Principal’s Desk News & Information Upcoming Dates School Care News
Elementary (P3-8) & Childcare
Oct 8
Dear SMSA Families,
We hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying the beautiful colors and blessings of the fall season! Our school is filled with opportunities for learning, growth, friendship, and discovery, and we are grateful for the many ways you partner with us to make SMSA such a special place. Together, we are helping our students recognize their God-given gifts, build meaningful relationships, and grow into confident, compassionate leaders who live out the Ledger Way.
Celebrating Our Principal’s Pen Award Winners!
This past Tuesday, we celebrated our first group of Principal’s Pen Award winners from Pre3 through Grade 3! Each month, students are selected by faculty and staff from various grade levels who recognize children demonstrating our Ledger Way Core Values in their everyday actions.
During the celebration, students enjoyed a light breakfast, listened to an inspiring keynote speaker from SMSA, received their awards, and had their accomplishments recognized. Our winners will also be featured in an upcoming eLedger!
It was truly uplifting to hear stories that reflected our Core Values and to witness the many ways our students are growing through the holistic education we strive to provide at St. Mary’s Springs Academy.
We are especially excited to recognize Leadership through this program. Leadership is not just about being in charge or standing in front of others; it is about making thoughtful choices, showing kindness, taking responsibility, serving others, and using our God-given gifts to make a positive difference. Even our youngest Ledgers can be leaders through a helping hand, an encouraging word, or the courage to do what is right. Congratulations to all our Principal’s Pen recipients! We are proud of you and look forward to celebrating many more student leaders throughout the year.
Learning, Growing, and Getting Involved!
There is plenty of exciting activity happening across our elementary and middle school classrooms!
Reading and Assessment: Students in Grades K–2 completed their reading fluency assessments, while students in Grades 2–8 wrapped up their fall MAP testing in the past weeks. These assessments help us better understand student progress and identify opportunities to support continued growth.
Middle School Musical: We are gearing up for our Grades 6–8 musical, with auditions just around the corner! We look forward to seeing our students share their creativity, talents, and confidence.
Fall Athletics: Our fall sports teams are wrapping up their seasons, demonstrating dedication, perseverance, and teamwork. We are proud of the effort our student-athletes have shown and the ways they represent SMSA through sportsmanship and leadership.
Each of these experiences provides opportunities for students to discover their strengths, encourage their peers, and learn that leadership often begins with effort, commitment, and a willingness to contribute to something bigger than themselves.
As a reminder, Skyward sent a message on October 5 regarding the conference scheduling process. Parents and guardians can begin scheduling conferences through Skyward starting Monday, October 5. We look forward to connecting with you, celebrating your child’s growth, and continuing our shared commitment to each child’s learning, development, and success!
Halloween Celebrations – October 30th
Our classroom Halloween parties will take place on October 30th, with afternoon celebrations for most classrooms and morning celebrations for Early Childhood. Please check with your child’s homeroom teacher for specific details and classroom plans.
Parents who wish to attend or volunteer during classroom parties must be SEE trained. Thank you to our families who generously share their time and talents to make these experiences special for our students. Your involvement is a wonderful example of leadership through service and community.
Trunk or Treat – October 29
Get ready for some fall fun! We invite our families to join us for our annual Trunk or Treat on October 29th in the upper South Hall parking lot.
This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with other Ledger families, enjoy the excitement of the season, and strengthen the sense of community that makes SMSA so special. We hope to see many of you there!
Thank you for being an essential part of our SMSA family. Your partnership, encouragement, and support help us nurture young people who are rooted in Christ’s teachings, committed to academic excellence, and prepared to lead with faith, courage, and compassion.
May the weeks ahead bring continued growth, joyful discoveries, and countless opportunities for our Ledgers to shine!
God Bless,
Steven Kelnhofer
Elementary Principal, SMSA
skelnhofer@smsacademy.org
Principal's Pen
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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 attended a special breakfast with Mr. Kelnhofer, Mr. Thuerwachter and a special guest. They also received a certificate with a brief sentence on how they followed “The Ledger Way,” and a principal’s pen. This week’s special guest speaker was Kyle Krueger, High School Assistant Principal at St. Mary’s Springs Academy.
Arden K. (P3) -Arden shows respect and kindness to his friends. He makes responsible choices, uses his words to help solve problems and helps make our classroom a caring community. Kendall O. (4K) -Kendall is a sweet, kind friend who shows the core values of the Ledger Way. She always comes to school with a smile, excited to learn. Kendall follows directions, loves to share her ideas in class, always does her best job on her work, and is a kind friend to all. We love having Kendall in our class! Sophie O. (K) -Sophie is a wonderful student who comes to school each day ready to learn. She is responsible, enjoys participating in class, and asks thoughtful questions that show her curiosity and love of learning. Riverson L. (Grade 1) -Riverson is kind to his friends and consistently shows responsibility, respect and safety. He arrives as school prepared and exhibits a genuine enthusiasm for learning. He follows directions well and actively participates. I appreciate his reliability and growing leadership skills. Keep it up, Riverson! Thomas H. (Grade 2) -Thomas is a great example of someone who is a faithful leader. Thomas is selfless and gives his earned rewards to others rather than keeping them for himself. His kindness to others shows he lives as Jesus taught us. Myra P. (Grade 3) – Myra is a kind and respectful student. She is a leader in class and is always willing to help others. Myra comes to school with a smile on her face and has a positive attitude towards everything! |
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Absent/Retake Picture Day - Monday, October 12, 2026
Fall Scholastic Book Fair is coming!
