Rising from the Prairie

Oct. 1, 2025

We Are Wrapping Up Week 5!

Thank you for your continued partnership and support as we work together to make this a strong and successful year for every student. Our school is built on relationships, community, and opportunity, and one of the most important ways students can make the most of those opportunities is by being here every day.

Attendance Matters
Coming to school consistently is about more than just being in class. It builds responsibility, perseverance, and habits for life. Students who attend regularly are more likely to:

• Stay on track to graduate on time

• Build strong relationships with peers and teachers

• Develop work-ready skills such as time management and accountability

• Feel more confident and engaged in learning
  
  

Just like in the workplace, showing up matters. Employers look for people who are reliable, responsible, and present, and those habits start now. Even one or two missed days each month can make it harder to keep up with learning, build relationships, and reach future goals.

How Families Can Help
We know life happens, and we’re here to support you. You can help your student by:

• Setting a routine. Consistent bedtimes and morning habits make on-time arrival easier.

• Communicating early. If transportation or health issues arise, reach out. We want to help.

• Talking about goals. Connect attendance to college, career, and life after high school.
  
  

Daily Schedule (Reminder)
8:45 Breakfast
9:00–9:15 Advisory
9:20–10:30 Workshop 1
10:35–11:45 Workshop 2
11:45–12:05 Break (Gym, SRC, Café)
12:05–12:35 Lunch
12:40–1:20 Workshop 3
1:25–2:05 Advisory
2:10–3:20 Personalized Learning

Students arriving after 9:05 a.m. are marked tardy.

Let’s Make Every Day Count
We’re proud of the growth we’ve seen so far, and we know the weeks ahead will be even stronger. Showing up every day is one of the simplest and most powerful ways for students to take control of their future, and we’re here to support them every step of the way.

With appreciation,
Prairie Phoenix Academy Team

October 2 Wisconsin Education Fair at SP West! Swing by Miss. Yang’s office to sign up! For now, only 11th-12th grade students

October 2nd- Hispanic/Latino Family Night, 5:00-7:00 pm at Meadowview

October 13th-17th- Homecoming Week!

October 22nd- PSAT (Optional test for Juniors- pre-registration required)

Homecoming Dates

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.

Homecoming Dates -SPE

• 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

Homecoming Dates -SPWH

• September 29th- SP West Homecoming Dance GUEST FORMS available in the FRONT OFFICE

• October 9th- SP West Homecoming Dance GUEST FORMS due in the wooden box in the front office 3:45 pm- HARD DEADLINE

• October 13th- SP West Homecoming Dance TICKETS on sale on Go Fan, use your ID number as the code.

• October 15th- SP West Homecoming Parade- 6:00 pm- on Main

• October 16th- SP West Homecoming Dance TICKET SALE closes- 12:00 pm (HARD DEADLINE- no exceptions)- NOON

• October 17th- Homecoming Game at 7:00 pm Bank of Sun Prairie Stadium

• October 18th- SP West Homecoming Dance 7:00-10:00 pm at West

As a reminder, this year, we’re making a significant change to help everyone stay more focused, connected, and ready to learn. We’ll be implementing a schoolwide cell phone and electronics policy with clear, consistent expectations in every classroom, and we will enforce it throughout the school day and the entire school year.

You’ll hear three universal phrases:

• Off and Away – Devices, including AirPods, are stored out of sight in class (in a pocket, backpack, or locker).
  
  

• Teacher Directed – Devices are used for a specific, teacher-approved activity. Music is set, then the phone stays face down.
  
  

• Phone Break – A short, teacher-announced break where you can use your device freely.
  

This week, our staff met to discuss the impact of cell phones in the classroom and how they can interfere with learning and the connection between students and teachers. We want students fully engaged in their education, and to that end, we will be implementing clear expectations and steps if students are not in compliance with our cell phone policy:

• First Reminder: The Student will be asked to put the phone away.
  
  

• Second Reminder: The Phone will be held by the teacher until the end of class.
  
  

• Repeated Non-Compliance: Phone will be turned in to the office, and a parent/guardian will be contacted to pick it up.
  
  

Students will still have break times built into the school day. They will receive time after lessons and work completion, along with a combined lunch and break period totaling one hour. Outside of those times, we expect students to be “all in” during the remaining five hours of learning each day.

Before consequences are issued, students will be given several opportunities to make positive choices through our restorative practices and student support services. This approach enables us to redirect students, teach them responsibility, and keep them in class whenever possible.

We ask for your partnership in reviewing the cell phone policy with your child. This is not only a school practice but also a School Board policy; families and staff must work together to ensure students are ready to learn.

Additionally, if you are traveling to the East or West, students will need to follow the respective cell phone policies for those schools. Here’s more info.

NoCellBell-to-Bell

As we approach the start of the school year, we are excited to support teachers, students, and our classroom communities as they engage with one another and learn with fewer distractions. No Cell Bell-to-Bell. Phones down. Futures up. Is designed to focus on in-person connections, strengthen community within classrooms, deepen learning while supporting students with life-long skills in regulating their use of phones/technology.

