Program Spotlight

Community Schools

Community Schools is a strategy that is implemented at four

schools in Sun Prairie: Westside

Elementary, C. H. Bird Elementary, Patrick Marsh Middle School, and

Prairie Phoenix Academy. This Pictured here are TJ Hansen, Caitlin Fahey, and Bobby Finn (PPA Community Schools Coordinator) at a recent strategy makes these schools the Community Lunch Site. hub of their neighborhoods, uniting educators, community partners, When the school buildings closed due and families to provide all students with to the pandemic, our coordinators rallied top-quality academics, enrichment, health with community partners from the YMCA, and social services, and opportunities to Neighborhood Navigators, Sunshine Place, learn and thrive. Northside Elementary will Dane County, Sun Prairie Parks and Rec, the join as Sun Prairie’s fifth Community School Boys & Girls Club, and other organizations in the fall of 2020. to support the basic needs of our neighbors In March, Jamie Racine five months, our coordinators provided 220 joined the District to acts of kindness to 92 families. These acts lead this initiative. She of kindness consisted of things like rides to comes to Sun Prairie work, a gift card for the grocery store, or a from Racine, where she delivery of furniture for families that were led the development and displaced due to sudden unemployment. expansion of Community Schools with Racine Jamie Racine Community Schools team members also worked with partners to provide 2,200 Unified School District and the United Way pounds of food to families and 4,928 meals of Racine County. for children, in addition to the meals provided From September to February, our site coord- by the School Nutrition Department. If you inators provided out-of-school programming are interested in getting involved with the for 380 students, provided adult education work of Sun Prairie Community Schools, programs for 78 adults, and brought over please reach out to Jamie Racine, at 2,500 community members together for jlracin@sunprairieschools.org. community-building events. in this time of crisis. Over the course of

Heroes among Us

In addition to the teaching staff shifting to distance learning:

• Our School Nutrition staff continued to serve meals to students even after we shifted to distance learning.

spotlight program

School Nutrition staff

• Our Technology staff worked tirelessly and supported over 10,000 student and staff devices and distributed over 200 wireless hotspots to ensure that learning could continue.