Cardinal Call

After a busy East/West events week, we are gearing up for homecoming! Please review the deadlines and dates for homecoming events. Our theme this year is "Cardchella." Student Council will have more information about the week's events in upcoming Cardinal Calls. Additionally, PreACT testing is this Tuesday! We are looking forward to seeing our students show all they know on this standardized assessment. If you have questions about the Pre-ACT assessment, feel free to connect with Ms. Looper. Let's have a great week!

Sincerely,

Jim Ertel

Principal

• September 22 - Homecoming Guest Forms are available in the main office - THIS MONDAY!
• October 2 at 3:45 pm - Guest Forms Due

• October 6 at 8 am - Homecoming Tickets go on sale via GoFan

• October 8 - Homecoming Parade, 6 PM on Main Street
• October 9 at noon - Ticket Sales End
• October 10 - Homecoming Football Game, Kickoff 7 PM
• October 11 - Homecoming Dance, 7 PM - 10 PM

This year's theme is Cardchella! Be on the lookout for more information about homecoming shirts for sale.

The staff have been so impressed with our students' work on improving their engagement and reducing cell phone use, we have arranged a Food Truck Friday. On Friday, October 3 we will have seven food trucks available for students to purchase items from. We will also have school lunch available for students as usual in the commons. Well done!

• Free Vaccination Clinic in Sun Prairie at the Professional Learning Center (Door #28) 220 Kroncke Dr. Wednesday October 1st, 2025 3:00 to 7:00 pm
• If you’re unable to attend the Sun Prairie location, please click here to see other Madison area opportunities

Dr. Saron and I were able to tag along with Mr. Coyne at the State of Education address at the Capitol. Mr. Coyne also received his teacher of the year award from Dr. Jill Underly at the event. Congratulations Joel!

Linked below is this month's French newsletter.

Linked below are the band program updates for the new school year.

Stop by Meadow View Elementary on October 2nd for Hispanic and Latino Family Night!

• Purchased parking passes were distributed last week. If you have not picked up your pass, please stop by the main office.
• Please make sure you have paid your parking fee in IC.
• Students will need a parking pass to avoid getting a parking citation. Officer Davis will issue warnings before citations.
• PARKING ENFORCMENT WILL BEGIN THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 22.

On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, our school will administer the PreACT exam to all 9th–11th grade students during the school day.

• Students will test during the regular school start time.
  

• Dismissal will be at 12:30 pm for all 9th–11th graders. STEM Academy students and students with individualized testing schedules will receive additional communication from assessment coordinators.
  

• Students should bring a fully charged device, along with a water bottle and snack (to be eaten during the scheduled break). All other testing materials will be provided.
  

• Testing room assignments will be posted in school common areas.

In the Fall, the PreACT is for practice and feedback and is not used for college admissions or state reporting. In addition to providing data to our educators to inform future instruction, it also provides valuable information to support student growth. The assessment helps students:

• ⭐ Identify academic strengths
  
  

• 🔍 Spot areas to improve
  
  

• 📝 Gain experience with ACT-style questions
  
  

• 📊 Plan for college and career readiness
  
  

Results will be available about three weeks after testing and will be shared with both students and parents/caregivers.

👉 Learn more about the PreACT here

👉 The PreACT mirrors the ACT, so any prep materials can double as preparation for both assessments: Test Prep & Kaplan Test Prep.

👉All students also have access to free ACT & SAT prep through a program called Methodize that students can find under the Resources tab on Xello (an academic & career planning application on school issued devices).

• Reading – 30 minutes | 25 multiple-choice questions
  

• English – 30 minutes | 45 multiple-choice questions
  

• Math – 40 minutes | 36 multiple-choice questions

• Science – 30 minutes | 30 multiple-choice questions

Seniors (12th graders) will not attend school on September 23. This schedule allows us to provide a focused testing environment for underclassmen. Classes for seniors will resume on Wednesday, September 24.

Officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced the names of more than 16,000 Semifinalists in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Sun Prairie East had one finalist. Congratulations to Alexis Cox!

On Friday, September 19th, all seniors met in the PAC during SP30 for important information about post-secondary planning. A copy of this presentation can be found here. All seniors are encouraged to schedule a meeting with their counselor to talk about their post high school plans. Ms. Leja, our College, Career & Life Readiness Coordinator, is also available to meet with students. Links to schedule appointments are below:

Ms. Albright (Last names A-F): https://sdalbri.youcanbook.me/

Mrs. Karsten (Last names G-L) https://calendar.app.google/MbYiQnFdgH8HKDbp8

Mr. Jordan (Last names M-S): sljorda@sunprairieschools.org

Mrs. Thao (T-Z) https://pthao-east.youcanbook.me/

Ms. Leja (Last Names A-Z): https://lllejar-6.youcanbook.me/

• Email: lllejar@sunprairieschools.org

PSAT registration officially closed on Monday, September 8th. Students who registered should log into Infinite Campus to pay the $18.00 testing fee as soon as possible.

