HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Please accept our sincere thanks and appreciation for your partnership with our St. Mary’s Springs Academy mission in 2023! Our common faith is in the Risen Lord who journey’s beside all of us on the Ledge as we continue to grow and develop our human faith, knowledge, talents, and skills in the year ahead. With our patroness Mother Mary’s counsel and protection, we trust and pray that God’s grace will be ever present to our Springs community.

END OF SEMESTER I FAQ’s:

This message was also sent via Skyward Messenger email to clarify details and assist your planning around the end of Semester I. Please consult your child to learn about the final assessment plans for each of their classes. Here are some FAQs to guide parents, guardians and Ledgers during the final days of Semester I:

Q: When does Semester I end?

A: Friday, January 13 is a B- Day and the final day of classes for Semester I. Semester II classes begin on Tuesday, January 17, an A-Day. The high school has no classes on Monday, January 16.

Q: When is Exam Week scheduled?

A: There is not a designated exam week at SMSA. Our block schedule allows for adequate class time for students to take traditional final assessments (exams). The block schedule also provides flexibility to our faculty to plan for alternative style final assessments (i.e. group or individual class presentations; research papers or essays; video or multimedia projects, etc..). As such, the A-B daily schedule continues uninterrupted to the end of the semester on Friday, January 13.

Q: When will students be engaged with Semester I final assessments?

A: The earliest final assessments will occur this week. Teachers have collaborated to spread-out their final assessments over the final eight (8) class days of Semester I - beginning no sooner than January 4 and ending January 13. The largest concentration of final assessments will be Monday January 9 - Friday, January 13.

Q: Is there an alternative daily bell schedule for the final days of Semester I?

A: No. Each school day shall continue to abide by the same 2022-23 daily bell schedule which has been established for 2022-23.

Q: Will Skyward family access be restricted at the end of the semester?

A: Yes. Families will not have Skyward access to see grades from January 13 at 3:30pm to January 20 at 3:30pm. During this time, teachers will be finalizing and entering final Semester I grades and administration will require time to verify grades. Skyward access to view Semester I report cards will be restored for families at 3:30 pm on Friday, January 20.

Q: Are Semester grades permanent?

A: Yes. as indicated in the High School Curriculum Guide, ONLY semester grades are permanent record grades reflecting earned high school credit. Semester grades are the only grades that shall ever appear on a student’s official high school transcript. Quarter grades and progress report grades are not considered “permanent grades.”

If you have any questions about your child's scheduled final assessment or academic performance in any course as the Semester winds down, please consult Skyward, and do not hesitate to reach out to our teachers or counselors directly.

Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us.

Eamonn O’Keeffe

High School Principal

Registration for College Information Night 2023 is OPEN!

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, January 25th 2023! Freshmen, sophomores, juniors and their families are invited to attend SMSA's 2nd Annual College Information Night!

Mr. Stamatakos has assembled an impressive cast of presenters from across the country who will offer students and their families information about topics including:

• How to build a college list

• How to build an impressive college application (with and without test scores)

• Who gets in to UW-Madison and what matters most in the application review process

Registration for this event is required and can be completed online. Please register for the event no later than Friday, January 20th.

Please direct any questions about College Information Night to Mr. Stamatakos.

Scholarship Website for SMSA Seniors

Last year, Mr. Stamatakos created a website that SMSA seniors can use to learn about local scholarship opportunities that they can apply for to help fund their college educations at two and four-year colleges. The website will continue to be updated throughout the coming months as updated applications for the current senior class are received by Mr. Stamatakos. Mr. Stamatakos will also E-mail out applications for these scholarships to the senior class and to parents of seniors as he receives them...so please check your E-mail for these opportunities!

Please visit the website early and often to start learning about scholarship opportunities that you can take advantage of!

Job Opportunities

Fond du Lac Boys & Girls Club

Fond du Lac County Health Department

Ledger Learning Guide

The Ledger Learning Guides are a rebranded version of the “Virtual Learning Guide” that was designed in March 2020 to serve parents, students, and teachers at the start of the virtual learning term. Moving forward, whether students are learning on the Ledge in person or online at home, the LLG will provide a weekly overview of course learning targets and access to course links. Teachers will be updating course pages and learning expectations prior to the beginning of each new academic week.

The Ledger Learning Guide will not be as comprehensive or detailed as Google Classroom or other course calendars/schedules but does provide a meaningful overview of all SMSA courses and content being learned.

The Ledger Learning Guide for the 2022-2023 Academic Year can be viewed here.