From the Office of Eamonn O'Keeffe: High School Principal
WELCOME to the LEDGE!

 

I am delighted to welcome Dr. Jill (Hebert) Carlson and Mr. Michael Kieser to our high school faculty.  Both Dr. Carlson and Mr. Kieser join us as part-time teachers during the 2022-23 school year.

 

Dr. Jill Carlson is a tenured Associate Professor of English at Marian University, where she also serves as Co-Director of the Honors Program and is Coordinator of Dual Enrollment.  Before coming to Marian University, Dr. Carlson served at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas from 2009-2022.

 

She earned her PhD at Western Michigan University, her Master of Arts from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and her BA from College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University.  Her areas of English research, and interest include Late Medieval literature, British Romantic, and British Victorian literature. At SMSA, Dr. Carson will be teaching British Literature I & II.  She will be happy to share insight from her Dissertation publication “Shapeshifter: The Manifestations of Morgan le Fay.”

 

Mr. Michael Kieser recently retired from the West Bend School District where he served  as a full-time social studies teacher at West Bend East High School from 1992-2022.  He taught for Westfield Public Schools from 1987-1990.  Mr. Kieser has taught US History, Economics, Government and Law, and AP Government and Politics.  At SMSA, Mr. Kieser will teach the required American Government course that prepares students for the State Civics Exam.

 

In addition to his teaching certifications and experience, Mr. Kieser also has extensive background with athletics as a basketball and baseball coach and certified WIAA official in basketball, baseball and softball. He holds Master Level WIAA certification as a softball and baseball umpire.  Mr. Kieser coordinated the assigning of officials for both West Bend East and West High Schools.  He is proud of his family roots in Abbotsford, Wisconsin and of being captain of the UW-Eau Claire Baseball team.

 

The addition of Dr. Carlson and Mr. Kieser continues our tradition of excellent teaching on the Ledge. We are blessed that they have chosen to share their talents and interests with our Ledgers.

 

I invite you to return to this column each week to learn more about other members of our faculty.  I will highlight different high school teachers each week this fall in the eLedger.

 

HIGH SCHOOL BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT: SEPTEMBER 14

 

On Wednesday, September 14, all parents are invited to the Ledge for “Back to School Night.” Reservations or RSVP’s are not needed.  Parents are asked to arrive by 6:30pm and will be given a copy of their daughter/son’s course schedule upon arrival.  Beginning promptly at 6:35pm, parents will follow their student’s schedule to each classroom to meet teachers and receive an overview of course content, objectives and student expectations.  Each class will last 10 minutes and parents will be able attend all 8 periods of their students Master Schedule – ending by 8:30pm.  When STUDY HALL appears on the schedule, parents will have the opportunity to meet with administration for a chance to discuss Covenant and Handbook questions.

 

Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us.

 

Eamonn O’Keeffe

High School Principal

 

 

News & Information

Freshman Class Homecoming Dinner

 

Staying with tradition for the SMSA 9th grade class, the Radisson Indoor Recreation Center (formerly the Holiday Inn Holidome) has been booked for dinner from 6:30 – 7:30pm on September 24th for the Springs Freshmen class Homecoming dinner.  The meal will be around $28 per person(tip will be included). The reservation can hold any amount of students so it is for the entire class and their dates as well. Anyone with or without a date is invited and encouraged to attend! 

 

In the next week, we will have more details and will need an RSVP from each student so please watch your inbox.  

 

Parents are invited to hang out at Benvenutos at the Radisson while kids are eating and then plan to gather at Schmittys during the dance.

 

Questions? Samantha Baker @ 920-251-1882 or Lisa Longley @ 920-539-0041

 

 

Welcome Back Spaghetti Dinner - September 21st

 

Please join us for the 5th annual Welcome Back Spaghetti Dinner (sponsored by the SMSA Grandparents Club) on Wednesday, September 21st, in the SMSA Cafeteria from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. All SMSA families, grandparents, faculty and staff members, and others interested in starting the school year off with great fellowship are invited to attend.

 

This year, Ala Roma will be catering the pasta! All meals are $5.00 and kids K4 and under are free! A maximum family meal is $25.00.

 

 

 

Financial Aid Q&A Night

Mr. Stamatakos will be hosting a virtual Financial Aid Q&A Night on Wednesday, September 21st from 7:00 – 8:00 PM.

 

Mr. Stamatakos will be joined by Susan Teerink, the Director of Student Financial Aid at Marquette University. Both Mr. Stamatakos and Mrs. Teerink will hold an open “Q&A” session for parents who have questions about applying for financial aid for college and how specific financial circumstances may affect their eligibility for federal and state financial aid.

 

Parents are invited to watch Mrs. Teerink’s overview of financial aid before planning to attend the program. NOTE: this program is only recommended for parents who have questions about financial aid after viewing the presentation.

 

Registration for the program isn’t required, and Mr. Stamatakos will share a link to the virtual meeting room as the date of the program gets closer.

