Homecoming 2021

A year ago, the loss of fall Homecoming activities due to the pandemic was a great disappointment for our Ledgers and for everyone associated with the Springs community.  This year, we are grateful and eager to dive into the fun of a traditional Homecoming week, including theme days, special assemblies, a pep rally, dance and a football game – played right across the street from campus on our beautiful new turf field.  What a difference a year makes! 

Homecoming Week theme days will begin this Thursday, September 30th.  Please click here for full information on dress up days and activities.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 9th, as the varsity football team will be returning to the Ledge to play the homecoming game on the new turf field!  Please click here for an FAQ on the upcoming game!

With all this said, things change and stay the same.  SMSA is still managing COVID-19 and it’s persistent Delta variant, with positive cases continuing to be a reality for many of our families.  So while we make plans and look forward with anticipation and hope for Homecoming fun, we also understand that for some in our community, it is not a time to celebrate.  Unfortunately, some students will miss Homecoming Week due to pandemic related circumstances.   Naturally, we all wish this were not the case.  

As we do very well in our Springs community, we shall continue forward in both gratitude and humility, supporting one another, living proud Ledger traditions, and building positive community relationships even when circumstances may challenge our access to one another, our expectations, goodwill or patience.

Thanks for staying together as a community, for pitching in to make both difficult days and special events so memorable.  Above all else, thanks for always partnering to support and care for our students in so many varied and beautiful ways.  Along with our faculty and staff, parents  make SMSA a very special home for our Ledgers.

Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us! 

Eamonn O’Keeffe 

Principal, High School

Thursday, September 30th – Homecoming Week Theme Days begin

Monday, October 4th – Mid Quarter 1 Progress Reports and Co-Curricular Eligibility Review

Thursday, October 7th – NO SCHOOL Teacher Inservice Day

Friday, October 8th – NO SCHOOL Archdiocesan Teachers Convention in Milwaukee

Saturday, October 9th – 1:00 p.m. Homecoming Football Game; 8:00 p.m. Dance

Monday, October 4th is the Mid-Quarter Grading Period.  As such, on Tuesday, October 5  parents may login through the Skyward Parent Portal to see Mid-Quarter Progress Reports.  This is also the time that student eligibility to participate in SMSA co-curriculars is reviewed.  As is our practice, students who are reviewed as ineligible will be notified immediately on October 5, as will their parents.

St. Mary’s Springs and Holy Family have partnered up to help promote and celebrate two great events happening on Saturday, October 9th.  

Holy Family has extended a part of their parking lot to Ledger Nation to use for extra spaces for the homecoming football game taking place on the Ledge.  Holiday Automotive will be providing shuttles to and from the homecoming football game.  

After the game, stick around at Holy Family to enjoy their Octoberfest celebration.  Click here to visit their Facebook page for more information!

Click here to view the flyer!

Tickets are on sale starting Wednesday, September 29th – October 6th. (Classes are not in session October 7th and 8th). 

Cost $10 in advance and $12 at the door. 

Guest permission forms can be picked up in the office. 

Theme: New York at Night

Athletic And Co-Curricular Eligibility 

At SMSA, co-curricular eligibility for participation in athletics, theatre, clubs and organizations, field trips and school travel is linked directly to academic performance. There are 8 eligibility review periods in each school year: 4 mid-quarter progress reports; Quarter 1 & 3 report cards; Semester 1 & 2 report cards. Co-curricular ineligibility stipulates that a student may not participate in any co-curricular activity while serving academic probation or after earning a failing grade in any course at any of the 8 eligibility review periods. 

To be fully eligible for participation in SMSA athletics or co-curricular activities, Ledgers must pass all of their courses at all grading periods. Students with one or more failing grades (F) at the grading period are determined to be temporarily ineligible for participation in SMSA athletics or co-curricular activities. Students may regain eligibility by improving their failing grade to a passing grade within the designated period of time. Complete criteria can be found on P. 9 and 10 of the 2021-22 High School Curriculum Guide found under resources on the Website and by clicking here.

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.

