendance coding. Departments aligned across East and West can determine if they will allow more than one retake and can determine what must be complete before a retake (study guide, test corrections, etc)
• Attempting Summatives: Students must attempt at least half of summatives to be eligible to pass the class (not new this year, but important to be aware of).

Parents & Caregivers, Thank you for supporting your scholar during the fall PreACT assessment. We are grateful for the way our students showed effort and focus during testing. Student reports are in the process of being mailed home.

Results are also available online. To view your scholar’s report:

1. Go to https://nextpath.app/login.

2. Select “log in with email” under the Guardian option.

1. The first time you sign in, you will be asked to confirm some information for your child(ren).

2. Once logged in, select PreACT Local.

The Student Report includes:

• Subject and Composite Scores

• Readiness Benchmarks

• National Percentile Rank

• Predicted ACT Score

• STEM score (Science and Math)

• Progress Toward Career Readiness

You can learn more about these scores here: Using Your PreACT Results.

Because the PreACT is similar to the ACT, these resources can help students plan and prepare for spring testing: Test Prep, Kaplan Test Prep, & ACT practice test. Students also have free access to ACT and SAT prep through Methodize, which can be found under the Resources tab on Xello (available on school-issued devices).

The score report is only one piece of your scholar’s learning story. Their growth also shows up in the classroom—through teacher observations, daily work, and other assessments collected across the school year. We look forward to supporting and celebrating their growth throughout the year.

As a reminder, using personal electronic devices when not directed by a teacher would qualify for a purple pass. We will be reinforcing these expectations with students on Monday, and the associated teach-to slides can be viewed here.

Attention Parents and Caregivers of the Class of 2026!

All East seniors are receiving their Senior Guide, a valuable resource designed to help them plan their next steps after high school. The guide includes important information about college applications, financial aid (FAFSA), apprenticeships, military options, and career pathways.

Students will use this guide during upcoming SP30 classes to begin mapping out their postsecondary plans. We encourage families to review the guide together and discuss future goals, deadlines, and opportunities.

For additional support, students can connect with their College and Career Readiness Coordinator or School Counselor.

Together, let’s help every senior take confident steps toward their future!

The fall blood drive will be Wednesday, October 29th. Students if you have questions please check in with Ms. Harms or Ms. Orcutt.

Linked below are the band program updates for the week of October 20th.

Linked below is this month's French Newsletter.

To better support students and ensure that instructional time is maximized, we are updating our attendance procedures—specifically focusing on students who are on campus but not in class—as well as our hallway expectations. These changes are designed to reduce the number of students missing class, promote a safe and orderly environment, and help every student fully benefit from their time in school.

Please review the updated procedures, which will take effect on Monday, October 20th, through this LINK.

5th Hour Tutoring is up & running for 2025-2026! 5th Hour Tutoring runs Tuesdays - Thursdays from 3:50-4:40PM in the LMC, with teachers from English, math, science, social studies, art, and more available to work with students. Students are able to take the activity bus (which leaves at 4:45PM) home after 5th Hour tutoring.

Due to the ongoing government shutdown, the ASVAB (Vocational Aptitude Battery) testing scheduled at our school has been canceled.

The good news is that Ms. Leja (College, Career & Life Readiness Coordinator) is currently completing training to become certified to administer the ASVAB. Once Ms. Leja's training is complete, we will be able to reschedule the test and offer a new testing date for all interested students.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to ensure students have the opportunity to take the ASVAB in the near future. Please stay tuned for updates on the new testing date—we’ll share details as soon as they’re confirmed.

An important grading reminder went out via email to students and families on Wednesday October 22nd about how Mid-Semester grades will impact athletics and activities eligibility. Please take time to review and reach out with questions!

Winter Sport Sign Up is underway through infinite campus and practices begin mid-November.

Jenna Boberg, CAA

Athletics & Activities Director

Sun Prairie East hosted a successful Big 8 Conference Boys & Girls Cross Country meet Saturday, October 18th at Sheehan Park. Thank you to all the staff and our coaches for their hard work making the event a success!

Congratulations to Braenna Stampf and Beatriz Cocos Alfonso for reaching the Sweet 16 of the Girls Tennis State Finals! Well done on this incredible accomplishment and great season.

The fall sports teams will be headed into the playoffs in October, follow along on the WIAA site HERE

Winter Sports Registration is now open on infinite campus. Winter season athletes should not wait, register now!

We will offer the following sports:

Adapted Indoor Floor Hockey

Basketball - Boys

Basketball - Girls

Gymnastics - Girls

Hockey - Boys

Hockey - Girls

Swim/Dive - Boys

Wrestling - Boys

Wrestling - Girls

Our athletes and families are invited to join Influential Athlete’s monthly virtual NIL Masterclasses to learn how to navigate NIL safely while maximizing opportunities and building skills for life after sports. Sessions take place on the last Tuesday of every month (except December) at 6 PM CST.

2025 – 2026 Schedule:

• Oct 28, 2025: Social Media for NIL Success

• Nov 25, 2025: Storytelling & On-Camera Presence

• Dec 16, 2025: Identifying Potential NIL Partners

• Jan 27, 2026: Pitching & Negotiating NIL Deals

• Feb 24, 2026: Protecting Yourself in NIL Deals

• Mar 31, 2026: Financial Management for NIL Athletes

• Apr 28, 2026: Maximizing Media Exposure

• May 26, 2026: Life After Sports – Using NIL to Build Your Future

Please see the linked information for upcoming contests.