A REPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY
Dear Sun Prairie Area Community, It may be safe to say that the 2020–2021 school year will be remembered as HISTORIC. For more reasons than just the pandemic, this time presented challenges and obstacles for our students and our families, for our staff and our leadership. You will also see, as evident in the pages of this report, what defined the 2020–2021 school year. It was a time of immense care and concern, a time when our staff once again stepped up to meet the vast needs of our students and families. A time when we collaborated and focused our efforts to ensure—even in the midst of a global pandemic—that we were focused on Every Child, Every Day. While this institution is certainly not perfect, as no institution is, we are honored to present to you our year in review, including our proudest moments and areas of continued focus on our journey to being a high performing school district of choice that reflects the cultures of our diverse community.
Futures depend on us...every child, every day.
OUR VISION
To be recognized as a high performing district of choice that reflects the cultures of our diverse community.
OUR MISSION
To inspire and prepare every child, every day, by providing relevant, engaging, and innovative learning experiences in and out of the classroom.
On behalf of the Board of Education, we thank you for taking time to review the past year in this annual report. We also want to thank you for supporting our schools and trusting us with your tax dollars.
Every Child, Every Day,
Dr. Steve Schroeder Board of Education President
Dr. Brad Saron Superintendent
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Dr. Steve Schroeder
Dr. Brad Saron
Westside Elementary students complete a mural alongside Madison artist Mike Lroy. The beautiful mural located at Westside Elementary was created by Westside students along with mural artist Mike Lroy, who was their Artist in Residence last school year. Mike is an incredibly talented artist who painted many of the murals that adorned the storefronts on State Street in the summer of 2020. The Westside mural was funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Center grant through the Department of Public Instruction. A big shout-out goes to Principal Nikki Burke and Community Schools Site Coordinator Stacy Darga for their hard work in making this happen! Our District is grateful for Mike’s work with the Westside students in cocreating such an amazing art piece and providing a fun experience that they will remember forever.
Board of Education
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By the Numbers
PAGE 5
Teaching, Learning & Equity
WHAT’S INSIDE
AS SEEN ON THE COVER
PAGES 6–9
Our Commitment to Equity
PAGES 10–13
Facilities & Operations
PAGES 14–18
Workforce Excellence
PAGES 19–21
Graduation 2021
PAGES 22–23
Community Engagement
PAGES 24–25
Areas for Continuous Improvement
PAGES 26–27
Community Schools
PAGES 28–29
Athletics & Activities
PAGES 30–35
“The mural experience was definitely a highlight of the school year. It was during a time where doing things together just wasn't the norm during the pandemic...we had to be so distanced from each other. We as a community got to work together on one project and once again became unified. We also got to express and share our diversity and individuality during our mural experience. The "unity" mural brought Westside closer as one family.” —Matt Cleveland, Westside Art Teacher
2020–2021 A REPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY
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BOARD OF EDUCATION
The Board of Education is the governing board of the Sun Prairie Area School District. The Board leads, directs, and supervises the affairs of the District through policy development and accountability. The Board serves and is accountable to the community, primarily by ensuring that the District achieves the results described in the Board’s Student Results Policies and that it operates according to the values expressed in the Board’s Operational Expectations Policies. The Board of Education unanimously approved resolutions this year in support of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning (LGBTQ+) during Pride Month; in Support of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, in Support of National Native American Heritage Month; in support of our Black students, staff, and families; and in Support of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The SPASD Board of Education has also given the District direction through a resolution, focusing our assessment strategies on locally developed, authentic assessments as drivers of instruction, giving more time for educators to teach and students to learn, and encouraging our staff to continue to develop systems that measure student learning without having to rely on standardized tests.
SPECIAL THANK–YOU to our School Board Honorees, Marilyn Ruffin and Quinn Williams. Marilyn served as a School Board member for six years, and Quinn served as a student representative for two years. We appreciate all of their work on behalf of kids.
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The Board will govern lawfully and ethically with a primary focus on: ▪ Vision and direction rather than internal preoccupation ▪ Strategic leadership more than management detail ▪ Future rather than past or present ▪ A clear distinction between Board and Superintendent roles ▪ Ensuring that all voices are heard, especially the community whom we serve and represent ▪ Building trusting and respectful relationships ▪ And, most important, student achievement
“Throughout my experience, I have been able to use my voice on a variety of topics and see measurable outcomes for myself and others. The sheer number of activities I was able to participate in, including the Board of Education, has allowed me to gain new perspectives on issues that exist in the real world, allowing me to be a better citizen. Beyond my experience, I hope to challenge the social and economic issues within education.” —Quinn Williams
BY THE NUMBERS
2020–2021 BY THE NUMBERS The District served
Free and Reduced Meals
237,168 288,238 free breakfasts and
27.2% 30.2% 28.4%
free lunches to students
2018-2019
2019-2020
9 1,895,340
board members
including
Our students are supported by
2
60
students
different languages or dialects are spoken by our students
Top Five:
students participate in our 4K program at 9 partner sites and 2 school sites.
