Saint Ambrose School News
September 23, 2022
Our fall fundraiser is our School Marathon, "SWARMing for a Cause". We ask for donations from our supporters to help fund important purchases. Check out fundraiser details here. Our fun event around this fundraiser is an afternoon run/walk on our beautiful campus on Friday, September 30 from 2:00-3:15. Parents are welcome to join us this year to cheer us on or walk a few laps. Check out the awesome SWARM t-shirts below-students will receive one with a $5 donation!
Dear Parents
Thank you to all who were able to attend our Parent Information Night last evening. We were grateful to be together to both recognize and name our larger purpose as a Catholic school, and to specifically welcome you as partners with your children's teachers this year. We are truly blessed to be doing this important work with you.
Conference Feedback Needed
Last year our parent/teacher conferences were virtual, which was convenient for some families and less optimal for others. We would like your preference feedback-please complete this form.
Parenting Webinars
Many of you enjoyed the parenting webinars of Dr. Jules Nolan last year, and we are thrilled to announce her September webinar (registration link below). This is worth your time!
Friday, September 23 -Dismissal Update
Next Friday and Saturday is our parish Fall Fest (more information below). The set-up for this fun event will affect our dismissal next Friday afternoon. Because our buses must shift to the south side for pickup, and we know volunteers will be parking in both lots, we plan to begin parent pickup dismissal at 3:25. Buses will run at the regular time. If this change poses a problem for your family, please email Janet Seidenkranz at jseidenkranz@saintambroseschool.org and we will make arrangements for your child(ren).
Prayer of St. Dominic
May God the Father who made us bless us.
May God the Son send his healing among us.
May God the Holy Spirit move within us and
give us eyes to see with, ears to hear with,
and hands that your work might be done.
May we walk and preach the word of
God to all.
May the angel of peace watch over us and
lead us at last by God's grace to the
Kingdom.
God bless,
Betsy Osterhaus Hand
Principal
School Picture Day Coming Soon - Tuesday, October 4
Monday, October 4th will be class photo day. Please use this link to order your child's photos. Paper order forms will also be provided should you wish to order that way instead.
Hilda Berdie from Woodbury Picture Perfect has kindly agreed to come and take class photos. Information about purchasing class pictures will be sent home in future communications.
September Webinar with Dr. Jules Nolan
Dr. Jules Nolan hosts monthly webinars for educators and parents throughout the academic year. The webinar recordings will be available for 30 days after the sessions.
PARENT SESSION
"Back to School" — September 26, 7:00 p.m.
Parenting in 2022 and beyond presents specific challenges not seen before in the field of psychology and child development. In this session we will talk about some concrete tips to make your back to school transition smoother and offer some helpful insights into how to parent in 2022 and beyond.
Other Information
Please complete the forms below as we rely on the Title Grants from the state to purchase textbooks, pay for our school counselor, and procure excellent professional development for our teachers. Completing these forms allows us access to access funds. Please mark the "I do request...." choice for each of these three title grants
Extended Day 2022-2023 School Year: If you are interested in the Extended Day Program and have not already signed up, please complete this online form.
Our Home and School is looking for parent volunteers! Complete this form to get involved.
Volunteer Requirements
We look forward to welcoming volunteers to our campus again this year. If you are new to Saint Ambrose and want to volunteer, please complete the Essential 3 Requirements outlined on the parish website. Volunteers are required to re-credential every 3 years. You will be alerted by the Archdiocese if you need to re-credential. Thank you for your compliance.
Home and School News
COVID-19 UPDATE
If you were exposed to COVID-19:
-Students/staff no longer need to quarantine. If symptoms develop, stay home and get tested.
- Exposure Recommendation: if you were exposed to COVID-19, the CDC recommends you wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and get tested on day 5.
If you test positive for COVID-19:
-Students/staff stay home for 5 days.
- If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home. You are likely most infectious during these first 5 days. Wear a high-quality mask when you must be around others at home and in public.
- If after 5 days you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication, and your symptoms are improving, or you never had symptoms, you may end isolation after day 5.
- Regardless of when you end isolation, avoid being around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 until at least day 11.
- You should wear a high-quality mask through day 10.
