We are truly all in this together: Positive cases impact high school life on the the Ledge 

These past 14 days have seen dramatic growth of positive cases in our county and State.  We have been impacted at SMSA to be sure.  I am grateful to our students and families for their grit and cooperation during this time of change and quarantine.  I am grateful also to our faculty and staff whose planning and daily routines have been challenged each day by the many disruptions caused by the quarantines in our school community.  Through it all, teachers and students are making sure that learning continues at SMSA! 

Our mutual goal as a school and as families is to maintain the maximum number of students learning in-person and safely on the Ledge!  To that end, I urge colleagues, parents and students to revisit the safety protocols that are outlined in the Return to the Ledge plan RTTL2.0.  I know that we all grasp that the social choices we may make away from the Ledge during these weeks may have a negative impact on friends, families, our school programs and the broader Fond du Lac community.  I urge all of us to please be our highest and best selves in these times.   I have learned that we cannot proceed through each day and week as though nothing has changed in the world.  Indeed, so much has changed.  We all must be responsible in new ways during this time of pandemic – especially by adhering to healthy behaviors and considering social plans as thoughtfully and prayerfully as possible.  Our choices impact others. We all have a social responsibility to the Springs and to the community, and may need to accept sacrificing in the short term to succeed with our long term goals.  We can do this if we have the collective will to succeed. Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us. 

Spirit Week is Coming!

We are all disappointed that a traditional Homecoming will not be experienced this fall on the Ledge.  Of course, football, volleyball and soccer have all been postponed until the Spring season.  Due to the local health conditions and Phase I status of the County, regrettably a dance is not possible on October 3 as hoped.  

However, the Student Council and a committee of committed teachers have been making plans for a mid-October “Spirit Week” that promises to help us celebrate our Ledger pride. Stay tuned for more information in next week’s eLedger! 

Ledger Learning Guide

Parents are encouraged to check the Ledger Learning Guide to keep updated on instructional expectations and course learning targets for their teens.  The LLG can be found on the SMSA Website under the tab for Parent & Family Resources.  We recommend that all parents bookmark the LLG landing page  SMSA Ledger Learning Guides Home Page.

Click here for more information on this upcoming ACT prep course.

Please watch for information in the coming months as we plan on hosting the ACT for our current class of juniors on the National ACT date Saturday, April 17th, 2021. 

Our most recent ACT on the Ledge was a great success!

Seniors: Great work on using Naviance to send your supporting documents for your college applications! Please stop by Tallen Mahaffey’s with your questions about applications, finding colleges that fit your interests, or talking about majors and careers.

College representatives are visiting with our students during the school day. These virtual visits are live and allow for questions and answers. We will continue to host visits from tried and true colleges like UW-Madison, Michigan Tech, and Marquette but also from George Washington University, University of Nebraska and Illinois Wesleyan University. Please make sure that you get permission from the teacher whose class you will miss to attend these meetings and send Tallen Mahaffey an email at tmahaffey@smsacademy.org to let him know you will be attending (so we have enough room for everyone to sit comfortably) Please also email Tallen Mahaffey for a link to subscribe to the College Representative Visits Calendar.

Juniors: The Wisconsin Education Fair is hosting its annual college fair on Wednesday, October 7th from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. These are live and interactive sessions in which you can ask questions and learn about the colleges that interest you. Click here to visit their webpage with more information.  Please notice that by clicking on step one, you can sign-up to attend. This is traditionally, the first college fair SMSA juniors attend. Please make sure you sign-up and attend!

Juniors are encouraged to attend the virtual college representative visits mentioned above in the senior’s section. Please make sure that you get permission from the teacher whose class you will miss to attend these meetings-and send me an email to let me know you will be attending (so we have enough room for everyone to sit comfortably) tmahaffey@smsacademy.org.

All juniors have been logged into Naviance and have completed the Career Interest Profiler. Juniors have been assigned the task of completing the “Do What You Are” inventory by the end of September. Students were walked through a college search using the Supermatch College search feature. They were also asked to choose one career and at least one college to add to their favorites list to learn more about in the near future.