Demographics of Students by Race:
square feet of facilities
1
Community School at...
5
sites
White
students ride the bus daily
Two or more races Hispanic
9%
English Spanish Hmong Telugu Tamil
9% 60%
2,262
2020-2021
11% 10%
Black Asian
.4% American Indian .1% Native Hawaiian
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TEACHING, LEARNING & EQUITY
The SPASD has an explicit focus on student achievement, student personal development, academic growth, gap closing, and postsecondary readiness for Every Child, Every Day. Task Force on STUDENT BEHAVIOR AND BULLYING In February of 2019, the Board approved the recommendations from the Task Force on Student Behavior and Bullying. The task force made a total of 36 recommendations to the School Board, 7 being identified as priority recommendations. The community can view updates on the initiatives developed by the task force on the website.
YOUTH APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM Building Sun Prairie West High School Sun Prairie High School students Andrew Dohm and Will Schrandt participated in our High School Youth Apprenticeship Program and have had the opportunity to help build Sun Prairie West High School with JH Findorff & Son Inc.
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Meet One of Our Youth Apprenticeship Students, SOPHIA GREEN “Participating in the Youth Apprenticeship Program has greatly enhanced my position as a preveterinary student and affirmed my career aspirations. Not only do I learn clinical skills and apply my classroom education to my career, but I have the amazing opportunity to work on the frontline of veterinary medicine while still being in high school. This program has been beyond beneficial for college applications, scholarships, and future work placements.”
EASTSIDE ELEMENTARY had dress-up days in honor of Pride Month 2021. Teachers also read students books about the LGBTQIA+ community.
20.7
12%
1,367
833
The average SPASD student’s ACT score was 20.7.
12% of our students are advanced learners.
1,367 of our students took at least one language couse.
833 students took one or more AP classes.
TEACHING, LEARNING & EQUITY
— DID YOU KNOW? —
CARDINAL HEIGHTS UPPER MIDDLE SCHOOL AND SUN PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL were recognized by the Wisconsin Advanced Placement Advisory Council (WAPAC) for student participation and performance on the 2020 College Board Advanced Placement Exams. ▪ Sun Prairie High School was recognized as a Level II Advanced Placement Pacesetter School, which means that 20% of the school’s students took at least one AP exam and at least 65% of these students passed the exam. ▪ Cardinal Heights Upper Middle School was recognized as a Level III Advanced Placement Pacesetter School, which means at least 10% of students participated in at least one AP exam and 60% or more earned a passing score.
Cardinal Height E House 2020–2021 A REPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY
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TEACHING, LEARNING & EQUITY
Sun Prairie High School Construction Students Build a House for HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Our high school students helped build a house in the Vandenburg Heights neighborhood through Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization helping community members obtain stable housing. Our students gained hands-on experience in construction while making a difference in the lives of others. “My favorite part of this opportunity was getting to work with my classmates and seeing how impactful the work we did was.” —Caleb Benjamin
Sun Prairie High School Students Complete
MADISON COLLEGE’S STEM ACADEMY Sixteen Sun Prairie High School students completed Madison College’s STEM Academy, a dual-enrollment program that allows students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Math to earn credits toward high school graduation and college simultaneously. Throughout their junior and senior years, these students were sent to Madison College’s Truax Campus full time, taking two to four classes each day. This program was free for students and their families. The Sun Prairie Area School District also provided students with textbooks. The STEM Academy allows students and their families to potentially save thousands of dollars, and for students to explore their interests, learn time management skills, and graduate from college sooner.
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“I honestly had no idea how I was going to pay for four years of college and then continue on to pursue my dreams of medical school. I never really considered UW–Madison as an option, even though I had the grades for it, because of financial barriers, but STEM has made me feel like it is possible. Now, next year I will be attending UW-Madison and majoring in microbiology.” —Chloe Tumpach, STEM Academy Graduate
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
SPASD receives a Gold Healthy Kids Healthy Schools Award from the Healthy Kids Collaborative of Dane County. This award recognizes the work our school does to promote the health and well-being of staff and students, including providing a healthy salad bar in the cafeteria, access to the playground before and after school, and stretch breaks during class time!