The PSAT will be administered on Wednesday, October 15th, from 8:45 AM to 12:00 PM in the Library. Students are expected to arrive by 8:25 AM on the day of the test.

A reminder email will be sent to all registered students as the testing date approaches

Attention Juniors & Seniors!

Thinking about life after high school? Whether college, technical school, military, or other options, the Wisconsin Education Fair (WEF) is a great place to start!

Event Details:
📅 Thursday, October 2nd, 2025
📍 Sun Prairie West High School
👥 Juniors & Seniors ONLY

What’s WEF?
Meet reps from 4-year colleges, 2-year/technical schools, military branches, and career programs. Get info on admissions, financial aid, housing, and more—all in one spot!

How to Attend:

• Pick up a permission form in Student Services, return to Mrs. Johnson or Mrs. Thao
  

• OR complete the Google Form: WEF LINK
  Deadline: Monday, Sept. 29th, 3:45 PM (No late forms accepted)
  
  

Important:

• This is an authorized school trip with school transportation and supervision.

• Students may NOT drive themselves.

• Bus Departure: 9:45 AM (students must have permission slip on file in student services and will be released from class at 9:30AM)

• Bus Return: 11:30 AM

• As this is an optional trip, students will be expected to make up any work that was missed during their absence from class.
  
  

Don’t miss this chance to explore your future! Questions? Visit Student Services or your School Counselor.

As a Member of Congress, Representative Pocan has the honor of nominating outstanding young people from the Second District for an appointment to one of our nation’s service academies. Although a nomination is not a guarantee that a student will attend a U.S. Service Academy, it is required to apply to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.

Our office is accepting nomination applications through Friday, October 17th. We will be holding an informational day for students, parents, and teachers on Wednesday, September 17th, to see presentations on the service academy admissions process. You will have

the opportunity to speak to representatives from each of the five academies and staff from our district office. Please let any interested students know that they can contact our office at 608-258-9800 or email the Service Academy Nominations Coordinator at Diego.Benitez@mail.house.gov with questions.

Ms. Leja has access to copies of the application for interested students.

Thanks to our students on a fantastic East vs West week. Please reach out to the athletic office if you have any questions about homecoming tickets.

Thank you!

Jenna Boberg, CAA

Athletics & Activities Director

Congratulations to the soccer team on the victory over Sun Prairie West on Thursday.

Congratulations to the football team on their win Friday night! We had a number of exciting events Friday night. Below are some pictures from the pom and dance performance, cheer routine, and the girls hockey program being recognized for sportsmanship by the WIAA during their state run from the 2024/2025 school year.

Thank you to National Honor Society members who stayed after the football game on Friday to help our night custodians clean up the student section. This gesture of service meant a great deal to the night cleaners that have to prepare the venue for events Saturday morning.

If you are interested in purchasing a yearbook or or submitting your senior photo, please take a look at the informational flyer below.

We are excited to have our fall sports in full swing. We have already started to host home events. Please review the SPASD event guidelines. Our athletes are ready to take the field, stage, pool, court, pitch, course and so much more this school year. Together we will continue to make these fantastic, safe and enjoyable events for all.

All East students will need their student ID or if they have not yet received their 25/26 student ID, they will need to look up their Infinite Campus profile. This can be done in advance and screenshotted for quick access. Also, please download GoFan to purchase digital tickets to our events.

• September 22nd - Homecoming Guest Forms Are Available
• September 25th - Club Expo during lunches
• October 1st - Winter Sports Registration opens
• October 2nd at 3:45pm - Homecoming Guest Forms Due

• October 6th at 8am - Homecoming Tickets Go On Sale

• October 8th - Homecoming Parade
• October 9th at noon - Ticket Sales End
• October 10th - Homecoming Football Game
• October 11th - Homecoming Dance

Come show your school spirit and support our athletes in the East vs West competitions!

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:

• Sept 30, 2025: NIL 101 & Personal Branding Fundamentals

• 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

Sun Prairie United Esports is looking for interested students to join and try out for spots this year for our competitive gaming state league. If you're interested or would like more information please head to our website HERE and reach out with any questions. Find information about what games we participate in and how to join. There will be a future informational meeting held in our event space at East High School very soon.

Please see the linked information for upcoming contests.