Saint Ambrose Parish Children’s Choir
Rehearsals Wednesday evenings 5:15-6:15 pm in the church.
First rehearsal is Wednesday, October 5.
Children in 3rd -8th grades are welcome.
No registration necessary, just attend the first rehearsal October 5.
Contact Bob & Jackie Harvey, Directors of Music and Liturgy
jharvey@saintambrosecatholic.org office phone) 651-638-3007
Uniform
Uniforms
Here is a visual if you need to reference uniform expectations.
I know that Saint Ambrose families value our school uniform, and I know we can do better in our communication with parents regarding the standards of our school uniform. We hope you will partner with us to keep students within the uniform guidelines this year. Our intention is never to shame a child when we point out an area that needs improvement, and our expectation is that parents will support us when we ask for compliance as you've chosen this school with this uniform policy for your child(ren).
Teachers work to support students in following the guidelines, and we wish to be as clear as possible when we uphold these guidelines at school.
We will enforce the uniform policy (full policy below), which states that girl's skirts will be within 2 inches of the knee and that boy's hair must be conservatively styled, well-groomed, and neat. Boys’ hair must be above the collar, the ear, and the eyebrows. Hair may not be able to touch eyebrows whether styled or not. No unconventional coloring or haircuts are allowed. Hair accessories must be solid black, solid white, solid navy, or uniform plaid.
Additional Requirements:
Shoes: Must have non-scuff soles and must be close-toed. No sandals, clogs, moccasins or platforms. Tops of shoes must be ankle-height or lower. Heels must be no higher than 1½ inches. Shoes must be solid black, solid white, or black and white. No other colors are permitted. Shoelaces must be the same color as shoes. Shoe style must be conservative.
Shirts: Must be worn under sweatshirts or sweaters. Shirts must be tucked in at all times. Only the top button may be left unbuttoned. All cuffs must be buttoned.
Hair: Must be conservatively styled, well-groomed, and neat. Boys’ hair must be above the collar, above the ear, and above the eyebrows. Hair may not be able to touch eyebrows whether styled or not. No unconventional coloring or haircuts are allowed Hair accessories must be solid black, solid white, solid navy, or uniform plaid.
Make-up: Permitted for girls in grades 6-8 and must be tasteful and minimal.
Jewelry: Must be simple and conservative if worn. No unconventional jewelry is allowed. No dangling earrings for girls and no earrings for boys.
Tattoos: Not allowed
Band Update: Grades 5-8
Grade 5 band will be Thursday mornings starting October 6 from 8:15 a.m. to 9:10 a.m.
Grades 6 through 8 band will be Wednesday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 9: 00 a.m. starting the second week of school.
Grades 6 through 8 Jazz band will be Friday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 9:10 a.m. starting the second week of school.
PICK UP /DROP OFF UPDATE
Families who wish to park will be on the south side. Parents must get out of their car to walk students to and from the school. No students will walk without an adult in the parking lot.
Families who will drop off from the car will be on the north side. No students will walk through the parking lot on the north side.
FALL SPORTS SIGN UP - Late fees August 19th
August 2022 Athletic Department News
Hello sports fans:
We are excited to welcome sports back into our facility. Sign-ups are currently underway, especially for the fall season. My deadline for team submissions to the CAA is the middle of August for Fall sports. If you are interested in playing, NOW IS THE TIME! We would love to have students in grades 5-8 join our teams.
The schedules will be known closer to September. The Catholic Athletic Association creates our game day schedules for our soccer teams to begin regular-season games the first week of school. Thus, soccer players, parents, and coaches should expect a mad rush of practices, organization, and uniform handouts around the beginning of the school year. Since our soccer coaches are enthusiastic and energetic people, you might even anticipate hearing from them before the start of school for pre-season practices and organization. Our volleyball teams typically begin to play about two weeks into the school year, so their situation is less frantic.