 

Please contact Mr. Stamatakos with any questions about Financial Aid Q&A Night!

 

PPA Meeting Dates

PPA meeting Dates for the 2022-2023 year:

 

  • September 21
  • October 18 (note the revised date)
  • November 16
  • December 21
  • January 18
  • February 15
  • March 22
  • April 19
  • May 16 (note the revised date)

 

All meetings will be held at 6 pm in the Lauby Lounge (first floor teacher lounge).

 

Contact Maggie Rose with any questions about the PPA!

 

County K Speed Limit

With the newly paved and widened County K, between 151 and Winnebago Drive, please be cognizant of the 35 mile per hour speed limit.  The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office has received concerns regarding excessive speed in the hour before and after school.

 

The Sheriff’s Office will be placing a radar trailer on that portion of County K to monitor speed.  Please have a conversation with your student drivers on the importance of following the posted speed limits on all roadways, and being aware of people walking.

 

Safeguarding God's Children (SEE) training

SMSA will be hosting SEE training on Wednesday, September 28th at 6:00pm in the Multi-Purpose room. This training is needed for all volunteers, coaches and employees of SMSA.

 

Please sign up for this training online through CGM Connect

 

If you have any questions please contact Carrie Wiza  at cwiza@smsacademy.org or 920-322-3215

 

School Safety

As always, if you or your child become aware of a potentially dangerous situation that may threaten campus safety, we urge you to contact the Fond du Lac Police Department. 

 

To report life threatening urgent matters, please dial 9-1-1.  To report concerns that may not be urgent, please call 920-322-3700.  You may also call the high school main office at 920-322-8062

 

 

 

Speak Up/Speak Out (SUSO)

Created by the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of School Safety (OSS), the Speak Up, Speak Out Resource Center (SUSO) is a comprehensive, one-stop place to turn with important concerns currently offering: threat assessment consultation, critical incident response, and general school safety guidance.

 

Visit the SUSO website for additional information on these three services as well as resources on school safety best practices.

High School Counseling

Schedule Changes for the 2022-2023 School Year

Schedule change request forms for the 2022-2023 school year are now available in the North Hall Office. Students who would like to make a change to their course schedules for the upcoming school year should complete a form and turn it in to either Mrs. Amerling or Mrs. Pickart. Schedule change requests are being processed in the order they are received; please be patient as it will take the counseling staff some time to process them.

 

11th or 12th grade students or parents with schedule-related questions should contact Mr. Stamatakos. 9th or 10th grade students or parents with schedule-related questions should contact Mrs. McCarthy.

 

The deadline to add and/or drop a class for Semester 1 is Friday, September 2nd.

 

ACT Retake for Seniors

 

SMSA has scheduled an opportunity for juniors and seniors to take the ‘ACT without Writing’ here at SMSA on Tuesday, October 18th, 2022, during the school day.  Many seniors who didn’t have an opportunity to retake their ACT over the summer will use this opportunity to take the ACT a second time.  It is also the first opportunity for current juniors to sit for the exam before they take the ACT in Spring.

 

There is no a limit to the number of times a student may take the ACT.  Many students across the country choose to take multiple tests to improve their ACT score.

 

If your student wants to take advantage of this opportunity, please complete a brief survey by Friday, September 16th, 2022, in order to secure a spot.

 

Please contact Mr. Stamatakos with any questions about this opportunity,


FDL Police Explorers

 

The Police Explorer Advisors from the Fond du Lac Police Department are hosting an open house on Monday, September 19th from 6pm-7pm. This a program for youth ages 14-20 that are interested in law enforcement as a career. Explorers will receive hands on training from FDL Officers in many different law enforcement topics.

 

For more information, view the Open House Flyer or watch a Recruitment Video

 

Job Opportunities

 

The Boys & Girls Club is hiring for our afterschool programs!

 

Check out the information below and click on the flier to download an employment application!

 

 

 

College/University visits to SMSA

College visits are open to all juniors and seniors! Sign up for all visits in your SCOIR account!

 

University of Notre Dame: Tuesday, September 6th from 10:40-11:20 am

Nova Southeastern University: Wednesday, September 7th from 9:10-9:50 am

University of Wisconsin-Platteville: Thursday, September 8th from 9:10-9:50 am

 

 

Upcoming Dates
  • September 2 – ALL SYSTEM MASS, 9am at Holy Family Church
  • September 2 – Add/Drop Deadline. After this date students may not request schedule changes. On this date, all student schedules for Semester I are finalized.
  • September 5 – LABOR DAY Holiday – NO SCHOOL/ Offices are Closed
  • September 14 – High School Back to School Night 6:30-8pm. Parents and guardians meet teachers and attend special information sessions.
  • September 26-30 – Homecoming Spirit Week!

 

Ledger Learning Guide

The Ledger Learning Guide for the 2022-2023 School Year is now available online!