Our Scholastic Book Fair is coming to SMSA during the week of October 19th. The book fair will be located in the Library on the 3rd floor. The book fair will be open on October 20th – 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm, October 21st – 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm, October 22nd – 7:00 am – 8:00 am & 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm. We are also looking for volunteers to help at the book fair. If you are interested in helping with set up/take down or volunteering, please use this link to sign up: https://signup.com/go/cLVBKoB . Bonus this year if you volunteer, you will receive $10.00 for each hour to be used at the book fair. We hope to see you there! Any questions, please contact Liz Dodd, lizdodd331@gmail.com. Thank you so much!
SMSA Truck or Treat
We are excited to announce that SMSA will once again offer Trunk or Treat for our SMSA families, and we invite you to participate! Below you will find details about the event as well as a sign up form to register you/your vehicle to hand out treats (candy/food or non-food items).
In accordance with the Archdiocese, ALL CANDY DISTRIBUTORS MUST BE SEE TRAINED. If your SEE training is not up to date, there is still time to do so before Trunk or Treat.
EVENT DETAILS:
When: Thursday, October 29, 2026
Trunk Set-Up: 5:15-5:45pm
Trunk or Treating: 6:00-7:00pm
All car-hosts should be PARKED by 5:30pm, as students may start arriving early. Only approved car-hosting vehicles will be allowed in the upper south parking lot. This is for the safety of all students/event attendees.
Where: SMSA South Upper (Elementary School) Parking Lot What: Trick or Treat throughout the SMSA parking lot with decorated vehicles!
Interested in hosting a car to hand out treats?! Sign up here to hand out candy and confirm your SEE training. Registration is required to HOST a vehicle. Please complete the form by Friday, October 23.
No registration is required to attend! Simply mark your calendars, dress up and join us for an evening of fun and treats! SEE training is not required to attend the event. SEE training is only required to host a car.
Only car hosting vehicles will be allowed to enter/park in the Upper South parking lot. All other vehicles and event attendees not handing out candy, must park in the lower lot and walk up to the South lot to enjoy the event. This is for the safety of all children and attendees.
SEE Training:
Looking to update your SEE Training or take the course for the first time? Check out upcoming nearby in-person classes: Safe Environment Events – Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Remember, SEE Training is required to volunteer and/or chaperone at SMSA. SEE Training is good for 5 years. If it has been over 5 years since your SEE Training, renewal is required with a refresher course: CLICK HERE.
Questions or interested in volunteering for the event (student volunteers are welcome!)? Please reach out to Ali Helleberg at alison.faris@gmail.com.
We look forward to seeing you and your little pumpkins on October 29!
Sincerely,
The Trunk or Treat Team
Middle School Musical Parent & Student Informational Meeting
The Middle School Theatre Department is excited to announce this year’s production: Alice in Wonderland JR.! Fall down the rabbit hole with Alice as she navigates the curious world of Wonderland on a journey of self-discovery.
When young Alice finds herself in a strange world where everything seems upside down, she must find her way home…and find herself along the way. As she travels through Wonderland, she encounters all of the iconic characters that audiences have come to love, including the ever-tardy White Rabbit, the grinning Cheshire Cat, a cool Caterpillar, the wacky Mad Hatter, and the hot-tempered Queen of Hearts.
Alice in Wonderland JR. features Disney favorites such as “The Golden Afternoon,” “The Unbirthday Song,” and “Painting the Roses Red” along with brand-new songs, including music from the 2010 live-action film. Whether this is your first experience with Alice or your hundredth, you’ll fall in love all over again with this timeless story of adventure, imagination, and pure fun!
Any student in 6th through 8th grade is invited to participate. We will be holding a mandatory Parent & Student Informational Meeting on Wednesday, October 21st at 6:30 PM in the Cafeteria.
At this meeting, families will receive all the details needed to make a confident decision about participation: rehearsal schedule, expectations, and volunteer opportunities. Attending does not commit you to the show—it simply provides the information you need to decide if this is the right fit for your family.
Workshop/Auditions: October 26–28, 3:30–5:00 PM. Students must attend all three workshops, even if they plan to be part of the backstage crew.
Parent Volunteers: Please remember that all parents must be SEE-trained to help with the production. If you have questions, contact Pat or McKenna in the office.
We are so excited for this year’s show and can’t wait to see our students shine on stage!
Mrs. Packer & Ms. O’Brien
Coats for kids
The National Honor Society is sponsoring a Coats for Kids Drive at SMSA from Monday, September 28th through Friday October 30st. Each fall The Salvation Army collaborates with schools, agencies, and communities to collect requests for new and used winter outerwear for families in need. They also organize the county’s largest winter outerwear distribution. We are asking for donations to help The Salvation Army to ensure they can provide coats for everyone who needs one. Donation boxes will be located at the north and south hall offices.
Join Our Parent Connectors Group!
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!!
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
October 21-22, 2026 – Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 23, 2026 – No School – In-Service – Elementary Students Only
Extended Care 2026-2027 Academic Year
If your child/children are in need of extended care please email Ms. Tracey at (tsaunders@smsacademy.org).
Thank you