Principal’s Desk News & Information Upcoming Dates High School Counseling
I am pleased to share that Mrs. Judy Besson has been chosen as the 2023 high school recipient of the St. John Baptist de La Salle Teacher of the Year award! Along with other teachers and staff being recognized, Mrs. Besson will be honored at the upcoming Cor Unum Awards reception at Holy Family Church next week on September 18th. Please congratulate Mrs. Besson for this distinction as you see her on campus this year!
Mrs. Besson joined the faculty of the high school in 2020 directly after the COVID had closed down in-person learning and most other in-person activities. Like most, I will never forget that time, nor will I forget hiring Judy Besson. Suffice it to say, even through a 100% virtual interview process, the search committee observed Mrs. Besson to be an inspiring educator whose love of teenagers, teaching, literature, along with her cheery disposition captivated! In her finalist interview, she was asked to teach an English lesson via Zoom. It was probably in those moments that I remember thinking for the first time: ‘Judy has true teacher of the year skills!’ I also remember thinking: ‘hurry up you idiot, hire her before someone else finds her!’
Mrs. Besson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with a minor in Spanish and psychology from the University of South Dakota. She also earned a Master of Arts degree in Secondary Education from USD. Immediately before bringing her talents to the Springs, Mrs. Besson taught in both Milwaukee and Chicago for a period of seven years. Prior to that, Judy supervised high school students in their preparations for college through the Upward Bound program in Sioux City Iowa. While in Chicago, Judy also tutored. In one case she served a middle school student with dyslexia. The experience made a lasting impact on Judy as an educator.
On the Ledge, we have a goal to be “soulful educators” – teachers who have the ability to see below the surface with students, who can see the unseen and understand there is more to our students than meets the eye. In a remarkable example last year, Judy observed something was not 100% as it appeared with a student. This very successful student unexpectedly demonstrated a struggle with reading. Mrs. Besson thoughtfully looked below the surface and remembered her experience as a tutor. Reflective, empathetic, and soulful, Judy gently uncovered that her student was also struggling with an undiagnosed case of dyslexia. Thanks to Judy, the student and her parents finally had important answers to an issue that had puzzled them for years!
We are grateful to Mrs. Besson for being a truly remarkable and Soulful educator for our Ledgers! The St. John Baptist de La Salle Teacher of the Year is truly well deserved!
At SMSA, high school co-curricular eligibility for participation in athletics, theatre, clubs and organizations, field trips and school travel is linked directly to academic performance. There are 9 eligibility review periods in each school year: 4 mid-quarter progress reports; J-Term; Quarter 1 & 3 report cards; Semester 1 & 2 report cards.
To be fully eligible to participate in SMSA athletics or co-curricular activities, Ledgers must pass all of their courses at each grading period. 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 in the High School Curriculum Guide and/or Student Parent Handbook found under resources on the Website.
The Catholic Social Responsibility Guidebook is designed to provide educators in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee with clear guiding principles for integrating Catholic social responsibility into school culture, and provides theological resources that correspond to four contemporary challenges, and alignment of Catholic Social Teachings to current Archdiocesan curriculum, policies, and accreditation standards. CatholicSocialResponsibilityGuidebookforCatholicSchoolsFinal9.22.21.pdf
An overview of the topic “Civic Participation for the Common Good” is found here:
“Contemporary political dialogue has become more contentious and polarized. This divisive approach to political discourse has influenced all aspects of society, including Catholic Schools. The Catholic Church’s role in guiding its faithful into active political life is to instruct and illuminate the consciences of the faithful, so that their actions may promote the dignity of all human persons and enhance the common good. Catholic schools are called to equip our students with the knowledge, understanding, and skills to interpret and respond to contemporary social circumstances in light of the Gospel and the truth of our Catholic Church and Tradition. Catholic schools, while respecting the human dignity of every person, realize that not all points of view are equally valid, and therefore place a high value on the development of conscience, positive communication skills, reflection, negotiation and problem solving in the context of a Catholic faith. Catholic schools form faithful citizens who act with courage to build common ground and make peace even in deeply fractured communities.” [Guidebook p. 12]
I urge parents and guardians to take a closer look at the Church’s theological response to the challenges associated with “Civic Participation for the Common Good,” provided in the Guidebook.
