October 30 – Early Release for End of Quarter I 

WOW! Do you believe it? Our first academic quarter concludes on Friday, October 30th! A reminder that Friday is a scheduled early release day for students (11:30 a.m.) as faculty will have the afternoon to complete grading. 

Skyward Access to Report Cards

As is our custom, families will temporarily not have access to student records in Skyward during the Quarter grade entry and verification period which is from Friday, October 30th (12 Noon)- Thursday, November 5th (3:30 p.m.).  Skyward and Quarter Report Cards will be accessible to families at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 5th.  Just a reminder to parents that Quarter I Report Cards are NOT mailed. Instead, families will have access to the “Student Profile” section of Skyward to view a Quarter I Report Card on Skyward and may print the Report Card at home if they wish to have a paper copy.  

Safe & Healthy Halloween in a time of Pandemic

Like most of our lifestyle traditions in 2020, the experience of Halloween will be altered for all of us due to the coronavirus, and especially the surge occurring this fall in Wisconsin.  As I write this, sadly Wisconsin has just recorded single day highs for positive COVID-19 tests; total hospitalizations; and total deaths. This fall we have seen that what happens in the community away from the Ledge certainly impacts education on the Ledge.  In the spirit of partnership and community, we ask families to continue making positive and thoughtful choices – especially diligent with any Halloween plans this weekend.  SMSA supports parents in their desire to ensure a safe Halloween experience for their family.  To assist, here is a link to a resource for planning a safe Halloween in 2020! Halloween & COVID-19: Have Fun While Staying Safe . 

Save the Dates: 

• November 6th: ACT Prep Course – ZAPS for all Juniors students.   This year, due to pandemic related logistics, juniors will participate in all day ZAPS training remotely/virtually from home. Watch for more specific  details from the Counseling Office about this scheduled all day experience for the whole Junior class.

• November 11th: Parent Teacher Conferences;  A virtual Parent-Teacher Conference night is being planned.  Next week, watch for detailed directions about how to schedule your virtual appointment with high school faculty. 

Ledger Learning Guide  

Parents are always encouraged to check the SMSA Ledger Learning Guides Home Page to see weekly learning targets, resources and expectations in every course.  Parental partnership in helping teens stay organized and focused on learning priorities each week is always appreciated.  Our virtual Back to School Night, teacher videos have now been permanently linked to the Ledger Learning Guide Virtual Back to School Night 2020 for parent accessibility. 

Student Survey Results

During the week of October 12th, all high school Ledgers were administered a survey about the A-B- Modified Block Schedule that has been adopted at SMSA during the 2020-21 school year. Please find the student survey results here. Student Survey: Modified Block Schedule. 

No news at this time.

Please remember to check on the deadlines for your college applications. The Early Action deadline for UW-Madison is Sunday, November 1st.

When requesting Recommendation Letters from teachers, it is considered polite to ask them in person if they will write a letter for you. If you are working virtually at this time, emails are acceptable. Otherwise, please refrain from asking them via email. It is important to your success to get in the practice of communicating with your teachers and college admissions officers in a professional manner. Politeness, respectful communication, and giving teachers/school counselors/college admissions officers enough time to respond are all elements of professional etiquette.

There are still some seniors who have not turned in their signed Transcript Release Forms. Please make sure you get that signed by a parent if you are not yet 18 years of age or older. Turn in your signed and completed Transcript Release Form via email. Pictures of signed forms are acceptable and encouraged.

Juniors: 

We will be hosting an all-day ACT preparation course on Friday, November 6th. There are ACT Preparation Books that you will be using that day. These books will be delivered to your homerooms ahead of November 6th. To make the workshop run effectively, all juniors will be working from home on that day. Attendance is mandatory. Further instructions will be sent in an email to all juniors and their parents/guardian. Please contact Mr. Mahaffey with any questions at tmahaffey@smsacademy.org.

FAFSA Completion

Parents of seniors. Please remember to complete the FAFSA form. This is a requirement if your son or daughter is applying for scholarships. Many scholarships offered at this time of the year by colleges and universities are based on your student’s good grades and/or ACT scores if available. These scholarships are not based on financial need. There are workshops coming up on Wednesday, November 4th and November 11th to help you complete the FAFSA form. Click here to visit the College Goal Wisconsin website.

No news at this time.

No news at this time.

No news at this time.

Lands’ End Starboard Scholarship (Grades 8-12)

The Lands’ End School Starboard Scholarship acknowledges and rewards students who display exceptional leadership skills.  Each winning student will receive a $5,000 scholarship.  Applications are being accepted from now until Tuesday, December 15, 2020.

For a full list of details and eligibility requirements, please click here.

No updates at this time.

Virtual College Visits – Week of November 2nd

The week of November 2nd there will be virtual college visits on Monday, November 2nd at 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. with Seton Hall University, Tuesday, November 3rd at 8:00 a.m. with Lynn University, Wednesday, November 4th at 8:00 a.m. with Marymount University and Thursday, November 5th at 8:00 a.m. with UW-Platteville. Students interested in these college visits should be in Hutter Gym at that time with your Chromebook.  Lynn University will have a virtual college visit on Tuesday, November 3rd at 8:00 a.m.

All college visits going forward will be from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. in Hutter Gym or 1:10 to 1:50 p.m. in your homeroom. Any questions, please contact Mrs. Hackl at shackl@smsacademy.org.