MAHLAYA JUNG
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
SPASD Receives a Gold HEALTHY KIDS HEALTHY SCHOOLS AWARD
2021 Sun Prairie High School Graduate Mahlaya has been in AVID for 4 years. She is planning on attending Madison College to later transfer to UW–La Crosse. She wants to major in Sociology and minor in Criminal Justice. Mahlaya’s ultimate goal is to study the legal system and help people who are constantly overlooked and under-represented in America. When asked about AVID, Mahlaya states: “AVID has taught me everything I need to know about my further education beyond high school. Without AVID, I wouldn’t know how to apply for scholarships, apply to college, send transcripts, take coded notes, etc. The course has taught me that not everything comes at once. There’s always a process and there’s never an easy way out, but if you’re willing to work with the right people and get the help you need, the process will become much easier.”
CIERRA SERCYE 2021 Sun Prairie High School Graduate Cierra was involved in the Black Student Union, MSAN, Equity Committee, and Social Steering Committee. When asked to describe her experience in Sun Prairie Schools in three words, she said: “It was challenging, exciting, and eye-opening. In my time at Sun Prairie High School, I learned that accountability is one of the most important things to have. Not only with my schoolwork and how I choose to adjust to the pandemic, but in politics as well.” Cierra will be attending Madison College to study nursing. She hopes to change society’s perspective on people of color.
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OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY
OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY During the 2013–2014 school year, the SPASD endeavored to rewrite the District’s vision and mission statements and to develop a Strategic Plan. After more than 60 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analysis meetings with community members and community groups and a three-day community visioning event, the District boldly proclaimed its commitment to Every Child, Every Day, a shared vision that drives our work to this day. In 2018, the SPASD Board of Education supplemented our vision and mission statements with a School Board Policy Preamble, which also serves as the District’s Equity Statement. This document further defines the School Board’s dedication to the students and families of the Greater Sun Prairie Area. The SPASD vision and mission statements, coupled with the School
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Board’s equity statement, are the founding documents that drive the development and execution of the SPASD Equity Framework, which was also formalized in 2018. Today, this comprehensive framework covers all aspects of District operations, from the Board to the Strategic Plan, from site excellence to our community partnerships. It represents our plan to support students who struggle to reach their full potential, students who deserve the very best from all of us because they are the leaders for our future, and students who have been marginalized and lack access and opportunities to fully thrive as scholars in our public school system. Simply stated, our SPASD Equity Framework helps us get to “Every” in our endeavor to achieve Every Child, Every Day.
Congratulations to Eastlan Shields, Shanyce Hutchinson, Lolly Saidy, Azarae Hanger, Chasity Collins, and Cierra Sercye for being recognized in the 2020–2021 Class of the 100 Scholars! The 100 Scholars process, sponsored by the 100 Black Men of Madison, has been designed to identify students who are enrolled in area schools and have demonstrated evidence of high-performance capability in intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership, or specific academic areas.
BEAM AWARDS
Read Your Heart Out
OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY
SPASD Students Recognized at 100 SCHOLARS GALA VIRTUAL EVENT
Westside and Northside Elementary Schools hosted virtual Read Your Heart Out events in honor of National African American Parent Involvement Day. This year, guests included Gov. Tony Evers, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, former UW-Madison basketball player Nigel Hayes, and members of the Sun Prairie Fire Department. It was a great day for our community to come together. Over 600 students and community members participated in celebrating our African American students’ culture through the love of reading.
Congratulations to all of the Black Excellence Achievement Maker Award (BEAM) winners! This year, over 469 students received a BEAM award and were recognized in a parade-style ceremony. The community held signs of encouragement along the parade route and celebrated.
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OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY
Summer School Students Design T-Shirts Focused on Racial Injustice These summer school students took on the project of designing a T-shirt for a social issue. The issue they chose was racial injustice. They performed every step of the process, from designing the shirts to utilizing computer software to create the message.
AVID PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT AVID is a college readiness system designed to increase schoolwide learning and improve academic performance for students. AVID is offered in the 7th–12th grades. 466 AVID elective students participated in the program. AVID targets students in the academic middle who have the desire to go to college and the willingness to work hard. These are students who are capable of completing a rigorous curriculum but can benefit from support. AVID learning strategies are a focus in all of our secondary buildings.
