
SMCMS News 2.1.23
"And The Gretest of these is Love" 1 Cor 13:13

"And The Greatest of these is Love" 1 Cor 13:13
SMCMS News 2.1.23
Message from Mr. Dahlberg, Dean of Students
We are so blessed to be in a Catholic School! During this week, we celebrate the amazing opportunity it is to be at SMC. With Christ at the center of our school, we hope to be disciples of Christ for your students. Working alongside you, we desire to instill a deep relationship with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by spreading the good news and love that is present in Christ’s redemption. While we would like to think of ourselves and our students as perfect, we know that is not the reality. Just as God gives us mercy daily, we will continue striving to serve your children with that same mercy. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Thank you for your commitment to Catholic education! Without you, we would not be able to do what we are called to do. Together we are united in faith, hope, and love.
Message from Mrs. Kalaus, Guidance Counselor
Registration for the 2023 FVTC Summer Camps opens on Wednesday, February 1st. Please see the attached flyer for a list of camp offerings and click here for registration information. If you have any questions, please contact: jennifer.vanthiel0312@fvtc.edu
Advisory
For Catholic Schools Week, advisory groups are participating in a variety of fun activities designed to build Catholic identity and positive relationships across grade level groups. Be sure to ask your student what was discussed at Class Meetings this week!
Career Lessons
Eighth graders will begin their annual career lessons next week. Mrs. Kalaus will go into core classrooms six times in the next nine weeks to discuss career exploration with students. Each eighth grader will receive log-in information for a site called NAVIANCE which will aid in this unit. On that site, students will take a personality survey as well as an interest inventory, both of which will match them to potential career areas of interest. More information will come out in the next newsletter.
Protecting God’s Children
The mandated diocesan lessons for Virtus training and education of children will be done in sixth grade on February 13 and 14. The required lessons for grades 7 and 8 were done before Christmas. If you have any questions, please call Mrs. Kalaus.
Catholic Schools Week Photos
Elizabeth Ann Seton Award
Students have been invited to work towards the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award. This challenge invites students to grow in their faith and make a gift of self to their community through prayer, active participation in liturgies, and service. The challenge runs from December 1 - April 30. Details on the steps needed to complete this challenge, along with the necessary forms, can be found on Google Classroom or on the school website here. Students do not need to be Catholic to complete this challenge. Please email Ms. Christine Corrigan (6th grade) or Miss Maria Schmitz (7th & 8th grade) with any questions at ccorrigan@smcatholicschools.org or mschmitz@smcatholicschools.org.
Conferences
We are holding winter conferences on Thursday February 16th, from 3:30-6:30 and Friday February 17th, from 8:00-11:00. We still have a few spots available for our group conferences on Friday February 17th from 12:00-2:00. Please use this link to sign up for winter conferences.
Soup-er Bowl Food Drive
Builder’s Club is sponsoring a Soup-er Bowl Food Drive next week. It will run from February 6-10. Donations of non-perishable food will be collected then donated to the food pantry at the Neenah St. Vincent de Paul Store.
Structured Nonsense
Structured Nonsense is a new middle school program that begins Saturday February 11.
The purpose of Structured Nonsense is to give middle school students a place to be silly with their friends & to give parents a place they can feel good leaving them on a Saturday night. One Saturday each month through May, students can be dropped off at the Middle School Commons starting at 7:00pm. From 7:30pm-10:00 pm students will play theatre & comedy games. There will be soda and a snack for the students every month. All middle schoolers are welcome to come to any month they want; students are welcome to bring friends in middle school that do not attend St. Mary Catholic Middle School. There is a suggested donation of $3.00 for each student, but all students are welcome with or without a donation.
Can’t come on February 11th? No problem, Structured Nonsense will happen again on March 11, April 1, and May 13. Come anytime that it works for your schedule and you want to be silly with your friends.
Builder’s Club
Builder’s Club is having a second blanket making day on Friday, February 3rd from 3:30 – 4:30.
Catholic Schools Week
Chess Club
We are starting an afterschool chess club. The club will meet on Thursdays 3:30-4:30, starting Thursday, February 2nd. If your child is interested, they can sign up in the middle school office. We are also in need of chess boards to run this club. If you have a board that your family is no longer using, we would love to take this off of your hands. Boards can be sent to the middle school office.
Spring Sports Registration
Hello Middle School Families:
Please read this entire email and make sure you go through both processes to make sure your student will be eligible to start practice on the first day.
REGISTRATION (PAYMENT OF ATHLETIC FEE)
At this time we are offering registration for Middle School Spring Sports. We are working on finalizing game schedules/practice schedules for each of the spring sports we offer and will post those on the Big East website when they are completed.
You may only sign-up students for one sport for the Spring Sport season.
Middle School Spring Sports
Track and Field – Girls and Boys
Start Date - Monday, March 13 and Ends- Saturday, May 20
Participants need to be at practice at least 3 days a week and the practice the day before a meet.
