We hope you had a meaningful and restful Memorial Day weekend. Today, we take time to slow down, remember, and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country—and we also hold their families and children in our thoughts.

As we close out May and step into June, it’s hard to believe we’re already in the final stretch of Year 3 of our One West community. Please keep a close eye on important upcoming dates, especially the deadline for late work this Thursday, May 29th.

There’s also so much to celebrate! Spring sports seasons are wrapping up, and our Forensics Team is shining on the national stage, with Sun Prairie’s first-ever National Forensics finalist!

Check out all of this and more in this week’s edition of The Howl!

There's a lot in this week's Howl. Check it out!

• Greetings Wolf Pack!
• Upcoming Events
• AANHPI Celebration
• Student SEL Survey
• Feedback on Proposed Grading Changes
• Upcoming Opportunities
• Important Dates
• Cap and Gown Donations
• Shout Outs and Celebrations
• Wolf Study Lounge
• In Case you Missed It!

May 1st-May 30th- May-ttendance Competition- students in winning SP30s will receive coupons for food truck food on June 6th.

May 27th- AVID Senior Night Class of 2025- West PAC 6:00-8:00pm

May 29th- Band Concert, SP West PAC, 8pm

June 5th-

• Choir Concert, 7pm, SP West PAC
• Last day for the Activity Bus

June 6th- May-ttendance Celebration- Food trucks during lunch

June 10th- Senior Walks- Details to come

June 11th-

• Summer Celebration- 2:30-3:45 for all students- please see the article in "In Case You Missed It" for information regarding donations
• All library books due back to the library
• Seniors need to have chromebooks, chargers and library books turned in: End of Year Device Info for seniors

June 12th- PPA Graduation

June 12th- Last day of school- 12:15pm release

June 13th- Graduation!

June 18th- Sun Prairie Pride Fest at SP West 12-4pm

As we close out May this week, we finish the month strong by continuing to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. While the month may be ending, our commitment to honoring and uplifting every part of our diverse community continues all year long—not just one month at a time.

Students – Thank you for using your voice and sharing your thoughts as we wrap up the school year. Your feedback helps us reflect on our strengths and identify areas where we can grow, so we can better support you in the year ahead.

If you haven’t already, please take a moment to complete the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) survey. You can find it in NextPath. (There were two surveys: one focused on safety and belonging, and the other on social-emotional skills.)

Your voice matters—thank you for being part of this important work!

• Login to My SP
• Open Next Path
• Click on "Social Emotional Learning Survey"

Grading is a vital part of our high school teaching, learning, and feedback process. It’s also an iterative practice—one that we continuously reflect on, review, and refine to better serve our students.

This spring, an interdisciplinary team from both East and West has reviewed the implementation of our grading practices. Based on their findings, they’ve proposed changes for the 2025–2026 school year.

Now, we need your voice to help us determine if we’re on the right path.

Please review the slide deck below, which includes background, our current practices, the proposed changes, and the rationale behind them. After reviewing, we ask that you complete the feedback form by 4:00 PM on Thursday, May 29th.

We welcome and encourage feedback from all parents/caregivers, students, and staff. Your input is essential as we shape our next steps together.

While the end of the school year is quickly approaching, there are still plenty of opportunities to prepare for next year—and exciting adventures to look forward to this summer!

A reminder that ALL late work from the semester is due in just a few short days on Thursday, May 29th.

• 5/29: Deadline for all missing summative and formative assignments.
• 6/5 (A Day), 6/6 (B Day): Last day any new summative assessments should be assigned.
• 6/12: Teacher contracts end for the 2024/2025 school year. All grades must be submitted to the registrar.
• Scholars: No incomplete grades are issued for semester two because the school year has ended. Please make sure all work is completed and turned in in a timely manner.
• Reminder: Spring semester grades affect fall athletic eligibility. If you have questions about this, please reach out to your coach or the athletic office.

Do you have a SP HS cap/gown sitting around? The high schools are seeking caps and gowns in good shape, for students in need! Graduation caps and gowns in good shape for SPE (Red) or SPW (Blue) can be dropped off that school's front office. Thank you for helping our kids celebrate this monumental moment!

If you are interested in contributing to the purchase of Caps, Gowns, and Tassel’s for students in need please reach out to Principal Ploeger, AP Ford, or AP Barrett!

The Sun Prairie West forensics team sent 11 students to Chicago to compete at the NCFL National Forensics tournament.

