LENTEN MISSIONS: 

This new initiative has been developed by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and has a Catholic High School program in which we are  happy to participate.  Along with all 16 Catholic high schools in the archdiocese, SMSA will have every high school student engage with these Lenten Missions.  Half of our students will be scheduled for the 60 minute Lenten Mission experience on Friday, February 19, and the remainder of our Ledgers will participate in the Lenten Mission on Friday, February 26.  Each 60 minute mission will take place on campus at SMSA and will be organized through Theology classes.  Each high school Lenten Mission is presented by priests of the archdiocese, and based on The Gift of Sunday Theological Reflection.  Fr. John LoCoco has been asked to conduct the SMSA missions.  

A separate  program of Parish based Lenten Missions is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, March 3, 2021 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.  These will be  hosted at 18 parishes throughout the archdiocese (including Holy Family Parish in Fond du Lac) and conducted in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language. The list of parishes hosting the Lenten Mission can be found at The Gift of Sunday Lenten Missions:  For more information about any aspect of The Gift of Sunday, please contact Randy Nohl, nohlr@archmil.org or 414-758-2216.

SENIOR RETREAT:

I am delighted to share that SMSA has been given the opportunity to gather the Class of 2021 for their Senior Retreat.  It will take place NEXT Wednesday, February 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Holy Family Parish.  To comply with ongoing COVID protocols, we are unable to gather students for an overnight retreat experience.  Despite this limitation and the abbreviated planning time, the SMSA staff is committed to taking full advantage of this opportunity and to making the retreat day very memorable for the Class of 2021.  

We are grateful to our partners at Holy Family Parish for enabling us to use the beautiful worship and gathering space so that our seniors can celebrate as a class, together, on retreat.  We are also grateful that Fr. John LoCoco will serve as retreat leader.  Fr. John has made our seniors such a priority of his ministry.  He will be joined by an enthusiastic “retreat team” of SMSA educators who will serve as small group facilitators and journey with our seniors throughout this special day. 

Senior retreat is a privilege, and perhaps this year even more than most!  Senior retreat is also an SMSA requirement for graduation.  Seniors who have been officially learning virtually for the year are invited to consider joining the class in-person for this unique retreat experience.  We realize that this may not be practical or possible for some, so seniors learning virtually will still be able to participate on Wednesday, February 24.  Seniors who have been officially in-person learners for most of the year are expected to participate in-person. They do not have a virtual option for the retreat.

On Wednesday, February 24th, seniors will not report to the SMSA campus at all. Instead they should arrive directly at Holy Family Parish by 8:45 a.m. where they will be greeted by the retreat team.  The retreat will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. In the week ahead, seniors will be given further directions about their attire, lunchtime and what to bring along on retreat.

As recent as last month, moving forward to plan any student retreat was only an optimistic hope or dream.  Today, we stand grateful to God for the chance to support our seniors with this special retreat experience that shall offer the Class of 2021 valued time for reflection, meaningful discussion, fellowship, prayer and celebration.  Parents should watch for more details to be shared directly from Sheila Skiff, who will coordinate logistics for the Senior Retreat.  

TUESDAY CLASS MASSES:

Beginning on Tuesday, February 23rd, each high school class will have the opportunity to worship and pray together at Mass in the chapel!  Mass will occur every Tuesday, during the Homeroom/LunchBlock in the middle of the day.  The rotation of Tuesdays will begin with Seniors, then Juniors, Sophomores and Freshman. This allows each class to have one class Mass per month. Lunch will be served to students after Mass.  Fr. John and Fr. Edward will also rotate as celebrants.

We are grateful that health protocols now enable us to plan for such experiences – for the first time this year! Thanks to Heather Reilley, Sheila Skiff, Fr. John and Fr. Edward and the Leadership Team for enabling this opportunity for our Ledgers!

Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us!

Be well, God bless. 

Eamonn O’Keeffe, Principal Grades 9-12

Lenten Mission Day #1 – Friday, February 19th

Senior Retreat at Holy Family Parish (required) – Wednesday, February 24th

Lenten Mission Day #2 – Friday, February 26th

We’ve all been through this before, so this year we are making it easier than ever for you to support the Ledgerfest Auction! 

The high school Ledgerfest parent committee is collecting funds to put together an amazing auction package for Ledgerfest 2021. Click here to make a monetary donation and the committee will do the rest!

With your contribution, we are hoping to collect enough to create not one but TWO great items for this year’s online auction.

If you prefer, you may send cash or check (payable to Andrea Nuss) in an envelope marked: HS Ledgerfest Auction

Any questions? Contact Chris ~ cgilles@smsacademy.org ~ 920-322-8059

This is a simple way to make your impact at SMSA

Please click here to view the document.  Every week we will have a different poster/eLedger as of what item we are collecting for the week.

For more information, please contact Kathy Bartel at kbartel@smsacademy.org.

