Principal’s Desk News & Information Upcoming Dates High School Counseling

NEXT  Wednesday, November 5th, the high school is pleased to host Parent & Guardian-Teacher Conferences  for Semester I.  Teachers shall be available in their classrooms from 4-6:30pm.   Parents do not need to schedule in advance, simply come and stay for as long as you can.  An “open house” style format will be observed. 

While not required, Parent & Guardian-Teacher Conferences are 100% highly recommended – and our goal is to have at least one parent of every high school student attending.   

At SMSA, we place a high value on our parent-school partnership.   As an intimate community, we can develop meaningful and personal  home and school connections whenever we are together.  What a blessing!  Building parent-teacher relationships is an important way to support our common goal of fostering student holistic growth and accountability.  

Please understand that our teachers are eager to meet parents in-person and truly enjoy gaining your insights, as well as the chance to offer parents useful data and anecdotes about learning standards and daily engagement with students. 

Mrs. Amerling, myself and our two school counselors Mrs. McCarthy and Mrs. Cauley will be at the check-in table inside North Hall to greet you upon arrival.  If you need one, a paper copy of your son or daughter’s schedule will be available at check-in.  

We recommend that conferences last no longer than 10 minutes with any individual teacher.  If more time for discussion is desired, parents and guardians can schedule a subsequent appointment with a teacher for a virtual or in-person conversation.  

If November 5th is not convenient for you, please don’t worry.  Know that – in addition to tracking student progress via the Skyward parent portal at any time –  parents can always reach out to teachers to schedule a phone or virtual conversation when questions arise, or simply to obtain added perspective on student progress. 

Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us!

Eamonn O’Keeffe, High School Principal

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As we transition to using the beautiful and newly renovated Hutter Gym locker rooms, SMSA High School and Athletic Administration would like to provide stakeholders with some important information and guidelines. This communication provides important details pertinent to the newly renovated space – including locker room hours and point of access, the assignment of lockers and locks, prohibitions and general locker room upkeep and behavioral expectations. We look forward to welcoming our Ledgers to the remodeled Hutter Gym locker rooms!

Hutter-Gym-Locker-Room-Expectations

The National Honor Society is sponsoring a Coats for Kids drive at school. Each fall, The Salvation Army works with schools, agencies and community to collect requests for new/used winter outerwear for families in need & organizes the county’s largest winter outerwear distribution. We are asking for donations to help The Salvation Army have a coat for everyone who needs one. You can drop off your item in the boxes by the South and North office by October 31st.

The Ledger Fishing Club will be holding its New Member informational meeting on Wednesday, November 12^th at the Fisherman’s Road Clubhouse. Come join us at the 5pm or 6:30pm meeting, whichever fits your schedule best.

This meeting is only for new/prospective members & parents.

The LFC is open to all St Mary’s Springs high school students whether you have ice fished previously or not!

If you are interested in learning more about the LFC, we encourage you to pick up a flier at the North Office and plan on attending the November 12^th meeting to learn more about the club, our events and participation requirements.

Check us out on Facebook @ “LFC – Ledger Fishing Club”

We look forward to fishing with you this winter!

LFC ’26 New Member Meeting Info Page

“The Odyssey: A Comedy, Mostly” is an adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey. It follows the well-known story of Odysseus’s journey from the battlefields of Troy back home to Ithaca and features familiar characters such as Odysseus, Athena, Poseidon, Circe, Penelope, and the Cyclops. The play explores breaking the fourth wall and takes liberties with the true feelings of each character throughout Odysseus’ journey. This is one you don’t want to miss!

Tickets can be purchased online at www.hometowntickets.org
Tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for students and seniors.

HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOKS ARE FOR SALE

High school yearbooks are available to purchase online at the SMSA website for $60. Get yours by clicking here!

We are currently looking for regularly scheduled and sub volunteers to assist our students in the library during the following times:
* Wednesdays: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
* Thursdays: 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM
* SUBS various times of the week/month as needed

Why do we love having regular volunteers?
Because our students love forming connections with their library helpers! When you’re here regularly, you get to know the students—their personalities, their interests, and their favorite books. It’s a wonderful opportunity to build relationships and help guide young readers by recommending books you know they’ll enjoy.

Whether you’re a parent, or grandparent, your time makes a big difference. If you love books and enjoy working with kids, and are SEE trained we’d love to have you on our library team!

Contact Lisa at library@smsacademy.org with any questions or for more information.

Who will win $20,000 this year!?

The BMR cash raffle is one of only three major fundraisers for SMSA that involves EVERY family, Pre-K through 12th grade. Each family receives 5 BMR tickets to sell and/or purchase. 

Tickets have been distributed to the youngest child per family in our System. Please be sure to check their backpacks or ask them if they were handed your families tickets after school.

Please review the information included in the envelope regarding this fundraiser.  Sold tickets may be returned to school with your child, or to the North, South or Scrip offices any time before the live noon drawing on Friday, January 16, 2026.

If you have any questions, or if you would like to purchase additional tickets, please contact a member of the BMR committee, listed below.

Valerie Everson

920.251.3719

Stephanie Fessler

920.960.0556

Katie Mathos

920.979.6757

Lisa Shannon

920.539.2892

Learn how you can get involved. Contact PPA@smsacademy.org to learn more!

Are you looking to get more involved at SMSA? If so, join our Parent Connectors Group!! We organize events for our SMSA families & show our appreciation towards our amazing SMSA Staff throughout the year!! Please email Andrea Nuss, alnuss@charter.net if you are interested. Thank you so much!!

Did you know? You can Refer-A-Family and receive tuition credit!

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November 5, 2025 – HS Parent/Teacher Conferences

November 26-28, 2025 – No School – Thanksgiving Break

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Our first free community QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention Training is coming up on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, from 5:00–7:00 PM at the YMCA Board Room. This 90-minute, evidence-based training teaches simple, life-saving steps anyone can use to recognize warning signs of suicide and connect someone to help. It’s open to all community members — parents, educators, coaches, and anyone who wants to make a difference.

Are you interested in exploring these four pathways of study?

1. Electromechanical Technology
2. Mechanical Design
3. Quality & Advanced Manufacturing
4. Carpentry Apprenticeship

We are excited to announce that several college representatives will be visiting SMSA to meet with interested students. This is a great opportunity to learn more about each school and connect directly with the admissions counselors who will be reviewing applications.

Upcoming Visits

Grand Canyon University: Tuesday, November 11, 2025 | 11:25 AM-12:05 PM
University of Wisconsin-Platteville: Thursday, November 13, 2025 | 11:25 AM-12:05 PM
University of Wisconsin-Stout: Thursday, November 20, 2025 | 1:45 PM-2:25 PM

SMSA is proud to participate in another year of Trade Tours through the Fond du Lac R.O.C.K. program, which stands for Retention, Opportunity, Community, and Knowledge. This program aimed at working specifically with high school seniors and juniors who are piecing together their plans post high school graduation. This program provides career exploration through business tours and job shadows. Fond du Lac R.O.C.K. is a program of Envision Greater Fond du Lac.

November 4th – Radisson Hotel & Conference Center
November 18th – Holiday Automotive

Please let counseling know if your student would be interested in joining a future tour.

For additional information please visit click here.

Please refer to the information provided at the link below, for local and state scholarships that SMSA seniors can apply for. This list is always subject to change and may not be all-inclusive.

Local scholarship opportunities (Fond du Lac area) are listed first, followed by opportunities for residents of the state of Wisconsin.

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