Here is a link to further resource information on Catholic Social Responsibility released by the Archdiocese: https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.archmil.org%2fEducation%2fCatholic-Social-Responsibility.htm&c=E,1,FGs8Q2KnEcf0h-B0hQVVhlKGswcELo_rRejO9knGwE9kankbow9YqJw6lx9hQ710Ha14XJM57fqr96VVlDT8TNNaqqOTM1ZKLr_-ehoVQhBmezjH2JNeh7-S&typo=1
Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us.
Eamonn O’Keeffe
Principal, High School
As we gear up for this Friday night’s Ledger football game at Fruth Field, we wanted to provide you with some important information regarding the road construction happening in front of Fruth Field.
Road Construction Details:
Parking Information:
Preparation Tips:
Announcing auditions for the HS fall play “All’s Fair” by Pat Cook
When: Monday September 16th and Wednesday, September 18th
Sign up with a partner in the office and pick a scene to rehearse. No memorization needed.
Make sure to pick up an audition form and fill it out to bring to your audition time. Auditions will be held in the MS choir room, 2077
Tech Crew will pick up a form in the office and fill it out. You will then turn it into the office. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE!
Reminder to all SMSA sports fans, utilize the SMSA Athletic Calendar at the link below to access and get updates on our Ledger athletic events.
Please share this with friends and relatives who enjoy following Ledger athletics.
The Children’s Museum of Fond du Lac is holding a FREE touch a truck event Saturday, September 28 from 9 to 12 PM. Families plan to come for lots of trucks to climb in and learn, explore life size activities, balloon art, face painting, activities & a CD Smith Hard Hat to the first 200 kids!
Also SEEKING VOLUNTEERS age 14 and up! For more information on the event log on at CMFDL.org. To Volunteer for Play Big at Children’s Museum of Fond du Lac, click here.
Are you wanting to get more involved in our Parent Connectors Group? If so, look for the Parent Connectors volunteer form in your packet you will be receiving at the supply drop off day (3K-5th Grade). If your youngest child is in 6th grade or above, you won’t be receiving a form to fill out but can email Andrea Nuss, alnuss@charter.net, to share that you are interested in being a part of our group. Every year a new email group gets created so please submit your form even if you have done so in the past years. Also, only one form per family is needed to be filled out. Throughout the year, our group has various school family events as well shows our amazing SMSA Staff how appreciative we are for them. By being a part of our group, you will receive emails that shares ways you can help with these events through volunteering and donating. Our group wouldn’t be a successful without all of the wonderful people involved in it. Thank you so much! If you have any questions, please email Andrea Nuss, alnuss@charter.net.
If your high school or middle school child participates in band, chorus, theater, or jazz vocals/band, you are invited to join the PPA and support arts programming at SMSA. Meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 6 pm in the Lauby Lounge (first floor teacher lounge). Join us for our fall kick off meeting on Wednesday, September 18, 2024.
October 3 & 4, 2024 – No School – Teacher In-service
October 30, 2024 – High School Parent/Teacher Conferences
Admissions Counselors come to our campus to answer questions about the application process, scholarships, housing and much more. They are here for our students and are extremely knowledgeable. We highly recommend students attend these campus visits even if they don’t know if they will apply there. Meeting with these College Professionals gives students the opportunity to become more familiar with the application process and future plans. Please let counseling know by email if your student would like to attend. Please see the list below for the September visits:
University of WI- Madison College Rep Visit Date: Tuesday, September 17th 2024 Time: 1:30 – 2:30
Iowa State University College Rep Visit Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024 Time: 1:45 PM-2:25 PM
Marquette University College Rep Visit Date: Friday, September 27, 2024 Time: 1:45 PM-2:25 PM
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.