Elementary News

February 3rd, 2023

From the Desk of Steve Kelnhofer - Elementary School Principal

Dear Parents and Guardians,


Our second set of Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences are scheduled for Thursday, February 16th, 2023.   The conferences are scheduled from 4:00 P.M. to 6:30 P.M.  This set of conferences are either recommended by the teacher, or may be scheduled by the parent/guardian if they wish to conference with your child's teacher.  (It is not required to have a conference for the spring conferences.) 


The Skyward conference scheduler will be open to parents on Wednesday, February 8th. Please follow the directions below for the opportunity to conference with your child’s teacher.


If you choose to schedule a conference for your child, please log into your Skyward account and follow these simple steps to schedule a time.



To cancel/reschedule a conference



Thank you for your partnership and communication to support your child's educational experience here at SMSA. Please E-mail Shannon LaLuzerne in the South Hall Office or call her at 920-322-8046 if you have any questions about conferences.


Catholic Schools Week


Catholic Schools Week has been filled with a joy and spirit to celebrate who we are and the holistic education at SMSA.   We get to celebrate a curriculum filled with our faith as we gain skills, explore, and engage in learning.   Thank you for your partnership in making this week truly special.  Joy and excitement can be observed all around SMSA as the week progressed forward.  It’s a special place to learn, play, and grow in faith.  The faculty, staff and administration are blessed to get to work with children every day.


Eighth Grade Graduation


An elementary kindergarten through eighth grade school mass and graduation ceremony to honor our eighth graders will be held on Friday, May 26th at 9:00 A.M. at Holy Family.


The eighth grade graduation Mass and ceremony will include eighth grade families and the school community of kindergarten through eighth grade.  The ceremony will allow us to celebrate the accomplishments of our eighth graders as student leaders within the SMSA school community.  It will allow younger students one last chance to look upon what they aspire to become in the years ahead of them at SMSA.  Thank you, eighth graders, for being a special class of students that we all can celebrate.  Thank you for making us proud of what you have become and what we see in your future.


Thank you for your continued partnership with SMSA.  Together we create a path for tomorrow’s children to achieve amazing dreams.


God Bless,

Steven Kelnhofer

Elementary Principal, SMSA

Upcoming Dates

Parents of Performing Arts Meeting Dates

Parents of Performing Arts meeting Dates for the 2022-2023 school year are:



All meetings will be held at 6:00 PM in the Lauby Lounge (first floor teacher lounge).

Contact Maggie Rose with any questions about PPA!

Skyward Resources

Parents, please use the following links...

To make a lunch payment using eFunds

To check a student's information, (After logging into your Skyward account, click the "Student Information" tab on the left hand column.)

SMSA System Wide Open House 

Invite your family and friends interested in SMSA to come join us at our Open House on Wednesday, February 1st, 2023, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. This "Open Campus" event is for grades P3-12. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet with SMSA faculty, staff and administrators, tour our campus and discover how an SMSA education is possible through our Tuition Assistance Program and Wisconsin School Choice.

Featured spaces to explore during the event include: The Chapel of St. Mary, Our Lady of the Ledge, Innovative Classrooms, the K-8 library, the High School Science Wing, The Elementary Fine Arts Wing, our Student Success Suite, and much more.

For more information, please contact Kelly Mueller.

WI Parental Choice Program Open Enrollment for 2023-2024

The WPCP online application period will open February 1st, 2023 and close on Thursday April 20th, 2023.

The DPI requires current Choice families to fill out an application for the 2023-2024 school year. Filling out the application informs the DPI that you want to receive your Choice voucher for the following school year. If the DPI does not receive an application from a current Choice family the voucher will not be renewed.

New and current families must electronically submit their application at:

https://dpi.wi.gov/parental-education-options/choice-programs/student-applications                 

NEW families must be income eligible to apply. The following income limits have been posted for 2023-2024:

Family Size Maximum Yearly Income

1 $29,898

2 $40,282

3 $50,666

4 $61,050

5 $71,434

6 $81,818

For each additional member in a family add $10,384.

Family income includes the income of the student’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) that reside in the same household as the student.

Current Choice families are not required to provide income documentation. Proof of residency documents are required for current and new families.

Information about WPCP can be found on the SMSA website.

Questions can be directed to:

Carol Ellestad: SMSA Choice Designee

cellestad@smsacademy.org or 920.322.8002.

Register Now for Fond du Lac Youth Baseball!

FDL Youth Baseball Registration is Open!

Register online at www.fdlyouthbaseball.com by next week.  All information can be found on the website.  Please register online as soon as possible to help with league planning.

If you would like to sell candy bars to offset the costs you must register online and attend one of the in-person registration dates below to pick up the candy while supplies last.

If you have troubles registering online on computer or phone, we can also help you at these registration dates but may involve a wait.

More information can also be found on this form.

Junior Ledger Fastpitch Softball

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.

Standards-Based Grading

St. Mary’s Spring Academy is excited to introduce Standards Based Grading in grades kindergarten through third grade for the 2022-23 school year! Standards Based Grading is a best practice initiative the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is leading all of its schools towards implementing in the coming school year. 



The objective of the video series is to educate parents in short videos to unpack Standard Based Grading.  The series intends to deliver an education and mind shift to understand Standards Based Grading, why Standards Based Grading is best practice, and how Standards Based Grading functions with the parent and teacher supporting the student’s journey. 


Please watch the following videos to learn more about Standards-Based Grading at SMSA: