Saint Ambrose News
October 24, 2025
"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”
- St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa)
Please Prepare: Bus Driver Shortage Now Impacting SoWashCo Schools
South Washington County Schools (SoWashCo Schools) is at a critical stage with a bus driver shortage that could result in cancellations or delays for bus routes in the mornings and afternoons.
If your student’s morning or afternoon route is expected to be impacted, families will be notified by phone, email or text, with as much notice as possible.
With this unfortunate situation, we are asking for your assistance:
- Please create a plan to provide your own transportation to get your child to or from school in the event you are notified of a morning or afternoon route cancellation
- A route cancellation occurs when no drivers are available
- As we move into late-fall and early-winter, ensure your child is dressed appropriately for colder weather in the event of a route delay in the morning or after school
- A route delay may occur when a bus driver completes their regular route, and then has enough time to complete another route that does not have a driver
If your student’s bus is cancelled for the afternoon route, please pick up your student from school as soon as possible. Staff will supervise students at school until each student can be picked up in the event of a delay or cancellation.
On a daily basis, our mechanics and transportation administrators have been serving as substitute drivers. We will continue to do everything in our power not to cancel bus routes.
We continue to recruit new drivers and have excellent benefits. Pay starts at $27 an hour and insurance eligibility starts at 20 hours per week. Please click here to learn more and apply.
We understand bus delays and cancellations will affect families differently. We pride ourselves on providing safe and efficient transportation for students and apologize that we are in this situation.
Sincerely,
Abby Baker
Executive Director of Human Resources and Operations
Dear Saint Ambrose Parents,
Fall weather is upon us! Thank you for helping students dress for the weather. We are hopeful that our playground will continue to progress quickly and that students are playing on it before All Saints Day. Thank you to our recess supervisors who have been heroic in their management of students outside these last two weeks.
Next week we look forward to a full week of learning, pray for our 7th graders on retreat this coming Thursday. Next Friday, October 31 students can be out of uniform if they bring a donation of at least a dollar to help the 2nd graders support the parish food drive (details above). Students can wear orange or black.
Part of the Marathon prizing included a "Principal for the Day"-Max in grade 5 will be in charge on Monday, November 3. Stay tuned for details!
- Janet is in Europe; we have some wonderful subs helping in the office next week.
- Picture Retake - October 28th - TUESDAY! Students may be out-of-uniform if they are having retakes. You will get information emailed to you about purchasing.
- Students may wear orange and/or black for $1 on October 31st - Money will go to the Food Drive efforts.
- Shorts have been extended until Nov 1st.
Volunteer helpers to walk students.
We have several students that receive speech services through the district. These services take place at our school. We have found that when we have consistent help walking students from classrooms to the speech station, everything runs very smoothly. This is a volunteer position and it could be one day or multiple days. We need help:
Thursday 9:30-11:05
Friday 9:45 -11:05 and 12:15- 1:30
We were blessed to have school Mass on Wednesday, the Feast of St. John Paul II. He has inspired so many to live a holy life. We continue to pray for his intercession.
PRAYER FOR THE INTERCESSION OF ST. JOHN PAUL II
O Blessed Trinity, we thank you
for having graced the Church with
Saint John Paul II and for allowing
the tenderness of your fatherly care,
the glory of the Cross of Christ
and the splendor of the Spirit of love
to shine through him.
Trusting fully in your infinite mercy
and in the maternal intercession of Mary,
he has given us a living image of
Jesus the Good Shepherd.
He has shown us that holiness
is the necessary measure of ordinary
Christian life and is the way of
achieving eternal communion with you.
Grant us, by his intercession,
and according to your will,
the graces we implore,
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
(https://www.jp2shrine.org/worship/jp2-prayer/)
Have a great weekend,
Betsy Osterhaus Hand
Principal
Ashland Productions is bringing musical theater to St Ambrose!
open to students in grades 3-8
Registrations opens Monday 10/27 at 10am
www.ashlandproductions.org/ACT-Program
65 spots are available!
Please ensure all rehearsal & performances dates
can be accommodated before registering
See all the details below!
Virtues in Action
Hello Saint Ambrose Families,
This month, our school is working on the virtue of Kindness and how to be welcoming from our St. Ambrose Way. In October, the students and staff will be asked to show kindness and be welcoming to others by greeting each other with a smile. We can also hold the door for someone or help others if needed. We will show care for others, and we will be thoughtful of others’ needs.
We look at the life of St. Francis of Assisi, who embodied kindness through a profound compassion for all of God’s creation. St. Francis of Assisi was the son of a wealthy merchant who gave up his fortune to live a life of poverty, founded the Franciscan Order, and is known for his deep connection to nature and animals.
We will also look at the life of St. Carlos Acutis as another guide of kindness and being welcoming. He was known for standing up for kids at school who got bullied, especially kids with disabilities. When a friend’s parents were getting a divorce, Carlo made a special effort to include his friend in the Acutis’ family life.
At home, you can support your child by creating and completing Random Acts of Kindness.
Exciting Update – New Bookfairs at Saint Ambrose!
Dear Families,
We are excited to share that this year, Saint Ambrose will be moving away from the Scholastic Bookfair and instead trying two new options that better align with our Catholic mission and values.
📚 I55 Bookfair
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Dates: November 11–14, 2025
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This bookfair will give families the opportunity to shop ahead of the holiday season. You’ll find a wonderful selection of faith-based, educational, and family-friendly titles.
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Learn more about I55 here: I55 Bookfairs Website
📚 Ignatius Bookfair
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Dates: Early February 2026 (exact dates coming soon)
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Ignatius Press offers an excellent variety of Catholic literature, saints’ stories, spiritual growth resources, and wholesome books for children and adults.
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Learn more about Ignatius here: Ignatius Press
Scholastic Book Club Update
While we are moving away from the Scholastic Bookfair, you may still see teachers using the monthly Scholastic Book Club options in their classrooms. We want to continue to leave this as a teacher choice at this time and we will discern next steps.
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If you have money remaining in your Scholastic Wallet, here’s how you can use it: Scholastic Wallet Information.
Volunteer Opportunity
Bookfairs are only possible with the help of volunteers. If you are interested in assisting at either the November or February bookfair, please sign up using this Google Form.
Thank you for your continued support of Saint Ambrose and for helping us build a culture of joyful reading rooted in faith!
October 2025 Family Wellness Challenge
In our journey of wellness we are reminded that Wellness is not something you passively receive but something you actively work towards through daily choices and behaviors.
So we are offering a Healthy Habits Challenge!
Choose one of the habits, share your goals with another to improve outcomes and track your progress toward better health.
The Wellness Committee
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)
Safety and Security
To continue fostering transparency and shared understanding, we’ve compiled Safety and Security Frequently Asked Questions. to address common inquiries and provide clarity on the ongoing safety and security efforts within our Saint Ambrose Catholic Community.