Pragnya Vella was 4th place in Original Oratory in the country! She is the first-ever national finalist from Sun Prairie!

Ishaan Shukla was in the top 24 in Oratorical Declamation. Siddhi Rajkondawar was in the top 48 in Oral Interpretation of Literature.

Other SP West students who competed included: Yogitha Rajkumar, Asha Sundaram, John Kudrle, Maecie Ledden, Shlok Shah, Mouneeth Venigalla, Hanshika JaipravinKumar, and Devin Willis.

Coach Harper and 10 girls were able to participate in the NFL Flag Football Tournament in Green Bay. Although we didn't come out with the ring, we had a great experience. We'll get it next year!

Ms. Liddle’s 3A/4A Geometry classes used their new knowledge of solids to find the volume and surface areas of objects in the classroom!

Students in Chemistry burned different fuels to collect data and then calculated the amount of energy being released as part of our thermochemistry unit.

The Sun Prairie West drama club had the opportunity on Friday, May 16th, to be extras in a music video shoot for a local musician. They had a great time learning about video shoots.

Our JV Boys tennis team took 4th place at conference over the weekend! Our #4 Singles Ashmith Siddarth won the championship! Coach : Haley Rohloff

Our JV2 Boys tennis team took 2th place at conference over the weekend Our #3 & # 4 Singles Tanish and Arjun took 2nd Place in the conference. Coach : David Samuel

New Year, Same Supports! We’re excited to share some updates to our before and after school tutoring support program to better support your learning:

• Afternoon Study Lounge Relocated: The afternoon study hall has been moved to a new space—the Library—to provide a more focused and resource-rich environment.

• Additional Teacher Support: We’ve added more teachers to our tutoring sessions to ensure students get the help they need.

Be sure to take advantage of these new changes and set yourself up for success this year!

Let’s make this a fantastic year of learning and growth!

We need YOUR input too! Do you have an idea of something that should be included in the Howl? Your ideas are always welcome. Email our Admin Associate to the Principal, Jordain Blank at jnblank@sunprairieschools.org.

If you don't already, please follow SP West on Facebook!

STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION

No student may be unlawfully discriminated against in any school programs, activities or in facilities usage because of the student’s sex (gender identity, gender expressions, and non-conformity to gender role stereotypes), color, religion, profession, or demonstration of belief or non-belief, race, national origin (including limited English proficiency), ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, homelessness status, sexual orientation, age, or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability. Harassment is a form of discrimination and shall not be tolerated in the District. It is the responsibility of administrators, staff members and all students to ensure that student discrimination or harassment does not occur.

(SPASD District Policy JB)

If a student or parent/guardian would prefer to have this information translated into Spanish, please contact us at 608-834-6620. Si un estudiante, padre ó guardian prefiere tener esta información traducida en Español, por favor contactenos en el 608-834-6620.

If a student or parent/guardian would prefer to have this information translated into Hmong, please contact us at 608-834-6630. Yog tus me nyuam lub xiv los yog niam thiab txiv/tus neeg muaj cai saib xyuas tus me nyuam xav tau qhov ntawv ntawm no ua lus Hmoob, thov hais rau peb paub rau ntawm 608-834-6630.

We strive to keep The Howl as streamlined as possible with all of the important information for our community. To the end once something has appeared in The Howl, it will move here to the "In Case you Missed It!" section. Take a moment to peruse and make sure you have not missed important info!

Dear Sun Prairie High School Senior Parents and Caregivers,

This letter is to provide information about your student’s chromebook as we approach the end of the year. Students in grades 9, 10 and 11 will keep their school-issued device over the summer unless they are leaving the district, in which case the device should be returned by June 9th, 2025. Students can still access school applications and use their device over the summer. Filtering software will still be active throughout the summer. Students are expected to care for their device over the summer just as they would during the school year.

Seniors must return their devices on or before our last day of school on June 12th, 2025.

Device Collection for Seniors will begin on June 9, 2025 in the LMC. Students will be called to the library by the first initial of their last name. If you no longer need your device, feel free to turn it in earlier. Devices and chargers and any Kajeet Hotspots or Smartspots will be collected. If you have lost your charger, there will be a fee of $15 added to your Infinite Campus account. Lost or damaged device fees will also be added to your account in Infinite Campus. This fee will vary based on the age of the device and type of damage.

