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Saint Ambrose School News
Parent Newsletter - October 7th, 2022
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Parent Newsletter - September 22, 2023
That's the Saint Ambrose Way!
Dear Saint Ambrose Parents,
There is a lot going on at Saint Ambrose!
We are all very excited for Fall Fest. The students have witnessed the preparation with anticipation for loads of fun. We are thankful for all of the volunteers who make this wonderful event possible.
FALL FEST RIDE DEAL - Unlimited Rides with purchase of $25.00 wristband. Each day must be purchased separately
Friday Night from 6 p.m to 10 p.m.
Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
More details about Fall Fest below.
Join us on Friday, September 29 for the 10th annual Saint Ambrose Catholic School Marathon. Students can wear their new Swarm shirt and dress for an active afternoon of running/walking the campus. Parents are welcome to join us! Thank you for your support of our school.
Dismissal form -communicate how your child(ren) will get home on Friday, September 29.
Sign up to donate water and popcorn for the Marathon
Upcoming Important Dates:
No Bussing Monday, September 25th - The district does not have school on September 25th and we will have no bussing that day. Information on pick-up and drop-off that day is below.
Drop off - If you typically drop your child off you will keep your regular routine for morning drop off. If they typically ride the bus please drop them off by car at the doors by the playground.
Pick-up
If my child typically does not take the bus :
Follow normal pickup procedure but pick up time is early- 3:30.
If my child typically rides the bus:
Students will be dismissed from classrooms at 3:50. Please pick up based on last name:
A-L North Side
M-S Bus Area-if you only have 6-8 grade students go to the far side of the pickup area.
T-Z South Side-All South Side students will exit from the church doors.
Moving forward for pickup (after Monday, September 25):
Do you pick up on the South Side?
Our AM drop off plan will remain the same.
We are moving to a new pick up plan starting Tuesday, September 26.
Thank you for your patience as we've assessed the safety needs, supervision needs and efficiency of many different plans.
We will ask parents to park in the parking lot, preferably in the lanes close to the church doors, cross at the cross walk and enter the church gathering space. If you have an EC pickup, you may use the lanes closer to EC and the EC crosswalk. Please bring your name sign with you and form a line.
At 3:45, School staff will begin bringing students to parents from Fellowship Hall. You will then walk with your students (using the crosswalk) and return to your car. Thank you for using caution when backing out of your spots, and for keeping your children next to you as you walk to your car.
If you are a K-2 parent and want to stay in your car for pickup, please switch to the north side for car pickup and email your children's teacher(s) to let them know.
Interested in ordering Spirit Wear or a School Uniform Sweatshirt?
https://saintambrose2023fall-2.itemorder.com/shop/sale/
This will close October 1st.
God our Heavenly Father, You have given us life
through the Death and Resurrection
of Your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ;
Jesus, our Saving Lord, You came into a world
darkened by man’s sin
and gave it light through your teachings;
Holy Spirit, the Breath of God within us,
you guide and enlighten us
and give us the strength of our convictions;
St. Peter Claver, who became an example for us,
you showed us the Love of God,
The Light of Christ, and the strength of the Holy Spirit;
We pray now that all we say and do, in your honor,
be a continuation of your work here on earth.
St. Peter Claver, pray for us.
God bless,
Betsy Osterhaus Hand
Principal
Parent-Teacher Conferences are Coming Up in October
Conference Scheduling Open Friday the 29th
Our parent/teacher conferences are on Thursday, October 12 and Monday, October 16th.
K-5 & Specialists Conferences will be in-person both days.
6-8 Conferences will be in-person on 10/12, and virtual on 10/16. Parents may choose one or the other.
Parents will be able to schedule conferences via Sycamore beginning Friday, September 29 at 4pm.
Click here to learn how to schedule your conference online
K-5 Parents
We will open conference scheduling at 4pm on Friday, Sept 29th. Choose one slot for each child’s teacher.
6-8 Parents (choose one option)
Thursday, October 12-in person conferences. No appointment necessary,(no scheduling) teachers will be available for conferences from 4:00-7:30 in their classrooms.
Monday, October 16th -virtual conferences.
Conference scheduling will open on Friday, September 29 at 4pm. Schedule one conference for your child with the grade level homeroom team, who will be together on the meeting. This gives you the opportunity to get feedback from multiple teachers during one virtual meeting.
