System Information
January 19th, 2023
January 19th, 2023
In this week's System Information eLedger
Monday, January 16 - Friday, January 27 - Winter MAP testing window for Grades 2 - 8
January 29th to February 3rd - Catholic Schools Week
February 16th - Parent/Teacher Conferences
February 17th - No School/in-service
February 24th - End of 2nd trimester
February 27th - Elementary no school/in-service
January 23th, 25th, 26th - Initial 2023-24 course scheduling presentations during homeroom
Wednesday, January 25th - College Information Night 6:30-9:00 PM (virtual event - registration required by Friday, January 20th @ 4:00 PM)
January 29th to February 3rd - Catholic Schools Week
PPA meeting Dates for the 2022-2023 year:
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 the PPA!
Congratulations to our 2023 Big Money Raffle Winners!
Grand Prize - $20,000 - Gerry Schwarz
2nd Prize - $5,000 - Eljay Smith
3rd Prize - $2,500 - Tonya Anderson
4th Prize - $1,000 - Thomas Schmitz
5th - $500 - John Ambroso
6th - $500 - Rick Gilgenbach
7th - $500 - Deanna Jones
Thank you for supporting the 37th Annual Big Money Raffle drawing! We raised $93,250!
Your support ensures St. Mary’s Springs Academy can continue to provide a whole student education, spiritually, academically and emotionally to every student who seeks a Catholic education.
Thank you!
Big Money Raffle Committee
(Valerie Everson, Kelly Baker, Jenny Baker, and Sasha Smith)
Help out the High School Music Department as they continue to fundraise for their upcoming Music Department trip to Disney!
Students are selling a Kwik Trip 5-count Ultimate Car Wash Card for $36. They typically retail for $50. If you are interested in purchasing a car wash card, seek out a High School music department member or email Ms. Pannier.
Thank you for supporting the High School Music Department's Trip to Disney!
As part of this year’s Catholic Schools Week, St. Mary’s Springs Academy will welcome Rachel’s Challenge to stimulate academic achievement and social-emotional learning by focusing on the connections a between students, faculty and staff.
Using the remarkable story of Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine High School tragedy, Rachel’s Challenge awakens individual hope and purpose, which in turn promotes safer, more connected school communities. A Rachel’s Challenge staff member will share Rachel’s story with the entire SMSA school community on Thursday, February 2nd.
Dr. Robert Marzano, respected education researcher and author states, “Rachel’s Challenge is the most powerful intervention I have seen in 40 years of working in education.” Rachel’s story unlocks the desire for change. Then, its programs come alongside the existing efforts of the school to sustain a culture where harassment, violence and self-harm are reduced; where teachers are free to teach and students are empowered to learn.
An independent study conducted by Multi-Dimensional Education, LLC, a nationally recognized educational program evaluator, found that, “Schools implementing Rachel’s Challenge with fidelity achieved statistically significant gains in community engagement, faculty/student relationships, leadership potential, and school climate; along with a reduction in bullying behavior.”
Using age-appropriate programming for K-12, Rachel’s Challenge schools have reported up to 84% reductions in disciplinary referrals. As many as 150 suicides are averted annually, as reported by students themselves. In a pre-and post-attitudinal survey of 9,881 students from socioeconomically and demographically diverse schools across the US and Canada, respondents reported a 282% increase in the number of students feeling safe at school after participating in Rachel Challenge.
In just over two decades of social-emotional and mental health training, Rachel’s Challenge has reached over 30 million students, educators, and community members. Rachel’s Challenge continues to work hard to turn the ideals of kindness and compassion into actionable strategies that help promote a safe and productive learning environment.
Please watch your E-mail for more specific information about how students in Grades K-4, 5-6, and 7-12 will experience Rachel’s Challenge on February 2nd. Contact Mr. Stamatakos, Mrs. McCarthy, or Mrs. Desiderio in St. Mary’s Springs Academy’s Pupil Services Office with any questions about Rachel’s Challenge.
Planning has begun for our annual Ledgerfest fundraising event. In previous years, we have collected money from each grade level and put together some amazing auction baskets. We will be creating these types of baskets again this year. These grade level baskets will be a part of the Ledgerfest Silent Auction on April 1st.
Click here if you would like to contribute towards your child’s grade level basket. Once you enter a donation amount and click "Next", please fill in your child’s name and grade level (if you are donating for more than one child, please list each name and grade level along with the amount for each child). If you prefer, you may still send cash or check (payable to Andrea Nuss) in an envelope marked: MS Ledgerfest/Kristin Zitlow. Please also indicate your child’s grade level on the envelope.
All contributions are due by Friday, February 10th.
If you have any questions, please contact the lead person for your grade level:
3K - Sara Sippel - sarasippel90@gmail.com
4K - Molly Jaster - molly.jaster@gmail.com
Kindergarten - Jessica Smith - jessicaannsmith.jas@gmail.com
1st Grade- Katie Heller - katieheller11@gmail.com
2nd Grade - Jenn Ellestad - jenn.ellestad@gmail.com
3rd Grade - Andrea Nuss - alnuss@charter.net
4th Grade - Tya Robles - tyajean623@gmail.com
5th Grade - Shannon LaLuzerne - slaluzerne@smsacademy.org
6th Grade - Becky Harmsen - harmsen2004@gmail.com
7th Grade - Lisa Shannon - lisa.shannon@charter.net
8th Grade Lisa Serovy - serovy@charter.net
All High School Grades - Chris Gilles - cgilles@smsacademy.org
Thank you for supporting Ledgerfest this year!
The wait is over! Walgreen's $25 and $100 physical gift cards are back in stock! Thank you for your patience.
Help SMSA save over $850 in shipping costs on Scrip orders! Every online order you place from January 16th - 31st qualifies as an entry for SMSA to win free shipping for a year.
There's no easier way to support SMSA! Purchase gift cards at face value and shop in store or online.
By shopping with Scrip you earn tuition credit, and help offset the operating costs on the Ledge. Now you can do this directly from your smart phone!
Why wait? Learn more about the RaiseRight Mobile App and get started today!
Per the Fond du Lac Transit Authority, Bus Route 120 Tripper runs in the morning from 7:00 AM – 7:50 AM and in the afternoon from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM. This route includes a stop at St. Mary's Springs Academy.
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.
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.
All KG – 12 students who reside within the Fond du Lac city limits and in the boundaries of the FDL School District are eligible to be transported to SMSA from a common point (South Street Parking lot) for pickup and drop-off. The South Street parking lot is located on the north side of Fruth Field off of South Street. The bus is titled “South Street Shuttle” bus. The guidelines set up by the FDL School District are available on the SMSA website within the Resources tab > Parents/Families > SMSA Bus Routes > FDL School District Shuttle to SMSA.
A link to register your children to ride the Shuttle bus is found under the tab FDL School District Shuttle to SMSA.
All families intending to use the South Street Shuttle bus must register their student riders. There is no cost to the family but student information must be provided as a requirement from Johnson Bus. Johnson Bus is required to have this information so that they are able to contact you in the event of any type of delay or emergency.