Principal’s Desk News & Information Upcoming Dates School Care News
Elementary (P3-8) & Childcare
Jan 8
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We hope this message reaches you in good spirits. As we progress through the school year, we are thankful for your continuous support and collaboration in fostering our children’s development and education.
This week, on January 6th, we celebrated the Epiphany of our Lord. The Epiphany is a time to reveal our Savior and announce His arrival to the world. It often reminds us of the Magi, who brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. This occasion invites us to reflect: What gift could I offer Jesus this year?
January 23rd concludes the first grading period for our Early Childhood Program, including P3, 4K, and Kindergarten. You can expect a narrative report card to be sent home with your Early Childhood child(ren) by January 26th.
From January 12th to 23rd, SMSA students from second to eighth grade will participate in their winter MAP assessment. It’s important for all students to be present during the MAP testing period. We are eager to see our students’ growth and within the knowledge developed and applied during the first half of the school year. Teachers use the student data from MAP scores immediately to guide future instruction by identifying students growth patterns. Learning is rarely a straightforward path but more of a spiral of progress. Additionally, MAP data is utilized to show trends across the SMSA system and aids in future class scheduling as students advance in their learning journey in their middle school years.
We look forward to our continued collaboration and celebrating more successes in the upcoming weeks. Thank you for your ongoing partnership with SMSA. Together, we pave the way for tomorrow’s children to achieve extraordinary dreams.
God Bless,
Steven Kelnhofer
Elementary Principal, SMSA
Principal's Pen
The Principal’s Pen is an opportunity for teachers to recognize students who consistently demonstrate “The Ledger Way” with a focus on faith, learning, respect for leadership, community and responsibility. The students chosen will attend a special breakfast with Mr. Kelnhofer, Mr. Thuerwachter and a special guest. They will also receive a certificate with a brief sentence on how they followed “The Ledger Way,” and a principal’s pen. This week’s special guest speaker is Heather Reilley, our Director of Pupil Services.
Kennedy W. (3K) -Kennedy is a kind, thoughtful friend and classmate and is always full of joy! She is very respectful and is always super focused on learning and doing her best work!
Maci M. (4K) -Maci is always the first one to offer to help her teachers and friends. She has a sweet caring heart, is excited to learn, and does her best job on her work, often trying to do more than is expected like trying to write the names of her family, classmates, and her first, middle, and last name on her work. She is a joy to have in class!
Lincoln D. (Kindergarten) -Lincoln is a hard worker. He is very respectful and kind to his friends and teachers. Lincoln is always including others in anything he does and can put a smile on anyone’s face.
Jack F. (Grade 1) -Jack works very hard to learn everything he can. He is respectful to adults and peers and is honest and kind in his interactions with others.
Holden S. (Grade 2) -Holden is an amazing leader in the classroom. He is always participating, challenging himself, asking questions, working with others and sharing ideas. He has a love for learning and cares for others. His smile and kind heart brighten every day.
Vera V. (Grade 3) -Vera is a great addition to our classroom. She comes to school ready to learn and has a smile on her face. She is a sweet girl who is always willing to lend a helping hand to her teacher and peers.
Thank you!
A HUGE heartfelt thank you to all of the 4th-8th grade students that created the beautiful Christmas cards, the generous families in PreK-8th that bought them, and donated to our movie and popcorn afternoon. Because of your amazing spirit of giving, we were able to present a check for $4,036.42 to Rashaud’s family on Monday, January 5th. We are grateful for your continued support. Please keep Rashaud and his family in your prayers.
REMINDER - 2026-2027 Online Registration is NOW Open!
Registration for the 2026-2027 academic school year is open for families with students currently enrolled at SMSA until January 9, 2026. Registration will be completed online through your Family Access account in Skyward. Step-by-step instructions can be found on the website by following the link Online Registration Instructions.
Reminder, Skyward online registration can be completed using your cell phone.
All current families must complete Online Registration for each student.
Log into your Family Access account in Skyward. If you have misplaced your login credentials for Skyward, please email jpoetzel@smsacademy.org.
Online Registration includes information verification regarding your family and student(s). Registration will open for students not currently enrolled in SMSA in January 2026. Early registration will assist in determining class sizes for the 2026-2027 academic year. The registration fee will become part of your 2026-2027 tuition statement.
Current families must complete registration by January 9, 2026.
If you have questions regarding online registration use this link registration@smsacademy.org.
