Cardinal Call

After a busy week last week with prom and senior awards night, the events continue with NHS induction this Wednesday. As we near the end of the school year please check in with your instructors as semester deadlines and due dates draw near. Also, we do have a shift in our weekly schedule. This Friday, 5/15/26, we will have school. Initially, Friday was planned as a staff professional development day. That has now shifted to ensure we have the needed instructional minutes for the school year. Please see the letter below from school district leadership more information.

Sincerely,

Jim Ertel

Principal

Dear Sun Prairie students, families, and staff:

As you know, based on a staffing shortage, we were not able to hold school on Friday, May 1. We communicated at that time that 4K-8th grade students would not need to make up the lost instructional minutes, but grades 9-12 would need to make up the lost day of instruction.

After exploring several options, we have determined that school will be held on Friday, May 15 for Sun Prairie East, Sun Prairie West, and Prairie Phoenix Academy to ensure those schools meet the DPI required hours of instruction.

Friday, May 15, will remain a non-school day for elementary and middle school students. 4K-8 staff members will participate in scheduled professional development that day. To make up the lost contract day on May 1, high school staff will make up Friday’s professional development on Friday, June 12. Additional information will be shared with staff soon.

We understand that scheduling a make-up school day may create conflicts. As always, parents and caregivers may excuse their child from school at any time in accordance with our handbooks.

We are also working on a communication to help the community understand the factors that helped identify this as the preferred solution. Watch for that early next week. However, we wanted to notify everyone that our high schools will be in session on Friday, May 15, as early as possible.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Sincerely,

Brad Saron, Superintendent

Stephanie Leonard, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Equity

Nick Reichhoff, Assistant Superintendent of Operations

The linked letter highlights next school year's upcoming incoming 9th grade events. This letter has also been shared with the middle schools.

Join us at Sun Prairie East for AVID Senior night. We will be celebrating in the performing arts center on May 18th.

Hello SPASD families,

The Family Engagement Survey for the 2025-26 school year has launched, and we are encouraging all of our parents and caregivers to take a few minutes to complete it.

Your participation matters because the information you provide in the survey helps us determine what we need to focus on at the District and school level. We want to hear from you, and your voice matters! The survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete and is confidential. Your responses will be collected and not attributed to you individually in any reports or analysis. Your candid thoughts help us build a District where every student, staff member, and family can thrive.

The survey is administered by NextPath. How do you access it? Please follow these steps:

1. On any device (phone, computer or tablet) open your internet browser, type in nextpath.app and press enter.
2. Parents and caregivers can log in securely and easily by selecting your Gmail or Microsoft Outlook account shared with the District or by entering another email address to receive a one-time "magic link." No username or password is needed.
3. Once signed in, click "Next" to start confirming your child(ren)’s details.
4. Enter Your child’s details (birthday, first letter of their first name and last name). Click "Finish" when done.
5. When the information matches school records, you'll see a message confirming your child is linked to your account. Important! If you have more than one child, repeat this step for each child.
6. Once the process is complete, you’ll see any important documents or updates. If nothing needs attention, you’ll be taken to NextPath to explore more information about your child.

The survey closes on May 22. The survey is administered by NextPath. Experiencing account access issues with the NextPath survey? Contact Robin Gardner at rrgardn@sunprairieschools.org.

Again, your voice truly matters. Thank you for helping us become better together.

Photo students visited the Capitol as part of their coursework this past week.

Linked here is this spring's Business Academy Review. Check out the cool things our business students are working on.

We are currently seeking parent volunteers who would be interested in serving on the interview panel for our open associate principal position. If you are interested please complete the linked survey.

Linked below is the May French Newsletter.

Linked below is the Band program newsletter.

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.

Throughout the first week of May (Mental Health Month), Student Services and the Green Bandana Project hosted activities focused on connection, self-care, and positivity. During every lunch hour, students could participate in activities like building their own self-care kits, writing positive messages for peers, and sharing notes of gratitude for teachers and classmates. Student Services also offered special WIN sessions all week, featuring crafting, journaling, and, of course, everyone's favorite: time with the therapy dogs. We even had a special lunch hour featuring upbeat music from our DJ, Mr. Jordan, helping create a fun and welcoming atmosphere for everyone.

If you wish to opt your student out of the Direct Admit Wisconsin program, please complete linked form below. Additionally, more information about the program can be found on our school district website, LINKED HERE.

Versión en español

Our spring sports season is well underway and we have been busy hosting many home events. Also, many times parking is limited here at the high school. Please drive cautiously and plan extra time to park and walk to the competition fields. We need to keep our bus lanes and fire lanes open in case of an emergency.

As you come to support our programs, please remember no carry-in food or drink is allowed and no pets are allowed with the exception of service animals.

Jenna Boberg, CAA

Athletics & Activities Director

Our baseball team was featured on 15 News for their support of cancer research. Take a look at the news story here!

The East/West Robotics Alliance is hosting an open house to showcase their hard work and ingenuity. The event is being held at Prairie Phoenix Academy on May 13th from 5-8PM. Come give the robot a test drive!

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:

• 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, Allison Fuelling (Interim)

Main Office: 608-834-6703

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