Sophomores: Sophomores have been logged in to Naviance and have completed the Career Interest Profiler. They were walked through a college search using the Supermatch College search feature. Sophomores were asked to choose one career and at least one college to add to their favorites list to learn more about in the near future.

Freshmen: Freshmen have been taken through their first tour of Naviance. They completed the Career Cluster Finder and had an opportunity to discuss their results. They also began their first college search using the Supermatch College search feature. Students were asked to choose one career and at least one college to add to their favorites list to learn more about in the near future.

University of Notre Dame – Financial Aid 101

You know of our reputation for academic excellence. We also want you to know that we are committed to need-blind admission and to meeting 100 percent of financial need.

Wondering what these statements really mean? In this issue of Financial Aid 101, we’ll start by defining a few financial aid terms.  Click here to learn more!

No news at this time.

Virtual Manufacturing Day at Sargento Foods – October 2nd

At this Virtual Career Experience we will share our Sargento Family Culture, Company History, 2 minute video, Career Conversations with Manufacturing Employees and LIVE STREAM from our plant floor.

Click here to register today!  The event will be held on Friday, October 2nd at 11:00 a.m.

Here are the four areas you and your students can learn more about:

1. Production – requirement high school diploma  to work in production utility with the opportunity to advance your career in any area: production, maintenance, engineering, information technology based on job performance and pursuing a higher education degree through the Sargento tuition reimbursement program
2. Maintenance – requirement electro mechanical associates degree to work on robotics, industrial controls and Mechatronics 
3. Engineering – requirement electrical or mechanical engineering bachelor’s degree
4. Manufacturing Information Technology – requirement high school diploma or associates degree pending job applying for that has to do with computer science and internet of things used on a plant floor 

No news at this time.

Epic Flight Academy – Deadlines October 1st

Do you have students whose heads are in the clouds? We invite U.S. high school students who are interested in flight training (click here) or aviation maintenance (click here) to apply for Epic Flight Academy’s 3 aviation scholarships. We are located in New Smyrna Beach, Florida and welcome applicants from all around the U.S.

For full details and link to the online application, please click here.

No updates at this time.

Virtual Wisconsin Education Fair – Multiple Dates

Exploring colleges this fall?

Register for the virtual Wisconsin Education Fair (WEF) to find colleges, universities, military branches and specialty schools that you’re most interested in from the comfort of your own home. Plus, it’s FREE to attend!

WEF Fall Dates:

• Wednesday, October 7, 2020
• Sunday, November 8, 2020

To attend any of the WEFs offered this fall, please register as a student. Once you’re registered, you’ll get to:

• Attend all of the virtual WEFs offered during the 2020-2021 school year
• Filter through schools to find the ones you’re most interested in
• Live chat with college admission representatives to get your questions answered
• Attend an interactive financial aid session brought to you by College Goal Wisconsin

For additional details on virtual college fairs, visit www.wefs.org. Plus, check out this short video so you can get the most out of the virtual college fair.

University of Notre Dame – Virtual Preview Days

This summer we hosted Virtual Preview Days (click here for more information), a week-long event that included application workshops, student panels, and student perspectives. Although this event was designed for high school seniors, younger students may find the sessions helpful as they begin their college search.

Please encourage your students to visit our website to watch the sessions on demand to learn more about Notre Dame. They can also visit our website by clicking here for additional opportunities to connect with us virtually! 

UW-Green Bay 

Through the gracious support of our donors, all application fees have been waived for students who apply by Saturday, October 31, 2020. 

Please connect with us during the virtual Wisconsin Education Fair.  Click here to register for one of the following dates:

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Sunday, November 8, 2020

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Sunday, April 11, 2021

Please click here to view this year’s Counselor Update for new topics for this year.

Marian University Sabre Days

Virtually join the events and choose your adventure of a visit.

Want a live streaming campus tour?

Hear from faculty in your area of interest?

Q&A with Financial Aid? Let’s get your visit tailored to YOU!

Click here for more information!