Semester II Theology Department Changes

There are some changes taking place with faculty as we transition to Semester II.  Ms. Jacinta Gundrum will be leaving the Ledge as of January 21st.  Ms. Gundrum began her teaching career with SMSA in August 2020.  She has been teaching sophomore and junior theology courses during that time, and has also served as a member of the Campus Ministry Core Team, and as one of our senior class homeroom teachers and moderator.  Ms. Gundrum will be returning to the Greater Milwaukee area and hopes to continue serving in Church ministry.  On behalf of our Leadership Team, I thank Ms. Gundrum for her service to St. Mary’s Springs Academy, and wish her many blessings on her future endeavors. 

We extend a warm Springs welcome to Mrs. Mary Gentile, who will be joining the Theology Department at SMSA at the start of Semester II on January 24th.  Mrs. Gentile joins the Springs community with extensive experience as a teacher and educational leader.  Since 2017 she has served as Associate Director of the Saint Clare Center for Leadership and Ministry at Cardinal Stritch University.  In that role she administered the Sustaining the Mission program, the religious education professional development that is required of all Catholic school teachers in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.  Mrs. Gentile was also an instructor in the STM program for 10 years.  Prior to serving in higher education, Mrs. Gentile taught theology for 10 years at Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha, where she also chaired the Character Education committee, and wrote curriculum plans for 11th and 12th grade Theology courses.   During her initial years in education, she taught high school and middle school English.  Mrs. Gentile  holds a Masters of Arts in Religious Education from Cardinal Stritch University and a Bachelor of Arts from Marquette University, majoring in English and philosophy.  She also earned her educational certificate for grades 7-12 English and Philosophy while at Marquette.  

As part of this departmental transition, Deacon Peter Gagnon will switch his teaching assignment to Morality with juniors.  That will enable Mrs. Gentile to teach World Religions and the Christian Vocation to seniors.  Mrs. Gentile, Deacon Gagnon and Mr. Dave Braun will each teach sections of the sophomore course, New Testament: Who is Jesus Christ?  

Skyward Access at the End of Semester I

As is the case at the end of each grading period, access to our Skyward student information system will be blocked to students and parents while teachers finalize and verify grades.  This year, access will be restricted from 8:00 a.m. on January 21st to 3:30 p.m. on January 26th.  After that time, students and parents will again have full access to Skyward online to view and print Semester I Report Cards.  Report Cards are not mailed home. 

Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us!

Eamonn O’Keeffe Principal, High School

Friday, January 21st – NO CLASSES/ Grading Day. Official End of Semester I.  Skyward parent and student access is restricted starting at 8:00 a.m. for grade entry and verification process. 

Monday, January 24th – Classes Resume, First Day of Semester II (A-Day)

Wednesday, January 26th – 3:30 p.m. Skyward parent/student access is restored to view Semester I Report Card.

Sunday, January 30th – Friday, February 4th – CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

Tuesday, February 1st – OPEN HOUSE for prospective SMSA families 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, February 10th – ZAPS ACT Test Prep workshop scheduled for all juniors ( 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) 

Friday, February 11th – No Classes, Faculty Professional Development, In-service Day

Monday, February 14th – No Classes, Professional Development, Faculty In-service Day

During Catholic Schools Week (January 30-February 5), the high school students will be actively living their faith by participating in a community service project, making tie blankets that will be distributed during Blessed Bites at St. Mary’s Church.

Students are asked to bring in one to two yards of fleece fabric BY FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, to be used for making the blankets. Each class level will be making five blankets during homeroom/lunch time throughout the week, into which will be folded a copy of the New Testament. This is a wonderful way to celebrate our Catholic faith in a real and powerful way, bringing warmth and the Good News to those in need in our community.

The project is being sponsored through SMSA Campus Ministry and through the generosity of our students who are willing to bring in their favorite solid colors or patterns of fleece fabric!

Click here to view the flyer.

Dear Juniors and Parents:

On Thursday, February 10, 2022, St. Mary’s Springs Academy will be hosting an ACT Workshop during the school day for all juniors. This will be a live, full day opportunity to learn practical, effective strategies that we believe will help our students perform their best on the ACT exam this April. We have covered the cost for all juniors to participate and each student will receive preparation books as part of this workshop.

The ACT preparation workshop will be facilitated by experienced trainers who will lead your student through practice tests, strategy sessions, and retests to use their newly learned skills. We have utilized this workshop in the past and have been impressed by the instructors and the effective strategies shared with our students.

Date: February 10, 2022

Start Time: 8:30 a.m.

End Time: 2:30 p.m.

