Saint Ambrose News
September 12, 2025
“Faithfulness is the friend of love; it guards love so that it may not perish, it binds it so that it may not be loosed, it preserves it so that it may not be corrupted.”
– St. Augustine
Dear Saint Ambrose Parents,
Thank you to all who attended our Parent Information Night on Wednesday. We value your partnership, and are grateful to help form your children as they learn who God created them to be.
Next weekend is our parish festival. Our incredible Fall Fest committee has planned a wonderful weekend of fun for our community. See the information below about volunteering (our students can help!) as well as purchasing ride wrist bands ahead of time.
Updated Marathon Information
Thank you for your support in our previous years' fundraisers that focused on school safety and security. With donations and fundraising, we were able to purchase an all-campus communication system, a new clock and bell system, additional outside cameras, acquire walkie-talkies, add a secure entrance between Extended Day and the school, update doors between the parish gathering space and the school, and access training for staff. With funds leftover and additional dollars we will raise this year, and on-campus student safety as a focus, we are fundraising to update our playground. It is time to retire some of our original equipment. As our enrollment has increased, we wish to provide more options for our students to safely play. We hope to have installation complete in October.
The funds from previous marathon donations in addition to our $50,000 goal for this year will allow us to build the structure pictured below. Thank you for your support!
We are excited to celebrate our wonderful school together as we raise funds. Parents are invited to join us.
When: Friday, September 26
If you plan to join us for the event, we will start at 2:00. If you are not able to attend, your child will remain with their teacher and classmates.
Use this form to RSVP by Monday September 22 for planning purposes. More details to come closer to the event.
SignUpGenius for Marathon Volunteers:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0445A9AC28ABFE3-2022
SignUpGenius for water/popcorn donations:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0445A9AC28ABFE3-stambrose2
Spirit Wear: Please use this link to order Spirit Wear. This link will be active from Sept 1- 7th. Items will be delivered to school sometime in early October. Starting in Septemeber the order window will be open each month from the 1st to the 12th.
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.
God, in our human frailty
Give us strength to love
Give us wisdom to discern
Give us patience to wait,
Give us fortitude to courageously act
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Betsy
Betsy Osterhaus Hand
Principal
Fall Fest
FALLFEST is coming soon and we still need many volunteers! Anyone 5th grade and older can volunteer or if younger you can volunteer with a parent. Sign up with a friend and have some fun!
Friday, September 19 5:30- 10 pm
Saturday, September 20 11 am - 10 pm
Click on the link below or scan the "get involved" QR code
https://www.signupgenius.com/tabs/93D70D905AFCCE4C42-saintfallfest#/
Pre-Sale Unlimited Rides Wristbands
Pre-Sale Unlimited Rides Wristbands
Skip the ticket sale line and enjoy unlimited rides at FALLFEST for $25 per wristband, per day.
Ride Times:
Friday Unlimited Rides: 6:00 – 10:00 pm
Saturday Unlimited Rides: 12:00 – 4:00 pm
How to Purchase:
Bring cash or check, along with:
Child(ren)’s name(s)
Friday and/or Saturday wristband selection
Parent’s name
Email address
Phone number
to:
Parish or School Office
FALLFEST table in the Commons after the weekend Masses
Pickup:
Friday Wristbands – Available Friday, September 19, beginning at 5:30 pm, at the wristband pickup station (next to the Carnival ticket booth)
Saturday Wristbands – Available Saturday, September 20, beginning at 11:30 am, at the wristband pickup station (next to the Carnival ticket booth)
Sept 2025 Family Wellness Challenge
September is National Fruits & Veggies Month
Sadly, according to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, about 90% of Americans don't eat enough vegetables, and 80% don't get enough fruit.
So the challenge for this month is:
Every Time You Eat Have a Plant Have a Plant Website with Recipes
Why should students try new fruit and vegetables?
Early exposure shapes behavior
Early exposure to fruits and vegetables doesn’t just prevent malnutrition, it builds lifelong healthy habits. It also:
Shapes taste preferences: Repeated, positive exposure encourages produce enjoyment.
Supports development: Fruits and vegetables fuel growth, boost brain function, strengthen immunity and support emotional well-being.
Improves long-term outcomes: Early healthy eating habits are linked to reduced risk of chronic disease later in life.
