Happy Easter!

Lent 2021 has ended. Today we enter Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. During this sacred time between the liturgical season of Lent and Easter, Christians commemorate the final days of Jesus, including the Last Supper, the agony in the garden and arrest. We journey with Jesus through these trials and try to imagine the torture and humiliation our Lord’s Way of the Cross and crucifixion.  As believers, we live with faith that our resurrected Lord continues to accompany each of us daily, through all of the joys, opportunities and challenges that are part of life.  In a year that has tested our resolve like no other, this central tenet of our faith gives us the most hope of all!  We thank God for the gift of resurrection and resilience.

May God continue to bless the Springs community.  May God’s grace deepen our faith and move us closer to one another. On behalf of all my colleagues at SMSA, Happy Easter! 

SMSA is now an ACT “District School”

Recently, SMSA has negotiated to become an ACT district school, which has several benefits for our Ledgers moving forward.  To start, with district school status, Ledgers will be charged $20 less for the ACT exam than previously, and each exam is administered online, with results posted in a more timely manner.  Even more significant, having district school status means that Ledgers will have two exclusive opportunities each year (fall and spring) to take the ACT exam on campus at SMSA.  These are scheduled as ‘closed tests’ by the College Board only open for SMSA students. Subsequently,  Ledgers will no longer be forced to register at another school or unfamiliar location to take the ACT exam.  Educational research indicates that students who take entrance exams in familiar settings (i.e. their own school) often see better outcomes.  We hope that the ACT district school arrangement may contribute to producing positive experiences for our Ledgers. 

Announcing Ledger Honors Convocation – May 6th

Thursday, May 6th will be a special schedule in the high school to celebrate the many academic accomplishments of the 2020-21 school year, and especially honors earned by the Class of 2021.  B-Day classes will meet as usual, and an all school Ledger Honors Convocation is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. – 12 :15 p.m. in Hutter Gym. May 6th Special Schedule

Senior parents are welcome to attend, but space and COVID safety limitations will not allow for parents of freshman – juniors to attend. We hope to also make the event accessible through a livestream link.  

Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us!

Be well, God bless. 

Eamonn O’Keeffe, Principal Grades 9-12

Friday, April 2nd – Good Friday NO CLASSES

Monday, April 5th – Easter Holiday NO CLASSES 

Tuesday, April 6th – Classes resume, System wide “Ledger Spirit Wear Day” as we prep for Ledgerfest

Saturday, April 10th – Ledgerfest – View auction items today!  Click here! 

Fond du Lac Public Library Teen Photo Contest is open to students in grades 6 through 12 who attend school or are homeschooled in Fond du Lac County.

Contest winner will recieve a $250 Visa gift card!

Send entries to teenphoto@fdlpl.org.

Click here to view the flyer.

Click here to view a short video.

This year’s Ledgerfest will be a week long virtual event, so mark your calendar and join us for the “Ledgerfest Challenge,” starting Monday, April 5 – Saturday, April 10, 2021!

Click here for more details and check out our Ledgerfest Facebook event page and mark yourself as “going” by clicking here.

In celebration of SMSA’s Ledgerfest 2021 Virtual Event – “Ledger Challenge,” there will be a system-wide Spirit Wear and Jeans day on Tuesday, April 6th!

Join the Ledgerfest fun this year by participating in a week of Ledger Challenges. Each day, a new challenge will be posted to the Ledgerfest Facebook event page, click here to mark yourself as “going” and receive event updates. Then, on Tuesday, April 6th, participate in the “Spirit Day” Ledger challenge by posting a picture of your family in their spirit wear to the event page and earn points towards winning one of two $100 Visa gift cards. 

For more information regarding the Ledgerfest Challenges, click here.

There is no cost for students, faculty and staff to wear spirit wear and jeans on Tuesday, April 6th! Show your Ledger spirit and join in the Ledgerfest fun!

Prom for juniors and seniors is scheduled for Saturday, April 24th from 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m at Whispering Springs Golf Club (380 Whispering Springs Dr, Fond du Lac, WI 54937).   This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions and precautions,  SMSA shall be sponsoring Prom as a dance only event, which means the prom ticket does not include a traditional on-site dinner or admission to any post-prom activities.  Prom tickets will be sold for $15.00 each.  Students may purchase Prom tickets during lunch at school from Thursday – Thursday, April 8th – 15th.  PA announcements will remind students of ticket sales.  

A private post-prom gathering for members of the senior class is being arranged collaboratively by senior parents.  While SMSA offers moral support and gratitude to senior parents for these plans, the event is not an official school function. Students and parents may be receiving additional information around ‘senior post prom’ plans.  

Guests of SMSA juniors and seniors may be permitted to attend Prom under the following conditions: 

1) they are enrolled in high school (administration may grant exceptions for guests who are high school graduates under the age of 21)

2) an SMSA student purchases the guest ticket

3) an SMSA Guest Dance Form (approved and authorized by Mr. Krueger) is presented at the time of Prom ticket purchase.   

