Cardinal Call

It will be a busy week for our Cardinals! This week marks many of our Sun Prairie East vs Sun Prairie West athletic competitions. It has been nice to see our students settling into the new school year now that we have two weeks behind us. Also, it may be hard to believe, but next week Tuesday is already PreACT testing. As the school year is now in full swing, we are looking forward to seeing all the amazing things our Cardinals will do. Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Jim Ertel

Principal

As we get closer to our homecoming celebration, please keep a lookout for communication around guest forms and ticket sales. In the meantime, here are our celebration dates.

• September 22 - Homecoming Guest Forms are available in the main office
• 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 midnight - Ticket Sales End
• October 10 - Homecoming Football Game, Kickoff 7 PM
• October 11 - Homecoming Dance, 7 PM - 10 PM

After two weeks of school our average phone drop offs in the office ranges between 10 and 20 phones per day. On Friday, we had a particularly strong day with only five phones having to be taken to the office. Keep up the great work, students and staff!

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 will be distributed this week.
• Please make sure you have paid your parking fee in IC.
• Students will need a parking pass to avoid getting a parking citation.
• PARKING ENFORCMENT WILL BEGIN THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 22.

To support our commitment to cultural inclusiveness in school nutrition, we are gathering student input on trying foods from diverse cultures. This work will help us ensure that the nutrition program reflects and celebrates the diversity of our student body. Please answer one quick survey question linked below. Thank you!

Officer Davis is our School Resource Officer at Sun Prairie East. Should you need any assistance with any police related matters, feel free to reach out to him. Thank you!

Email: jdavis@cityofsunprairie.com

Phone: 608-834-6731

• Voicemail Box X5606

Sun Prairie Area School District schools are closed campuses, which means students may not leave school property during the school day for lunch and must adhere to the excused absence procedures previously outlined.

Students may leave school only with permission from a parent/caregiver and only for excused activities. Parents/caregivers should not excuse their students from school to leave campus to have lunch offsite. Caregivers are welcome to drop off food for their students in the main office, but please do not utilize delivery services such as Door Dash.

Information on our closed campus can be found on pages 23-24 of the student handbook.

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.

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.

Fall sports are in full swing! Please look through the information below for important updates from the athletics and activities office.

Thank you!

Jenna Boberg, CAA

Athletics & Activities Director

This week marks many East vs West games! We hope to see lots of our students out and about this week enjoying our crosstown rivalry. Also, please remember when you leave school grounds and events, you still represent our Cardinal family. Please make positive choices and represent your school with pride. Show our community what great leaders all our students can be! Go CARDS!

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.

Sun Prairie East and the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) require good sportsmanship at education-based sporting events. Attendance at interscholastic activities is a privilege with the expectation to exhibit positive and respectful behavior. For the enjoyment and respect of all, your cooperation in demonstrating high ideals of sportsmanship is expected and greatly appreciated. A recent WIAA Constitutional amendment will require an ejected spectator to complete the free, online NFHS Sportsmanship course available at http://NFHSLearn.com and submit verification to school officials before attending any future home athletic events. This is in addition to the current, required one-game suspension.

• September 18th - Free Sports Physicals by appointment only at the District Wellness Clinic (for those who qualify, Caregiver must call to schedule) 608-834-6977
• 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 midnight - 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.