Saint Ambrose News
September 6, 2024
School News
Dear Saint Ambrose Parents,
We had a great 4 day week! Bus timing has improved each day, and our students are well into the routine of school. Thank you to our wonderful Home and School board for all of their hard work this year-from delicious lunches during workshop week to planning back to school day-we are grateful for the support of this group! The Maaske family won the $100 Donald's gift card giveaway. Congrats!
Mark Your Calendars: Parent Information Night is Thursday, September 12 at 6:30.
We welcome K-8 Parents to gather to kick off the school year. We will gather in the church for a welcome from Father Peter & general information from our school administration team, and then have time for K-6 classroom visits and an open house set-up for grades 7 & 8. We are hoping for 100% attendance next Thursday for Parent Info Night! Need childcare? Sign up here.
6:30 PM - Gather in the church
Welcome to the 2024-2025 School Year-Father Peter Williams, Pastor and Betsy Hand, Principal
7:05 PM- 7:25 PM-Presentation #1
Kindergarten-6th grade teachers will present in their classrooms
7th-8th Grade Team will present in the church
7:30 PM-7:50 PM- Presentation #2
Kindergarten-6th grade teachers will present in their classrooms
7th-8th Grade open house in classrooms upstairs
Specialist teachers will be available in their classrooms.
We look forward to seeing you!
Spirit Wear: Please use this link to order Spirit Wear. This link will be active from August 5 to September 13. Items will be delivered to school sometime in early October.
Extended Day 2024-2025 School Year: If you are interested in the Extended Day Program and have not already signed up, please complete this on-line form.
Volunteer Requirements
We look forward to welcoming volunteers to our campus this year. If you are new to Saint Ambrose and want to serve as a 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.
Saint Ambrose Fall Fest is coming soon!
New this year is a Fun Run:
Join SAVE – Suicide Awareness Voices of Education for Saint Ambrose Catholic Community’s inaugural 5K and fun run in Woodbury, Minnesota. This event is not just about miles covered. It’s about coming together as a community to raise awareness and combat the tragedy of suicide. Enjoy a beautiful run through the neighborhood and stick around for FallFest’s live music, food, beer garden and carnival. Click here for more information!
Below see a "save the date" for our school Marathon. This is an all school event. Students get outside to run and walk around our campus, cheering for one another and enjoying our community. Parents are welcome to attend. This is also a fundraiser for our Home and School, which supports our teachers and students with larger purchases (past purchases include playground equipment, technology and school security items). We are so grateful for the support. Specifics about the fundraiser (and prizes) will be communicated next week.
Do you know a high school or college student looking for a job M-Fri 3:30-5:30? Our Early Childhood is looking for classroom aides. Contact Sara at sskogsberg@saintambrosecatholic.org.
God of Goodness, I come into your presence so aware of my human frailty and yet overwhelmed by your love for me.
I thank you that there is no human experience that I might walk through where your love cannot reach me.
If I climb the highest mountain you are there and yet if I find myself in the darkest valley of my life, you are there.
Teach me today to love you more.
Help me to rest in that love that asks nothing more than the simple trusting heart of a child.
Amen
Betsy Osterhaus Hand
Principal
Students Living the Virtues
This year our virtue of focus is hospitality.
We begin each day with the Saint Ambrose School Prayer focusing on hospitality. Each month a different grade level will be helping our school focus on virtues and the Saint Ambrose Way. We will recognize students that exhibit positive practices of the virtues and Saint Ambrose Way. If they are sent to the office with a positive virtue card we will be displaying them on a hallway bulletin board and gift the student a special prayer card from a saint whom we are celebrating. Ask your child if they have earned a special prayer card!
Please Complete the forms
We access funding from Title Grants from the state each year. Completing these forms allows us access to access funds. Please mark the "I do request...." choice for each of these three title grants.
We are Looking for Help With a Few Things...
Substitute Teachers
If you are interested in being a substitute teacher at Saint Ambrose or know someone that is, please contact Dianna Helmberger at dhelmberger@saintambroseschool.org or 651-768-3078.
