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

I thought that families might appreciate knowing the information that has been reviewed by Catholic parish and school leaders during this election cycle. To that end, the following guidelines are taken directly from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website. The links provided offer further resources regarding Church guidelines for those who may wish to dive deeper.

• https://www.usccb.org/offices/justice-and-peace/forming-consciences-faithful-citizenship
• https://www.usccb.org/resources/Role-of-Church-In-American-Political-Life.pdf

Political Responsibility Guidelines:
Parishes and other IRS-designated section 501(c)(3) church organizations are prohibited from participating in political campaign activity. Thus, certain political activities that are entirely appropriate for individuals may not be undertaken by church organizations or their representatives. The USCCB Office of General Counsel (202-541-3300) provides detailed guidance on what is allowed and not allowed under the law. In addition, many dioceses and state Catholic conferences provide resources that apply and summarize these guidelines for use by parishes and other church organizations.

Non-Partisanship:

The Church does not and will not engage in partisan politics. We strongly urge all Catholics to register, to become informed on key issues, and to vote. The Church does not support or oppose any candidate, but seeks to focus attention on the moral and human dimensions of issues. We do not authorize the distribution of partisan political materials on parish or school property.

Catholic organizations like parishes and schools are often asked by candidates or political groups for permission to speak or distribute literature. Many parishes choose only to distribute Faithful Citizenship materials distributed by their diocese, their state Catholic conference, or the USCCB. To avoid violating the political campaign activity prohibition, you should seek the advice of your diocesan attorney or state Catholic conference before giving permission for the distribution of literature or providing the opportunity for candidates to speak.

Activities That are Allowed and Encouraged:
According to the USCCB Office of General Counsel, certain activities generally are appropriate for parishes and other Catholic organizations.
Sharing the Principles of Catholic Social Teaching: Parishes and other Catholic organizations are encouraged to share the Church’s teaching on the relationships between Christian faith and political life. The Church’s teaching on political responsibility, human life, human rights, and justice and peace need to be shared more widely and effectively. Cards summarizing seven key themes of Catholic social teaching that can serve as guidelines for involvement in public life are available from the USCCB (English pub. no. 5-315, Spanish pub. no. 5-815; call 800-235-8722.) The Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship statement, bulletin insert, and other materials at www.faithfulcitizenship.org are useful for developing educational programs.

Voter Participation:

Parishes and other church organizations can encourage members to participate in the electoral process: to register, to vote, to become informed on a broad range of issues, and to become active in the political life of the community. Parishes and other church organizations can also sponsor non-partisan voter registration and “get out the vote” drives. (See the resources, “Tips for Conducting Candidate Forums” and “Voter Education and Voter Registration.”)

Ballot Measures:

Supporting or opposing ballot measures, including referenda, initiatives, constitutional amendments, and similar procedures, is considered “lobbying” activity and not political campaign activity. Parishes and other church organizations can take positions on such measures and work to support or oppose them within the limits of permitted lobbying activity for section 501(c)(3) organizations. Any questions on these limits should be directed to your diocesan attorney or state Catholic conference.

Voter Education:

Parishes and church organizations can and should engage in non-partisan voter education. This may include distributing the results of candidate polls or surveys, so long as these materials have been approved by your diocesan attorney or state Catholic conference. Voter education materials should (1) be consistent with church teaching on political responsibility; (2) cover a wide range of issues important to voters; and (3) exhibit no bias for or against any candidate or party.

Activities That are Not Allowed:
In order to avoid violating the political campaign activity prohibitions, parishes, other 501(c)(3)church organizations, and their representatives should remember these guidelines:

• Do not endorse or oppose candidates, political parties, or groups of candidates, or take any action that reasonably could be construed as endorsement or opposition.
• Do not make available the use of church facilities, assets, or members for partisan political purposes.
• Do not authorize distribution of partisan political materials or biased voter education materials (those that support or oppose—or exhibit bias for or against—any candidate or party) on church property, in church publications, or at church activities. Authorization should be given only after materials have been approved by your diocesan attorney.
• Do not invite or permit only selected candidates to address your members. Before inviting candidates, make sure such events are consistent with diocesan policy. If so, it is important that all candidates be invited.

On September 4th, Back to School Night is hosted from 6:30 – 8pm. ALL high school parents are invited back to the Ledge for the opportunity to meet all the teachers who will serve your children this year. This is not a freshman only event. The format is a mini schedule of all 8 class periods. You won’t want to miss the overview and tips of your child’s teachers!

As always, I encourage you to bookmark eLedger for easy access. It will provide you with regular and reliable updates EACH and every Thursday during the school year.

I look forward to a fantastic school year with our Ledgers as they strive to grow in The Ledger Way – as a community of faithful leaders and learners, who demonstrate respect, and who take responsibility for personal growth and decisions. We thank God for the many blessings of Catholic education and the opportunity to learn together at St. Mary’s Springs Academy!

Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us!
Eamonn O’Keeffe
Principal, High School

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If you didn’t order your 2023-24 yearbook, now is your chance to buy one. There are a limited number of yearbooks available for sale for $65.00. See Ms. Haugen in Room 1051 after school through Friday, August 30, if interested.