- 6th grade team-schedule with Ms. Jorgensen (you will meet with Ms. Becker, Ms. Petronack, Mr. Herzog and Ms. Jorgensen)
- 7th grade team-schedule with Ms. Loney (you will meet with Ms. Loney, Mr. Shriver and Ms. Soenen).
- 8th grade team-schedule with Ms. Woolsey (you will meet with Mr. Morgenroth, Ms. Woolsey and Ms. Schisler).
Specialist Teachers
Schedule with any teacher you would like to see on Sycamore.
If you have a question or concern, please reach out. You do not need to wait for conferences to communicate.
Teachers will need to stick to the scheduled time; thank you for helping with this.
Picture Day is Coming October 3rd!
School Picture Day Coming Soon - Tuesday, October 3rd
Tuesday, October 3rd will be individual student 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. Students may be out of uniform for photos.
Hilda Berdie from Woodbury Picture Perfect has kindly agreed to take class photos on Thursday, October 5th. Students will be in uniform for these photos. Information about purchasing class pictures will be sent home in future communications.
RCIA Inquiry Gathering— Sunday, Oct. 1
Are you or someone you know interested in joining the Catholic Church or learning more about the Catholic faith? If so, we would like to extend a special invitation to join us for an RCIA informational gathering.
We will be hosting an RCIA Inquiry gathering on Sunday, October 1 at 9:45 a.m. in Pingatore Room. This meeting will give you an opportunity to learn about the RCIA process at St. Ambrose.
If you are interested or have any additional questions, please contact Nancy McGrew at (nmcgrew@saintambrosecatholic.org).
You can also find information about RCIA on our parish website under “Faith Formation”. We look forward to seeing you on October 1.
We are Looking for Help With a Few Things...
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 following:
Essential 3 Requirements outlined on the parish website.
This needs to be updated every three years.
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.
Speech Help
If you are interested in volunteering at Saint Ambrose School, we are looking for people to help pick up and deliver students from their classroom to their speech session within our school. Some of our students receive virtual speech support through the district which is conducted every 10 minutes. A weekly commitment beginning September 11 - May 24 would be appreciated.
Days and times available are
Tuesdays from 9:30-11:30
Fridays from 9:30-11:30 or 12:00-1:30
For other inquiries about the position, contact Beth Salmon at school.
bsalmon@saintambrsoeschool.org
651-768-3087
Reading Counts help:
Help check books in and out for students in grades K-2. Training provided.
For more details contact Beth Salmon at bsalmon@saintambroseschool.org. or 651-768-3087.
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
- Art Adventure - Grades 1-5 - It will be held in the spring but training is provided in the winter so it is important to sign up in the fall.
- Jr. Great Books - once per month grades 1 and 2
- Jr. Achievement - K-8 and will be held in the spring
If you are interested in volunteering please contact Dianna Helmberger at 651-768-3078 or dhelmberger@saintambroseschool.org
Art Adventure
This year the theme is Cultural Reflections.
Junior Achievement
Jr. Great Books
September Menus
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.
Home and School Board:
Tiffani Morelli-President
Ashley Salvato-Vice President
Christine Nelson-Communications Coordinator
Tara Malley-Fundraising Coordinator
Katie Hatteberg-Secretary
Abby Summerfield-Treasurer
Heather Cange-Volunteer Coordinator
Believe and Read - Groves Literacy Partner
You might wonder why we’re teaching cursive in an increasingly digital world.
There are excellent reasons to teach cursive including:
● The brain engages at a deeper level as students focus on the continual flow of cursive writing.
● Learning cursive improves retention and comprehension of concepts.
● Different parts of the brain are engaged when students write letters vs. typing them on a
keyboard–parts of the brain that connect with writing also connect with parts of the brain that learn letters/sounds.
● Studies found that up to Grade 6, students were writing more words, writing faster and expressing more ideas if they handwrote instead of typed.
Many have found that cursive is actually easier to learn because there’s less confusion
between visually similar letters, like b and d. Lowercase cursive letters in Groves have the same starting point, which makes it easier for kids, especially those who struggled with print. Ask your child to show you some of the cursive they are learning.
Source: Long, 2017
Other Information
Sycamore will be accessible to families on August 22, 2023.
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)
Handbook
Here is our student handbook for this school year:
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.