100% OF AVID GRADUATES WERE ACCEPTED TO COLLEGE OVER $4 MILLION WERE OFFERED IN SCHOLARSHIPS FUNDS
“AVID has given me more opportunities than I ever could have learned or found on my own. I think one of the best gifts AVID has given me is how to direct my pre-existing driven personality to benefit my future.” —AVID student
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District Book Study
Our District Support Center (DSC) staff engaged in a series of equity trainings for staff who have taken Beyond Diversity training. One recent training included a panel of staff who spoke about how their identities (racial and other) have affected them in their work and/ or personal lives, what kinds of microaggressions they experience, what their DSC colleagues can do to make them feel more supported at work, what the District does well when it comes to equity work, and what opportunities for improvement there are.
In the spring of 2020, our instructional coaches recommended that a book study of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, by Zaretta Hammond, would help move our District forward in equity. All educators in our system have engaged in the study, discussion, and application of the concepts shared. Our educators will continue to focus on applying the “Ready for Rigor Framework,” which emphasizes awareness (of race, culture, and brain science), learning partnerships that emphasize relationships between students and educators, information processing (intentional lesson design that helps students process new information), and community of learners and learning environment (a culture that fosters connections, resolves conflicts, and creates space for student voices). These important concepts are now common knowledge for all educators in our District, and with practice will be applied in ways that strengthen learning communities and impact students in positive ways.
STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Recognizing & Preventing Curriculum Violence On Tuesday, March 30, 2021, all instructional staff engaged in required professional development as part of their workday. SPASD students were part of a session that helped staff identify and prevent instances of curriculum violence.
OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY
Race & Equity Team
“We are all seeing ourselves as part of the “The three students were the best part of today’s
solution and exploring instructional practices and
professional development. Hearing about their experiences
biases to best meet the needs of our Black and
as Sun Prairie students helped bring awareness to me of
Brown students. Through vulnerability, honest and
what I should keep doing to build connections with all of
difficult conversations, and building a deeper level
my students, but also what I need to START doing to build
of trust within our building, we are committing to
stronger connections and to help students feel included
the ongoing work of addressing racial injustices in
and safe.” —SPASD staff member
our educational system.” —4th-grade teacher
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FACILITIES & OPERATIONS
The Operations of the School District include our Human Resources, School Nutrition, Athletics and Activities, Business and Finance, and Facilities and Grounds Departments. This team is integral in the support of our mission of Every Child, Every Day in areas like school nutrition, safety, cleanliness, materials, budgeting and ordering, teacher retention, etc.
Congratulations to our Nutrition and Wellness Team for being awarded a 2020 Sun Prairie Action Resource Coalition Local Action Award.
Introducing the Sun Prairie CO-OP Team: Sun Prairie United! Coming in the Fall of 2022! After getting input from students, staff, and the community, the Activities and Athletic CO-OP Subcommittee made an advisory recommendation to the School Board for the name, mascot, and colors of the high school CO-OP team between Sun Prairie West and Sun Prairie East. Thank you to Birch and Wolf LLC for designing this logo. CO-OP teams will be created where a number of participants in any given sport or activity will benefit.
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We are committed to providing a physical environment that is safe and conducive to current learning. Our Facilities and Grounds staff have been busy with projects throughout the year. Here are a few of the highlights: Elementary Schools (K–5th grades)
Northside office flooring
Secondary Schools (6th–12th grades)
▪ Bathroom remodel at C. H. Bird to add stalls to handle user load during high-traffic times.
▪ Front Parking Lot and Driveway reconstruction at Patrick Marsh Middle School.
▪ Addition of partition walls at Royal Oaks to provide a quieter, more defined area for 1st-grade instruction.
▪ Technology Education area renovations to prepare for delivering 6th–8th-grade curriculum more efficiently, addition of dust collection, and new classroom furniture at Patrick Marsh and Prairie View Middle Schools.
▪ Renovation of the Library, Makerspace, and Large-Group Instruction rooms at Northside. Also includes new furniture for the Library and Makerspace areas. ▪ West Courtyard reconstruction at Eastside to allow for better stormwater management, which will allow the space to be used as an outdoor classroom.
FACILITIES & OPERATIONS
REINVESTING IN OUR SCHOOLS
▪ Installation of new intercom systems at Patrick Marsh and Prairie View Middle Schools.
▪ Sealing some tile bathrooms at C. H. Bird, Eastside, Northside, Royal Oaks, & Westside with Saniglaze, and replacing worn bathroom partitions. ▪ Flooring replacements in the Main Offices at Eastside, Northside, and Westside. Northside library furniture
C.H. Bird bathroom renovation
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FACILITIES & OPERATIONS
CARDINAL HEIGHTS TO
CENTRAL HEIGHTS
The Cardinal Heights renovation project is underway. The design team, District leadership, and three subcommittees were engaged to formalize the design of the various sub-projects within one building. The majority of the current Cardinal Heights Upper Middle School building will become a 6th–8th-grade middle school and will be renamed Central Heights Middle School. The sub-projects include Central Heights Middle School, Prairie Phoenix Academy, the Professional Learning Center, and the Employee Wellness Clinic.
