Life at Ambleside
I am, I can, I ought, I will
From the Desk of Mrs. Flora and Mrs. Vosburg
Welcome Back! I hope your first week back was a great one! Next week is exam week for 1st grade through 12th grade. In addition to the obvious opportunity for longer play dates, exam week gives all of us—teachers, parents, students, and principal—the chance to see the Ambleside philosophy in practice.
Unlike traditional testing, Ambleside’s exams are not used to weight a grade point average. Students are not given study sheets for cramming or review lessons weeks before. In fact, we are not really interested in assessing what information a student is able to learn for a test. We all have experienced learning this way at some time or another and know how fleeting that “knowledge” really is.
Instead, exam week is our opportunity to learn what our students really know. In the course of a semester, Ambleside students read anywhere from one to three thousand pages. The amount of material covered only allows for a single reading; narration right after reading secures understanding; classroom discussions and other opportunities for review to solidify this knowledge.
Exams allow us to “take a picture” of a student’s knowledge gained over time. They give insight into what our students have absorbed through their books, lessons, and observation. They assess the child’s progress in the skill of narration. They also give us a means to evaluate the effectiveness of books in our curriculum and highlight areas where our instruction might need improvement.
In your homes over the weekend, there is no need for anxious worrying or cramming of material. Such practices skew our data. It would, however, be very helpful if you would give your students several good night’s sleep and nutritional meals and snacks. If your child expresses anxiety about the exams, just assure them that their goal is to tell what they know.
Next week for exams students will need to arrive no later than 8:00 am. During exam week students will not have chapel they will have prayer time in their classroom and then begin exams. Please have students arrive on time for exam week, coming in late students will have missed direction and will be loosing out on time they are given to complete their exams. Students will not have lunch on campus this week but will have a snack break please make sure to send a nutritious and filling snack. All students will be dismissed at 11:30 am each day, please do not be late picking children up, our teachers use their afternoon time to evaluate each exam. This evaluation process is not just a grade, teachers reflect and comment on each exam and put this information into students reports of growth. Have a wonderful weekend!
Every Blessing,
Mrs. Flora and Mrs. Vosburg
With Gratitude
You may have heard on Monday about a new addition to our backyard. The gravel path that connected the two buildings is now a concrete path. This is a huge improvement in connecting the two buildings and will help reduce muddy shoe days. Thank you to JD Grant for overseeing this project and for your donated time and materials. Thank you to the Ambleside Board of Directors for providing the funds for the completion of the project. The students and teachers are so grateful for this new addition!
Our #givingtuesday campaign was a huge success! We have raised just over $10,000 and that is before we know what our Facebook match might be. Thank you Hurst Family, Reynolds Family, Flora Family, Nichols Family, Alcocer-Ojeda Family, Wall Family, Grant Family, Graves Family, Verastegui Family, Anthony Family, Buschardt Family, Speck Family, Davenport Family, Kreitler Family, Skinner Family, Stokes Family, Schneemann Family, Powell Family, Parry Family and Rasool Family!
Thank you Mr. Scott for completing the installation of security cameras for the campus. We appreciate you volunteering your time to make this project happen.
Thank you Mrs. Buckley and Mrs. O'Donnell for substituting this week.
We Need Your Help- Please Sign Up Below
Candlelight Transportation Sign Up
Please click the link below to sign up to help
Cookie Collection
Please click the link below to sign up to help
Cookie Sorting
Please click the link below to sign up to help
Candlelight Set Up and Take Down
Please click the link below to sign up to help
Mark Your Calendar
Exam Week, All Students dismissed at 11:30 am
No Lunches this week, please send one snack
December 17th-19th
Candlelight Practice
All students will be dropped off at 8:00 am at First Christian Church of San Angelo
December 19th
Candlelight at 6:00 PM at First Christian Church of San Angelo
December 20th
Cookies and Caroling
Students will carol and deliver cookies to different community businesses, nursing homes and other agencies. Students may wear Christmas attire on this day instead of uniforms. Teachers will be contacting parents to help drive.
December 20th
Cookies and Cocoa in Classrooms, All students are dismissed at 11:00 am
December 21st- January 3rd
Christmas Break