Semester Grades & Honor Roll are Coming!

On Friday, January 22, the SMSA Skyward parent and student access portal will reopen and Report Cards will be posted for viewing and printing.  Reminder: SMSA only mails the final report card at the end of the year (June). 

After GPA’s are recalibrated to account for Semester I grades, and verified through the Counseling Office, an Honor Roll and High Honors will be shared. 

Schedule Change Requests 

A reminder that students/parents seeking schedule changes need to formally submit a Schedule Change Request Form which can be obtained from the North Hall Main Office or from either Mr. Mahaffey or Mr. Norlander.  Accreditation standards require a formal process for all aspects of scheduling – including schedule alterations.  Schedule change is an important matter, and not one that a student, parent or teacher can negotiate independently or unilaterally.  There are many factors to balance with any request for schedule change and more than one person is always affected. 

Please be advised that not all requests can be honored.  In some cases, a denial may be the result of overloaded classroom sections.  In this year especially, with respect to social distancing health standards, a schedule change request may overload classroom limits.  In some cases, a single schedule change may require a domino effect of other unintended changes to a student’s schedule.  Yet again in other cases, a request may not align with graduation requirements. Per policy, requesting a specific teacher cannot be accommodated and is not an acceptable reason for requesting a schedule change. Finally, as has been outlined in the Curriculum Guide, staffing decisions have been determined by schedules that were approved last year. 

The process of changing a schedule necessarily includes involvement from counselor and master scheduler and final approval of the principal.  FYI: By policy, the final date for a student to ADD/DROP a course for Semester II is January 29, the 10th school day in the semester.  Any student/parent initiated schedule change that is approved is subject to a $50 charge. 

Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us!

Be well, God bless. 

Eamonn O’Keeffe, Principal Grades 9-12

January 22 – Skyward Parent Access is restored to view Semester I Report Card 

January 26 – PSAT Exam for Juniors ONLY, top 20% of Class 

February 1-5 – Catholic Schools Week

Your chance to win $20,000 with an additional $10,000 in cash prizes ends Friday, January 22nd at noon when we pull the Big Money Raffle winners! Do not miss your chance to win big, purchase your tickets today!

All tickets must be turned in by noon on Friday, January 22nd at SMSA. Tickets can be purchased at the North, South or Scrip offices. Then, listen live to 97.7 at noon to hear if you name is drawn as the big winner. Please show your support of SMSA by selling and/or purchasing BMR tickets. The System relies on your involvement to make this fundraising raffle a success.

Purchase your BMR tickets today and listen on Friday, January 22nd at noon when we give away $20,000! For questions, please contact Kristin Zitlow at kzitlow@smsacademy.org or 920-322-8006.

Planning has begun for our annual Ledgerfest fundraising auction and we are in need of your help! Last year we collected money from each grade level and put together some amazing auction baskets, which went over very well during our auction held this past summer. This year, we are asking each grade level to contribute again to putting together a basket around a specific theme. This will then be a part of the silent auction which will run in April.

If you would like to contribute towards your child(ren) class basket, please send your cash contribution in a sealed envelope with your child’s name, grade level and Ledgerfest Donation written on it. Your student can then give it to their homeroom teacher or drop off in the North or South office. If you send in a check, please make it payable to Andrea Nuss. Please note that if you have more than one child attending SMSA, you can send in one envelope but please note each child and the amount you are donating for them, along with their grade level on the envelope.

If you are interested in helping by being a point person for your child’s grade, please contact Andrea Nuss at alnuss@charter.net. Each point person will be responsible for putting together the class basket once the money is all collected. If you have a theme or package idea or would like to donate an item please contact us ahead of sending items to school with your child. This is SMSA’s largest auction and the money raised makes a direct impact towards the greatest needs of the school.

Please have all contributions in by Friday, February 26, 2021. If you have any questions, please contact Andrea Nuss at alnuss@charter.net.

Thank you so much for your willingness to help make this year’s Ledgerfest a success!

Andrea Nuss and the Ledgerfest Committee

We have been approved to do a musical with limited staging and cast! We will be auditioning for “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.” The company is still approving licensing, so we will move forward on our end. Auditions will be Monday, January 25th and Wednesday, January 27th in the elementary music room. Please sign up in the office and bring the audition sheet filled out to your audition. These are in the office along with a small reading. One student per time slot, and masks are required. Please prepare something to sing as well.

Below are three important updates regarding snow days for the remainder of this academic year, two February schedule updates, as well as a few policy updates to the Return to the Ledge operational plan.

Snow Days/February Schedule Change

As required each year, SMSA submits an official Academic Calendar to the Archdiocesan Office for Schools and to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI).  Each official Academic Calendar must comply with instructional hour requirements set by the DPI.  For the current year (2020-21) SMSA has submitted an Academic Calendar that includes six (6) extra days of instruction to account for any potential instructional time that may be lost due to “snow days.”

During this year of the pandemic and with virtual learning as a new and legitimate option, some have asked if “snow days” are now a thing of the past, no longer necessary due to advancements in learning technology.  Our Leadership Team has discussed this question and we are now prepared  to share our decision with SMSA parents/guardians, faculty and staff. Therefore, for your planning and preparation: 

For the remainder of 2020-21, should inclement weather require a “snow day” declaration by school Leadership, SMSA students will NOT be expected to attend classes virtually, and the campus will be closed.  Our Leadership team believes that, given the unusually demanding circumstances of the current year and unique strain placed upon families, students, faculty and staff, allowing the mental and physical break which accompanies a “snow day” is most appropriate.  Should all six available “snow days” be used in the next term, only then may SMSA elect to activate virtual learning for any subsequent inclement weather event, thus maintaining fidelity to instructional hour requirements. 

