EVERY FAMILY, EVERY DAY NEWSLETTER |
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Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate Black History Month!
We spent the month of February celebrating Black Excellence in our schools, in our community, and in our society. Thank you to everyone who gave their time and talents to help organize the BHM events, and thanks to everyone who attended them!
"But if the Harlem Renaissance stirred Black people to see themselves, if the Black Arts Movement stirred Black people to love themselves, then the Black Renaissance is stirring Black people to be themselves. Totally. Unapologetically. Freely. " - Ibram Kendi
Below are some highlights from this year's events:
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Read Your Heart Out
Our annual "Read Your Heart Out" event took place at Westside Elementary and Northside Elementary schools on Friday, February 10, and at Creekside Elementary and Royal Oaks Elementary schools on Friday, February 24. This event engaged over 1,500 students from kindergarten to fifth grade, along with caregivers, community members, and members of the District’s leadership team.
"Read Your Heart Out" is a special way to celebrate Black and African American students’ culture through the love of reading while also bringing the community together. It has been held at Westside Elementary for nine years, Northside Elementary for six years, and Creekside Elementary for two years. Royal Oaks Elementary participated in the event for the first time this year!
Community members volunteer to read culturally relevant materials to classrooms that feature Black and African American main characters and African American authors and/or illustrators. Volunteers select the books of their choosing.
Some of this year’s special guests included Mayor Paul Esser, business owner Kendra Gassner, City Administrator Aaron Oppenheimer, Director of Systemic Equity and Inclusion Michael Morgan, and members of the Black Student Unions at Sun Prairie East and Sun Prairie West high schools.
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Black Professionals & Career Exploration Fair
On February 8, we had our first-ever Black Professionals & Career Exploration Fair. Students, family, and community members gathered at Sun Prairie West High School to hear from professionals in various careers, including general managers, counselors, CEOs, registered nurses, civil engineers, police officers, real estate agents, outreach specialists, and more!
Thank you to everyone who helped organize this event and to all the professionals who generously shared their time and insights with our students!
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Soul Food Dinner
Thank you to everyone who supported BSUs at our annual Soul Food Dinner on February 24 at Sun Prairie East High School! At this annual BSU fundraiser, guests enjoyed a meal catered by Mcgee's Chicken, a local black-owned restaurant. DJ M, a local Black DJ, played music while everyone broke bread together.
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Update from the Department of Systemic Equity and Inclusion |
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In January, members of the DSEI Community Cabinet spent their time as a group thinking and providing feedback on the various presenters from this year to Michael Morgan, Director of Systemic Equity and Inclusion. There was time to prep for upcoming presenters to ensure the questions they want to be answered will be addressed. Coming up in March, we will welcome Nicholas Reichhoff, Director of Student Policy and School Operations, to share about student behavior and discipline disproportionality.
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Michael Morgan
Director of Systemic Equity & Inclusion
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Robyn Rake
Administrative Associate for Systemic Equity & Inclusion
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Celebrating Black Agriculturists |
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In celebration of Black History Month and National FFA week. Sun Prairie West High School Principal Jen Ploeger met with students to discuss their plans for National FFA week and spoke to celebrating the intersectionality of these two celebrations. Lillian from SP West, Daniel from SP East, and Emily from SP East took that charge to heart and created this poster series to celebrate Black Agriculturalists. Not only are these posters now being used in our District; they have been shared with both the state and national FFA and are going up in High Schools around the country! A shout out to teachers Jenny Herman and Josh Capodarco for helping make this happen and to Lilli, Daniel, and Emily for the great work!
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Our District is committed to disrupting inequities that contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline for our students and is committed to social-emotional wellness for all students. Engaging in system-wide learning and implementation around Restorative Practices, Circles, Restorative Justice, and alternatives to discipline will lead to more equitable outcomes for our black and brown students. It is important to engage in processes that restore harm when a previously established connection between two or more individuals that has been broken. Implementing and engaging in Restorative Practices within our system represents a culture shift. A multi-year system-wide implementation plan is necessary to achieve lasting, desired outcomes.
Watch this screencast to learn more about how the rollout of Restorative Practices has been going at our three middle schools and the positive impacts Restorative Practices are already having for our students and staff.
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Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration |
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We want to give a huge THANK YOU to all who came out to support Sun Prairie's celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.!
