SMCHS Newsletter
08.16.2023
SMCHS NEWSLETTER
September 20, 2023
Upcoming Events
Thursday, September 14: Mass @9:21am
Thursday, September 21: Mass @9:21am
Friday, September 22: NO SCHOOL
Sunday, September 24: Prayer Service | Pep Rally
Monday, September 25 - Thursday, September 28: Themed OODC Days
Thursday, September 28: Pep Rally
Friday, September 29: Service Day | 8th Grade Visit Day | Homecoming Parade | STEM Club Open House
Saturday, September 30: Homecoming Dance
Homecoming
Details for all Homecoming events can be found here.
Freshmen Homecoming Dinner - RSVP by September 22
SMCHS is excited to offer a freshman dinner before the homecoming dance. The purpose of having a school sponsored dinner is to ensure all freshman are included in dinner plans. This is a similar format SMCHS uses for Prom. Freshman who do not attend the dinner will be unable to attend the dance. The intention behind the dinner is to make sure that all students have a sense of belonging. Please use this link for details and to sign-up. The only way to purchase a ticket to the dance is to use the link. Freshman tickets to the dance will not be sold at school. The cost is $45 and the deadline to sign up is Friday, September 22. The price includes the dinner and the entrance to the dance.
Float Building
Each class moderator will be sending an mail to parents looking for float building chaperones and volunteers for other tasks. The moderators for each class are below. Please email them directly with any questions.
Seniors: Mrs. Lauterborn
Juniors: Mr. Verstegen
Sophomores: Mrs. Fritsch
Freshmen: Mrs. Wautlet
Box of Joy Donations
Box of Joy donations will be collected outside the Resource Center during Homecoming week. A Box of Joy is a Christmas shoebox that is donated and packed with toys, clothing, school supplies and other treasured items by U.S. parishes, schools and groups. Each child who receives a Box of Joy also receives a rosary and a booklet in their own language that tells The Story of Jesus. Box of Joy provides hope to children in need, each gift represents Christ’s love, and may be the only Christmas gift they receive. Donation information can be found here; we will also accept cash donations. The class with the most items per student will win that category for Homecoming week.
Service Day
Raising Digital Citizens
You are invited to a meeting of the "Raising Digital Citizens" group on Monday, October 9 from 6:00-7:00pm in the SMCHS Resource Center. This group is for parents who want to learn more about how to help their children navigate the digital world safely and responsibly. We'll review and discuss research on topics surrounding:
- Social media and cyberbullying
- Online gaming and internet safety
- Digital citizenship and media literacy
Kudos!
Congratulations to all of these students on their achievements:
- Ian Alejandro Albino-Gonzalez has received a College Board National Hispanic Recognition Award. See the press release for complete details here.
- Charles (Charlie) Cedergren has been named a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist. See the press release for complete details here.
- Congratulations to the Dragon Race Team of David Young, Mina Jackson, Henry Cedergren, Elijah Kutney, Amilia Herzog and Jack Clark on becoming champions of the N.E.W Dragon Boat Oshkosh Event 2023!
Celebrate our Families!
This year, SMCS will be creating and printing a system-wide directory for all our families and staff. In order to make sure it is as accurate as possible, we are asking for your assistance in verifying your information is correct. Please log into PowerSchool and verify that the following information is accurate in your Student Contacts for each student:
- Parent Name(s)
- Address(es)
- Phone number
- Email address
We would like as many families as possible to participate, but we do understand the need for privacy. If there is certain information you do not want included, please fill out this form by October 20. If you want to be included in the directory, DO NOT fill out the form, but do verify your information is up to date in PowerSchool. Thank you!
School Photos
Orders for Grades 9-12
Student photos may be ordered at www.harmann.com/ordering
Password: STMARYNHS2023
Reference Number: Found on the sheet they received on picture day
If you do not know your child’s reference number, you can fill out the reference request form to have it emailed to you within one business day. Please note that orders received more than seven days after picture day may be delayed in processing by up to eight weeks. If you are unable to order online, please call Harman Studios at 1-800-236-8910 or email customercare@harmann.com.
Retakes
If you would like your child's picture retaken, you must complete the retake form by Friday, October 6. Pictures will be retaken on Friday, October 13. Please contact Harman Studios at 1-800-236-8910 or customercare@harmann.com with any questions. Thank you.
