FROM THE OFFICE OF EAMONN O'KEEFFE, 9TH - 12TH GRADE PRINCIPAL

The Dark Side Of Cyberspace

On Wednesday, February 23rd, SMSA was pleased and fortunate to host “The Dark Side of Cyberspace: the Internet, SmartPhones and Social Media.”  Mr. Eric Szatkowski presented to all high school students during the school day, and to a parent only session during the evening.  The data, stories and information that was shared can certainly be overwhelming.  Yet as a fearless, mission driven learning community that is dedicated to the healthy development of young people, it is so important that parents, educators and students develop a common language and mutual grasp of issues that not only challenge the safety of our young, but also cause damage to positive human growth and development.  As a recognized expert and dynamic speaker with a mission to keep children safe online,  Eric Szatkowski opened our eyes to the most current data and information. We are grateful to all parents who were able to participate, and hope that you will be inspired to spread the word to inform others.  Together, we must continue to share information while helping to make our extended learning community a more caring, humane and safer place for our children. 

 

If you have any feedback to offer, concerns to share, or questions around this important topic, please contact:

 

You Are Invited To Ash Wednesday Liturgy  

Wednesday, March 2nd is Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. Parents, grandparents and friends are all welcome to join SMSA students and faculty for 9:00 a.m. Ash Wednesday Mass at Holy Family Church. Catholic schools are bountifully blessed to live according to the Church’s liturgical calendar, celebrating feasts and Holy Days as a natural part of our school culture. Please join us if you are able to attend. 

 

Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us!

Eamonn O’Keeffe

Principal, High School

Upcoming Dates

Wednesday, March 2nd – Ash Wednesday – All System Mass beginning at 9:00 a.m. at Holy Family Church

Wednesday, March 9th – High School Parent/Guardian-Teacher Conferences (in person) 4:00 to 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday March 9th – Lenten Reconciliation Services on campus

Thursday, March 10th – Lenten Reconciliation Services on campus

Friday, March 11th – Junior (11th grade) Retreat Day


Ledgerfest 2022 - March 19th

We need your help to ensure this year’s event is a huge success. Here’s how:

 

  • Register to attend the event and/or become a sponsor by clicking here.
  • Sign up to volunteer by clicking here. Help is needed for set up, registration, selling raffles, clean up and more.
  • Make a donation to our live or silent auction by clicking here.  Donations can be dropped off

at SMSA during school hours, please include attention to “Kristin Zitlow – Ledgerfest” on

your donation.

Please contact Kristin Zitlow with questions: 920-322-8006 or kzitlow@smsacademy.org.


News and Information

Active Threat Exercise

Last week  we practiced a successful “Active Threat Exercise” on campus. This drill is in compliance with our Safety Grant, awarded by the Department of Justice, which requires that an “Active Threat” exercise/drill must be practiced annually.

 

Students were guided through the exercise  by teachers who are trained to either, a) evacuate classrooms and the building, or b) stay locked-down in classrooms, silently out of sight in a designated  “safe zone,” with the lights off and the doors locked.  Students were instructed about expectations. The exercise lasted approximately 20 minutes and was observed by members of the SMSA  Emergency Response Team and key community safety partners from local schools and the fire and police departments. They have provided feedback for our improvement that will help us continue to improve  the effectiveness of our planning as well as the drill process and response. 

 

The safety of our students is and will always be our number one priority.  Thank you for placing your trust in SMSA teachers and administration to take these responsibilities seriously.  We appreciate your continued support as we provide the Ledger community with critical information and training to aid in keeping students safe on our campus.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kyle Krueger, kkrueger@smsacademy.org, our Springs ERT and safety coordinator.

 

School Safety

As always, if you or your child become aware of a potentially dangerous situation that may threaten campus safety, we urge you to contact the Fond du Lac Police Department.  To report life threatening urgent matters, please dial 9-1-1.  To report concerns that may not be urgent, please call 920-322-3700.  You  may also call the high school main office at 920-322-8062. 

 

Speak Up, Speak Out

School Fact Sheet_final.pdf  Created by the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of School Safety (OSS), the Speak Up, Speak Out Resource Center (SUSO) is a comprehensive, one-stop place to turn with important concerns currently offering: threat assessment consultation, critical incident response, and general school safety guidance. Please click the link above for the SUSO flyer or visit the SUSO website,

https://speakup.widoj.gov/, for additional information on these three services as well as resources on school safety best practices.

 

Ledger Learning Guide

SMSA Ledger Learning Guides Home Page 2021-2022 School Year

Parents are invited to reference the Ledger Learning Guide each week.  Teachers are updating their course expectations  each week, identifying learning targets and referencing relevant standards.  


High School Counseling

News and Information

Reminder ALL Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors students need to schedule a meeting with a counselor to go over Class Registration for 2022-2023.

 

Freshmen and Sophomores will be meeting with Mrs. McCarthy, have your student use this link to schedule a meeting: https://calendly.com/mrsmccarthy/meeting-with-mrs-mccarthy

 

Juniors will be meeting with Mr. Stamatakos, have your student use this link to schedule a meeting: https://calendly.com/mrstamatakos/meeting?month=2022-02

 

Students will need to bring their Class Registration Worksheet to the meeting with them, and then at the end of that meeting we will collect the signed worksheet.

 

Please let us know if you have any questions about registration,

Mr. Stamatakos & Mrs. McCarthy


Upcoming Dates

Practice ACT Test at SMSA – Deadline February 25th

SMSA is proud to announce that we’re partnering with Revolution Test Prep to offer current SMSA juniors an opportunity to take a practice ACT on Saturday, March 5th. This practice test will be offered live in a setting that simulates the test day environment. Students will be able to receive their scores on the practice exam immediately following the test!

 

Participation in this practice test is optional and available at no cost. There is also no commitment to use any of Revolution Test Prep’s services, though RTP does offer a robust array of academic support resources for high school students, including ACT prep courses.

 

Please find instructions to register for the practice test here https://bit.ly/3giVqdL

 

The deadline to register for the practice test is Friday, February 25th.

 

Please email Mr. Stamatakos (jstamatakos@smsacademy.org) with any questions.


Career Exploration

None at this time.


Job Opportunities

Camp Y-Koda Is Hiring For Summer 2022

Click here to view their flyer.

 

Boys and Girls Club Fond du Lac 

Click here to view the job postings.

Click here to view a video on the Boys and Girls Club.

 

Harbor Haven – Food Service Opening

Fond du Lac County’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (Harbor Haven), has openings for Food Service Workers in the kitchen. The hours are typically weekend shifts with some weeknight availability. The scheduling for this position is flexible and oftentimes able to accommodate academic and sport schedules. The position only requires employees to work every other weekend, which students seem to like for a good work-school-social life balance.

 

To view details and to apply for the position, click here.


Scholarship Opportunities

None at this time.


College/University SMSA visits

None at this time.


College/University Virtual Visits

None at this time.