The District scored an AA rating by the credit rating company:
The District avoided
$78,400,000 in interest costs during the borrowing for Sun Prairie West High School compared to the initial referendum pricing.
SUN PRAIRIE WEST HIGH SCHOOL Construction on the second comprehensive high school is well underway!
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2020 CLIMATE CHAMPIONS We were recognized as one of Dane County’s 2020 Climate Champions for Token Springs and Meadow View Elementary Schools. The Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change launched the Climate Champion Program earlier this year as part of Dane County’s Climate Action Plan to recognize the efforts local entities are making to address climate change.
FACILITIES & OPERATIONS
HEALTHY KIDS HEALTHY SCHOOLS AWARD WINNERS Our Early Learning Resource Center was awarded the “Healthy Kids Healthy Schools” Gold Award and a $1,000 grant from Healthy Kids Collaborative of Dane County for our work in promoting the health and well-being of students, staff, and families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Of all of the Dane County schools that applied, only five received this award and grant, which will be used to support school health.
SECONDARY BOUNDARY AND BELL TIME TASK FORCE At the School Board Meeting on February 22, 2021, the Board unanimously approved the Secondary Boundary and Bell Time Task Force’s recommendation for secondary boundaries. Option D4a best meets the primary criteria of equitable distribution of socioeconomic status and racial composition, as well as all the other evaluation criteria. Some other key highlights of the approved option include: ▪ Only one middle school (Patrick Marsh) sends students to both high schools and does so equitably on east/west lines. ▪ This is the best of all options in minimizing the number of K–5 students separated from some peers at both transitions (~10%). ▪ This option respects neighborhood boundaries and creates opportunities for continuing to grow as a united community. ▪ This option enables the District to grow equitably into the future. ▪ The consensus of the task force: 70% chose D4a as their final option, and 91% voted to recommend it to the School Board. For more information about the boundaries, including Board presentations and maps, please visit the website.
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FACILITIES & OPERATIONS
BANK OF SUN PRAIRIE STADIUM AT ASHLEY FIELD The field and stadium were completed in August 2020, and our students were finally able to use the new facility for an abbreviated spring sports season. Students and community members are saying: “I love playing under the lights on this field” and “This facility is amazing. How lucky are our kids to be able to play and perform on this field.”
If you would like a virtual tour of the stadium, please visit: https://bit.ly/2YrZnaK
Photo from: Jim Garvey
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WORKFORCE EXCELLENCE
The 1,200 employees of the SPASD serve our District in dozens of job categories, from teachers to custodians, from instructional aides to school nutrition servers, and from administrative assistants to groundskeepers. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR STAFF! VINCE BRANDL Congratulations to Patrick Marsh teacher Vince Brandl, who was selected as a 2021 Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Teacher Fellow. He was chosen because of his skill as a leader and agent for positive change, and for his superior ability to inspire students to love learning!
SHANNON MALY High school teacher Shannon Maly was awarded the 2021 National High School Physical Education Teacher of the Year by SHAPE America.
JEFF BOOS Retired high school teacher Jeff Boos was inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame.
STEVE SVEUM Recently retired band director Steve Sveum was selected as a recipient of the 2020 Wisconsin Award for Excellence in Teaching Music. The award recognizes his advanced level of teaching experience, service to Wisconsin’s professional organizations, and, most important, his ability to inspire students with their own passion for music.
TIM BASS
CHRIS GLEASON
Cardinal Heights teacher and high school football coach Tim Bass was selected as the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year.
Chris Gleason, Patrick Marsh band director, was selected for the California Casualty Award for Teaching Excellence, organized by the NEA Foundation. He is 1 of 45 nationwide. Mr. Gleason was also nominated for a 2021 Global Teacher Prize sponsored by the Varkey Foundation and UNESCO.