Related to this decision, the Leadership Team also believes that it is appropriate to make the following adjustment to the Academic Calendar for Semester II: 

• SMSA will utilize a “snow day” for Friday, February 12. NO CLASSES will meet, childcare is closed as well as the entire campus.
• SMSA will utilize a “snow day” for Monday, February 15. NO CLASSES will meet and childcare is closed.  However, on February 15, campus is open as faculty and administration will be engaged in a full-day of professional development.

We recognize that it is significant to make changes to the school’s Academic Calendar, and we do not make this change frivolously.  Creating this mid-term break opportunity speaks to the value we place on the wellness and holistic balance of students and their teachers at a time year that requires a little more care of the soul. 

Return to the Ledge Update

The Return to the Ledge operational plan (RTTL) was designed to guide our planning, preparations, and ongoing operations for in-person and virtual learning during the healthcare crisis caused by COVID-19. This is a working document, and upon completion of the first semester, we have made some adjustments, including:

• increased opportunities to celebrate Mass
• additional library, playground and locker access
• enhancements to art and music education
• increased opportunities for performing arts participation

Please click here to view the RTTL addendum, effective January 18, 2021. 

We will continue to monitor and evaluate operating protocols and safety measures, making course corrections which align with the commitments identified in our plan.

We thank all of our parents and guardians for the many sacrifices and adjustments already made in 2020-21 to support SMSA planning, programs and protocols.  We are grateful for your continued flexibility and goodwill.  Thanks in advance for supporting the decisions and changes outlined above.  As always, we are all in this together! 

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

On Friday, January 22, parents and students will have Skyward gradebook access restored so that the Quarter 2 and Semester I Report Cards can be viewed. Report Cards are only mailed home at the end of the year.  Semester I Report Card can be printed from the parent portal.  

Seniors:  Complete any college applications as soon as possible. Now is a great time to update your acceptance status for all of your college applications in Naviance.

The next phase for moving on to higher education at colleges/universities/technical/trade schools is to look for scholarships on the financial aid/scholarship sites of your potential colleges and in Naviance under Scholarships.  If your parents work at a large corporation, they may want to check with their Human Resources Department to see if there are scholarships available to children of employees.

Seniors, if you have received Award Letters from colleges you have been admitted to, please send a copy of your award letters to Mr. Mahaffey in the School Counseling Department at tmahaffey@smsacademy.org.

Juniors: Information about taking the ACT this spring will be shared with you at the end of January.  You may want to begin looking at the ACT website if you have not done so already.  www.act.org

Attention all Parents of current Sophomore and Junior students who may be interested in the Youth Apprenticeship Program:  There will be an online information session for you to attend so you can learn more about the program.  This information session will be held on four different dates to make it more convenient for parents to attend.

Click here for meeting dates and more information.

All High School Students

Fresh Start to a new semester:  The beginning of the new year and the second semester gives us all an opportunity to set goals and make positive changes in our lives. Let’s all work with a renewed focus on learning and earning the grades you have set as part of your goals.  The opportunities you will have after high school depend on how hard and how smart you work to prepare yourself now.

Please contact your school counselor to discuss ways to improve your learning and reach those goals you have set in each class.  You will also find a full list of study tips posted in the Google Classroom for Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.

The counseling department will begin a Stress Management group for high school freshmen students during the spring semester. This group will meet once a week during lunch for 8 weeks. Topics include: coping tools, relaxation techniques, self-care, and more! Space is limited. Please contact Ms. Rusch (mrusch@smsacademy.org) for more information.

A new Study Skills group for high school students will begin soon.  Space is limited.  The group will meet in the evenings from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.  Please contact Mr. Mahaffey for more information.

Scheduling for the upcoming 2021-22 school year will begin soon with presentations in classrooms.  Now is a great time to begin having discussions at home about your plans for next year and beyond.  More information will follow soon!

Learn While you Earn College Credit – Marian University

Marian University is offering 100% online pre-college courses to help high school students get ahead!  Click here for more information.

Wisconsin Education Fair – February 10th

Wisconsin Education Fairs is offering access to nearly 160 Colleges, Specialty Schools, and Military Branches. Get registered today and explore options!

Explore the Marian University booth and receive a special gift!

Visit 10+ schools and be entered to win a set of AirPod Pro’s. Three sets will be awarded on Monday, April 12, 2021.

Click here to register or log back in! Chat live with reps on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. CST, but please explore the booths at any time.

No news at this time.

No news at this time.

Fond du Lac Area Insurance Association

The Counseling Office has received the updated scholarship from FDL Area Insurance Association, or FAIA. The amount is $500. It will be offered to a senior pursuing a college or technical degree and has demonstrated a core value of community service and completed an essay based on the benefits of insurance. It can be found on Naviance.

Elks Legacy Awards – Deadline February 5th

The Legacy Awards provide $4,000 scholarships for children and grandchildren of dues-paying Elk members. Please click here for more details and the application link. Deadline is Friday, February 5, 2021.

The Senate Scholar Program – Deadline February 8th

The Senate Scholar Program is an intensive week-long educational program offered by the Wisconsin State Senate. Admission to the program is highly competitive and is limited to 33 academically exceptional high school juniors and seniors from around Wisconsin. Each Senate Scholar receives a hands-on, up-close view of the Legislature’s role in our democracy.

For more information and application, please go to www.senatescholar.com.

Applications will have to be received no later than February 8th, 2021.

No updates at this time.

None at this time.