Senior Portraits due October 6
All senior portraits must be submitted to our yearbook advisor, Ms. Sirstins, by Friday, October 6. Your photographer may send it directly to school. If you are sending it yourself, a digital copy (.jpg) is preferred for better quality yearbook production. If you do not have your senior portrait submitted by this date, Ms. Sirstins will schedule a time with you to have your portrait taken at school.
Food Services -- Monitor Lunch Accounts
Please monitor your child's lunch account carefully and discuss with him/her what their lunch/snack budget is. With extra purchases, lunch funds can deplete quickly. Students are not allowed to purchase lunch or ala carte items if they have a negative balance.
The October high school lunch menu can be found here. We appreciate your understanding if we have to make last minute adjustments.
Attendance/Tardiness
If your child will be absent for any portion of the day, please let us know before 8:00am if at all possible. The SMC Attendance email is no longer being used so you can call the office at 920-722-7796 or email Mrs. Fields at afields@smcatholicschools.org.
Students are expected to be in the classroom when the bell rings at the beginning of each period. If a student is tardy for the first class of the day, he/she must report to the school office to receive a pass to class. A tardy for reasons other than an appointment (traffic, oversleeping, forgotten lunches, homework, gym clothes, etc.) is unexcused. A discipline referral will be made for each tardy. Students who incur five tardies during the semester will receive a verbal warning. For the sixth and each subsequent tardy, the student will serve a detention.
Parents are not required to call the office to excuse a tardy for reasons other than an appointment.
Zephyrs Sports/Activities Updates
Co-Curricular Attendance Reminders
To participate in co-curricular practices, rehearsals, meetings, etc., students must be in school by 11:00 a.m. and stay through the end of the day on the day of the scheduled activity, unless pre-arranged and/or excused by the administration.
To participate in co-curricular competitions such as performances and games, students much be in school the entire school day. Students who are too ill to attend classes are too ill to perform in co-curricular activities. Exceptions to this rule include serious illness or death in the immediate family, medical or dental appointments that cannot otherwise be avoided; and special situations for which prior approval has been obtained from the administration.
Volunteering Requirements
Families of participants in every athletic activity are required to help fill five volunteer spots per student-athlete, per co-curricular athletic activity (to a maximum of 20 spots per family annually).
High School Fall Sport Volunteer Sign Up
Zephyrs Connect Volunteer Sign Up
EVERY high school student is required to take one shift of volunteer time during the 2023-2024 school year. Students may sign up for more than one shift.
Counseling News
College / Military Visits
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh - Thursday, September 21 @8:00am
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay - Tuesday, Septemer 26 @1:00pm
Saint Louis University - Wednesday, September 27 @1:00pm
Marquette University - Wednesday, October 4 @1:00pm
St Olaf College (MN) - Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 8:00am
Marian University - Fond du Lac - Friday, October 13 @1:00pm
Saint Norbert College - Tuesday, October 17 @1:00pm
Carroll University - Wednesday, October 18 @ 10:00am
University of Denver - Wednesday, October 25 @10:00am
Northern Michigan University - Tuesday, October 31 @8:00am
Wisconsin Army National Guard - Friday, November 10 @11:35am
Students can sign up for college visits in Naviance. The links become active the day before the representative arrives. Contact Mrs. Hall with any questions.
NHS Tutoring
SMC's National Honor Society students offer free tutoring for students in grades 9-12. Use this link to sign up.
Free Webinar for College-Bound Student-Athletes & Families
Are you a student-athlete dreaming of playing your sport at the NCAA level? Invest in your future
requirements and how to prepare for NCAA certification. Join NCAA Eligibility Center staff, who
will walk you through what you need to do to compete at the NCAA Division I, II or III level.
Staff will be answering questions live during the presentation, so come prepared to learn how to
take your game to the next level! Click here to register to attend in person, or to access the recording after.
Youth Apprenticeship Webinar
Discover the opportunities available through Youth Apprenticeship and how to get the process started on October 11 from 5:30-6:30pm. Register here to receive an email with a recording of the webinar to view at another time should the date and time conflict with other commitments.
Rotary Youth Exchange - Applications due October 15
Rotary Youth Exchange offers juniors the opportunity to study abroad in over 70 different countries. Detailed program information, application procedures, and expectations for prospective students will be held virtually on the dates below. Google Meet links are included.
- Wednesday, September 20, 7:00 – 8:00 pm: https://meet.google.com/vau-zdme-qpj
- Sunday, September 24, 7:00 – 8:00 pm https://meet.google.com/fon-dxxd-tph
- Tuesday, October 3, 7:00 – 8:00 pm: https://meet.google.com/inc-coty-yso
Course Fees
Students taking CAPP, Blended Education, and NWTC courses will be invoiced on their November tuition statements. CAPP fees increased from $100 to $105 per UWO CAPP credit this year.