Please click here for the Quarter 1 High Honors and Honor Roll

Please click here for the Quarter 2 High Honors and Honor Roll

Please click here for the Semester 1 High Honors and Honor Roll

High School Yearbook

Reserve your copy via QR Code click here.

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

Seniors

Remember to check the individual financial aid and scholarship pages of the colleges/universities you are considering for this fall. The Scholarship section of your Naviance account has a listing of all the local scholarships available to you. These are the two best places to look for sources of scholarship money for college.

Attention all students: Boys’ and Girls’ State has been cancelled for this year. This is a tremendous experience we highly recommend. Please look for this opportunity to reopen next year. The Wisconsin Boys’ and Girls’ State has several unique features that will make your experience more remarkable.

ACT information for juniors will be sent out soon through a Skyward message. Please be looking for that to come in the next week.

Scheduling for the coming academic year 2021-2022 is in progress. All current high school parents and students have been sent detailed information that includes how to access additional forms, applications, and a video recording of how to request courses for the 2021- 2022 school year. The most up to date version of the curriculum guide can be found online and in the Google classrooms for current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.

Meetings with Juniors should be concluded at this time. If you are a junior and have not met with Mr. Mahaffey to have your course requests entered into Skyward, please contact him asap to get that done. tmahaffey@smsacademy.org.

This week, Sophomores will continue to meet with Mr. Mahaffey in brief online meetings to enter your course requests. Sophomore course requests should be completed by Sunday, February 17, 2021.

Freshmen are now able to sign-up for their meetings which will take place Monday, February 22, 2021 through Saturday, February 27, 2021.

College visits are still happening. Check Naviance and/or our school calendar for which colleges will be holding virtual sessions with SMSA students.

Please click here to schedule a meeting with me.

Business World in the Classroom Statewide Competitions

In partnership with Kwik Trip, our Wisconsin Business World program launched business-focused competitions open to all 6-12th grade students across the state. The project-based competitions will focus on innovation and production.

Click here for more information.

Cash prizes will be awarded to top student contestants. Entry deadline is Monday, March 15th.

For questions or input about the competitions, please contact Michelle Grajkowski at (608) 258-3400 or mgrajkowski@wmc.org

UW Placement Testing Update

The University of Wisconsin Center for Placement Testing recently announced that Placement Testing will only be offered online this Spring. We will be sure to provide more information regarding Placement Tests as it becomes available.

Spring 2021 students can register by clicking here.

A few things to keep in mind:

Registration for the online tests for Summer and Fall 2021 students is targeted to begin on Monday, March 15th.

Students will not need a UW-issued email address to register however, they will need their UW campus credentials. To inquire about campus credentials, students may contact their UW campus.

Multifactor authentication will not be required

Local Scholarships

Please click here to view local scholarships. 

Marian University – Q&A Sessions

For a complete list of information sessions, please click here.

Fox Valley Technical College

Please click here for a full list of programs of study.

No news at this time.

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.

Boys and Girls Club

The Boys and Girls Club are currently hiring for these open positions:

Teen Program Aide

Fine Arts Coordinator

Front Desk

Applications at bgcfdl.org.

920-924-0530

kschneider@bgcfdl.org

American Legion Americanism And Government Scholarship Program – Test Available Monday, March 8 through Friday March 19, 2021

The American Legion Americanism and Government Scholarship Program Department of Wisconsin

Purpose:

To promote “Americanism”, love of country, knowledge of government and allegiance to the U.S. flag to our youth. Eligible students are tested on their knowledge of U.S., Wisconsin and County Governments, the U.S. Constitution and flag etiquette.

What Is It?

The test consists of 50 questions; true/false, multiple choice, matching, and an essay question that must be answered in order to qualify for the scholarships. Students are not allowed to use outside resources for answers while taking this test.

Who Is Eligible?

Any student in the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade in any public, private, parochial or home-schooled within the State of Wisconsin may participate. Students may only take the test 1 time per year; however, students may participate all 3 years and be eligible for the scholarships for multiple years.

The test is available on-line on Monday, March 8 through Friday March 19, 2021.

Students Register on-line when taking the test. The test link is found by clicking here.  The link is only active during the test window.

Annually, 33 students throughout the State of Wisconsin are awarded scholarships selected by the Americanism Committee of The American Legion, Department of Wisconsin. The following scholarships are awarded:

11 students in Grade 10 receive a $250 scholarship

11 students in Grade 11 receive a $300 scholarship

11 students in Grade 12 receive a $750 scholarship

For more information contact The American Legion, Department of Wisconsin (608) 745-1090 or check out our website at wilegion.org.

Monday, February 22nd at 1:10 p.m. – Grand Canyon University

Wednesday, February 24th at 1:10 p.m. –  Lynn University from Florida

Please contact Mrs. Hackl with any questions.

None at this time.