Happy Eating,
The Wellness Committee
TRANSPORTATION
For parents who drive their children:
Drop-Off Procedures
Supervision on both the north and south sides of the building begins at 9:00 a.m.
Students must remain in vehicles until a supervisor is present outside.
Families are expected to remain in their vehicles and utilize the drive-up lanes for drop-off on both sides of the building.
Families who are walking a child to the Early Childhood (EC) program and also accompanying a school-age child may do so. Please park near the EC entrance and use designated sidewalks and crosswalks to ensure safety. Please enter through the Southside Church Entrance.
The EC doors and Extended Day doors are not a school entrance. For safety, use the designated doors.
Afternoon Dismissal Procedures
Students will be dismissed from their classrooms at 3:40 p.m.
South side dismissal: Families will park and meet their students in Fellowship Hall.
North side dismissal: Families will remain in vehicles. Students will be escorted to cars in the circle drive in front of the church doors. To improve efficiency, please display a sign with your family’s last name on the vehicle’s windshield.
For safety, all drivers must:
Drive slowly and remain alert.
Refrain from using cell phones.
Pull forward as directed before stopping to load students.
Hallow App Permission Slip - 3rd - 8th grade
Dear 3rd-8th grade parents and guardians,
Saint Ambrose is excited to be partnering with Hallow this year to provide a tool for mental
and spiritual health for faculty, staff, and students. Hallow is the #1 Catholic app and provides thousands of audio-guided sessions to listeners, covering a variety of prayer techniques, topics, and styles. The Hallow team works with Catholic schools and parishes to offer Hallow at a discount for teachers to use it in the classroom with students.
In order to set up your child’s Hallow account, Hallow needs your permission. (The company complies with Federal COPPA guidelines, and you can read more about their privacy policy at hallow.com/privacy.)
Your student will have a personal Hallow account designed for use in the classroom and at home. The content on Hallow includes music, sleep stories, meditations, and prayers designed specifically for kids and students of all ages, as well as families.
If you have any questions about the product or how your child’s account will be set up, please reach out to the Hallow team at schools@hallow.app or at 773-900-7145.
All Pro Dads
Advice for Dads on Parenting, Marriage and Relationships
Welcome to our new-comers, and welcome back to the veterans.
We’re rolling into our 18th Season of All Pro Dads at St. Ambrose, (and last one for me unfortunately.)
Please spread the word and get us emails for new Dads or anyone who might want to be on the invite list!
Looking forward to another great year, spending time with our kids and other Dads. Building a stronger family.
Below are the dates and notes about this year.
Couple Reminders
- Only people on this email list will receive the invite.
- Give us emails of people you know what to be invited.
- We send an email evite 1 week program
- You MUST RSVP so we have enough food.
- Spread the word! Or bring a friend and add them to your count.
- Please try to arrive before 8:15 to get checked in and seated.
Schedule for event days:
8:00-810 – Arrival and pay for breakfast ($6 to Lunch account)
8:15 – Program Starts
Welcome
Prayer
Breakfast
Program
Free Dress Drawing
9:05 – End of Program
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE PARISH FALL FESTIVAL
Friday, September 20 & Saturday, September 21
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.
Recess Help
If you are interested in helping with recess please contact Janet Seidenkranz in our school office. 651-768-3000.
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 & Read at Saint Ambrose
Believe & Read at Saint Ambrose
Believe & Read is a powerful program helping young school students build strong literacy skills. We know that children must first learn to read before they can read to learn, and this program supports that essential foundation.
At Saint Ambrose, we are grateful for the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE), whose support made it possible to implement Believe & Read.
About Groves Literacy Partnerships®
Reading is the foundation for both educational success and future opportunities. In the early grades, students learn to read; by third grade, they are expected to read to learn. Yet, research shows that 60% of American students are not reading at grade level by the end of third grade. Groves Literacy Partnerships® is working to change that—one school, one teacher, and one student at a time.
By sharing evidence-based literacy instruction with educators in Catholic schools, Groves equips teachers with the tools to help every child become a confident reader, illuminating the path to lifelong learning.
Other Information
Extended Day 2025-2026 School Year: If you are interested in the Extended Day Program and have not already signed up, please complete this form.
Sycamore will be accessible to families on August 19, 2025.
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)