Click these links to access the following:
All BMR Tickets Must Be Return before the Live Drawing on January 16, 2026
Who will win $20,000 this year!?
All Sold BMR tickets must be returned to school with your child, or to the North, South or Scrip offices before the live noon drawing on Friday, January 16, 2026. The drawing will take place no matter the weather!
If you have any questions, or if you would like to purchase additional tickets, please contact a member of the BMR committee, listed below.
Valerie Everson
920.251.3719
Stephanie Fessler
920.960.0556
Katie Mathos
920.979.6757
Lisa Shannon
920.539.2892
Library Volunteers Needed
We are currently looking for regularly scheduled and sub volunteers to assist our students in the library during the following times:
* Wednesdays: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
* Thursdays: 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM
* SUBS various times of the week/month as needed
Starting January 2026 – Volunteers are needed Mondays from Noon – 3:00 p.m.
Why do we love having regular volunteers?
Because our students love forming connections with their library helpers! When you’re here regularly, you get to know the students—their personalities, their interests, and their favorite books. It’s a wonderful opportunity to build relationships and help guide young readers by recommending books you know they’ll enjoy.
Whether you’re a parent, or grandparent, your time makes a big difference. If you love books and enjoy working with kids, and are SEE trained we’d love to have you on our library team!
Contact Lisa at library@smsacademy.org with any questions or for more information.
Ledgerfest Grade Level Basket Donations
Planning has begun for our annual Ledgerfest fundraising event—mark your calendars for Saturday, March 28, 2026! You won’t want to miss this exciting evening celebrating SMSA.
Once again, we’re asking each grade level to contribute toward creating some incredible auction baskets. Your support makes a huge difference in making Ledgerfest a success!
If you would like to contribute towards your child’s grade level basket, click this link: https://smsacademy.ejoinme.org/LF26class to donate online. Once you enter a donation amount and click next, please fill in your child’s name and grade level (if you are donating for more than one child, please list each name and grade level along with the amount for each child). If you prefer, you may still send cash or check (payable to Andrea Nuss) in an envelope marked: Ledgerfest/Ashley Lane. Please also indicate your child’s grade level on the envelope.
All contributions are due by Wednesday, February 4th. Thank you so much!
If you have any questions, please reach out to your grade-level lead:
P3: Lindsey Pietrowski – pietrowski.lindsey@gmail.com
K4: Allison Geiger – kageiger@att.net
K5: Amy Meyer-Bremer – ameyer17@outlook.com
1st Grade: Betsy Royce – ejmiazga@gmail.com
2nd Grade: Molly Jaster – molly.jaster@gmail.com
3rd Grade: Jourdan Jacobs – jourdanjacobs@gmail.com
4th Grade: Katie Heller – katieheller11@gmail.com
5th Grade: Jenn Ellestad – jenn.ellestad@gmail.com
6th Grade: Andrea Nuss – alnuss@charter.net
7th Grade: Tya Robles – tyajean623@gmail.com
8th Grade: Shannon LaLuzerne – slaluzerne@smsacademy.org
High School (9-12): Andrea Nuss – alnuss@charter.net, Betsey Gitter – kevandbets@gmail.com and Pam Kristmann – pamkristmann@gmail.com
Thank you for your generosity and for helping make Ledgerfest 2026 another amazing celebration of our Ledger community!
Save the Date – Ledgerfest 2026 is Gearing Up for a Slam Dunk!
Mark your calendars — Ledgerfest is happening Saturday, March 28, 2026!
We are bringing all the fun, energy, and team spirit you can handle — it’s sure to be a night full of laughs, cheers, and good times!
Location: FCC (400 University Dr. Fdl)
Time: Doors open at 5:00 pm
Want in on the action? Join the Ledgerfest Committee!
Help dream up ideas, decorate, and make this year’s event the best one yet. Reach out to Ashley Lane if you’d like to join the team — it’s a total blast and a great way to get involved!
Get ready… this event is sure to be a slam dunk!
It’s going to be a night you won’t want to miss!
FDL Wrestling Sessions
Would you like to get involved at SMSA?
Are you looking to get more involved at SMSA? If so, join our Parent Connectors Group!! We organize events for our SMSA families & show our appreciation towards our amazing SMSA Staff throughout the year!! Please email Andrea Nuss, alnuss@charter.net if you are interested. Thank you so much!!
Refer-A-Family Program - Earn $500 Towards Tuition
January 16, 2026 – BMR Drawing
January 26 – 30, 2026 – Catholic Schools Week (CSW)