MERRY CHRISTMAS! GOD IS WITH US.

The First Christmas reminded all humanity of the deep solidarity with which our God accompanies us. What’s more, the Incarnation occurred among the most vulnerable and powerless of society 2000 years ago…and continues in the same manner today. The Gospels audaciously proclaim that God is alive and present in all ages, especially in the midst of the “least among us.”

The Catholic mystic Meister Eckhart (1260‒1328) wrote, “God is not found in the soul by adding anything, but by a process of subtraction.” Spiritual wisdom often reveals that less is more. Jesus taught this, and the holy ones of our Christian tradition always discover it in one way or another.

Unfortunately, in Western humanity, we tend to be ‘pack rats’ not naturally gifted at ‘decluttering’ our souls or anything else in our lives. On the contrary, over time most of us tend to add material ‘stuff’ and also collect emotional ‘baggage’ and habits that can overwhelm us at times on our life’s journey. Many struggle to streamline, or to deny ourselves most anything. Yet, our faith calls us to detach and let go.

Our “stuff” can also distract us from experiencing the Divine among the poor. “Letting go” or “self-emptying,” is clearly the way of Jesus. The idea that God became man, emptying Himself for love of humanity, moved the heart of St. Francis in the 13th Century. Francis of Assisi (1182–1226) let go of his life in the social upper class and joyfully lived in solidarity with the sick and the poor. He let go of his status and all material trappings to live freely in the radical Gospel choice of voluntary poverty. He wanted to imitate the humble example of God present in a manger. Franciscans worldwide believe that lived spirituality is all about letting go and embracing poverty and simplicity as spiritual teachers.

Of course, in modern consumer culture, even religion and spirituality can become a matter of addition: ‘earning points’ with God; ‘attaining’ enlightenment; and ‘producing’ moral behavior. Yet according to Catholic tradition, authentic spirituality is not about earning, getting, attaining, achieving, performing, or succeeding! These endeavors may boost our ego, but may also do little for the health of our souls. We learn from our tradition that deepening our faith requires letting go - letting go of what we don’t need anyway - although we don’t always know that ahead of time.

At Christmas we proclaim Emmanuel - “God with us.” Until we learn to detach from the unnecessary, non-essential matters that can preoccupy life, it may be impossible to truly recognize God with us - in a manger, in the Eucharist, in others, or in our own souls.

Like St. Francis and so many other saints have discovered, when we “let go” of unnecessary things and worldly distractions, we can find Jesus in the most humble of places. So this Christmas, I wish all in our Springs community sacred moments of letting go. May you be moved by the enduring Good News of our faith - that God is alive, and lives among us. What more do we need? Alleluia!

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTED LEDGER WAY CORE VALUE: LEADERSHIP

NOTE: This is the final installment of a six part series dedicated to The Ledger Way Core Values and Covenants. See the eLedger Archived editions to look back at the previous installments.

We are devoted to a life of servant leadership, going above and beyond to serve the school, parish, community and world. We are responsible citizens and Christians committed to living life, promoting peace, and fostering social justice.

How can we live into the ideals of this core value?

From the Student Covenant:

• Take initiative for my education and formation

• Be trustworthy, reliable and positive in word and actions

• Contribute to building a safe, inclusive and productive learning environment

• Advocate for myself and others and offer solutions to challenges

• Engage in the service of others, especially the most vulnerable in our community

From the Parent Covenant:

• Volunteer and partner with faculty, staff and other parents

• Promote The Ledger Way in word and actions as an advocate for SMSA mission

• Offer solutions to challenges and problems

• Engage in the service of others, especially the most vulnerable

• Model leadership for young people

From the Employee Covenant:

• Volunteer to support SMSA advancement and strategic initiatives

• Promote The Ledger Way and advocate for SMSA mission

• Offer solutions to challenges and problems

• Practice buffalo leadership and servant leadership, especially sensitive to the vulnerable

• Embrace, showcase, and affirm student success and celebrate growth and development

Let us continue to build and develop a life-giving community of Leadership on the Ledge!

Merry Christmas from all of the high school team!

Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us.

Eamonn O’Keeffe

High School Principal

2022/2023 SMSA Concession/Admission Help Needed!

Are you the parent of a SMSA middle school or high school athlete? If so, please consider signing up using the links below to help out the ABC (Athletic Booster Club) by volunteering your time and talent working in concessions or admissions at an upcoming sport event.

Booster Club encourages ALL parents of ALL athletes to embrace teamwork and volunteer at an event that suits your schedule. For those that have already signed up and volunteered, ABC sincerely appreciates your help!

Please use the links below to sign up through SignupGenius:

• Girls Hoops

• Boys Hoops

If you have any questions, please contact the SMSA Booster Club. Thank you.

Invitations to Join National Honor Society

High School Parents/Guardians,

The invitation to apply for induction to the NHS has been sent to all eligible students. If your student is a Junior (2024) or Senior (2023) with a GPA of 3.5 or higher they have received an email inviting them to apply. If your student is interested, applications are due December 23rd, 2022. Late applications will not be considered.

NHS is a national scholarly service organization. Students in NHS are expected to not only excel in their studies, they are expected display leadership, good character, and service to the community.

Thank you,

Dr. Biessman and Mr. Zimmer

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

Kohl's Department Store

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.