SMCHS News Update
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Upcoming Events
Thursday, December 16
School Mass @11:00am
Friday, December 17
Spirit Stop Open 7:30-8:15am
Monday, December 20
SMCS Rosary @8:15am | MS/HS Band Christmas Concert
Wednesday, December 22
9th Block Christmas Assembly (3:12pm dismissal for all)
Thursday, December 23-Friday, December 31
No School--Christmas Break | School and Business Offices Closed
Monday, January 3
School Resumes
For a complete calendar listing, view our Google calendar online.
For schedules of SMC sports, visit thebigeast.org
Christmas Break Office Hours
Last Call for Host Families
Host families are urgently needed for the following or the students will be cancelled from the program and will not be able to attend our schools. Can you help?
- SHORT TERM--January 5 to February 3: Short term host families are needed for two high school and one middle school aged-students from South Korea who would LOVE to attend SMCS in January for a cultural experience. (May host more than one student. They do not have to have their own room.) Host stipend: $600
- SECOND SEMESTER--January 14-June 3: Marghi is from Italy and will be here for one semester. She is a senior and enjoys gymnastics, tennis, horse riding, skiing, fashion and traveling. Marghi plays the piano and likes to sing. She prefers a home without dogs or only small dog(s). Host stipend: $600 month and pro-rated tuition credit ($500)
Please contact Sue Thelen ASAP if you can help.
Seeking Student Christmas Photos
Let’s have some Christmas fun! To kick off our holiday season, we are having a festive Christmas program on Wednesday, December 22, our last day of school before break.
Parents--you can help! As a part of the program, we will share ‘vintage’ Christmas photos. Please send digital pictures of you child, roughly age five and under, at Christmastime. We will play a guessing game of the student in the picture during the program. They can be in a group photo--just be sure to point out which one is your child. If you would like to participate, send your photo electronically to Sue Thelen by FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17 to be included.
Christmas Giving
Student Council and Key Club teamed up to help create a magical Christmas for young boys and girls in our area. They are inviting our students and families to help! There are two options:
- Bring in a new toy, books, board games, etc. for children and drop it off with a Key Club or Student Council member before school in the Commons from 7:30am-7:45am.
- Donate $10 to Toys for Tots to purchase toys for children. Here is the link: TOYS FOR TOTS ZEPHYRS DONATION PAGE
Either option is wonderful--they both help our community! As a result of donating, the student will be added to the list for an out of dress code day. Join us in making Christmas amazing for the kids of our community!
SMCS Ski Club
SMCS has partnered with Nordic Mountain to create one registration link for all five of our campuses to downhill ski and snowboard together. This is the same link and process that was used last year with our the SMCHS Ski Club. Transportation is not provided for these trips. Skiers and snowboarders will get a RFID lift ticket card that can be reloaded for each visit. Use this link for the group dates (all Thursdays) below: https://shop.nordicmountain.com/groups/details?gc=SMCS2022
January 6, 13, 20, 27
February 3, 10, 17, 24
March 3, 10
First Semester Finals Information
All students debts must be paid (lunch balance or other) before finals.
- Finals for hours 1, 2, 5, 6 will be on Wednesday, January 12.
- Finals for hours 3, 4, 7, 8 will be on Thursday, January 13.
- Lunch and study halls will be the same as a normal school day.
- We will have break times built into every 93-minute class.
- Students with four exams in one day can request to take a final on Friday, January 14. Students may pick up a request form in the office and return by Thursday, January 6. Administration will select the test and the time of the make-up on Friday.
Winter Sports Update
Winter sports are underway! Boys and girls basketball, hockey and powerlifting have begun! Home basketball games can always be viewed on the SMCS Youtube Channel.
Team schedules:
Boys and girls basketball: Big East site
Boys Hockey: Fox Cities Stars
Powerlifting: TBA
Team updates:
Boys Basketball: 5-1 overall; 3-1 in Big East Conference
Girls Basketball: 7-1 overall; 4-1 in Big East Conference
Powerlifting: Four members of the powerlifting team qualified for state in their first meet at Laconia High School.
