Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are gearing up to celebrate Catholic Schools Week!  We are blessed to be a part of a community that learns, prays and plays together.  Next week,  we’ll be celebrating Catholic Schools Week by having special dress up days.  The days are depicted below for all P3 – 8th grade students and staff to participate in and enjoy.  During the week, we will be completing service projects and learning more about our faith, nation, vocations and community.  I look forward to seeing an amazing Catholic Schools Week as we embrace the Ledger Way and celebrate who we are as we grow together.  

God Bless,

Steven Kelnhofer

Catholic Schools Week Information

Catholic School week is almost here!  Please see the below flyers for full information on the events during the week!

Click here to view the full schedule of events for the week

Click here to view the dress-up days for the week

Click here to view the food drive time, by grade, for the week

Lost and Found – check for missing items before February 5th

Is your child missing a mitten, coat or a boot?  If your child seems down an item or two, please check our lost and found table outside of the South Hall Office by Friday, February 5, 2021.  All items not claimed after February 5th will be going to a charitable organization. 

Virtual Parent/Teacher Conferences – February 10th 

Conferences are coming up in the next couple of weeks.  Teachers will be sending out a letter stating if they would like to set up a conference for your student, or if they do not see a need for a conference at this point in the school year.  If you, as a parent or guardian, would like to request a conference please log into your skyward account and follow these simple steps to schedule a time by Monday, February 8, 2021.  

To schedule a conference

• Log into your skyward account
• Select teacher conferences from left menu bar
• All conferences
• Select a time that works for you

To cancel/reschedule a conference

• Log into your skyward account
• Select teacher conferences left menu bar
• View scheduled time
• Unschedule
• All conferences
• Select a new time for child

Ledger Learning Guide  

Parents are always encouraged to check the SMSA Ledger Learning Guides Home Page to see weekly learning targets, resources and expectations in every course.  Parental partnership in helping students  stay organized and focused on learning is always appreciated.

As we prepare to kick off Catholic Schools week, we are excited to announce our participation in the fourth annual “Many Gifts, One Nation: A Day of Giving” beginning Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. (CST) and continuing through 11:00 a.m. (CST) on Wednesday, February 3rd.   

Remember last year we gave away a 50% tuition credit?!  Well, this year, one lucky student will receive a 100% tuition credit when we reach our “Day of Giving” goal of raising $10,000.  That’s right, a 100% tuition credit for the 2021/2022 academic year will be awarded to one lucky SMSA student when we reach our $10,000 goal! 

For every $100 donation made to our “Many Gifts, One Nation: A Day of Giving” campaign, your name will be entered for a chance to win, or gift, a 100% tuition credit for the 2021/2022 academic year.  

Donations must be made by clicking here to qualify.  

To view full tuition credit rules please click here.

As President Stacey Akey communicated last week, there has been a change to the school calendar for the month of February.  Parents should please note that both Friday, February 12th and Monday February 15th are no longer school days.  No classes will be held on either day.

Planning has begun for our annual Ledgerfest fundraising auction and we are in need of your help! Last year we collected money from each grade level and put together some amazing auction baskets, which went over very well during our auction held this past summer. This year, we are asking each grade level to contribute again to putting together a basket around a specific theme. This will then be a part of the silent auction which will run in April.

If you would like to contribute towards your child(ren) class basket, please send your cash contribution in a sealed envelope with your child’s name, grade level and Ledgerfest Donation written on it. Your student can then give it to their homeroom teacher or drop off in the North or South office. If you send in a check, please make it payable to Andrea Nuss. Please note that if you have more than one child attending SMSA, you can send in one envelope but please note each child and the amount you are donating for them, along with their grade level on the envelope.

If you are interested in helping by being a point person for your child’s grade, please contact Andrea Nuss at alnuss@charter.net. Each point person will be responsible for putting together the class basket once the money is all collected. If you have a theme or package idea or would like to donate an item please contact us ahead of sending items to school with your child. This is SMSA’s largest auction and the money raised makes a direct impact towards the greatest needs of the school.

Please have all contributions in by Friday, February 26, 2021.

If you have any questions, please contact Andrea Nuss at alnuss@charter.net.

Thank you so much for your willingness to help make this year’s Ledgerfest a success!

Andrea Nuss and the Ledgerfest Committee

Below are three important updates regarding snow days for the remainder of this academic year, two February schedule updates, as well as a few policy updates to the Return to the Ledge operational plan.

Snow Days/February Schedule Change

As required each year, SMSA submits an official Academic Calendar to the Archdiocesan Office for Schools and to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI).  Each official Academic Calendar must comply with instructional hour requirements set by the DPI.  For the current year (2020-21) SMSA has submitted an Academic Calendar that includes six (6) extra days of instruction to account for any potential instructional time that may be lost due to “snow days.”

During this year of the pandemic and with virtual learning as a new and legitimate option, some have asked if “snow days” are now a thing of the past, no longer necessary due to advancements in learning technology.  Our Leadership Team has discussed this question and we are now prepared  to share our decision with SMSA parents/guardians, faculty and staff. Therefore, for your planning and preparation: 

For the remainder of 2020-21, should inclement weather require a “snow day” declaration by school Leadership, SMSA students will NOT be expected to attend classes virtually, and the campus will be closed.  Our Leadership team believes that, given the unusually demanding circumstances of the current year and unique strain placed upon families, students, faculty and staff, allowing the mental and physical break which accompanies a “snow day” is most appropriate.  Should all six available “snow days” be used in the next term, only then may SMSA elect to activate virtual learning for any subsequent inclement weather event, thus maintaining fidelity to instructional hour requirements. 

Related to this decision, the Leadership Team also believes that it is appropriate to make the following adjustment to the Academic Calendar for Semester II: 

• SMSA will utilize a “snow day” for Friday, February 12. NO CLASSES will meet, childcare is closed as well as the entire campus.
• SMSA will utilize a “snow day” for Monday, February 15. NO CLASSES will meet and childcare is closed.  However, on February 15, campus is open as faculty and administration will be engaged in a full-day of professional development.

We recognize that it is significant to make changes to the school’s Academic Calendar, and we do not make this change frivolously.  Creating this mid-term break opportunity speaks to the value we place on the wellness and holistic balance of students and their teachers at a time year that requires a little more care of the soul. 

Return to the Ledge Update

The Return to the Ledge operational plan (RTTL) was designed to guide our planning, preparations, and ongoing operations for in-person and virtual learning during the healthcare crisis caused by COVID-19. This is a working document, and upon completion of the first semester, we have made some adjustments, including:

• increased opportunities to celebrate Mass
• additional library, playground and locker access
• enhancements to art and music education
• increased opportunities for performing arts participation

Please click here to view the RTTL addendum, effective January 18, 2021. 

We will continue to monitor and evaluate operating protocols and safety measures, making course corrections which align with the commitments identified in our plan.

We thank all of our parents and guardians for the many sacrifices and adjustments already made in 2020-21 to support SMSA planning, programs and protocols.  We are grateful for your continued flexibility and goodwill.  Thanks in advance for supporting the decisions and changes outlined above.  As always, we are all in this together! 

No news at this time.

No news at this time.

If you have any questions, please contact either Andrea Nuss, alnuss@charter.net or Katie Mathos, katiemathos@gmail.com.