Homecoming Dress up/Activities and Information on Homecoming Football Game

We are so excited to celebrate Homecoming 2021!  Theme days will begin this Thursday, September 30th.  Please click here for full information on dress up days and activities.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 9th, as the varsity football team will be returning to the Ledge to play the homecoming game on the new turf field!  Please click here for an FAQ on the upcoming game!

A “hot topic” in many of my college planning meetings is paying for college. That’s to be expected; college costs a lot of money. Inevitably, the conversation turns to scholarship money; specifically, where to find it and how to get it.

I’m not joking when I say that colleges will pay students to attend their institutions! The first (and best) place students should begin looking for scholarship dollars is from the colleges they apply to. Many schools will award students automatic merit scholarships based solely on their cumulative GPAs and composite ACT scores. For example, a student with a 3.40 cumulative GPA and a 24 composite ACT score can receive $18,500 per year from Rockhurst University. That same student can receive $13,000 per year from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Additionally, both schools offer additional scholarships that students can apply for to receive additional funding. Examples include Rockhurst’s Finucane Service Award of $1,500 per year for students that demonstrate a strong record of community service and Nebraska’s Chancellor’s Leadership Class Scholarship of $1,000 (non-renewable) that’s awarded to students who’ve demonstrated passion for leadership and involvement in activities during high school.

If paying for college is a big issue, financial need or not, start by jumping on colleges’ admission websites and doing some research about the types of scholarships they award, noting any special criteria to receive those awards, and whether they’re automatically awarded (with or without meeting certain criteria) or if there are competitive application processes involved.

Local, state, and national scholarships should be pursued to supplement school-specific awards. This is because:

• These awards are rarely awarded automatically to students. These awards involve competition with other students. Local scholarships may be easier to receive than larger, national scholarships because the applicant pool for local scholarships is generally smaller.

• These awards are rarely large. Scholarships of $500-$2,500 are common for local and state awards. National scholarship amounts can be larger, but as I mentioned above, the competition for those dollars is more intense.

• These awards, specifically local awards, may not always be renewable for all four years where scholarships awarded by schools often are.

• These awards often take a student’s financial need into consideration in the application process. As such, they’ll ask that some basic financial information from the student’s family be provided with an application to determine whether or not the scholarship dollars are going to students from families with limited financial means.

There’s lots to consider when looking for scholarship money and a lot of places to look. I’m always happy to have conversations about the “how’s” and “why’s” of scholarships!

Qapla’!

Mr. Stamatakos

Coordinator of College & Career Planning

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself! My name is Taylor McCarthy, I am the new high school counselor. I am so excited to be part of the SMSA family working with these awesome students! I have heard such wonderful things about the school as well as the community. I feel extremely lucky to be part of it. I have an undeniable passion for school counseling and working with students. What I love most about High School is student’s ability to learn more about themselves. This is a great time for self-discovery through their interests and plan for the future! I am excited to meet with students individually, in small groups, and in classrooms. As a School Counselor, my primary responsibility is to promote the academic, career and social/emotional development of all students. With the new role of Mr.Stamatakos, I now will get the opportunity to really focus on the social/emotional needs of our students and ensure students are receiving all the support they need through these high school years.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns!

To scheduling appointments with me, please use this link : https://calendly.com/mrsmccarthy/meeting-with-mrs-mccarthy

Have a great day,

Mrs. McCarthy

tmccarthy@smsacademy.org

920.322.8031 ext 8031

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None at this time.

Boys and Girls Club

The Fond du Lac Boys and Girls Club is hiring.  Please click here to view their flyer.  Please click here to view their video.

Blanck’s Lake Aire

Blanck’s Lake Aire Supper Club is looking to hire:

• 14 or older
• nights and weekends (willing to work w/school schedules & sports)
• Part-Time (2-4 nights a week)
• Employee Benefits
• Starting bonus after 3 weeks

Please click here to view their flyer.

Festival Foods

Click here to view our flyer.

Red Cabin at Green Acres

We are looking for full and part time positions and are willing to work around your schedule with school, sports, family and church.  We are doing a hiring incentive. $100.00 to the person hired, after being with us for 30 days.  Click here to view our flyer or call and ask for Sara or Kathy at 920-906-9110.

None at this time.

None at this time.

None at this time.