Saint Ambrose School News

Dear Saint Ambrose Parents,

We appreciate the partnership with you for parent-teacher conferences. If you have yet to sign up for Tuesday's options, call the school office or contact your child's teacher to schedule.

Mrs. Gander (grade 3) is taking a leave of absence, and Mrs. Helmberger, Assistant Principal, is stepping into 3rd grade Room 111 as the classroom teacher. I am grateful to Mrs. Helmberger for sharing her gifts in this classroom.

These situations are challenging as we want to make the transition for students as smooth as possible, care for our employees and communicate well with parents while respecting privacy. This change will affect our admin team as Dianna is incredibly efficient, competent and joyful. We will do our best to serve well, but appreciate your grace as we share responsibilities in a new way.

"I Love to Read" month has started with great books! I am enjoying reading stories in many classrooms, and students are enjoying the book fair options.

Book Fair - Click here to get a sneak look at the bookfair, including pricing!

Need a break?

8th graders are excited to offer childcare on Friday, February 10, 2023 from 6:30 - 9:30 pm in the extended day area of St. Ambrose School. Your child will have opportunities for games, gym time, art, and other activities.

Open to children ages 5 and up who are toilet trained. (25 slots total)

$25 per child, with each additional child $10. Snacks will be provided.

Sign up here - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040F44A4AF2DAAF94-childcare

If you have allergen concerns or dietary restrictions please feel free to contact me cmorgenroth@saintambroseschool.org

ALL PROCEEDS GO THE 8TH GRADE TRIP TO CHICAGO!

Our teachers are fortunate enough to gather in small groups once a month for a virtue circle. This month, we are focusing on the virtue of courage. Here is the prayer we said together this week:

Dear God,

Please give me strength when I am weak, love when I feel forsaken, courage when I am afraid, wisdom when I feel foolish, comfort when I am alone, hope when I feel rejected, and peace when I am in turmoil.

Amen

Our students will need outdoor time this weekend as we all missed outside recess during this cold week. I'm happy to see warmer temps on the horizon. Enjoy your weekend-

Betsy Osterhaus Hand

Principal

Conferences will be Feb 7th from 4:20 - 8:10.

K-5 will be held in person

6-8 will be held virtually

Conferences are optional and are by either parent or teacher request.

If you need an interpreter for conferences, contact Beth Salmon for scheduling: bsalmon@saintambroseschool.org

Extreme Faith Camp is back again this summer! Bri St. Amour visited the 6th-8th grade religion classes this week to share about camp with the middle schoolers, and wanted to get information to you as well!

EFC is an opportunity for middle school teens to encounter Jesus, deepen their relationship with Him, and grow in fellowship with their friends and have a ton of fun! Camp is well-attended and well received every year, and we hope your son or daughter can come with us this summer! Registration is first come, first serve, and we consistently have a waitlist each year, so if you are interested please return your form and deposit as soon as possible!

Extreme Faith Camp 2023
Who: Any student currently in grades 6-8
Where: Camp Victory, Zumbro Falls, MN
When: June 26th-30th (depart Saint Ambrose by bus Monday morning, return by bus Friday mid-afternoon)
How Much: $475 per camper, $100 non-refundable deposit to hold your spot, final payments due at a later date

Please contact Bri St. Amour at bstamour@saintambrosecatholic.org with any questions!

We offer a summer enrichment program for students entering kindergarten through grade six. There are a variety of classes in a wide range of topics including STEM, computer programming/coding, mathematics, science, reading, cooking, art, lego, computer games and much more. This is considered an enrichment experience and students find it fun and exciting to explore topics and subjects that may not be a part of a typical curriculum.

Courses will be offered Monday through Friday from July 17-21st. Students may take from one to three courses. All courses will be 1.5 hours in length. Lunch will be provided.

If you are interested in having your child participate in the opportunity please save the dates of July 17-21st.

More information about registration and specific classes will be sent out in mid-February.

Links -

Spring Fiesta Sign Up:https://forms.gle/vNJUKQwC1cr3iR5e6

Students will preview Thursday, Feb 2nd and Feb 3rd with their classes.

New this year - Shopping will be available during February Conferences, look for a signup to come!

Classes will shop the week of Feb 6th, teachers will let you know specifics for your child's class.

More information will come home in January!

If you are interested in volunteering click here - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0445A9AC28ABFE3-stambrose3

Conference Book Fair Sign Up - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0445a9ac28abfe3-bookfair#/

Book Fair Website and E-Wallet Info -https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/content/fairs/ewallet.html

Book Fair Shopping - Click here to get a sneak book at the bookfair, including pricing!

We will be checking uniforms, thank you for your support and partnership in keep students uniforms in code. Please refer to our school guidelines

Here is a visual if you need to reference uniform expectations.

As a reminder:

We will enforce the uniform policy, 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.

Jewelry: Must be simple and conservative if worn. No unconventional jewelry is allowed. No dangling earrings for girls and no earrings for boys.

Hello All,

Artsonia is the world's largest collection of student art, published by teachers and students from around the world. Parents and family can view the art online, leave comments and order keepsakes featuring the artwork. Below is the link and the code for parents to connect so that they can have access to not only digital copies of their child's work, but also to the personalized art gift shop that helps raise funds for art materials.

Code

TWKCXF27

Link

https://www.artsonia.com/connect/TWKCXF27

During the cold winter months, we ask that parents make a special effort to see that their children are dressed appropriately (i.e. hats, mittens, boots, etc.).

The children go outside for recess daily in the lower grades unless the air or wind chill temperature exceeds –10 degrees. During winter months, we sometimes receive requests to keep children inside during recess. Such requests are difficult to honor because classrooms are not under supervision during that time. Generally if a child is well enough to attend school they should be well enough to participate in recess.

We have found that a short period of outdoor activity is extremely important in order to refresh each child. The children then arrive back in their classrooms better prepared to resume their studies.

School Emergency Closing Notifications -

This school year we will continue to use our Sycamore System for text and email notifications for school closures and delays due to inclement weather. You may also check Kare 11 and WCCO for notification that District 833 is closed - if they are closed we will be closed.

Make sure to update Sycamore with your current phone numbers and emails as soon as possible.

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.

Please reference the school calendar .

Feb 7th - Evening Conferences

Feb 17th - 20th - No School for Students

Building Fluent Readers

By now, your child might be able to read a longer passage, but it might sound choppy. We

want kids to string groups of words together into phrases that make sense.

Fluency isn’t fast reading; it’s learning to use the appropriate rate for the text, reading words

accurately, and knowing what words to read expressively. In Groves Method, we work to

first develop fluency with word reading, then in 3-4 word phrases, and finally sentences.

We take this “ladder-like” approach so that we can build fluency at the easiest level and

then build on that fluency when reading those words in longer phrases.

Sycamore Communication Portal/App - click below to go to Sycamore Website

https://app.sycamoreschool.com/index.php

Sycamore Help Guide

Sycamore Parent Checklist

Please login to Sycamore to access the school calendar, lunch menu, and schedules/grades (JH only)

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.

February Lunch Menu

School Calendar 2022-2023

School Supply List for 2022-2023

School Website

School Facebook Page

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.