Seniors - Important Information
Detailed information on the following topics can be found in Naviance and in the September 6 email from Mrs. Hall:
· College Applications
· Transcript Requests
· Resumes
· Teacher Recommendations
· ACT/SAT Score Reports
· Planning Resources
· A copy of the PowerPoint from the senior meeting
- Important dates handout
New 2023-2024 guidebooks are available in the Resource Center from:
- University of Wisconsin System Schools
- Wisconsin Private Colleges and Universities
- Wisconsin Technical Colleges
University of Wisconsin System Updates
- Applications: The online application is now open for the Fall 2024 term. Students may apply at apply.wisconsin.edu.
- FAFSA: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will not be available until December or January. More information can be found at this link.
- New Application Fees: The following campuses will charge an application fee for every application submitted for Fall 2024 enrollment: UW-Eau Claire ($25), UW-La Crosse ($25), and UW-Madison ($70).
- For the other campuses, students may submit up to three applications for free to either the main campus or branch campus. After that, students will be charged $25 per application.
- UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater allow students to apply to both their main campuses and branch campuses. Doing so will incur the same fee as applying to any single campus within that university.
- More information can be found on the UW HELP FAQ page under the "Application Fees" section: uwhelp.wisconsin.edu/faqs
- UW System Admissions Panels: Hear from UW campus representatives about admission, campus updates, upcoming special campus events and more. Registration is required.
- UW-La Crosse, UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee and UW-Whitewater - Tuesday, October 17 at 4:30 PM - Register Here
- UW Oshkosh, UW-Platteville, and UW-Stevens Point - Thursday, October 19 at 4:30 PM - Register Here
- UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay, UW-River Falls, and UW-Stout - Tuesday, October 24 at 4:30 PM - Register Here
University of Wisconsin - Madison Scholarship Hub (WiSH)
Once applicants have submitted their application to UW–Madison and activated their NetID and password, they will be eligible for scholarships that are awarded automatically. Applicants can also apply for scholarships that require an application for consideration through the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH), a one-stop shop for finding the scholarships students are eligible for. Applicants should not wait until they have been admitted before applying for scholarships. Scholarships will have varying deadlines, but most will have a deadline of February 1.
Consortium Student Event
Cornell University, Emory University, Pomona College, Rice University and Washington University are offering a virtual presentation for students and their families on Wednesday, September 27 at 7:00pm CT. Hear from admission officers from each of their respective institutions and learn more about what unites them. Register here.
October 11 High School Testing Day
Grades 9-10 will take the PreACT
Grade 11 will take the PreACT or PSAT
Grade 12 will be working on post-secondary planning
Technical College Open Houses
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) – September 27 from 3-6pm
Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) – October 3 from 3-7pm. Application fees are waived at the event.
College Fairs
Wisconsin Education Fair (WEF) at UW Oshkosh on Thursday, September 28 from 9-11am. Over 100 colleges, universities, military branches, and specialty schools will be represented.
National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) hosts in-person and virtual fairs with 175-400 representatives.
Discipleship Digest
When something is truly important to us, we seek after it. Recent weeks have given us heart-rending images of people seeking their loved ones among the devastation in Morocco and Libya. Diplomats seek peace in Ukraine. Auto workers seek justice in the workplace. We even find ourselves seeking our keys when running late for an appointment.
Today Isaiah tells us to “Seek the LORD while He may be found, call to Him while He is near.” We seek what is truly important to us.
The heart of the Gospel is that the Lord is also seeking after us! Knowing that we are lost sheep, the Good Shepherd doesn’t rest until He has found us. Better still, Jesus wants to be found by us!
Do you want to seek the Lord? Here is some spiritual GPS guidance. Seek Jesus at the Twin Cities Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel. More information is available in the bulletin or online, and you can always get access by contacting a parish staff member or any regular visitor to the chapel. It is located on the back entrance at St. Margaret Mary, but is a shared ministry of all five parishes of Neenah-Menasha.
Are you just seeking a moment of quiet? Worried about a loved one? Overflowing with gratitude? Or just trying to find a little peace in a chaotic world? Then it’s time to seek the Lord. You can find Him, waiting for you in the chapel. As He told His first disciples so many years ago, “Come and see.”
©Steve Pable, Director of Adult Discipleship Formation
Welcome – Worship – Witness
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