We are grateful for all of the speakers who shared their powerful words of wisdom, encouragement, and experience. Our community showed up to give their support.
This event was planned and sponsored by representatives from Sunshine Place, Sun Prairie Community Schools, the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, the Sun Prairie Area School District Department of Systemic Equity and Inclusion, and the City of Sun Prairie.
Thank you, Beans n Cream Coffeehouse and Chick-fil-A, for your gift donations for our speakers!
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The 5th annual Black Excellence Achievement Makers Awards is returning for its 5th year on May 7, 2023, at Bank of Sun Prairie Stadium at Ashley Field. Scholars in SPASD are being nominated for 5 award categories including: Models Excellence in Academics, Models Excellence in Teamwork, Models Excellence in Responsibility, Extraordinary Growth, Exemplary Peer Leadership.
Please save the date and join us in celebration where last year we had over 700 nominations!
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Jasmin Melo-Salas
Hello there! My name is Jasmin Melo-Salas, and I am a Payroll Assistant at the District Support Center. I am also the club advisor for Latinx Culture Club and Gay Straight Alliance at Sun Prairie West High School.
As a Payroll Assistant, I help to make sure every staff member gets paid on time and accurately. Sounds easy enough but trust me, here at Payroll, it’s non-stop! That’s my favorite part about working here; it’s always busy, and never a dull moment.
Being an advisor to two clubs is the most rewarding part of my job. I love interacting and collaborating with students. They are beyond brilliant and make coming to work day in and day out worthwhile. All club meetings are student-led. It’s amazing to witness young leaders rise up, stand up, and bring awareness to issues they are passionate about.
Fun fact about me; I have lived in multiple places: the United Kingdom, Spain, Chicago, IL, and Newark, NJ.
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The Hispanic Student Union is a group of students looking to have dialogue through related experiences. This group has come together to ensure that we have an atmosphere where students of Latina descent can feel comfortable sharing and supporting one another. We are looking at exploring the history and growth of the Latin community both in Madison and in America. As part of looking at the Hispanic community, we are looking into fundraising for a field trip to learn more about our heritage in America. |
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Minority Student Achievement Network (MSAN) |
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MSAN has been working with the school equity teams to look into the connectedness of the students to school culture. The school year started with a student survey that was distributed to the student body. Next, they conducted small focus groups to complement the survey. Their next steps are to look at having a teacher survey to examine how teachers create connectedness with the classroom space. Their goal is to possibly create a Professional Development for teachers run by students informing teachers how to create a welcoming class environment |
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The Sun Prairie Area School District is excited to proclaim March as Women's History Month! Our District is teaming up with the City of Sun Prairie to uplift women who have impacted members of our community. The community was invited to nominate women who empowered and inspired them. Certificates will be mailed to nominees in Mid-March. |
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We are seeking to diversify our workforce. To see all available positions, including the positions listed below, please scan the QR Code or visit Frontline.
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Substitute Support Staff - Learn more about becoming a substitute here.
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Substitute Teacher - Learn more about becoming a substitute here.
- Human Resources Manager - District Support Center
- Director of School Nutrition - District Support Center
- Director of Student Policy and School Operations - District Support Center
- Administrator of Professional Learning - District-Wide
- Community Schools Site Coordinator - Patrick Marsh Middle School
- Community Schools Site Coordinator - Central Heights Middle School
- Environmental Services Manager - District-Wide
- Kindergarten Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Teacher
- 4K Classroom Teacher - Meadow View Elementary
- 5th Grade Classroom Teacher - Creekside Elementary
- School Social Worker - Northside Elementary
- 6th-8th Grade Band and General Music Teacher - Prairie View Middle School
- Custodians
- Lead Custodians
- Instructional Assistants
- Special Education Assistants
- Nutrition Team Members
- Welcome Center Administrative Associate - Sun Prairie East High School
- Welcome Center Administrative Associate - Sun Prairie West High School
- Lead Administrative Associate - Meadow View Elementary
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HUMAN RESOURCES CONTACTS:
Chris Sadler, Human Resources Director
Isabel Simonetti, Employee Relations Manager
humanresources@sunprairieschools.org
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Mission
Futures depend on us to inspire and prepare every child, every day by providing relevant, engaging, and innovative learning experiences in and out of the classroom.
Vision
To be a high performing district of choice that reflects the cultures of our diverse community.
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