Saint Ambrose School News
September 23, 2022
September 30, 2022
Bridgeman's Fundraiser until 9PM
Fri, Sep 30, 2022, 03:00 PM
Bridgeman's Ice Cream Parlor, Eagle Creek Lane, Woodbury, MN, USA
Dear Parents
Thank you for the incredible support of school Marathon. What a fun event! Our totals are over $36,000 today, which means we've reached our school goal! There is still time to donate if you haven't yet had a chance. See details below.
If you are tardy for school (9:20 or after), please come to the North Entrance and check in at the school office. The South Side is locked at 9:20.
Next week we have two out of uniform opportunities. Tuesday, October 4 is picture day, and students may be out of uniform.
Friday, October 7 is a Swarm Shirt out of uniform day. Students may wear their Swarm shirt and the pants/shorts of their choice. If students are cold, they may wear a school sweatshirt. No hats, please. Check out our Out-of-uniform day guidelines:
OUT-OF-UNIFORM AND SCHOOL-SPONSORED EVENTS
Out-of-uniform days and school-sponsored event (e.g. dances) attire must reflect both modesty and Christian values in respect to slogans, graphics and physical fit. Clothing must be neat, clean and in good repair. Non-uniform shorts and skirts must cover at least mid-way down the thigh. Shirts must have sleeves, and midriffs must be covered. Clothing must be in good taste and not provide a source of competition or distraction. Inappropriate clothing on a no-uniform day or at a school-sponsored event will result in consequences which may include removal of the student from classes or activities.
Conference Scheduling Opened Last Monday
Click here to learn how to schedule your conference online
Our parent/teacher conferences are on Thursday, October 6 and Tuesday, October 11.
If your family needs an interpreter for conferences, please email Beth Salmon at bsalmon@saintambroseschool.org
K-5 & Specialists Conferences will be in-person both days. Schedule directly with teachers via Sycamore.
6-8 Parents (choose one option)
Thursday, October 6-in person conferences. No appointment necessary,(no scheduling) teachers will be available for conferences from 4:00-7:30 in their classrooms.
Tuesday, October 11-virtual conferences.
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. Soenen (you will meet with Ms. Loney, Ms. Pearson and Ms. Soenen).
- 8th grade team-schedule with Ms. Schisler (you will meet with Mr. Morgenroth, Ms. Woolsey and Ms. Schisler).
Specialist Teachers
Schedule with any teacher you would like to see on Sycamore. Mrs. Gallagher will not be available for conferences.
Teachers will need to stick to the scheduled time; thank you for helping with this.
Once a month, teachers gather in small groups for a virtue circle. This week, we prayed for the virtue of patience, and this prayer resonated with us:
Lord, teach us to be patient – with life, with people, and with ourselves. We sometimes try to hurry things along too much, and we push for answers before the time is right.
Teach us to trust Your sense of timing rather than our own and to surrender our will to Your greater and wiser plan. Help us let life unfold slowly, and teach us to savor each experience and learn the lessons behind each story.
Have a great weekend!
Betsy Osterhaus Hand
Principal
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
School Marathon
Thank you to all who have supported our fall fundraiser "SWARMing for a Cause".
Check out fundraiser details (including prizes for different levels of support) here.
School Picture Day Coming Soon - Tuesday, October 4
Monday, October 4th 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 13. Students will be in uniform for these photos. Information about purchasing class pictures will be sent home in future communications.
Home and School News
Fall Family Event - Pizza and Bingo NIght - October 29
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.
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.
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.
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
Believe and Read - Groves Literacy Partner
THIS WEEK IN GRADES K-3rd
We are wrapping up our Fall Aimswebplus testing session. This assessment is done in grades K-3 with Mrs. Salmon or Mrs. Helmberger. It is a 4 to 8 minutes assessment that looks at grade-level appropriate reading skills, phonics, fluency, and readiness. You will not receive these testing results in the mail at this time but will receive results in the spring with a fall-to-spring growth comparison. Teachers will use these results to help determine students' individual needs for growth.
Grades 1st-3rd
You will be receiving the weekly Day 5 assessment in your child’s folder. The classroom teacher will use this quick weekly assessment to measure if the overall class is ready to move on and if any individual students may need a re-teach or small group instruction time.
Kindergarten
This is just the beginning of your child’s literacy instruction and we want to make sure you have a full understanding of what is happening in the classroom. Your child’s teacher will be helping you better understand the Groves programming, and you will hear more about how they use the lessons and assessment in the classroom from the child’s classroom teacher in the upcoming weeks.
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)