Elementary News
February 9th, 2023
In this week's Elementary eLedger
From the Desk of Steve Kelnhofer - Elementary School Principal
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Valentine’s Day is around the corner. We will be celebrating this day on February 14th in our classrooms. Little Ledgers will be seen at school with bright smiles as they carry their valentines they are ready to share with fellow students and their teachers. This simple action makes me reflect upon the Heart of Christ. Jesus continues to pour out His heart for us each day. He loves us and calls us to be in relationship with Him. Through the actions of children on Valentines Day, giving and receiving with others with tokens of kindness, we can see a model of the Heart of Christ in relationship with each of us. God bless the little Children for Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Kindness may be a small moment that makes a big impact in someone else's day. A beautiful lesson to remind us of the Ledger Way at many levels.
Our second set of Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences are scheduled for Thursday, February 16th. 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. Directions were located in last week's eLedger and communicated home via the classroom teacher.
Thank you for your continued partnership with SMSA. Together we create a path for tomorrow’s children to achieve amazing dreams.
God Bless,
Elementary Principal, SMSA
Upcoming Dates
February 16th - Parent/Teacher Conferences
February 17th - No School/in-service
February 24th - End of 2nd trimester
February 27th - Elementary no school/in-service
Parents of Performing Arts Meeting Dates
Parents of Performing Arts meeting Dates for the 2022-2023 school year are:
February 15
March 22
April 19
May 16 (note the revised date)
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.)
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.
Principal's Pen Recipients: Weeks of 1/23/23 & 2/6/23
The Principal’s Pen is an opportunity for teachers to recognize students who consistently demonstrate The Ledger Way with a focus on faith, learning, respect for leadership, community and responsibility. The students chosen will attend a special breakfast with Mr. K and Mr. Fisher and special guest, receives a certificate sharing how they followed The Ledger Way, and a principal’s pen.
The Special Guest for the week of January 23rd was Father Justin Weber, Chaplin for SMSA
The Principal's Pen recipients for the week of January 23rd are:
Knox C. (6th Grade) - He is a hard working student who takes pride in his learning and is a responsible member of our SMSA community.
Asher D. (6th Grade) – He has a love for learning. He doesn’t take the shortcuts, but instead is responsible and looks at all avenues before just putting his answers down.
Allison S. (6th Grade) – She is a determined student who tries her best and works really hard to grow her learning. She is quick to offer her help to anyone in the SMSA community and does it with a smile and respect. Allison is a strong leader in faith and can be found serving the Lord at the altar quite regularly.
Wyatt N. (7th Grade) – He is friendly and courteous to the teacher. He is willing to listen and cooperate and has a great sense of humor
Kaleb K. (7th Grade) - He is always positive, kind and helpful to others as well as a leader in class.
Michael K. (7th Grade) – He is dedication to learning and completing his classwork, his respect for others, and his teamwork attitude.
Emerson D. (8th Grade) – He is dependable, hard working, and a great friend. Emerson is as solid as they come. He gets his work done on time and is very polite in class. I wish I had more like him in class.
Seth H. (8th Grade) – He will step up and do whatever is asked of him. He always is ready, willing, and able to help. He is an excellent student and is often helping others with their work. Seth is a great role model.
Austin I. (8th Grade) – He is a very hard worker and respectful in the classroom.
The Special Guest for the week of February 6th was Kyle Krueger, HS Assistant Principal & Dean of Student Life
The Principal's Pen award winners for the week of February 6th are:
Weslynn G. (3K) - She is a delight in the classroom and a friend to all.
Marigold S. (4K) – She is kind and sweet, and a wonderful friend to everyone. She takes her time and gives all her work her very best. She is a leader at making positive choices in the classroom and showing respect every day.
Alyvia J. (4K) – She is such a great example of the Ledger Way! She is respectful, excited to learn, and is always a kind and compassionate friend to all! We love having Alyvia in class!
Mya H. (5K) – Mya is always a kind friend. She works hard to stay focused and do her best in the classroom! She takes her time and really wants to show her best work. She loves to model catholic behaviors in an out of the classroom!
Lorraine P. (5K) - She always comes to school with a positive attitude. She is a great friend and makes everyone laugh or smile. She works hard to learn and do her best!
Keegan V. (5K) – Keegan is a sweet and kind boy. He makes sure everyone is included. He is a great friend and role model to his classmates.
Sam N. (1st Grade) – He always shows good manners to others. He demonstrates the core value of faith each day by praying. He works hard in all subject areas and is always willing to help others to build a positive community.
Harper G. (1st Grade) – Harper demonstrates the core value of learning. She works very hard in the classroom, enjoys reading and writing, and strives for excellence in all she does. She is a great role model to her peers as she is always following directions, respectful to her teacher and friends, and always has a positive attitude.
Jack W. (1st Grade) – Jack is showing the core value of responsibility and leadership. He demonstrates this everyday by being honest and by being kind to everyone around him. He loves making others laugh and is always there to cheer everyone up.
Kate J. (2nd Grade) – Kate shows the respect core value by always helping a friend in need, thinking of others before herself, and treating others kindly.
Evelyn W. (2nd Grade) – Evelyn has a love for learning. She asks questions, works hard, and solves problems. She walks in with a smile on her face, ready to take on the challenges of the day. She always has her materials ready and keeps everything neatly organized.
Abel T. (2nd Grade) – Abel starts each day with a positive mindset and smile. He is respectful to adults and peers. He is a hard worker!
Summer Opportunities
Register Now for Ledgerfest 2023!
This is NOT a joke!
You are invited to attend Ledgerfest, Saturday, April 1st, 2023! Ledgerfest is SMSA largest fundraising event of the year, featuring a new theme each year, outstanding silent auction and so much more!
This year, the doors to our new location, THELMA Sadoff Center for the Arts, will open at 5:00 P.M., where you will enjoy an evening of laughter and mingling in a comedy club atmosphere. The Ledgerfest committee is excited to offer open seating, raffles, silent and live auction, heavy passed hors d'oeuvres and food stations catered by Crave, along with outstanding entertainment provided by Fish Sticks Improv Comedy Troupe.
Invitations will hit mailboxes soon, but you can register online today!
Let's laugh the night away in support of SMSA and Catholic education during this year's Ledgerfest celebration!
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.
Wednesday. February 1st (6-8 PM at old FDL Rec Dept behind Woodworth Middle School)
Thursday, February 2nd 6-8 PM at old FDL Rec Dept behind Woodworth Middle School)
Saturday, February 4th (6-8 PM at old FDL Rec Dept behind Woodworth Middle School)
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: