Principal’s Desk News & Information Upcoming Dates High School Counseling

Today, Ledgers attended the J-Term ‘27 kick-off assembly, and next week during homeroom students will be registering for J-Term ‘27 classes. At the assembly, each student was provided with the updated J-Term brochure of 2027 class offerings, program FAQ’s and academic policies specific to J-Term. Parents should ask to see the brochure! Know that the brochure is also posted online at the “Resources” page of the Website for your reference.

It seems like a good time to revisit the VISION OF J-TERM:

“J-Term at St. Mary’s Springs Academy shall spark student interest in learning through a variety of non-traditional courses. Enhancing SMSA’s regular curriculum through innovative styles of teaching and enrichment, J-term courses will provide opportunities for project-based learning, interdisciplinary explorations, community connections, and service-learning, along with time to focus on social-emotional development and college and career planning. J-Term will highlight our school’s distinctive vision of student growth that is aligned with discernment of personal interests and gifts.”

The original “January” Term (2024) made history on the Ledge! It ushered in a unique program of experiential learning that has made a positive difference in our learning community. Recently, the Catholic Herald recently highlighted the innovation of J-Term at SMSA. You can read that article at the link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C4WBbgPGOi5EAOYz8afAPBybQKvTBe34/view?usp=sharing

For a fourth consecutive year, our creative and dedicated team of Springs educators and higher education partners are very excited to continue this unique and engaging learning experience at the Springs. As we continue to strive for improvement and ways to advance learning at SMSA, we are confident that J-Term will continue to fulfill its vision of innovative experiential learning opportunities for our Ledgers.

SMSA is grateful to all our valued partners, including the Archdiocese of Milwaukee for providing the original G.I.F.T.S. Grant that helped launch and support the development of J-Term! We are so very grateful to Moraine Park Technical College and the Youth Apprentice Program for their creative collaboration, and enthusiastic embrace of this project from the very beginning. Last year, we were pleased to welcome Marian University and Wisconsin Lutheran College as J-Term course collaborators, and both are providing dual college credit options for J-Term ‘27 again!

New this year is a collaboration with Winnebago Lutheran Academy, who have been inspired by the success of J-Term on the Ledge. For the past year, our SMSA team has been working with the leadership of WLA to support the development of J-Term for their students. This year, for the first time, Ledgers and Viking will share classes together on the campus of MPTC! This is a new and exciting development that not only benefits both schools, but also the greater fFond du Lac community. For our role in the growth of J-Term locally, SMSA has been recognized by MPTC as an innovative leader in educational collaboration!

Of course, J-Term cannot be successfully executed without the generous and talented SMSA faculty and staff who imagine possibilities and plan the curriculum year-round. They look forward to engaging their own passions with our Ledgers during J-Term! Finally, a hearty thank you to our parent partners for supporting this special term in the lifecycle of learning at SMSA.

Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us!

Eamonn O’Keeffe, Principal, High School

←Back to Top

The Ledger Fishing Club will be holding its New Member informational meeting on Wednesday, November 11th at the Fisherman’s Road Clubhouse. Come join us at the 5pm or 6:30pm meeting, whichever fits your schedule best.

This meeting is only for new/prospective members & parents.

The LFC is open to all St Mary’s Springs high school students whether you have ice fished previously or not! If you are interested in learning more about the LFC, we encourage you to pick up a flier at the North Office and plan on attending the November 11th meeting to learn more about the club, our events and participation requirements.

Check us out on Facebook @ “LFC – Ledger Fishing Club”
We look forward to fishing with you this winter!

LFC New Member Meeting Info Page 2027

Whether your family is looking for good family fun or you are a student looking to volunteer with children and families, SPOOKTACULAR has it all! Friday, Oct.30 from 3-6 PM at CMFDL. To reserve tickets or sign up to volunteer, log on at cmfdl.org

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.

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!!

Our next PPA meeting is October 21st at 6pm in the conference room across from the Business Office. We will be working through our normal agenda with an emphasis on the upcoming fall play. All are welcome to join!

Future Meetings:

November 18th
December 9th

Learn how you can get involved. Contact PPA@smsacademy.org to learn more!

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!!

Did you know? You can Refer-A-Family and receive tuition credit!

←Back to Top

October 28, 2026 – HS Parent/Teacher Conferences

←Back to Top

The following schools will be at SMSA to talk with students. Please sign up in the North hall Office.

St Olaf College – Northfield, Minnesota
Monday, October 26th | 1:45 PM – 2:25 PM
St. Olaf offers a liberal arts education with more than 85 majors, and pre-professional programs. The college is especially known for its strong biology, psychology, economics, environmental studies, computer science, and music programs. Popular majors include:
Biology / Neuroscience
Quantitative Economics
Political Science
Music & Music Performance
Statistics & Data Science

UW – La Crosse – La Crosse, Wisconsin
Tuesday, October 27th | 9:45 – 10:15 AM
UW La Crosse offers more than 100 undergraduate programs across a variety of fields, including health sciences, business, education, science, technology, and the liberal arts. The university is especially known for its strong health sciences, exercise and sport science, education, business, biology, and environmental science programs. Popular majors include:
Exercise & Sport Science
Health Sciences / Nursing
Business
Education
Computer Science & Information Systems
Nutrition & Dietetics
Recreation Management
Political Science
Mathematics & Statistics

UW – Platteville – Platteville, Wisconsin
Thursday, October 29th | 12:10 – 12:50 PM
UW Platteville offers more than 100 undergraduate programs across fields including engineering, business, agriculture, education, technology, and the liberal arts. The university is especially known for its strong engineering, agriculture, business, construction management, and criminal justice programs. Popular majors include:
Engineering
Agriculture
Construction Management
Computer Science & Information Technology
Biology
Mechanical & Manufacturing Technology
Environmental Science
Forensic Investigation
Graphic Design
Industrial Technology

←Back to Top