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WORKFORCE EXCELLENCE
EMPLOYEE WELLNESS CLINIC Our Employee Wellness Clinic opened on July 1, 2020. The utilization of the clinic for the 2020–2021 school year reached 29%, which is the desired trajectory to remain on track for our return on investment. In addition to providing quality, accessible, comprehensive care, the providers created educational webinars for staff on relevant health topics. Jenny Gruber, NP, facilitated a weekly walking group and a bi-monthly Healthy Living Group talk to create and foster relationships with staff while helping build healthy habits. A skin check clinic was offered with a dermatology PA-C. Weight management coaching services were added. Hours of operation were adjusted based on utilization. Staff who visited the clinic reported an 86–98% “very good” satisfaction rate. Preventative health screenings increased during the fourth quarter. The top three medical visit reasons were immunizations, pre-employment exams, and general adult exams. COVID vaccine distribution occurred on March 5th and March 30th. Within the first year, claims avoidance totaled $216,381. Our rate insurance cap has been extended through 2024 as a result of creating the clinic.
EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION 2020-2021 was the third and final year of utilizing 2018 referendum funds to bring our professional educator salaries to the Dane County average. THANK YOU to the Workforce Excellence Team for their work on behalf of our staff.
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Our staff has contributed
$5,384 BEST PLACE TO WORK
2020–2021 A REPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY
to United Way programs.
WORKFORCE EXCELLENCE
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR SPASD EMPLOYEES Professional Learning for SPASD employees is a top priority. During the 2020–2021 school year, nearly 300 workshops were offered, with more than 6,000 attendees. This does not include the many out-of-district conferences and sessions our teachers attended. Some highlights of last year’s professional learning events included: • Many equity-related sessions, including Courageous Conversations, Black History Education Conference, Teaching Black History, Combatting Curriculum Violence, and weekly events presented by the Carter Center for K–12 Black History Education during February • Numerous district-wide and building-based books studies; Responsive Classroom for elementary teachers; multiple math training, including Carnegie, Add+Vantage Math Recovery (AVMR), and Bridges; and several Advanced Via Individual Determination (AVID) and English Learner events • Continued support for our teachers and students from the staff developers we partnered with from Teachers College through virtual sessions at C. H. Bird, Westside, Patrick Marsh, and Prairie View
COVID-19 VACCINATION CLINIC Our District partnered with SSM Health to coordinate a staff vaccination clinic on March 5th, with second doses administered on March 30th. This team of our District nursing staff vaccinated exactly 1,034 staff members. #SPVACCINATED
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GRADUATION 2021
GRADUATION
2021
Over 650 students graduated and crossed the stage on June 11, 2021, at the Bank of Sun Prairie Stadium at Ashley Field. A slight rain came through in the mid-afternoon, pushing the event start time back an hour. At the end of the ceremony, the sun was setting and the red glow from the stadium was the perfect backdrop for a night of celebrating our scholars.
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GRADUATION & PROM 2021
OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS had to get creative with Prom as the pandemic and restrictions with indoor activities limited events. Prom was held at the Bank of Sun Prairie Stadium at Ashley Field with The Black Panther movie on the video board. Blankets were socially distanced on the field, and students could take them home as a memento of the evening.
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Community Engagement is one of the strategic priorities for the Sun Prairie Area School District. Thank you to the Sun Prairie Education Foundation for continuing to award grants to our staff for innovative programming. This year, Stuff the Bus, a Sunshine Place program that
Thank you to our partners at the YMCA and Second Harvest Food Bank for offering a mobile food pantry at Westside Elementary.
collects school supplies for families in need, challenged students in our District to find ways to raise money for the good cause. In total, 11 students completed the challenge and raised over $1,175.36 for Stuff the Bus and over 1,500 backpacks were distributed to Sun Prairie families.
Thank You to all of our community partners for ensuring our students and families were supported throughout the 2020-2021 school year.
Patrick Marsh staff
had a “donation station” stocked with food, school supplies, and toiletries to hand out to families at the beginning of the school year.
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"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." —Coretta Scott King
their time to put together 500 name kits for our 4K students. These kits will help our youngest scholars with letter recognition and fine motor skills, all while learning to spell their names!
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Our National Honor Society students volunteered
Thank you to Keena from Bug’s Bakery for her $1,000 donation to the Hunger Hero Campaign. Keena Schroeder baked over 150 cheesecakes to raise money for student lunch balances.
Student vaccination clinics were offered in partnership with Hometown Pharmacy. Over 800 students accessed the COVID-19 vaccine through these on-site clinics at Sun Prairie High School.
We Support You Campaign The Sun Prairie Area School District kicked off the 2020–2021 school year with a campaign for supporting our staff, students, and family members. The We Support You! Campaign included a video that featured supportive words from Mayor Esser, UW–Madison Basketball Coach Greg Gard, Sun Prairie Fire Department members, community members, and more. Buttons were given to all staff, and yard signs were distributed and displayed throughout the community at businesses and homes. Families could send us a photo of themselves with their yard sign to be shared on our social media.