Google Takeout Instructions (transferring student account data to a personal account) will be posted in the senior class Google Classroom and are linked below. Seniors will lose access to their district accounts on July 1, 2025, and should begin transferring their data as soon as possible to avoid loss of files. Since your personal Google account is not considered the “owner” of your school account’s data, you may lose access to those files once your student account is deactivated, unless you go in from your personal account and “MAKE A COPY”.

Fines for overdue library materials, missing Chromebooks and chargers will be assessed on June 12th or earlier. Any materials needing to be returned after this date should be brought to the District Service Center at 501 S. Bird St.

Link Here for One Pager Instructions for Google Takeout

Have a wonderful summer!

-The Library Team

Dear Sun Prairie Parents, Caregivers and Students,

We want to alert you to a troubling trend circulating on TikTok that encourages students to intentionally short-circuit or damage their school-issued Chromebooks. This behavior poses significant safety hazards, not only to the students involved, but also to those around them as these actions have the potential to cause a school-issued device to start on fire. Such actions undermine and disrupt our learning environments. We take this matter very seriously and are committed to ensuring our schools remain safe and focused on learning.

Students found intentionally damaging their Chromebook - whether to follow this trend or for any other reason - will be held fully accountable. This includes being charged the full replacement cost of the device, which will exceed two-hundred dollars. Any additional damage to other school property from these actions will also result in fines. Beyond the financial consequences, such actions may also result in disciplinary measures according to district policy.

Our technology is a tax-payer provided resource that is a vital part of students’ learning, and its intentional destruction not only violates district expectations but also impacts the broader school community. We ask all caregivers to please speak with their children about the dangers and consequences of participating in harmful social media challenges. As always, we appreciate your partnership in helping us maintain a positive, safe, and respectful learning environment. Resources for parents and caregivers to reference for discussing social media and digital citizenship with their children can be found at https://www.commonsensemedia.org/.

If you have questions or concerns, we encourage you to contact your school principal directly. Thank you for your continued support in putting students’ learning and safety first.

Regards,
Curt Mould
Director of Digital Media, Innovation and Strategy

When: Wednesday, June 11th in the afternoon

What: Outdoor Activities w/ Students & Staff, Cookout, & Food Trucks!!!

Time: 2:24pm - 3:45pm – bell schedule

Where: Athletic Fields & Outdoor Spaces

Purpose: To come together as a West Community before we leave for the summer, and to strengthen relationships and celebrate the year.

Donations: We are gearing up for our annual End of the Year Celebration! Details are being planned as we speak. This annual tradition is a wonderful way to celebrate teachers and students on a job well done throughout the year, and to kick off summer.

Please consider donating items in the form of food and/or cash donations. We will be accepting:

• Hotdog/brat buns - bring in perishable items the week of June 9th

• Condiments: ketchup, mustard, pickles etc.

• Assorted chips and/or snacks

• Bottled waters

• Water flavorings: crystal light packets, gatorade packets etc.

• Plastic silverware: forks, spoons, knives

• Plates

• Napkins

*Please bring all items, and cash donations to the SP West Front Office anytime from 7:00 am - 3:45 pm. Starting now until June 10th. Your contributions are vital to keeping our programs running, and celebrating our students! We greatly appreciate all your help and support!

Support our SP West GSA Club by purchasing some apparel to wear during Pride Month (or every month!). Store is open until May 11th, and orders will be ready for delivery around May 23rd. For each item purchased $2 will be donated to Sun Prairie Pride fest. Thank you for your support!

Yearbook distribution is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, May 20th through Thursday, May 22nd. Students who preordered a book can pick theirs up before school (8:05–8:35 AM), during their scheduled lunch, or after school (3:45–4:00 PM). Just bring your Student ID Number to pick up! Early graduates, STEM, and apprenticeship students are more than welcome to stop by during these times as well. If you're unable to pick up during distribution, books will be available in the Main Office the following week.

Still need a yearbook? We have fewer than 40 copies left! Order yours now while supplies last: Yearbook Purchase Link

If you have any questions, please reach out to Natalie Fowler at nefowle@sunprairieschools.org

Attention Incoming Seniors! It’s time to start thinking about your senior portraits! Many of you will be scheduling sessions over the summer, so please keep in mind that all senior portraits must be submitted by Friday, October 31st. An upload link will be shared at the beginning of the school year to make submitting your photo easy and convenient. Be sure to plan ahead and capture a portrait that reflects you!

Cap and Gown Delivery

Midwest Scholastic delivered caps, gowns, cords, and other supplies to Sun Prairie West last week.