Our teams will likely grow as new students and late sign-ups join our program in the fall. At this time, I’d like to make a specific request to the parents of this year’s fifth-grade athletes. Every year I welcome fifth-grade parents to the program. The school needs parent volunteers as coaches and as volunteers for some sporting events. These volunteers agree to serve Saint Ambrose as various coaches, assistant coaches, scoreboard operators, concession stand helpers, and maybe even volunteer chaperones at junior high dances. Volunteering is a great way to spend time with your children (and a dozen or so of their friends), exercise, and invest positive energy in the school’s operation. The school depends on people accepting these duties. So please consider joining the department as a coach or volunteer. Saint Ambrose requires its coaches to perform the volunteer procedures described above and follow the athletic department’s written policies.
Frequently asked parent athletic questions:
1. My child plays club; should I sign them up? Absolutely. Most students that play club sports love playing on their school team. There is less pressure to win and more focus on celebrating the ability to play sports with classmates.
2. My child has never played this sport; should I sign them up? 100% yes! Now is the perfect time to learn a new sport and try something new. We love it when new players learn a new sport.
3. Will they have time to play both club and school teams? Make what you can. Most CAA events are directly after school. Practices are also mainly before and after school.
4. What will the schedule look like? Scheduling is usually the most challenging question to answer. You can expect up to three events per week. Practices are generally directly before or after school, but it also depends upon our coaches’ availability and schedules. The CAA typically releases the team schedules one week before the games start. Game schedules also dictate practice schedules. So I ask you to be patient. Things come together very rapidly before the beginning of the season.
5. What if there is a conflict? Do what you can, but let your coaches know if you cannot participate in an event. Teamsnap allows you to mark your availability easily.
6. Should I sign up if I am unsure? Yes, please. Most times, you can make it work. The other huge factor is that teams are based upon registration. How many teams will I have? Do I have to combine grade levels? Do I have to make two teams? Last-minute additions usually mean that teams become more extensive than expected. Once I submit my teams to the CAA, I can not make modifications.
Here’s a reminder to all parents and coaches at Saint Ambrose of Woodbury Catholic School. We are responsible for protecting all the children; our school follows the practices mandated by the United States Conferences of Catholic Bishops and the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. These practices require staff, volunteers, and coaches to sign a Code of Ethics, perform BCA background checks, and enroll and attend online VIRTUS training, a course designed to improve our children's personal safety.
We have implemented a late sign-up policy to support our student-athletes and coaches. If you miss the deadlines for signing up, a $20 late fee is applied to your registration.
St. Ambrose Athletics only supports 5th to 8th Grades.
Follow this link to get to our athletic website.
https://stambroseofwoodbury.teamsnapsites.com/
Thanks for considering this request. Enjoy the remainder of the summer!
Bruce Whynott
Athletic Director
School Phone: 651 768-3013
Calendar for the 2022-2023 School Year
Enrichment Volunteers Needed - Art Adventure, Jr. Great Books, Jr Achievement
We are looking for volunteers for several programs this year.
Training is provided.
Find information about each below.
If you are interested in volunteering please contact Dianna Helmberger at 651-768-3078 or dhelmberger@saintambroseschool.org
Sign up to volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0c4faeab2cabfc1-2022
Believe and Read - Groves Literacy Partner
ABOUT GROVES LITERACY PARTNERSHIPS®
Reading is the foundation for educational success and life opportunities. In the early grades, students learn to read. By the third grade, they begin reading to learn. Yet, 60 percent of all American students are not reading at grade level by the third grade! We aim to change that for all students - one school, one teacher, one student at a time.
Groves Literacy Partnerships® shares evidence-based literacy instruction with fellow educators in the community so that all students learn to read, illuminating the path to enhanced literacy.
Attention, Moms! Do you worry about your children? Come experience how you can replace your anxiety and fear with peace and hope by praying with other women. Moms in Prayer gathers women together to pray specifically and scripturally for our children and their schools. Won’t you join with us in prayer for this next generation? Please contact Elin Perri at elinmperri@gmail.com for information about our local group that will be meeting at Saint Ambrose of Woodbury on Tuesdays at 2:15 for an hour of prayer in the Pingatore room starting September 27. For more information about Moms in Prayer, visit MomsInPrayer.org
Other Information
Sycamore Communication Portal/App - click below to go to Sycamore Website
https://app.sycamoreschool.com/index.php
Please login to Sycamore to access the school calendar, lunch menu, and schedules/grades (JH only)