Softball – Girls Only
Practices – 5:30-7:00 p.m. April and May 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Start Date March 13 and End Date TBD (No Practice Week of Spring Break)
Tennis – Girls and Boys
Practices Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30-5:00pm
Starts Monday, March 27 and Ends Wednesday, May 17
Limited to first 32 players to register due to the number of courts and coaches
The registration site for Spring Middle School Sports is now open. This is where you will register to pay the sport athletic fee and have the option of purchasing a team shirt for middle school spring sports.
Registration will close for Middle School Spring Sports on February 10th. NO LATE REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED
SMC Middle School Athletics Registration and Fee Payment – Click Here
ONLINE PAPERWORK
You don’t need to go through this process if your student played a Fall or Winter sport this year.
The online paperwork for the 2022-23 school year is open and must be completed, submitted, and approved by the Athletic Director prior to the first practice. If not completed and approved, your child will not be permitted to practice. If your son or daughter are playing a fall sport, you should have this completed and approved already and do not need to go through this process.
Reminder that all families (Fall, Winter and Spring Student-Athletes) should be completing all athletic forms on line. You will need to have medical and dental insurance information and doctor/dental/hospital information when you go through this process.
All forms (except the WIAA Physical Form) will be completed and electronically signed online. The link to the online system is below. We are using this system for both high school and middle school athletics. The system will take you through the process and you will not be able to move to the next section until all required questions are answered.
The WIAA Physical Form is the only form that will need to be uploaded into the system. The physical form needs to be uploaded because a doctor is required to sign, date, and complete this form at your physical examination. Uploading can be as simple of taking a picture of the form with your phone and uploading. You can also scan the form and upload from your computer.
Make sure you go through the entire process of adding your student. There are many accounts created right now and the process has not been completed. You will get a verification email when you have completed the process.
https://smcatholic-ar.rschooltoday.com/ - Click on Link
- Click on Athletic Team Registration
- Either create a new account for first time users or sign into your account
- Click on Register
- Click on Students name or Register New Student
- Click on High School or Middle School Activity Registration 2022-23
- Complete the entire process and submit
- You will get a confirmation email or an email asking for more information.
** To ensure clearance for participation, physicals should be completed and uploaded no later than 3 school days prior to the first day of practice/tryouts. **
If you have questions, please contact Matthew Schoultz, Athletic Director at mschoultz@smcatholicschools.org.
For Tax Purposes – filing year 2022
Parents may claim the tuition payments for 5-year-old kindergarten through grade 12 on the state of WI Schedule PS tax form. To access payments made from 1/1/22 to 12/31/22, log in to Blackbaud/Tuition Management: https://parent.smarttuition.com/ and select Family Year End Statement at the right. Please consult a tax professional to inquire about claiming payments on P3/4K tuition. For Part 1 on the PS Form you will enter: St. Mary Catholic Schools, 1050 Zephyr Drive, Neenah, WI 54956. The federal ID will print on your statement as the School Tax ID. Contact Shelley Wautlet if you need help with logging in to your tuition account.
Fox Valley Technical College Family Event
The Fox Valley Technical College is hosting a special free family event on Tuesday, February 28th from 3-6 pm. This new and exciting career exploration opportunity will be available to middle school students and their families. Please see the attached flyer for additional information.
Youth 2000 Retreat
Mark your calendars for the Youth 2000 retreat at St. Mary in Menasha April 21-23. Led by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, this retreat helps young people deepen their love and understanding of the Catholic faith, and encounter the power and richness of God's love and mercy. Please join us for fellowship, fun, music and spiritual growth! Contact Bethany Doll (bdoll@smcatholicschools.org) for more information! Read more and sign up for the retreat at https://forms.gle/zbksEdN9u9iqMkudA.
Encounter Christ on Mission
The deadline for registering for the out of state mission to East Kentucky is coming up on February 10! This amazing chance to serve Christ in others and grow in one’s faith is from July 23-30 with Catholic Mission Trips for students going into grades 9-12. It is a weeklong trip doing service, growing in your faith, hanging out with your friends and doing God's work - a week you won't want to miss! Sign up at https://forms.gle/pvXMj9aZ1SiuTQ449. You can check out more about Catholic Mission Trips with this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhw4iicQ3iM. If you have any questions, please contact Bethany Doll at (920)725-7714 or bdoll@smcatholicschools.org.
Lunch Help Needed
Online assignment planner links
After School care now available
Middle School after school care is available. Please use this link to sign your child up for after school care. A great place to be with the changes in the fitness center hours.
Important Dates for your Calendar!
Thursday February 2nd: Catholic College Day (Class shirts or Zephyrs wear will work as well)
Friday February 3rd: Zephyrs Spirit wear day, all system mass at 9:15 a.m.
Thursday February 16th: Evening conferences 3:30-6:30
Friday February 17th: No School, Day conferences 8-11, group conferences 12-2
Monday February 20th: No school
Wednesday February 22nd: Ash Wednesday, Liturgy 9:40
Friday February 24th: After school social, ice skating at Tri-County Ice Area, more information to follow
View our monthly calendar here.
A printable system calendar is available here.