Greetings and Summer Updates
- Students are celebrating the end of a very successful summer school experience, participating in summer work outs, Sound of Sun Prairie and many other wonderful opportunities.
- Systems, structures and procedures are being developed for how we will work together to serve all students.
- Relationships are being built and time is being spent getting know each other so that we can center on our humanity as we launch this school year together.
- We are finalizing our last hires to ensure we have the best possible staff to serve our students, families and community.
- Physically, the building is making progress every day as we prepare to welcome our Wolves in fall
- Staff are taking much needed time to renew, reconnect with their families and rejuvenate.
I look forward to meeting you and partnering with you as we create our West community! Look for more updates and information as we enter August. Excited to be a Wolf! ~Jen Ploeger jrploeg@sunprairieschools.org
New Staff Spotlight: Jen Ploeger
I was born and raised in Iowa City, IA and have been in the Madison area for the last 10 years. Before Madison, I taught in two school districts in Iowa (my career started in an 8/9 upper middle school in Johnston, IA) and then spent three years in Chicago Public Schools at Benito Juarez in the Pilsen Neighborhood. My time in Chicago is when I became passionate about bilingual/bicultural education and truly started my equity journey. I served as a bilingual Biology teacher and teacher leader for 7 years at Madison East High School and 3 years as an Assistant Principal at La Follette High School. My driving focus is: how do we create a community and learning environments where EVERY person is seen, known, valued and belongs so that they can thrive.
My "why" is in the picture above! I have two wonderful children: Jacob (almost 12 and headed to 8th grade) and Emma (they/them/theirs pronouns, 8 and headed into 3rd grade). Both kids are swimming and diving for the Goodman Waves this summer so we are spending A LOT of time at the pool! If we're not at the pool my husband, Matthew, and I are with the kids hiking, biking/mountain biking, off on an adventure, or on a road trip listening to a good audiobook (always accepting recommendations).
One of the top questions I get: is it Jen? Jenny? Jennifer? Jen or Jenny is great. With students I usually go by: Ms. P.