• Unpaid orders were NOT left at school. These will be delivered after payment and will incur special handling costs.

• Paid orders were left at school and can be picked up in the front office.

Any questions regarding your payment? Please email Midwest Scholastic at payments@mwscholastic.com.

Any questions regarding the graduation ceremony? Please see the FAQ sheet on the Sun Prairie West Graduation website.

Cords and Stoles

Graduates who earned honor cords also received them with their caps and gowns. These are based on student’s GPAs after the first seven semesters. Below you will find a table explaining the colors:

Some students will also wear stoles at the ceremony. Graduation stoles are fabrics that drape on the shoulders and can represent many different things. Sometimes stoles are referred to as sashes--these are the same product.

Stoles that are acceptable to wear at graduation include:

• Perfect 4.0 Achievement

• National Honors Society

• Approved Sun Prairie Educational Programs (AVID, STEM Academy, Madison College programs)

• Representations of cultural identity (BSU, kente stoles, serape stoles, paj ntaub, etc.)

Stoles that are not acceptable to wear at graduation include:

• Images/messages that are not school appropriate

• Stoles that do not follow the approved guidelines.

• Other celebrations can be shown on cap decorations.

Sun Prairie West High School will be giving every graduate a yard sign at the Senior Awards Night in May. If students cannot attend this event, they can pick one up in the front office at a later time. This yard sign is FREE and is NOT the same yard sign sold by Midwest Scholastic seen in their email last week.

We are teaming up with the @Wisconsin Department of Transportation to encourage students, staff, and families to take the Buckle Up Phone Down pledge! Over 9,000 crashes a year in Wisconsin involve distracted driving, and cell phones are one of the biggest distractions.

The challenge is on! Pledge to always wear your seat belt and put your phone down while driving at: wisconsindot.gov/bupd/spsd. Choose your high school so we can see which school gets the highest percentage of pledges!

We all have a role in keeping our roads and communities safe!

#BUPD #BuckleUpPhoneDown

This spring there have been measles cases in several states. Measles is a very contagious virus. It spreads easily and quickly when people cough and sneeze. If you haven’t had the measles vaccine, just being in a room with someone who has measles can make you sick.

Measles can be a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death. It can be prevented by the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine.

• The vaccine is safe and effective. The best protection against measles is measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

• Most people are vaccinated as young children because two doses are required to go to school. One dose is usually given at 12-15 months of age, and a second dose is given before the start of kindergarten at 4-6 years of age.

• Most people who get measles are unvaccinated. When the measles finds a group of unvaccinated people, it can spread very quickly.

Check your immunization records

You can check your child’s immunization record on the Wisconsin Immunization Registry or with your healthcare provider.

If our school records do not show that your child has received two doses of the MMR vaccine you will receive additional communication from the school.

Get Vaccinated

• If you have health insurance: reach out to your healthcare provider to make an appointment.

• If you don’t have health insurance or if your child is on BadgerCare: You can make an appointment with Public Health Madison Dane County by calling (608) 266-4821.

Watch for Measles Symptoms

Measles symptoms begin with a fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes, followed by a rash that usually spreads from the head to the rest of the body. If you or your child has these symptoms, call your healthcare provider. Do not go to a clinic, urgent care, or emergency room without calling first.

For more information on measles, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/measles/

Senior Celebration is on Wednesday, May 14th from 6:00pm-8:00pm. ALL Seniors and their Parents/Caregivers are welcome! Students who are being recognized at the event will receive an individualized invitation via email closer to the date. We will be celebrating the Class of 2025 through: Academic Awards, Local Scholarship Announcements, Department Awards with refreshments provided by our ProStart students. Excited to see you there!

Midwest Scholastic will be delivering caps, gowns, cords, and other supplies to Sun Prairie West on Thursday, April 17th during lunches (12:11-1:30pm) in the PAC Lobby. This is the only time Midwest will be at our school.

• Unpaid orders will NOT be left at school. This will be delivered after payment and will incur special handling costs. If you would like to pay prior to delivery day, you may do so with a credit card by visiting mwscholastic.com and click on ‘Pay Invoice’ at the top of the page.

• Paid orders will be left at school and can be picked up in the front office.

Any questions regarding your payment? Please email Midwest Scholastic at payments@mwscholastic.com.

Any questions regarding the graduation ceremony? Please see the FAQ sheet on the Sun Prairie West Graduation website.