Students will be able to access their phones during passing time and lunch, but phones will be off and away from bell-to-bell, every block, every class, every day. Check out this story from NBC15 this week.

Sun Prairie High School enforces a stricter phone policy

This school year, there will be consequences for cell phone usage during class at Sun Prairie East and West High Schools.

As we all prepare for our fall schedules, starting the first day of school on September 2nd, our building hours are as follows:

• The building opens at 8:30. Students may enter the building at 8:35 and will remain in the Cafeteria from 9:00. Students may eat breakfast and socialize in the Cafe. At 8:45, students may begin to move to their classes.

• Suppose your transportation situation makes it impossible to drop off your students later than 8:30. In that case, they will be allowed to stand in the vestibule (between the glass doors) until 8:35, particularly on inclement weather days.

• Building Closes at 4:00 PM: The building closes daily at 4:00 PM. All students must be accompanied by an adult (coach, club/activity, 5th hour tutoring, etc.) or leave the building for safety, as we do not have supervision available after 4:00 pm.

Please plan rides and drop-off/pick-up accordingly.

Attendance line: 608-834-6900 Line 1

Please use this number when calling in a student for an absence, illness or an appointment.

You can call the office at 608-834-6900 ext. 5507 for any reason that your student will be absent. Please call the attendance line or the office at 608-834-6931 if your student needs to leave early. Calls will be made home when students leave grounds without a guardian's permission.

School day is from 9:00am - 3:20pm.

Follow PPA on Facebook! See our events, photos of activities, and other important updates and information. https://www.facebook.com/PPASunPrairie/

Scholars should be prepared to learn everyday! Chromebooks should be with students daily. To reduce students transporting their wonderful Chromebooks they have the opportunity to leave the CB’s at PPA to be charged. Those that turned in Chromebooks will be able to pick them up from the main office. We will not issue a Chromebook to students if they have one or more already checked out to them. Please have your scholar return any damaged Chromebooks to the main office. We have a limited number of Chromebooks that students may use as loaners but that is on a first come basis.

Meet our new Administrative Associate for student services - Amanda Lange

In Toxicology students did a forensic toxicology lab. We tested several different powders and recorded how they reacted to different chemicals. Then, students tested some unknown substances and used their results to determine which powders they were. We had a lot of fun playing forensic toxicologist for the day!

Happy Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month!! This month, which is a heritage month celebrated across our district, is a vibrant celebration of the rich cultural tapestry woven by Hispanic and Latinx communities. It honors the profound contributions of individuals from diverse backgrounds, encompassing language, art, music, food, and history. This annual observance, from September 15th to October 15th, serves as a reminder of the enduring legacy left by Hispanic and Latinx trailblazers throughout the Americas and beyond. It's a time to appreciate the resilience, creativity, and unity that define this community. Let us embrace this month as an opportunity to learn, share, and celebrate the unique traditions and stories that enrich our collective human experience!

Direct Admit

Direct Admit season is upon us. If you are not interested in your Junior (11th grade) scholar being a part of the Direct Admission process, please fill out the Opt- Out Form linked below.

SPASD Direct Admit Opt-Out form

Linked below is the district website about Direct Admission information:

Direct Admission district website information

Xello Reminder

XELLO is the SPASD Academic and Career Planning software tool used to help students plan for their future. Students can access XELLO by logging in to MySP and clicking on the Xello icon, or by clicking the link provided. Each year and grade level, lessons are released in XELLO that need to be completed. You do not have to go back to complete lessons from prior grades, only the grade you are currently in.

Please visit the SPASD Local and Support Resources website for more information about community resources.

Preliminary transportation information is viewable in Infinite Campus by logging into Campus Parent, clicking on ‘More’, then choosing the Transportation tab. If the bus stop does not look accurate, please contact Kobussen. Pickup and drop-off times are continually changing as new students enroll and other students move out of the district.

This year, High School students will NOT receive bus tags. Students will need to be able to show their bus assignment through Infinite Campus when asked. Once the bus information is available, take a picture of it and add it to your favorites for easy access.

Please contact Brinda Thompson at brinda.thompson@kobussen.com or (608) 825-8700 ext. 5509 if you have questions or concerns about your child’s bus route or stop. If you have any other questions related to busing, please contact either Lisa Sprindis at lasprin@sunprairieschools.org or Rhonda Page at rspage@sunprairieschools.org. If your child is NOT going to ride the bus but is eligible, please stop by the bus table at Registration or reach out to one of the people above.

At PPA, we have a pantry with household grocery options, including fridge/freezer selections! Families are welcome to access the pantry.

We also have a clothing closet that is OVERFLOWING! Come shop for clothing for the warmer seasons.

Please reach out to Ayanna Hale, ashale@sunprairieschools.org, or call (608) 834-6900 to ask about shopping.

Email: ntbarre@sunprairieschools.org
Website: https://www.sunprairieschools.org/prairie-phoenix-academy-home
Location: 220 Kroncke Drive, Suite 13 Sun Prairie, WI 53590, USA
Phone:608-834-6900 ext. 5210