Happy Thanksgiving!

Religious leaders, scholars, poets and psychologists have written about the role of gratitude in the pursuit of happiness.  It seems that when we take time to count our blessings and express gratitude, we literally increase the chemicals in our brains that produce wellbeing and joy.  When we practice gratitude, it is apparently near impossible to simultaneously feel downtrodden. 

As a young student attending St. Jude School in Wauwatosa, I remember Fr. Halloran  preaching about the importance of gratitude to a Christian lifestyle.  He exhorted us: “look for blessings each day.” He  believed that a bounty of blessings were just waiting to be identified – everyday –  and in every life. Fr. Halloran also would tell us “when you seek to find goodness in another, you will always find it.”  What a blessing this advice has been to me!

There is much to be grateful for on the Ledge!  In my work as a school leader, it is not difficult to find blessings every day.  Nearly always, the blessings I find come in the form of people.  I am grateful to regularly observe classrooms of Ledgers who enthusiastically embrace learning.  I feel blessed to serve students who respect themselves, others, and their faith.  I feel blessed and grateful for students who seize opportunities to challenge themselves, who seek to make someone’s day,  and to positively contribute to improving life on the Ledge!  It is a blessing to serve alongside teachers and coaches  who joyfully encourage our Ledgers and who generously place their talents and skills at the service of young people.  We are all  grateful for parents, guardians, alumni and benefactors who support the mission of SMSA and the cause of Catholic education. 

Finally, I am grateful to serve as principal of the high school at St. Mary’s Springs Academy!  Parents, thank you for supporting all of us at the Springs during an historically challenging period.  Your kindness and commitment will not be forgotten, or overlooked.  During this Thanksgiving Holiday, may God continue to bless your families with peace, joy, and love. Lots and lots of love!

Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us. 

Eamonn O’Keeffe 

Principal, High School

Friday, November 19th – Sunday, November 21st – SMSA Fall Play: “Every Babysitter’s Nightmare” at Horace Mann Auditorium (North Fondy). Here is the link to tickets: www.hometowntickets.com/smsa

Monday, November 22 – Senior Retreat Day

Tuesday, November 23 – Final Day of classes before Thanksgiving Holiday Break

The deadline to order a 2022 yearbook will be December 1, 2021. Prices will be $50 before the deadline and $65 for any payments after December 1 until April 15th, then they will end. To order, visit SMSA’s website homepage, scroll down to the bottom where you will see a “yearbook” banner. From there, the banner will redirect you to Walsworth where you can order a yearbook, and for senior parents, order a personal ad.

This year we will be using “yearbook snap,” an app that allows students and parents to submit photos from the year. After downloading the app from Google play or the App Store, select St. Mary’s Springs Academy as your school and use this access code-SMSA2022. You will then be ready to submit photos from your camera roll!

Get your Scrip one of two ways this Sunday, November 21st after the 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Mass at Holy Family.

1.) Purchase from a limited inventory of gas, groceries and shopping and pay with cash or check at that time.

OR

2.) Choose from our entire inventory by placing a pre-order at this time. Pick up your order after 8:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. Mass at Holy Family on Sunday, December 12th and pay by cash or check on that day.

Have you sold your tickets yet? The BMR drawing is Friday, January 14, 2022 – less than two months away!

Holiday get-togethers are the perfect time to sell your tickets. Take them to Thanksgiving gatherings, encourage friends and family to purchase tickets over social media and make sure to have tickets with you wherever you go.

Tickets may be returned to school anytime before the drawing at noon on Friday, January 14, 2022. Additional tickets may be purchased at the North, South or Scrip offices or email kzitlow@smsacademy.org to have tickets sent home with your child.

Hockey Spirit Wear

For a limited time, you can order Ledger Hockey Spirit Wear using an on-line link to Hopper’s. Please place your order by midnight Tuesday, November 16th so items can be ready for Christmas.  

Click here to order today!

High School Placement Test

The High School Placement Test is scheduled to take place at SMSA on Saturday, December 4th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  All students (including current SMSA 8th graders) applying for admission to our SMSA high school program are required to take this test.  The HSPT is one of the most widely used high school placement tests nationally among Catholic high schools. The test, along with other key middle school student records help the high school staff make academic placement recommendations for incoming freshmen. 