Please view the following presentation for more details and information - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1AWeJsxdO371fNvSmQ9Q2W9CHmPaCI0ZQl4SHMeyFkFY/edit?usp=sharing. We also have a wonderful training that we can send new people to that is through CSCOE.
Volunteer helpers to walk students.
We have several students that receive speech services through the district. These services take place virtually at our school. We have found that when we have consistent help walking students from classrooms to the speech station, everything runs very smoothly. This is a volunteer position and it could be one day or multiple days. For more details contact Beth Salmon at bsalmon@saintambroseschool.org. or 651-768-3087.
Lunchroom and Recess Help
If you are interested in helping with recess or lunchroom supervision please contact Janet Seidenkranz in our school office. 651-768-3000.
MATH CHALLENGE 2024-2025
General Information:
Math Challenge is free, and no sign-up is necessary.
All students from K to Grade 5 are invited to participate.
There will be 12 challenges throughout the school year.
Please take a look at the Schedule Calendar attached for dates when the challenges are due and when their solutions will be available.
Each student completes the minimum number of problems by the due date.
How to Participate:
Students may pick up a current Math Challenge packet starting the day they are available from Ms. Toninato outside her Office Room 202 OR print out the Math Challenge from the website at home.
You can place the completed Math Challenge papers in Ms. Toninato’s mailbox in the school office on the due date listed.
Solve as many as you can. Please pay attention to the minimum number of questions required for your grade. Don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it!
Solutions will be available online as per schedule below.
All students who make a valid attempt to participate in each round will be entered into a drawing for a prize.
What are the benefits of the Math Challenge Program?
The purpose of this program is to entice, engage, and challenge students to solve interesting math problems while, along the way, strengthening their math fundamentals, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills and improving their confidence in math. Students can also involve their families to help and engage in a fun discussion to solve math problems. https://www.mathinaction.org/MESSAGE FROM DISTRICT REGARDING TRANSPORTATION
Bus riders will be required to have an identification card to scan getting on and off the bus. Students will be asked to have these ID badges attached to their backpacks for easy access/scanning. Please look at these few items below to better acquaint yourself with the District Busing procedures using the new rider id cards.
Believe and Read - Groves Literacy Partner
Believe & Read is a wonderful program helping young Catholic school students achieve literacy success. Students need to learn to read before they can read to learn. Saint Ambrose is grateful to the support of the Catholic School Center of Excellence for funding this programming for the past three years as we began its implimentation at our school.
CSCOE's partnership with national literacy expert Groves Academy, and Cretin-Derham Hall High School, Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are using Believe and Read for exceptional literacy instruction.
This year we plan to use this section of our newsletter to help parents feel more knowledgeable and connect to what our students are doing for this program.
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.
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE PARISH FALL FESTIVAL
Family SMORES 2024
Quick Links
School Supply List for 2024-2025
Quarterly Home and School Newsletter
Please login to Sycamore to access the school calendar, lunch menu, and schedules/grades (JH only)
Mission and Philosophy
Mission (what we offer)
We at Saint Ambrose School are part of a vibrant Catholic community supporting and nurturing
each child on their journey with Christ.
Through exceptional academics, embracing each child’s unique strengths and needs, and
joyfully engaging in prayer and service, we take a holistic, virtue-based approach to student
education and experiences. This is the Saint Ambrose Way.
Vision (what we aspire to)
As a thriving Catholic school, we create meaningful impact though each family we support and
student we send into the world.
By helping form the whole child, students are not only prepared well for the next level of
education, but life as Christian adults living the Saint Ambrose Way.
PHILOSOPHY
The Saint Ambrose community recognizes the partnership between parents, students, staff,
administration and parishioners in providing for the development of its members as people of
faith who worship, learn and grow together. As a community we have a responsibility to
support families- as the primary educators of their children- while providing enriching
experiences that promote a sense of belonging and responsibility to a community.
Follow us on Social Media
Did you know that we have a Saint Ambrose Facebook Page and Instagram Page? Please follow us for school updates and photos. Click the links at the bottom of this email for quick access to our social media pages.