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AREAS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
No organization is perfect, but the best organizations openly recognize their areas for continued improvement and strategically work to refine and enhance their practices in order to improve. The Sun Prairie Area School District Strategic Plan includes a core competency of Continuous Improvement that cuts across our four primary strategic pillars. The Curriculum Violence Incident In February 2021, the Sun Prairie Area School District dealt with an instance of curriculum violence, where students were exposed to a classroom activity that should have never occurred. Following this incident, our School Board and administration critically thought about how we as an organization could and can continue to authentically respond to and learn from this unfortunate event: • We held a District-wide mandatory professional development on curriculum violence training on March 30 for all instructional staff. • We engaged our community to cocreate more focused equity work in our Instructional Framework. • We cocreated with our community the role description for the Director of Systemic Equity and Inclusion. We posted and hired for the position and welcomed Michael Morgan.
• The Social Studies Steering Committee met on March 17 and April 21 to review the curriculum with an equity lens. Other meetings and subject areas followed. • We partnered with the Courageous Conversations Global Foundation for community-wide healing circles in June and July. • We collaborated with community partners on a District equity assessment.
• We are continuing collaboration for Courageous Conversations and Equity Teams. • The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction found the Sun Prairie Area School District fully in compliance with Wis. Admin. Code §§ PI 8.01(2)(b) and (2)(k), specifically a professional development plan in compliance with Wis. Admin. Code § PI 8.01(2)(b) and a curriculum plan in compliance with Wis. Admin. Code § PI 8.01(2)(k).
Secondary Handbook Revisions A blackface incident at a Sun Prairie basketball game in 2019 prompted a middle school and high school student-led walkout. The students marched to the District Support Center where they met with administrators. Their requests included cocreating and revising the secondary student handbook and policies, diversifying and educating staff, and enhancing our curriculum. A group of student leaders worked with a team of administrators to update the student handbook, specifically the dress code and areas focused on discriminatory harassment. Elements of the dress code were found to be racially insensitive, were focused on women’s clothing more than men’s, were inconsistently enforced, and conflicted with the District’s motto of Every Child, Every Day. A team of students presented the revised handbook at the February 8 School Board meeting, highlighting the partnership between students, school staff, and District administration.
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AREAS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
SIX YEARS OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT RESULTS & PLAN REFRESH In 2014–2015, we launched our Strategic Plan with a commitment to work collaboratively and diligently on the following four main pillars.
TEACHING & LEARNING GOAL
WORK FOCUS GOAL
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GOAL
FACILITIES & OPERATIONS GOAL
All students surpass their annual academic growth targets and graduate ready for success.
Proactively recruit, retain, and engage talent that reflects and is responsive to our diverse community.
Excel in how we serve all stakeholders and build relationships with families, community members, and businesses that promote positive outcomes for students.
Use district resources effectively and efficiently. Facilities and services meet the needs of our diverse and growing student population.
Over the last five years, the District has worked through our Strategic Plan and has achieved many goals to evolve and improve for our community and the children and families we serve. To learn more about what we have achieved, visit our Continuous Improvement webpage. We’re refreshing our Strategic Plan to better reflect our community’s evolving needs and priorities, and your voice is critical. Check out the website for ways to get involved.
EDUCATOR RETENTION RATE
89.7%
92.1%
93.8%
90.0%
2017 » 2018
2018 » 2019
2019 » 2020
2020 » 2021
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COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
A community school is a strategy that coordinates relationships and resources through a public school to accelerate equitable outcomes in health, education, and employment. We partner with stakeholders to create the conditions students, families, and neighborhoods need in order to thrive. The program has focused on basic supplies and food throughout COVID. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have created partnerships with the Sun Prairie Emergency Food Pantry, Second Harvest Food Bank, and local churches to create school-based food pantries. We’ve also partnered with the YMCA and the Neighborhood Navigators to support students and families in our community with donations of hygiene and cleaning products, transportation assistance, rent and utility assistance, and furniture.
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188
15,500
202
In total we’ve served 188 families.
Over 15,500 lbs. of food has been donated.
202 hours have been spent serving students & families.
2020–2021 A REPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY
Juneteenth Event
After hearing about how the pandemic has affected members of our community, Westside Elementary community school coordinators and principal Nikki Burke worked to establish a fund to assist Westside families with COVID-19 related needs, ranging from rent assistance to meals. This fund has helped families meet basic needs, navigate community resources, leverage community partners, become familiar with distance learning, and more.
