Principal’s Desk News & Information Upcoming Dates High School Counseling

Next week Lent begins and Christians look inward to reflect upon changes we hope to make with God’s help. We look outward to consider what we can do to better serve the needs of others – especially the most vulnerable. It is also a time for us to look ahead with joyful anticipation of Easter and the Springtime that awaits.  

In that spirit, preparations for the end of the school year are underway, and most especially for the key events intended to celebrate the Class of 2025! This communication is an initial overview of key special events in the Springs community during the final months of school. Please mark your calendars! 

• Saturday, May 3 – Junior/Senior Prom and Post Prom (South Hills Country Club).  Event details will be shared soon by junior moderators. 

• Saturday, May 10 – Jazz Night. (Prairie Center) 6:30 – 8:30 pm. This will be the final jazz performance of the year, and in the high school career for some seniors in vocal and instrumental Jazz ensembles. Family and friends are encouraged to attend.  

• Thursday, May 15 – Ledger Honors Convocation (Holy Family Church) from 9am – 10:30am. This is an assembly that includes ALL high school students, and integrates annual Department Awards and SMSA heritage awards. The accomplishments of underclassmen and our seniors shall be highlighted and celebrated. Key legacy and heritage awards will be presented in the presence of the whole school community. Family and friends are encouraged to attend. A livestream link to the event will also be made available. 

• Sunday, May 18 – Senior Honors Ceremony (Stayer Center, Marian University) from 2-4pm.  This is a special event and reception is for all seniors and their parents, who will be joined by class moderators and administration.  The event agenda shall include: sharing  the traditional senior superlatives; viewing the senior video; and a special “parade of seniors” – which includes the formal presentation of cap & gown as well as special gift from Campus Ministry to all graduates.  The high school accomplishments and future plans of each senior shall be highlighted.  

• Wednesday, May 21 – Spring Concert (Prairie Theatre) from 7-8:30pm. This will be the final chance for some senior students to share their musical gifts publicly in our community. Family and friends are encouraged to attend. Special senior recognitions will be part of the program. 

• Thursday, May 29 – Final Day of Classes for Seniors for Quarter 4, Semester II and the 2024-25 School Year.

• Friday, May 30 – No school for Seniors. REQUIRED Commencement Practice (Holy Family Church) from 10:30 to Noon. Seniors will attend a required rehearsal with class moderators and administration for Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement. 

• Sunday, June 1 – beginning at 2:30pm, Baccalaureate Mass & Commencement (Holy Family Church) REQUIRED. Students are asked to arrive and check-in at Holy Family Church by 2:00pm to begin lining up in the church hall. There shall not be any limit/restriction on guest attendance. After a brief 15 minute break following Baccalaureate Mass, the Class of 2025 Commencement ceremony will begin in the Church (approximately 3:30 pm). Both events will be livestreamed. 

For seniors and their families, the traditional “Big Three” events include – Ledger Honors Convocation, Senior Honors Ceremony, and Baccalaureate Mass & Commencement. These key events not only recognize our seniors, but also uniquely celebrate our Springs mission and heritage. 

It has been my privilege to participate in the educational and developmental journey of the Class of 2025 – a special group of young people who have contributed many talents to the Springs community. The faculty, staff and administration  look forward to celebrating with the Springs Class of 2025 during their final months of high school! I look forward to highlighting student accomplishments, and hope to connect with families in person as much as possible during these special community events. 

Our Lady of the Ledge, pray for us.

Mr. Eamonn O’Keeffe

Principal, High School

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Do you have books at home collecting dust? If so, we have the perfect solution! In recognition of National Reading Month, the high school club Chapter Chats is hosting a book drive for gently used books of any genre and age. Donations will be given to the St. Katharine Drexel Shelter. Donation boxes will be located by the North and South Hall offices March 3rd-7th. Please consider supporting the club and helping the community. Thank you, and happy reading!

In April we will be celebrating SCHOOL LIBRARY MONTH. To help celebrate, we would like each student to be able to add a “brick” for every book they check out (keep in mind our older students can check out up to 3 books a week! That’s a lot of LEGOs!) What will we build? It’s up to the students and their placement of their “bricks”. So if you have any extra clean LEGOs and are willing to donate them to the library…we would LOVE to take them off your hands! Duplo sized would be wonderful for our younger students, and building plates would also be great to have as well. Stay tuned and find out what we build!

