¡Este boletín se puede traducir! Primero, haga clic en el enlace "View it in your browser" en la parte superior del correo electrónico (si lo está viendo desde su bandeja de entrada). Luego, desplácese hasta la parte inferior de la página donde dice "Translate" y elija su idioma.

Dear SPHS Family and Friends,

We now find ourselves in the 4th quarter. It is hard to believe, but we are only 9 weeks away from the end of the year. Of course, we want all our students to be finishing the year strong and we will need all of our families to help keep students on track. This is especially true as the weather continues to warm up and students are tempted by the warmer days. Attendance has been a key focus this year and we want to continue that expectation.

We just got back from a week off for Spring Break and I hope our students and families were able to find some time to relax and enjoy each other. We know there have been many changes this year and you should have heard of at least one more. We are very excited to welcome students back four days per week starting on April 26. Remember, if your student is already coming in hybrid, they will automatically switch the four days per week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday). If your student is virtual, they will automatically stay virtual. If you wish to change that placement, you must complete the form that was sent out by the district office. We are working hard to ensure the health and safety of every student and staff member as we make this transition. We are very pleased with how well our schedule has been working for our students so far and we look forward to seeing them even more in the coming weeks!

I have recently sent out information on Prom and graduation. While I know there is no “perfect” solution while we are in a pandemic, I am excited to provide opportunities for our students to gather safely and come together as a class. As we get closer to Prom and to graduation, more details will be coming out. We want to ensure our students are able to experience and enjoy events together as much as the PHMDC orders allow us to. We feel that the committee that is in place has done a great job of planning these events and we appreciate your support as we work to celebrate our students.

As you know, the Academic Awards celebration that was originally scheduled for the beginning of April was postponed. We are continuing to work on another way to honor and celebrate the academic success of our students and hope to be able to do that with the students in person. We have over 600 students to celebrate who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and we want to make sure that we give them their recognition and praise. Please be on the lookout for more information on that in the coming weeks.

As always, thank you for your support and for being a great partner as we navigate the end of the 2020-2021 school year. I look forward to celebrating with our students and with you in the coming weeks and months.

Have a safe and healthy April and, as always, please do not hesitate to contact our school staff with any questions.

Respectfully,

Keith Nerby

Principal

1. If you ordered a cap and gown from Midwest Scholastic, you can pick it up in the SPHS Commons on Tuesday, April 12th from 3:00-6:00 p.m. OR Friday, April 16th from 3:00-6:00 p.m.

2. If you did NOT order a cap and gown, you will need to do so online at: mwscholastic.com

3. If you are not sure if you ordered a cap and gown, email Midwest Scholastic at: questions@mwscholastic.com

It continues to be critically important for all members of our community to self-monitor for COVID symptoms or exposure to the virus. Students who are attending in-person instruction or attending any in-person activities must be monitored daily according to the SPASD Student COVID 19 Symptom Screening Checklist (Spanish). Answering "yes" to any questions in the screener will result in the student staying home according to the SPASD COVID-19 Student Infection Response Action Plan. Please call the school health office to discuss any concerns or questions about the need to isolate or quarantine.

Help with Chromebook Issues or Request for Devices

Please use the links below if you are in need of chromebook repair or a hot spot.

Student Technology Issues/Requests (Incident IQ)

Incident IQ: Technology Support Request Tutorial

Directions for Powerwashing Chromebooks

SPASD Technology Tutorials Website

ATTENDANCE GUIDELINES FOR DISTANCE LEARNING

TO REPORT AN ABSENCE : Call 608-834-6993 or email khreind@sunprairieschools.org

MEDICAL EXCUSES (doctor notes, dentist, ortho notes, etc., OR any excuse stating that your student needs to be away from school for one or two days) can be faxed to 608-834-4143 (Attn: Kelly Reindl) or emailed to khreind@sunprairieschools.org

IF YOUR STUDENT needs to be out for an extended period of time, please leave a detailed message and we will call you back to discuss how best we can serve them AND to let you know what information we will need from you.

MARKED IN ERROR? If you feel your student was marked absent and shouldn’t be, please have them email their teacher so they can discuss it.

FUTURE ABSENCES/APPOINTMENTS: Known absences and/or appointments should be reported ahead of time. When leaving for an extended period of time, please email all of your teachers and include me at khreind@sunprairieschools.org so we are aware of the absence and can mark Infinite Campus accordingly.

**watch for future updates in our newsletters, especially as students start returning to the building**

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO REVIEW OUR UPDATED COVID ATTENDANCE GUIDELINES.

~Kelly Reindl, Attendance Secretary

Click Here to Sign Up

We wanted to provide you with an update on the Preliminary SAT and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The PSAT is an optional practice exam that we typically host each year for juniors. The PSAT also serves as an entry point for the National Merit Scholarship Competition (NMSC). Due to COVID, we have cancelled this year’s administration of the PSAT as we are not able to host the exam in a manner that is both consistent with COVID mitigation regulations while also being in line with exam protocols.

Every year, approximately the top 1% of national PSAT scorers are invited to participate in the National Merit Scholarship Competition. For current juniors who are interested in entering this competition, there is an alternative method of entry. The official rules for NMSC alternate entry can be found on National Merit’s website. Please review the requirements and deadlines thoroughly.

For students interested in standardized test practice, we highly encourage them to check out Method Test Prep, our free ACT prep program found in their Xello accounts.

Contact your counselor with any questions about NMSC alternate entry or ACT’s Method Test Prep.

Hello Sun Prairie High School Students and Families,

Your diligent Yearbook staff has been working tirelessly to create an unforgettable yearbook for the 2020-2021 school year. We want to make sure this year, maybe even more so than other year, is documented. We know that this is the year you will want to look back on, your kids will wonder about, and your grandkids will write a history report on.

We currently have a group of 35 students in the yearbook club, diligently working on this to create a unique book that reflects these unique times. This book, of all books, will be definitely unique. We redesigned it into a monthly organization, so we truly can document the year as it unfolds for our students. We have been polling students in many different surveys and collecting their stories of what school has been like, what they're doing with their time, how they're staying connected to each other, etc. We’ve also put off our normal publication date of March to June, which does mean that you won't get the book until the first week in August, but it will have more of the year in it than ever. We also hope to have a distribution event, where, if circumstances allow, we can be in-person and partake in traditional yearbook signing.

Below you will find answers to some of our commonly asked questions.

Sophomore and Junior Portraits:

We hope to have an in-person student portrait day at the end of January. More information will come, but know that we are thinking about portraits and will have a way to get student portraits in the yearbook. If you are unable to attend the in-person portrait day, we will work with you to develop an alternative plan for submitting your student portrait.

Submitting Senior Portraits:

Please use the following link to upload your student's senior portrait to the yearbook staff:

https://images.jostens.com/415464120

Please make sure your photo file is titled as follows:

Student's Last Name, Student's First Name

Example: Butler, Betsy

We were able to provide an extension for this. All senior portraits are now due by January 1, 2021.

Purchasing a Yearbook:

Yearbooks can be purchased online at www.jostensyearbooks.com

Type in "Sun Prairie High School" and you will access the ordering information. The price is $68.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Betsy Butler at babutle@sunprairieschools.org (608) 834-6855; or Amanda Davis at andavis@sunprairieschools.org (608) 834-6743.

Thank you!

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.

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:

• Cyberbullying and Digital Drama Family Tip Sheet

• 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?

• Article: What should I do if my kid is bullied online?

• Article: It’s not Cyberbullying, But...

More Cyberbullying Articles, Videos and Resources