All-System Mass On September 17th
This Friday, SMSA will celebrate liturgy together as a whole system at Holy Family Church for the first time since February of 2020. Parents are welcome to join with all 850 students and 130 faculty and staff! It will be a pleasure to have Bishop James Schuerman of Milwaukee as presider to help us pray and to mark this moment with our learning community. We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to worship together as a system, to proclaim our faith and worship as a community. During uncertain times, we learn to appreciate how such a privilege can be taken for granted. As SMSA, we celebrate this opportunity to give thanks to God and express our Catholic identity.
All-System Masses require Mass attire for all Ledgers. Given the delay in supply chain orders with Land’s End, high school Ledgers may wear any colored oxford shirt with school approved pants or skirts. Boys must wear a necktie or bowtie. This exception will be valid until Friday, October 15th. Finally, regarding dress code on Friday, shorts are not appropriate on Mass days. An alternative schedule will be used on All-System Mass days. See the alternative bell schedule by clicking, AllSysMASS 2021-22.
Finally, it is a Federal mandate that all people (including student school bus riders) wear masks while onboard buses. Please make sure that your daughters and sons keep a mask, or supply of masks with them at school for whenever they will ride buses to Mass, field trips, retreats, service experiences, athletic contests or any school related excursion. Please make sure they bring a mask or face covering with them on Friday.
Virtual Learning Applications
A change from last year is that parents may not spontaneously (day-to-day) declare students as virtual learners. Students who are in-person learners (undeclared virtual learners) shall be marked absent on any school days when they are not present in-person, similar to attendance practices prior to the pandemic. Students who are home ill for a day can expect to keep up with classroom expectations via Google Classroom, but not as live/ synchronous virtual learners. As has been previously communicated, in 2021-22, all requests for the virtual learning option must be approved by the administration. The application form can be obtained by clicking here or by contacting Mrs. Amy Pickart at apickart@smsacademy.org.
Pupil Services and Heartbeat On Health
We enjoy excellent Pupil Services leadership at SMSA, and are grateful to our Director of Pupil Services, Mrs. Heather Reilley, and her dedicated team who provide exceptional support for learning and wellness to the Springs community. Especially these days under challenging circumstances, our Pupil Services partners keep us updated on COVID developments and other health related matters affecting our life of learning on the Ledge. Through their goodwill and diligence, we are able to have a clear sense of all that is possible as we continue learning and helping students to grow holistically during a pandemic. The team has provided the following symptom checker, which SMSA parents are urged to review prior to each school day. As always, students who are feeling unwell should be kept home and monitored.
Students exhibiting at least two of the following symptoms are urged to stay home:
- Fever over 100℉
- Chills
- Muscle aches
- Headache
- Sore Throat
- Nausea or Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Unusual Fatigue
- Congestion or runny nose
Students exhibiting at least one of the following symptoms should stay home
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of taste
- Loss of smell
We are fortunate to belong to a community that cares for one another. The Ledger Way and our faith calls each of us to put others ahead of ourselves. Our SMSA Pupil Services team demonstrates this care each day in small and big ways.
Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us!
Eamonn O’Keeffe
Principal, High School