Deadline to donate Lego’s is Friday, March 14, 2025 – Lego’s can be turned in to the South Hall Office. 

When: April 5, 2025 – Doors open @ 5:00
Where: FCC – 400 University Dr, Fond du Lac, WI

Reserve YOUR Ticket Here!

We can’t wait to see you there!

Join St. Mary’s Springs Academy for the hilarious and heartwarming musical “The Addams Family” from March 7th to 9th at Horace Mann theater! Tickets available at hometowntickets.com

Prom is scheduled for May 3rd and will surely be another memorable experience for our students. Whether or not your son/daughter chooses to attend Prom (and we hope they do), all Juniors and Seniors (and up to one guest per person) are invited to attend Post Prom. Post Prom is a safe and fun event that will be held from 11:00pm – 1:00am, featuring games, prizes, food, friends and fun.

Please consider supporting this special event for our students by making a donation or serving on the committee.

Monetary Donations (requested by March 31 PLEASE): To defray the costs of this event, we are asking you to please consider making a donation. There are several ways to contribute:

CESA 6 is excited to share the latest edition of the Career Readiness Corner, this resource is designed to empower families and students with valuable insights and tools for planning their future careers.

Did you know? You can Refer-A-Family and receive tuition credit!

As SMSA’s winter sports begin, please click on the links below to sign up to help with admission and concession stands at both the boys’ and girls’ home basketball games.

Boys Hoops Sign Up

Girls Hoops Sign Up

HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOKS ARE FOR SALE

High school yearbooks are available to purchase online at the SMSA website for $55. Prices go up on March 31, 2025 to $65. Get yours by clicking here!

Are you wanting to get more involved in our Parent Connectors Group? If so, look for the Parent Connectors volunteer form in your packet you will be receiving at the supply drop off day (3K-5th Grade). If your youngest child is in 6th grade or above, you won’t be receiving a form to fill out but can email Andrea Nuss, alnuss@charter.net, to share that you are interested in being a part of our group. Every year a new email group gets created so please submit your form even if you have done so in the past years. Also, only one form per family is needed to be filled out. Throughout the year, our group has various school family events as well shows our amazing SMSA Staff how appreciative we are for them. By being a part of our group, you will receive emails that shares ways you can help with these events through volunteering and donating. Our group wouldn’t be a successful without all of the wonderful people involved in it. Thank you so much! If you have any questions, please email Andrea Nuss, alnuss@charter.net.

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March 17-21, 2025 – Spring Break

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When: Thursday, March 13, 2025
Time: 9 a.m. to Noon
Where: Marian University Stayer Center, 45 S National Ave, Fond du Lac, WI

On behalf of Lakeshore Elementary PTO, we are offering up to three $500 scholarships to graduating seniors in the Fond du Lac area that have previously attended at least one full year at Lakeshore Elementary School. The deadline to apply is Thursday March 20th.

2025 Lakeshore PTO Scholarship

SMSA is proud to participate in another year of Trade Tours through the Fond du Lac R.O.C.K. program, which stands for Retention, Opportunity, Community, and Knowledge. This program aimed at working specifically with high school seniors and juniors who are piecing together their plans post high school graduation. This program provides career exploration through business tours and job shadows. Fond du Lac R.O.C.K. is a program of Envision Greater Fond du Lac. Please let counseling know if your student would be interested in joining a future tour.

2024-25 Trade Tour Schedule:
March 4th, 2025 — Kondex
April 8th, 2025 — City of FDL Construction & Maintenance
April 22nd, 2025 — JF Ahern & Co.

The Fond du Lac Recreation Department will be hiring Lifeguards to work at the Outdoor Pools for the summer. Full-time and part-time positions available. All Lifeguards must be certified through the American Red Cross; completion of the course certifies Lifeguards for 2 years. Starting pay for first year Lifeguards is $12.50/hour with opportunities for end of season bonuses.

Click here for more details!

Please refer to the information provided at the link below, for local and state scholarships that SMSA seniors can apply for. This list is always subject to change and may not be all-inclusive.

Local scholarship opportunities (Fond du Lac area) are listed first, followed by opportunities for residents of the state of Wisconsin.

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