Cardinal Call

Spring standardized testing has arrived. This Tuesday, March 10, is testing day for our 11th grade students. In this newsletter is detailed information about testing and what students can expect when they arrive. 9th and 10th graders, your testing day will be in April. Spring sports also kick off this week. Best of luck to all our spring athletes as they get started on their seasons.

Sincerely,

Jim Ertel

Principal

On Tuesday, March 10th, Juniors (11th grade) will take the ACT at their high school. ONLY Juniors taking the assessment should report to school on Tuesday, March 10th. Freshmen (9th grade), Sophomores (10th grade), Seniors (12th grade), and any other Juniors not taking the assessment will have no school that day. Thank you!

This is a reminder that on Tuesday, March 10, all SPASD 11th grade scholars will take the ACT, Wisconsin’s state-required high school assessment.

• Students will test at their primary school site (Sun Prairie East, Sun Prairie West, or PPA for JEDI scholars).

• The ACT is free for all juniors and required by the state.

• Additional details for the day are shared below.

Why the ACT?

The ACT allows students to:

• Demonstrate academic learning and skills

• Show college and career readiness

• Decide whether to share scores with colleges and scholarship programs

ACT results are also used for:

• State and district accountability reporting

• Schoolwide reflection on strengths and growth areas

What’s on the ACT?

• English – 35 minutes | 50 multiple-choice questions

• Math – 50 minutes | 45 multiple-choice questions

• Reading – 40 minutes | 36 multiple-choice questions

• Science – 40 minutes | 40 multiple-choice questions

• Writing – 40 minutes | 1 essay

Test Preparation

Be ACT Ready! (West) Be ACT Ready! (East) Be ACT Ready! (PPA)

• Information about the different sections of the ACT

• Test-taking tips

• How to access Methodize Test Prep for studying

Testing Day Details – Tuesday, March 10

Arrival & Transportation

• Juniors should arrive between 8:00–8:35 a.m.

• Testing begins promptly at 9:00 a.m.

• All students must be in their assigned testing location by 8:35 a.m.

• Students arriving late will be scheduled for the make-up exam on March 17

• Morning bus routes will run as normal

• Buses will depart at approximately 1:00 p.m. following testing. Students with individualized testing schedules will receive additional communication from assessment coordinators.

Room assignments will be communicated directly to students and posted on testing day.

What to Bring

• Picture ID

• Fully charged Chromebook and charger

• May bring ACT-approved calculators

What Not to Bring

(Students will be provided a locked/supervised location for these items.)

• Backpacks or large bags

• Cell phones

• Smart watches

• Other electronic devices

• Food or drinks

Results

• Scores will be available in myACT several weeks after testing

• Paper score reports are mailed 3–8 weeks after the test date

• Students choose whether to send scores to colleges through myACT

We appreciate your partnership as we support our scholars in demonstrating their learning and taking the next steps toward their postsecondary goals. Additional information, including final room assignments, will be shared closer to the test date.

With appreciation,

Beth Butler

eabulte@sunprairieschools.org

The Sun Prairie High School Bands were featured on WMTV-15 last week. Please take a look at the story here.

Our spring academic awards night will be held on Wednesday, April 15. The event will start at 7 PM. More information will be sent out to students and families prior to spring break.

Students, please take a screenshot of your transportation page in IC and keep it on your device, or be able to access it quickly in IC for your bus driver. This allows bus drivers to confirm your route and drop off location.

If you have lost anything or believe any of your belongings may be in the lost and found, please check it before spring break. During spring break we will wash and donate all unclaimed items. Thank you!

Join us for an educational event about vaping. This informational evening is sponsored by the Sun Prairie Wellness Coalition, The Sun Prairie East Student Services Department, and our Deans of Students.

Please be advised that there is a planned outage for Infinite Campus beginning the afternoon of Wednesday, March 18 and continuing through the early morning of Thursday, March 19.

During this time, access to all parts of Infinite Campus will be unavailable. This includes the student portal, parent portal, and any related features. This will also impact access to Infinite Campus for any staff member. We appreciate your patience and understanding as this scheduled update is completed.