“Our Juneteenth event was such a fantastic time. It was inspiring to share the history and true meaning behind Juneteenth with families and the community.” —Tenisha Winn, Northside Community Site Coordinator
Westside Elementary Students Launch a new Coding Club
Interactive Sculpture Revealed
Scholars in our after-school program at Westside Elementary launched a new coding club. This club, led by library media specialist Ms. Thurow (or “Ms. T”), is a weekly collaboration with an engineer at Google. Our Wildcats learned how to code while working with others both in person and virtually.
A Phoenix Rises at Patrick Marsh is an interactive sculpture that was unveiled in 2021. Prairie Phoenix Academy senior Rossi Parisi drew the original sketch that inspired this work, and Westside Elementary School students assisted in the final design. Thank you Groundswell Conservancy for collaborating with us.
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COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Westside Elementary “We Are One” Fund
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ATHLETICS & ACTIVITIES
Our students have access to a variety of sports and clubs. These opportunities outside of the classroom are as important as any of our other strategies to support students. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR MEN’S SWIMMING AND BASEBALL TEAMS FOR WINNING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS!
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32%
36%
3.28
32% of our high school students participate in one or more sports.
36% of our high school students participate in one or more clubs.
The average GPA of our students who participate in athletics and clubs is 3.28.
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ATHLETICS & ACTIVITIES
OUR MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY AND WOMEN’S SOFTBALL TEAMS WERE STATE RUNNER-UPS!
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR INDIVIDUAL STUDENT ATHLETES FOR THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS! -HERE ARE JUST A FEW-
Dani Thompson
Sophie Fiske
Brooke Crosby
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ATHLETICS & ACTIVITIES
CONGRATULATIONS to all of our student-athletes that made the best of their compressed seasons.
Photo from: Jim Garvey
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ATHLETICS & ACTIVITIES
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ATHLETICS & ACTIVITIES
CLUBS & ACTIVITIES FBLA STATE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
SUN PRAIRIE FORENSICS
Nineteen Sun Prairie High School students qualified for the FBLA State Leadership Conference. Our high school’s chapter also earned 3rd place for the Outstanding Chapter Report, which is based on all the activities they have done this year, and 5th place for Outstanding Chapter, which is based on the number of place winners in the various events of the FBLA Regional Leadership Conference.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FORENSICS TEAM ON BRINGING HOME OUR FIRST-EVER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!
SUN PRAIRIE DECA Congratulations to Sun Prairie’s DECA participants for receiving 42 test and role-play medals at the state-wide DECA competition. Nineteen students advanced to the National DECA competition. It was announced that Ankit Janamanchi will serve as the Wisconsin DECA Vice President for the 2021– 2022 school year.
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SPRING CHOIR CONCERT 2021
CREATIVE WAYS TO LEARN
SPRING BAND CONCERT 2021
Our high school choir had a concert in the Fenske Courtyard. Graduates from 2020, who didn’t have the opportunity to perform at their final concert due to the pandemic, had the opportunity to come and sing too. School Board member Tom Weber said it was an amazing event that “gave us all hope for some normalcy and enjoyment going forward.”
Even with obstacles related to the pandemic, our band teachers found ways for our students to practice! Tents went up at Patrick Marsh, Prairie View, Cardinal Heights, and Sun Prairie High School. These tents were used as outdoor learning spaces to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and to comply with Dane County public health orders.
Our band students enjoyed a final in-person concert in June. Community members and families gathered outside to listen to the beautiful music that students practiced both in-person and virtually over the course of the school year.
ATHLETICS & ACTIVITIES
CHOIR | BAND | DRAMA
SUN PRAIRIE DRAMA STUDENTS PRESENT SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE
Our drama students put on amazing performances via Zoom in April. We were so glad that our students were able to perform for the community. The cast and crew did an amazing job!
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501 S. Bird Street Sun Prairie, WI 53590
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Sun Prairie Schools
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No student may be unlawfully discriminated against in any school programs, activities or in facilities usage because of the student’s sex (gender identity, gender expression and nonconformity to gender role stereotypes), color, religion, profession or demonstration of belief or non-belief, race, national origin (including limited English proficiency), ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, homelessness status, sexual orientation, age, or physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability. Harassment is a form of discrimination and shall not be tolerated in the District. It is the responsibility of administrators, staff members and all students to ensure that student discrimination or harassment does not occur. The District’s commitment to nondiscrimination under Title IX and under other state and federal laws is further defined in the following policies Policy AC, Nondiscrimination in District Programs, Activities, and Operations, Procedure AC-R(1), District Response to Alleged Sexual Harassment Under Title IX, Procedure AC-R(2), Expectations for Employees to Report Discrimination and Harassment.