Dance: The Dance Team has been practicing and will perform at the girls basketball game on Friday, December 17.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Parent volunteers are necessary for our program. Families are required to help fill five volunteer spots per student, per co-curricular activity (to a maximum of 20 spots per family annually). SMCS Booster Club has more than 2,000 volunteer slots to fill each year. Because every co-curricular athletic activity and club benefits from Booster Club funds, families of participants in every activity are required to help.
Volunteer at our winter home high school athletic events: High School Winter Sport Volunteer Sign Up
Kudos!
Thank you to all Zephyrs and Staff who participated in the blood drive on December 1. Because of our donors, we were able to:
- Register 18 donors, with 2 first time donors!
- Collect 13 pints of whole blood!
- Save up to 39 lives in our community!
The Powerlifting Team had a successful tournament at Laconia on December 4. Ericka Stencil and Connor Riehl placed first, Gabby Ruback and Luke Steffen placed second, Paul Kundert placed 4th and Ashton Post placed 8th. Ericka Stencil, Connor Riehl, Luke Steffen and Paul Kundert qualified for the state meet.
The SMC JV Math team took 1st place in the small school division at the Fox Valley Math League contest held at Oshkosh North on December 6. High school members include Charlie Cedergren, Nicholas DeBraal, Nate Pable and Alex Walsh. Nicholas received the 1st place medal and Charlie Cedergren received the 4th place medal in the sophomore division.
Zephyrfest 2022!
Mark your calendars and prepare for a return to Zephyrfest at the Fox Cities Exhibition Center on April 30, 2022. We will be back together, celebrating the highlights of our Zephyrs community. More details will be shared after the new year.
Emergency Notifications/School Closures
COUNSELING NEWS
UW Madison Badger Precollege Programs
Applications are now open for Badger Summer Scholars and the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Badger Summer Scholars is a two-week program in which students attend a college-level seminar on a topic of their choice; including how to prepare for college, career exploration and more. The Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) engages talented students in an intense, research-focused, three-week summer program. Registration opens in January for the Summer Music Clinics.
FREE FAFSA Thursdays at FVTC
Students and their parents can receive help completing the 2021-22 and 2022-23 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at the Appleton FVTC Campus in room G149. Drop in sessions are on Thursdays from 9:30am-10:30am, 11:30am-12:30pm, 2:30pm-3:30pm and 4:30pm-6:00 pm.
ZAPS ACT Test Prep
The ZAPS ACT Test Prep Seminar will be held from 9:00am–3:00pm at Neenah High School on January 15 and at Oshkosh West High School on February 19. The cost is $99. Click here for details and to register.
Virtual Career Experience (VCE) Events
VCE events are online, live interactions with a local healthcare professional. Students will learn about the professional’s academic and career journey, their daily routine, starting or average salary, and types of patients they see or work with throughout a day. Events include: CNA, Lab Director, Athletic Training/Sports Medicine, Nutrition Science and Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, and Registered Nurse. Register for events here.
Exploratory Health Careers Course
Seniors who may have an interest in health are able to take a free online “Healthcare Path 2 Practice” class. The class includes six online courses: Health, Patient Care, Information & Biotechnology, Behavioral & Integrative Health, Research/Public Health & Administrative Careers, and Medical Terminology. Contact Jill Niemczyk at jilln@newahec.org or call 920-652-0238 for details or to register.
Youth Apprenticeship (YA) Informational Sessions
YA is a 1- or 2-year program that gives juniors and seniors the chance to explore a career area of interest. Students spend part of their school day earning credit and wages while they gain valuable industry experience under the guidance of a local business mentor. A Virtual Informational Webinars will be held at 5:00pm on February 2, 2022.
St. Mary Catholic High School
Email: sthelen@smcatholicschools.org
Website: www.smcatholicschools.org
Location: 1050 Zephyr Drive, Neenah, WI, USA
Phone: 920-722-7796
Facebook: www.facebook.com/smcatholicschools/