Linked below is the Band program newsletter.

March is Women's History Month! Women have been leaders, not only in securing their own rights of suffrage and equal opportunity, but also in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, the industrial labor movement, the civil rights movement, and other movements, especially the peace movement, which create a more fair and just society for all. We celebrate and recognize all the contributions women have made to the success of our schools and community. The 2024 Proclamation in Recognition of Women’s History Month was signed by the School Board on February 26, 2024.

Join us for District Movie Night: Hidden Figures on Monday, March 30th, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Prairie View Middle School Cafetorium! This is a a free, family-friendly event - popcorn and water will be provided. All are welcome! Please contact Bri’ana Kurlinkus at bmkurli@sunprairieschools.org for more information. Flyers ENG ESP

5th Hour Tutoring is up & running for 2025-2026! 5th Hour Tutoring runs Tuesdays - Thursdays from 3:50-4:40PM in the LMC, with teachers from English, math, science, social studies, art, and more available to work with students. Students are able to take the activity bus (which leaves at 4:45PM) home after 5th Hour tutoring.

Versión en español

Jenna Boberg, CAA

Athletics & Activities Director

Congratulations to the girls hockey team on qualifying for the state tournament, a well-earned achievement that reflects their hard work, determination, and strong season on the ice.

Micheal Murdock, Vahnyah Vickerman-Kelley, Gavin Bruere, and Oscar Ray of Sun Prairie East FFA competed at the Sectional Leadership Development event at DeForest High School. Micheal Murdock competed in the prepared speaking contest and earned second place. Vahnyah Vickerman-Kelley competed in the Discussion Meet contest and earned second place. Gavin Bruere competed in the Extemporaneous Speaking contest and earned second place. Oscar Ray competed in the Employment Skills contests and earned first place and will be advancing to the state contest.

Genevieve Hoeg, member of the FFA Chapter of Sun Prairie-East High School, was recently presented the Louis M. Sasman Award by Abe Aberle, Chair of the Agriculture, Conservation and Environment Committee of the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Madison. They are joined by Michael Doran, President of the Kiwanis Club.

The Sasman Award is given annually to an outstanding student from each of the FFA Chapters at Dane County High Schools. Mr. Sasman was the State Supervisor for Vocational Education for 36 years and a member of the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Madison for over 40 years.

Congratulations to our Sun Prairie United Academic Decathlon team for earning 3rd place in division 1 at the Wisconsin state competition that took place Thursday & Friday.

Individual award winners are:

Henri Verhoeven, 1st place scholastic subjective events (speech, interview, & essay)

Alexis Cox, 3rd place honors, essay; Top Scholar Sun Prairie United (highest overall score on our team)

Cora Gaylord, 2nd place varsity, math

Other team members:

Lucy Podoll

Matthew Garstka

Tom Kelly

Poorvika Sridhar

Aston Ahiakpor

Abby Lydon

Addison Heise

Hanshika JaipravinKumar

Ruth Bawithadim

Athletic Locker rooms will need to be cleared out by March 3rd for cleaning. All athletes not currently in season will need to move out their belongings and keep their red locks until their next season starts. This includes any winter athletes that are no longer participating and all spring athletes should no longer have their belongings in the athletic locker rooms.

Spring sports registration is now open! If your student is interested in any of the following sports make sure you get signed up on Infinite Campus!

Track - Boys and Girls starts March 09, 2026

Lacrosse - Boys and Girls (CO-OP) starts March 16, 2026

Softball starts March 16, 2026

Baseball starts March 23, 2026

Soccer - Girls starts March 23, 2026

Golf - Boys starts March 30, 2026

Tennis - Boys (CO-OP) starts March 30, 2026

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:

• 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

Please see the linked information for upcoming contests.

Sun Prairie East High School

Principal: Jim Ertel

Asst. Principal: Pang Khang, Rachel Looper

Main Office: 608-834-6703

Website: https://www.sunprairieschools.org/east-high
Location: 888 Grove Street, Sun Prairie WI 53590