Welcome to the new school year! SMSA Food Service is part of the National School Lunch Program and we strive to present tasty and nutritious meals for our students every day. There are a few reminders for the upcoming year. Online under Parents & Family resources you will all menus, necessary forms, and information for food service. The Food Service payment policy has instructions on food service payment and instruction for setting daily limits using the skyward family access on purchases for your students in the middle school and high school who have a la carte choices.

If you have limits on your children’s purchases from last year, these have carried over, but you should review your limits annually as prices have changed on our offerings. Current prices are online under the resources.

Our lunch accounts are family based so all children draw off the same funds. When applying funds online through eFunds, it is sufficient to put funds on one account, not each student.

Parents are always welcome to come and share a meal with their children. We hope to see you visiting our cafeteria soon.

Are you a fan of Ledger Athletics? SMSA Adult Sports Passes are now available for purchase. The SMSA Sports pass covers admission for any HOME Ledger sporting event where an entry fee is charged. (Excluding WIAA playoff games) Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Hockey and Soccer are examples of the sports that would be included in the pass. The SMSA Sports pass is $50.00. The passes will be available for purchase on oreintation day in the North & South Hall Offices as well as the Scrip Suite. Cash or checks made payable to SMSA will be accepted. If you have any questions, please contact Kelly Mueller at kmueller@smsacademy.org. Thank you for supporting Ledger Athletics!

CMFDL is always interested in hearing from students who would like to volunteer at the museum. The week of Sept. 3-10 we have availability for many volunteers during our Maintenance & More shutdown week. Juniors and Seniors if you have late start or early release, there is availability during those hours, or after school there is availability! Great way to full-fill the J-Term Requirement!

Please call 920-929-0707, email info@cmfdl.org or complete our volunteer google form at cmfdl.org under Support/Volunteers.

Welcome Back! We hope you had a wonderful summer! Are you wanting to get more involved in our Parent Connectors Group? If so, look for the Parent Connectors volunteer form in your packet you will be receiving at the supply drop off day (3K-5th Grade). If your youngest child is in 6th grade or above, you won’t be receiving a form to fill out but can email Andrea Nuss, alnuss@charter.net, to share that you are interested in being a part of our group. Every year a new email group gets created so please submit your form even if you have done so in the past years. Also, only one form per family is needed to be filled out. Throughout the year, our group has various school family events as well shows our amazing SMSA Staff how appreciative we are for them. By being a part of our group, you will receive emails that shares ways you can help with these events through volunteering and donating. Our group wouldn’t be a successful without all of the wonderful people involved in it. Thank you so much! If you have any questions, please email Andrea Nuss, alnuss@charter.net.

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

Click Here to Learn More!

If your high school or middle school child participates in band, chorus, theater, or jazz vocals/band, you are invited to join the PPA and support arts programming at SMSA. Meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 6 pm in the Lauby Lounge (first floor teacher lounge). Join us for our fall kick off meeting on Wednesday, September 18, 2024.

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September 2, 2024 – Labor Day – No School

September 4, 2024 – Back To School Night

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Welcome to the 2024-2025 academic year at St. Mary’s Springs Academy! Please allow us to take this opportunity to re-introduce and to our new families, introduce ourselves to you as your school counselors. We are looking forward to working with your students this year.

The mission of the SMSA School Counseling Program is to enhance ALL student achievement. School Counselors help ALL students become responsible, self-motivated citizens who are prepared for the challenges of a rapidly-changing society. SMSA’s School Counseling Program is delivered in a systematic manner to ALL students using the National American School Counseling Association standards and practices.
Throughout the high school experience school counselors will be meeting with your students to plan their academic program, also known as ACP “Academic and Career Plan”. This plan includes course selection, the development of post-graduation goals, and career exploration. We organize and plan activities and events throughout the year that give students the opportunity to experience the world of work. Important information will be shared via email and the E-Ledger. We are also available through email and by phone.

Mary Cauley,  Taylor McCarthy
mcauley@smsacademy.org, tmccarthy@smsacademy.org
920.322.8070,  920.322-8031

Families can now log in to Skyward Family Access to view a list of your student’s Direct Admit Wisconsin offers. Look for the “Portfolio” tab on the left side menu to view the letter from Direct Admit.

For more information or to get help with next steps, visit the https://uwhelp.wisconsin.edu/ to access Live Chat, email the UW HELP Team at uwhelp@wisconsin.edu, or give them a call at 800-442-6459. The UW HELP Team will also be hosting webinars to help students understand and complete the Direct Admit Form and complete the Direct Admit Form and Universities of Wisconsin Online Application.

You can also reach out to individual UW universities to connect with them for information, schedule a visit, learn about academic programs, and more.

As always please don’t hesitate to reach out to Mrs. Cauley or Mrs. McCarthy if you have any questions!

Please refer to the information provided at the link below, for local and state scholarships that SMSA seniors can apply for. This list is always subject to change and may not be all-inclusive.

Local scholarship opportunities (Fond du Lac area) are listed first, followed by opportunities for residents of the state of Wisconsin.

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