Cardinal Connection
November 2019
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Hello SPHS Family and Friends,
November is upon us! It is hard to believe, but we are wrapping up the first quarter of the year next week. On Tuesday, November 5, the quarter comes to a close and it is important to end on a high note. Grades will be posted in Infinite Campus by the end of next week. If you have questions about logging in to IC, please reach out to Lori Burns at 608-834-6729.
As part of our family outreach and goal to increase our communication and engagement with our families, we are asking you to take this short survey. Your feedback helps us to grow and meet the demands and expectations of our families. We take this feedback seriously as we continue to create a positive environment for our students, families, and staff.
This month we will be holding conferences on Thursday, November 14 from 4:00-8:00pm and again on Friday, November 15 from 7:30am-11:30am. Students will have a full day of school on Thursday and no school on the Friday of conferences. Both days, teachers will be holding conferences in their classrooms, so please bring a copy of your student’s schedule with you. This is a great opportunity to meet with your child’s teachers and also learn more about how your son/daughter is doing in his/her classes. If you need to have a more in-depth conversation with a teacher, we encourage you to contact them prior to conferences and setup a personal appointment. As you can imagine, at conferences, there are many parents waiting to hear information so conferences tend to move more quickly.
While it is still only November, it is time to start thinking about graduation. On Tuesday, October 29, we had our representative from Midwest Scholastic here during Cardinal30 to hand out cap and gown ordering information to our seniors. The senior class will have an opportunity to hear from their peers November 5 as they listen to those students who could potentially speak at the graduation ceremony in June.
Finally, with winter months, comes winter weather. As the temperatures continue to go down, please make sure your child is dressing for the weather. If they drive, it is important to know that they will need to leave more time for travel as the roads become snowy and harder to pass. We want all our students to be safe this winter season.
Take care and have a wonderful November! As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Kind Regards,
Keith Nerby
Principal
New Electronic Safety Tip Line
The safety and security of our students and staff is a top priority for the district. We have been teaching our students to say something to a trusted adult when they see something unsafe. Sometimes, though, there are barriers to reporting safety issues in person. Tip lines are one common approach that schools use to promote school and student safety and well-being. Tip lines are designed to provide students or other members of the school community with a safe and confidential way to report a threat to safety or security.
To that end, we have created an Electronic Safety Tip Line available on the district website. The e-Tip Line allows students, parents, or community members to report weapons, threats of violence, bullying, sexual harassment, potential threat of suicide, drugs, and any other activity that could potentially endanger students, staff, and property. The tip line should not be used to report an immediate danger to someone’s life. Always use 911 to report those emergencies.
We are developing a communication plan to roll this out to students in upper elementary, middle school, and high school. The e-Tip Line is available on the district website from the “Families” menu and “Quicklinks” and can also be found on the district bullying and safety webpages.
The Electronic Safety Tip Line is just one way that students can report concerns about safety. For example, if a student wishes to file a bullying report, the Fillable Bullying Report Form is also available on the website under bullying and reporting.
Sun Prairie High School Announces
2019 “Wall of Success” Recipient
Each year, the “Wall of Success” program honors an outstanding graduate of Sun Prairie High School. By honoring distinguished graduates, we seek to identify and honor models of success for our students to admire and emulate. The program demonstrates to students the relationship between the education they receive at Sun Prairie High School and success in life.
John Sheehan, a 1979 graduate and a Senior Management Executive/CEO in the healthcare industry, is this year’s Wall of Success recipient. To name just a couple, Mr. Sheehan has worked at UW Health in Madison and at Thedacare, Inc in Appleton WI.
Recipients of past awards are:
Dr. Gwen Fisher Scott, Tom Loftus, Casey Scheurrell, Michael Lehman, Richard Fisher, Chris Kerwin, Cynthia Russell, Kym Husom, Michael Wherely, Alan Rademacher, Steve Sveum, Robert Hauge, Steve Miller, Natalie Buster, John List, Karen (Zust) Murphy, George Maurer, Stopher Bartol, Patrick Anhalt, Gary Hebl, Scott Auby, Andrew Konkle, and Kaitlin (Walters) Walsh.
If you would like to nominate someone for the 2020 "Wall of Success" please click here.
Cyberbullying
Anytime children enter digital spaces (online, texts, apps,etc.) they are susceptible to cyberbullying.
What you need to know:
Cyberbullying is real. People can be mean. Technology makes being mean easier.
Awareness and Communication are key. Talk to you child openly and often about their online behavior.
Spot Check. They may not like it, but tell your child to expect spot checks. This will help you better guide them in navigating their online activity.
Develop a Plan. Talk through scenarios of how to deal with cyberbullying before it ever happens so your child has a plan to fall back on if it does.
Set Limits. Bullying can happen at any time of the day, but it can have a greater impact on kids when there is no relief.
Check Yourself. Much of what our children know about digital behavior stems from what they see at home. Model healthy online habits, children are always watching!
Remember that while cyberbullying can be scary, a lot of healthy and positive relationships can come from connecting digitally. A strong focus on kindness and empathy are always important in supporting healthy relationships in the digital world and the real world.
For more information and tips, please check out our cyberbullying resources in the Plugged in Parenting section of our District Website.
Resources from Common Sense Media:
K-2nd Grade Family Activity - Cyberbullying and Digital Drama
3rd-5th grade Family Activity - Cyberbullying and Digital Drama
Article: Is There Any Way to Make Sure My Kid Won’t Become a Cyberbully?