SMSA freshmen and sophomore students may attend when accompanying a junior or senior Ledger.   

While attending Prom at Whispering Springs, everyone shall be required to properly wear masks (covering nose and mouth).  We recognize that strict social distancing practices may not be possible, which further underscores the importance of mask wearing at this indoor large group event.  Please be advised that the Fond du Lac County Health Department will still require SMSA to contact trace Prom should a positive case of Covid-19 be reported.  Students or guests who do not comply with masking expectations at prom will be asked to leave the dance. No refunds will be provided.

With more students electing to learn virtually at this time of the year, I suggest parents of virtual learners review the links provided here. These are resources for better understanding virtual learning at SMSA. 

1. SMSA Ledger Learning Guides Home Page
2. HS Expectations for Virtual Learners DOC 2020-21
3. Expectations for Virtual Learners Slide Deck

Please click here to view the Honor Roll for Quarter 3.

Female Housing Options at UW-Madison – deadlines April 1st

UW-Madison is pleased to share information for women seniors graduating this spring with plans to attend UW Madison as freshmen in the Fall of 2021. 

Bernadette House is located on the fourth floor of Saint Paul’s Catholic Student Center and will be home to 9 freshman women who will share in an intentional living community focused on community, growth and virtue. The Bernadette community includes 3 upperclassman women who live with the freshmen and serve as role model house mother and sisters. The deadline to apply for these limited spots is Thursday, April 1, 2021. 

Applications for interviews and consideration should be sent to ktrumble@uwcatholic.org or by calling 608-447-0027. 

Please contact Mrs. Hackl in the counseling office for more information.

College Goal Wisconsin-FAFSA – April 15th

College Goal Wisconsin provides free information and assistance to families who need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For students and families who have yet to fill out the FAFSA, College Goal Wisconsin is offering additional dates this spring to assist with the completion of the 2021-22 FAFSA.

Thursday, April 15th at 6:00 p.m.

To register for one event or to request additional information, please refer to https://collegegoalwi.org.

Bellin College Summer Nursing and Imaging Camps – Multiple Dates

Applications are now being accepted for Bellin College summer nursing and imaging camps. Applying to summer camps

How much does it cost?

• Nursing Day Camp:

Monday, July 26, 2021: $50

Tuesday, July 27, 2021: $50

Wednesday, July 28, 2021: $50

Includes camp t-shirt, lunch and clinical supplies

• Medical Imaging Day Camp

Thursday, July 29, 2021: $90

Includes camp t-shirt, lunch and clinical supplies

Payment is not required until after the participants have been selected to attend the camp.

How are the participants selected?

Students are selected after a holistic review of their application including the date the applied, GPA, essay question, and dates available.

Who can apply?

High school students who are sophomores and juniors at time of application.

Questions?

Please contact Claire Drevs at claire.drevs@bellincollege.edu.

Apply online at www.bellincollege.edu/summercamps.

SMSA Family Looking for Summer Babysitter

SMSA mom, Kelly, is looking for a high school student to babysit her two boys (ages 9 and 11) during summer break.  The hours would be 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Days are negotiable.  

Please call or text Kelly at 920-602-0037

Seniors – Scholarships

Just a reminder to seniors applying for scholarships that they need to be requesting their transcripts soon! Many of them are due by Wednesday, March 31st and we’re on break until Monday, March 29th. 

Look ahead and see how many you’re going to need and request them from Mrs. Hackl by noon on Thursday, March 18th to get them before we leave for break. 

Feel free to check in with Mrs. Hackl with any questions at shackl@smsacademy.org.

PPA Scholarships Forms – Due Soon

In order to encourage students to participate in performing arts at St. Mary’s Springs Academy High School, the Parents for Performing Arts offers numerous scholarships for incoming , continuing and graduating high school students. 

Please pick up scholarship forms at the North Office. Applications are due Friday, April 9th. If you have any questions please email Bobbijo Amerling bamerling@smsacademy.org.

2021 ABC Scholarship – deadlines April 15th

2021 ABC Scholarship applications are now available for SMSA seniors.  

Deadline is Thursday, April 15th, 2021 and can be found in Naviance

2021- 2022 Academy Girls Scholarship – deadlines April 23rd

The 2021-2022 Academy Girls Scholarship is available to current JUNIOR GIRLS.  Deadline is April 23rd. 

This merit-based scholarship will be awarded to one current, female, SMSA junior, and will be applied to her senior year tuition at SMSA.  Applicants will be evaluated based upon essay responses and academic achievement (GPA). 

Please click here for the application.  Submit to Mrs. Gilles no later than Friday, April 23rd

None at this time.

None at this time.