Place: Multi-Purpose Room (4th Floor) and Mrs. Bartel’s Room (1050)

Please note that we will be hosting the National ACT exam for our current juniors on April 19th during the school day. The opportunity for students to take this exam in the comfort of our home campus has proven to be a benefit. More information about the April ACT exam for juniors on our campus will be shared as we get closer to that date.

Sincerely,

Mr. Stamatakos & Mrs. McCarthy

SMSA High School Counseling

Reminder to parents/guardians with student(s) in grade 6-10 (or a HS non- driver)

It is imperative that you use the following process when dropping off/picking up your student(s).  We have had some near misses with students, faculty and staff almost being hit.  All students are to be dropped off/picked up next to the sidewalk by door #1 (with your vehicle exiting to the North) or utilizing the North lot if the Hug ‘N Go lane is full.  Student safety is a priority and it takes everyone following the same procedure to ensure the safety for all those on campus.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Click here to review the procedure for students in grade 6-10 (or a HS non-driver).

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.  

Ledgerfest Auction Package – Sponsored by High School Parents

The high school Ledgerfest parent committee is collecting funds to put together an amazing auction package for Ledgerfest – Luck of the Ledger – Saturday, March 19, 2022.

With your contribution, we are hoping to collect enough to create not one but TWO great packages for this year’s online auction. Click here, to make a donation today!

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

No news at this time.

ACT Prep Workshop – February 10th

Dear Juniors and Parents:

On Thursday, February 10, 2022, St. Mary’s Springs Academy will be hosting an ACT Workshop during the school day for all juniors. This will be a live, full day opportunity to learn practical, effective strategies that we believe will help our students perform their best on the ACT exam this April. We have covered the cost for all juniors to participate and each student will receive preparation books as part of this workshop.

The ACT preparation workshop will be facilitated by experienced trainers who will lead your student through practice tests, strategy sessions, and retests to use their newly learned skills. We have utilized this workshop in the past and have been impressed by the instructors and the effective strategies shared with our students.

Date: February 10, 2022

Start Time: 8:30 a.m.

End Time: 2:30 p.m.

Place: Multi-Purpose Room (4th Floor) and Mrs. Bartel’s Room (1050)

Please note that we will be hosting the National ACT exam for our current juniors on April 19th during the school day. The opportunity for students to take this exam in the comfort of our home campus has proven to be a benefit. More information about the April ACT exam for juniors on our campus will be shared as we get closer to that date.

2022-2023 Course Registration – January 26th, 27th and 28th

Registration for current high school Freshman, Sophomores and Juniors will begin on Wednesday, January 26th – Friday, January 28th. Students will be meeting with Mr. Stamatakos, Mrs. McCarthy, and Mr. Norlander during those days as grade levels to go over the Course Request Worksheet, review the process of requesting courses and best practices, and reviewing the scheduling process for the spring semester. Further process information will come out in the weeks ahead.

ZAPS ACT Test Preparation Workshop for Juniors – February 10th

On Thursday, February 10, 2022, St. Mary’s Springs Academy will be hosting an ACT preparation workshop for all juniors during the normal school day. This will be a live, full day opportunity to learn practical and effective strategies that we believe will help our students perform their best on the ACT exam that will take place in April. The ACT preparation workshop will be facilitated by an experienced trainer who will lead students through practice tests, strategy sessions and retests to utilize their newly learned skills. SMSA has covered the cost for all juniors to participate in this experience and each student will receive preparation books as part of the workshop. More information will be shared directly with juniors in the few weeks.

None at this time.

Boys and Girls Club

Click here for more information on open positions.

Michael J. Wolfe Scholarship Essay Contest

Attention All Teens! Would you like the opportunity to win some cash? The FDL Chapter of WRTL is sponsoring the Michael J. Wolfe Essay Contest. Write an essay expressing your pro life views and you could win $100, $200, or $300. Please see attached correspondence for details.

Please click here to view the flyer.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Badger Precollege

Applications for Badger Summer Scholars and the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Badger Precollege are now open.

Badger Summer Scholars is a two-week program in which students attend a college-level seminar in a topic of their choice, taught by UW-Madison instructors. Students also participate in the Jump Forward series, a workshop series on how to prepare for college, including topics on the admissions process, navigating college, career exploration and more.

The Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) engages talented students from across Wisconsin, the nation and the world in an intense, research-focused, three-week summer program. Designed to push students to the next academic level in an intimate learning environment, students in ALP enroll in a single course for an in-depth experience, with numerous opportunities to connect with instructors, build community and engage with peers.

Click here for the flyer

Click here for more information

None at this time.

None at this time.