Senior Retreat

On Monday, November 22nd, SMSA seniors will be spending the day on retreat together at the Green Lake Conference Center. Senior  Retreat is designed especially to enable our Ledgers to grow closer with one another and in their relationship with God. This opportunity helps SMSA live its mission and emphasize the special gifts God gives to us in His presence through our faith, our families and other important relationships. The retreat promises to be a positive, faith-filled, and fun-filled experience for all those involved and truly embodies the spirit of our Ledger Way. Senior students deserve this time together and will benefit as a class building memories during this special opportunity.  We ask that our Springs community hold our senior class in prayer in a special way on November 22. 

Ledgerfest Auction Package – Sponsored by High School Parents

We’ve all been through this before so again 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 – Luck of the Ledger – Saturday, March 119, 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.

YScreen Program

Dear Freshmen Parents,

This year we are able to participate in the YScreen Program again! It will be for our freshmen this year. YScreen offers emotional health screening for youth designed to identify risk factors associated with depression, anxiety, alcohol and substance abuse and suicide. It is completely confidential and parent permission is needed.

About 1 in 5 (20%) adolescents have a mental health concern; however, over 50% of these adolescents end up struggling in silence while their concern goes unidentified. This fact alone shows how important and beneficial this screening is for our students. November 19th and 22nd students will learn more about YScreen during Theology and will bring a form home for families to fill out.

Here are links if you’re interested in learning more:

https://www.csifdl.org/priorities/mental-health/yscreen/

https://www.csifdl.org/priorities/mental-health/yscreen/screening-sites/st-marys-springs-academy/

Thank you!

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The Children’s Museum of Fond du Lac

The Children’s Museum of Fond du Lac is now hiring Museum Associates, to work 3-15 hours per week. Ideal candidates are creative and enjoy working with children and adults, in addition to being helpful, friendly and proactive. Click here to apply, fill out a short application.

Join The Pizza Ranch Team

If you, or a friend, are interested in applying for a position at Pizza Ranch Fond du Lac, please go to www.pizzaranch.com/careers to apply.  Our management team will contact you for an interview.

Pizza Ranch Fond du Lac is offering:

• Competitive Pay
• Great Team
• Scholarship Opportunities
• Fun Work Environment
• Flexible Schedule 
• Free Food!!

Pizza Ranch Fond du Lac:  920-929-8800

Lands’ End School Starboard Scholarship

WIN A $5,000 LANDS’ END SCHOOL STARBOARD SCHOLARSHIP

The Lands’ End School Starboard Scholarship acknowledges and rewards students who display exceptional leadership skills. Up to five scholarships will be awarded to eligible Preferred School students in grades 8‑12. Please see full eligibility guidelines. The Lands’ End School Starboard Scholarship Program was established to assist middle and high school students, currently in grades 8-12, who are enrolled at a Lands’ End Preferred School in the U.S. (SMSA Preferred School Number: 900157314)

2021-2022 Application now available. Applications will be accepted now through December 15, 2021 or until 1,000 applications have been received.

https://www.landsend.com/starboard-scholarship/

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.

UW Oshkosh CAPP Scholarship

Scholarship information from UW Oshkosh:

Giving back to kids and schools is one of the hallmarks of the CAPP mission. We do this in a variety of ways through all our courses, but directly through scholarships for students that have had at least one UW Oshkosh CAPP class, who want to pursue their post-secondary degrees at UW Oshkosh.

The Business CAPP Awards, click here for info, are meant for those students coming to a UW Oshkosh campus, pursuing a business degree. These are $500 awards (15 of them).

The Titan Thunder CAPP Scholarship is open as of TODAY, for students interested in being in our new marching band….TITAN THUNDER. These are $500 awards as well (15 of them). It can be found at https://uwosh.academicworks.com/opportunities/8612

Remember, a student is eligible for all CAPP funded scholarships by having taken at least ONE UW Oshkosh CAPP course over their HS career. Remind those students who had one of our classes as a freshman or a sophomore that they too are in the mix! Additionally, some of our awards can be stacked together (Honors College and Titan Thunder, for example).

All UW Oshkosh scholarships can be found by searching from the Academic Works homepage: https://uwosh.academicworks.com/

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