Rocket News

Rocket Families,

It was great to see so many of you last week for parent/teacher/caregiver conferences! I am happy to report that 92% of our students had parents and/or caregivers that attended conferences–that is fantastic! It is that collaboration that will make a BIG difference in the academic, social/emotional and behavioral growth of our Rockets! We are Better Together! We are fully aware that life happens sometimes and last week just didn’t work out. If that is you, please reach out to your child’s teacher and touch base. We love to connect about our students and their growth.

Heritage Months have become a part of the SPASD fabrics in all our schools. Heritage months are an opportunity to learn about different cultures. February was Black History Month and we had a blast (pun intended) learning about the many contributions Black Americans have made to our school, city, state, nation and world. Our culminating activity for Black History was Read Your Heart Out and it is a great day where our Black parents, caregivers and community members come in and read to a class or two. Check out the pictures further down in this newsletter. This month we celebrate Women’s History Month and it is yet another opportunity to grow our knowledge around the diverse and excellent people that shape this world. Throughout the month of March we will celebrate the great accomplishments of not only women outside the walls of Royal Oaks, but we will learn about the wonderful accomplishments of the Women of Royal Oaks. I am sure our Rockets will enjoy learning of the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of the Women of Royal Oaks. Mrs. Brown, our new associate principal, kicks off the month with a brief welcome video below this message.

March is the month where we hear the saying, “In like a Lion out like a lamb.” We are not going to lie, we are pretty excited for next week’s 70 degree day. Recess and play is so important for child development ... yes we can play in the snow, but ‘come on,’ by March we are ready for some warm weather. For those traveling for spring break, safe travels and for others having a staycation that week, enjoy the time to rest and relax at home.

As always please take some time and read through the newsletter. There is a lot of valuable information in it.

Reach out with any questions.

Love,

Mr. Ackley

We need YOU!

As we have in years past, we started our Rocket Booster (formerly known as Watch DOGS & MOMS) program today…the first day of the 2nd Quarter. Rocket Booster is meant to provide parents and caregivers an opportunity to spend a half day or full day volunteering at Royal Oaks in our classrooms, on the playground and in the cafeteria. Though you will spend some time with your son(s) and/or daughter(s) it is not an exclusive day in your child’s classroom. It is a day of service to ALL Rockets! If you are interested in volunteering just in your child’s classroom, please reach out to your child’s teacher and arrange a time.

Classroom activities include:

• Reading to students

• Listening to students read

• Playing math games

• Helping with projects and activities

• Joining in activities in the classroom

Playground activities include:

• Supervising activities

• Joining in and playing games with kids

• Pushing students on the swings

• Playing with your child and their friends

Cafeteria activities include:

• Supervising students

• Eating with your Rocket

You will not be asked to discipline students if they are not listening. We have staff for that. It is meant to be a fun day for you to spend some time with your child and see what a “day in the life” of a Royal Oaks Rocket is all about.

If you are interested in signing up, please contact Zoe Horant at (608) 834-7210 or click on the link below to find a half day or full day that works best for you.

Thank in advance for spending some time with us and helping us Launch our Rockets!

Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society and has been observed annually in the month of March in the United States since 1987. Women’s History Month 2026 will take place from Sunday, March 1 through Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

This year’s Women’s History Month theme is “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.”

This year during Women's History Month students will learn more about women in history during Rocket Meetings. We will also have staff accomplishments and student work in our display case in the Cafeteria.

We are wrapping up our gymnastics unit. So many kids learned new skills and gained some confidence along the way. One thing we love about this unit is that we run it like a “choose your own adventure” style, that means every rocket chooses what they would like to do! We saw a lot of growth with our younger students, especially being confident in themselves to try something that may have been a little scary for them before! We are now moving on to some different games from cultures around the world. Kabbadi (From India) is an example of that but we adapt it to be a safer game then the real form of the game. We will also be working with racquets and working skills for hand eye coordination!

We extend our sincere appreciation to everyone who participated in our Read Your Heart Out event by sharing their time and love of reading with our Rockets. Throughout the day, classrooms were enriched by individuals who read culturally responsive books and engaged students in meaningful conversations.

The event welcomed a wonderful group of participants, including student ambassadors, families, friends, caregivers, middle school students, and other members of our school community. Together, we celebrated African American culture and the importance of representation in literature.

Our school was filled with laughter, connection, and joyful learning as students experienced the power of stories and community. In the spirit of Sankofa, we honor and learn from our past so that we may use that knowledge to shape a brighter future and leave the world better than we found it.

Welcome to the Royal Oaks Library Corner. This is a place to keep you up to date with what is going on in the library.

Our Rockets read 2,179 books in February, and have 13,673 books checked out so far this school year. Our third graders are leading the pack with 535 books. Wonderful work, Rockets!!

Our top books are:

Non-Fiction: Unlimited Shark Rumble by Jerry Pallotta

Graphic Novel: Wings of Fire series

Fiction: Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey

Everybody: The Duckling Gets a Cookie by Mo Willems

In class this month, Kindergarten and First Graders are learning about various women in history through picture book biographies. First up was Bobbi Gibb, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. Second Graders are exploring the Dewey Decimal Classification System and how it works in the school and public libraries of Sun Prairie. Third and Fourth Grade are spending time getting comfortable with the interface of the Forward Exam and getting their Chromebooks ready for testing. Fifth Grade is creating personal mission patches using Google Drawing.

Miss Mary Reporting: The True Story of Sportswriter Mary Garber written by Sue Macy ; Illustrated by CF Payne

Mary Garber was a pioneering sports journalist in a time where women were rarely a part of the newspaper business. Women weren’t even allowed to sit in the press boxes at sporting events, so Mary was forced to sit with the coaches’ wives. But that didn’t stop her.

In a time when African American sports were not routinely covered, Mary went to the games and wrote about them. Garber was a sportswriter for fifty-six years and was the first woman to receive the Associated Press Sports Editors’ Red Smith Award, presented for major contributions in sports journalism. And now, every year the Association of Women in Sports Media presents the Mary Garber Pioneer Award in her honor to a role model for women in sports media.

This week, we are celebrating National School Breakfast Week, highlighting the importance of starting the day with a nutritious meal!

Remember, Rockets can enjoy breakfast every morning from 7:30–7:40 in the cafeteria!

If you're interested in summer school, check out the links below to learn more! Attached is the welcome letter with lots of valuable information about all the fun and learning opportunities summer school has to offer.

Don't miss out on a great summer of growth and excitement!

Parents/caregivers, please use the Royal Oaks Attendance Line to report your student's absence. Simply call 608-834-7200, and press 1 to report a student absence.

Please leave a short message with the following information:

· Child’s name

· Teacher’s Name or Grade

· Reason for Absence

· Who is calling

Please do NOT call your child’s teacher.

Thank you for your help!