Saint Ambrose September News

“Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself.”

— St. Francis de Sales

What a great start to the school year at Saint Ambrose Catholic School! As we wrap up our first full week of school, it has been wonderful to see our students starting off the school with such a positive energy. There is excitement throughout our school, and we are grateful for the partnership of our families in helping make the beginning of the year so positive.

Fall sports are also officially underway! Our student-athletes have been practicing hard, representing our Catholic school with pride, and competing in games and matches. We encourage our families and community members to come out and support our teams in the coming weeks on the cross county courses, soccer fields, or in the gym for a volleyball match. There is something special about seeing our students compete, cheer one another on, and experience the support of their Catholic school community. We hope to see you at a contest or game this fall!

As we look ahead, there is so much to be excited about. The fall season brings new opportunities to learn, grow, connect, and create lasting memories together. Thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and partnership. We are off to a fantastic start, and we look forward to all that this fall has in store!

Wishing everyone a wonderful fall season and a terrific year ahead!

Dr.W

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are pleased to share a special gift that your child will receive this school year: the Treasury of Catholic Prayers, generously provided by Archbishop Bernard Hebda for students in Catholic schools throughout the Archdiocese. This beautiful prayer book is designed to support our students as they grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ, deepen their love for the Catholic faith, and participate more fully in the sacramental life of the Church.

This year students in grades 2-8 will receive a personal copy. The prayer book is especially meaningful as students prepare for and celebrate the sacraments, but its value extends well beyond sacramental preparation.

In his pastoral letter, Only One Thing is Necessary, Archbishop Hebda reminds us of the profound gift that parents give their children when they pray with and for them:

“Our God is at the other end of each prayer — a God who loves eternally, guides paternally and gives endlessly. But we need to be connected to God if we are to hear His voice… How powerful is it, then, for our children to see their parents and family members pray, hear them pray, learn from them how to pray and accompany us in prayer!”

The Treasury of Catholic Prayers gives your family a wonderful resource. It contains the traditional prayers that students are learning as part of their Catholic education, along with litanies, personal prayers, sacred art, and responses for Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We encourage you to open it together, pray the prayers aloud, and allow your child to see that prayer is not simply something we learn at school but, rather, it is how we live in relationship with God.

There is no cost to families for this prayer book. Additional copies are available for purchase for families who would like to have more than one copy.

We are grateful to Archbishop Hebda for this generous gift and for his commitment to helping our young people grow in faith and prayer. We look forward to seeing the Treasury of Catholic Prayers become a meaningful part of our students' spiritual lives.

Thank you for partnering with us in the important work of forming young people who know and love the Catholic faith and who are invited, through prayer, into a deeper relationship with Christ.

With gratitude and prayers,

Dr. Matthew Weingartz
St. Ambrose Catholic School

Get Your FALLFEST Ride Wristbands!

Make the most of FALLFEST with an Unlimited Ride Wristband for $25! Pre-purchase your wristband for unlimited carnival rides Friday, September 25 from 6:00–10:00 pm and/or Saturday, September 26 from 12:00–4:00 pm. A separate wristband is required for each day.

Purchase ahead of time and be ready for all the carnival fun! Purchase Wristbands Today >> https://bit.ly/fallfest-wristbands

Run, Walk & Cheer at the FALLFEST 5K!

Lace up and join us for the FALLFEST 5K & Fun Run on Saturday, September 26 at 9:30 am, in partnership with SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education)! Whether you’re racing, walking or bringing the kids along for the fun, it’s a great way for Saint Ambrose families to kick off a full day of FALLFEST festivities together.

Register for the 5K >> https://bit.ly/FALLFEST5k

Over the past year, Saint Ambrose has continued to make important investments in the safety and security of our campus. These improvements include expanded communication tools, such as a campus-wide intercom and walkie-talkies, as well as our partnership with CHIRP 360 to help monitor and identify concerning activity around campus.

This summer, we also added key fob access to several doors within the Fellowship Hall school wings, helping ensure that secured areas are accessible only to staff and vetted volunteers. Access control was also added to the interior Adoration Chapel doors to support both church and Adoration security.

Our IT infrastructure has also been significantly upgraded and expanded to support future security enhancements. In addition, our Safety & Security Committee continues to review protocols and building procedures and provide recommendations as we work to strengthen safety across our campus.

— Matt Lasure, Business Administrator

All Pro Dad Kicks Off September 25

Dads and their children are invited to our first All Pro Dad gathering of the school year on Friday, September 25. Arrive at 8:00 am, with breakfast and the meeting beginning at 8:15 am. Start the morning together with breakfast, conversation and intentional time to strengthen the important relationship between dads and their kids. Breakfast is $6 per person. We look forward to bringing our All Pro Dad community together again!

Conference Information below - We encourage all families to attend fall conferences.

NWEA Testing: How Families Can Help

Students in grades 3–8 will be taking NWEA assessments this week and next week. These assessments help us understand what students know, where they are growing, and where they may need additional support.

A few simple ways you can help your child do their best:

• Get a good night’s sleep before testing days.
• Eat a healthy breakfast and send your child to school ready to learn.
• Encourage them to take their time and read each question carefully.
• Remind them that it’s okay if some questions are challenging. We are looking at their growth and using the results to better support their learning.
• Most importantly, encourage a positive attitude and remind them to simply do their best!

Thank you for partnering with us as we help our students approach testing with confidence!

Transportation

No Bussing, Monday September 28th - We will use the same procedure as we did week one of school.

As we begin the school year, we want to make sure all of our students are prepared to travel safely on the bus. We encourage families to take a few minutes to review the school bus rules and safety expectations with your children. You can also watch the SoWashCo Schools: School Bus Safety & Active Transportation Safety Video:

School Bus Safety & Active Transportation Safety Video

For additional information about transportation, routes, policies, and safety, please visit the SoWashCo Transportation website:

SoWashCo Transportation Website

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.

School pictures are ready!

Your child’s school pictures are now available! To view them online, please log in to your account at mylifetouch.com. If you don’t have an account yet, you can create one using your email address. You’ll need your student’s ID number or their portrait id and access code to locate their photos.

Conference Scheduling Open Friday the 25th

Our parent/teacher conferences are on Thursday, October 8th and Tuesday, October 13th.

K-5 & Specialists Conferences will be in-person both days.

6-8 Conferences will be in-person on 10/8, and virtual on 10/13. Parents may choose one or the other.Parents will be able to schedule conferences via Sycamore beginning Friday, September 25th at 4pm. Click here to learn how to schedule your conference online

K-5 Parents

We will open conference scheduling at 4pm on Friday, Sept 25th. Choose one slot for each child’s teacher.

6-8 Parents (choose one option)

Thursday, October 8th-in person conferences. No appointment necessary,(no scheduling) teachers will be available for conferences from 4:15-7:30 in their classrooms.

Tuesday, October 13th -virtual conferences.

Conference scheduling will open on Friday, September 25 at 4pm. 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 Mr. O'Keefe, Ms. Petronack, Mr. Herzog and Ms. Jorgensen)

• 7th grade team-schedule with Ms. Loney (you will meet with Ms. Loney, Mr. Shriver, Ms. Toninato and Ms. Soenen).

• 8th grade team-schedule with Ms. Woolsey (you will meet with Mr. Morgenroth, Ms. Woolsey and Ms. Schisler).

Specialist Teachers

Schedule with any teacher you would like to see on Sycamore.

If you have a question or concern, please reach out. You do not need to wait for conferences to communicate.

Teachers will need to stick to the scheduled time; thank you for helping with this.

Our School Theme: Serenity

Dear Saint Ambrose Community,

This year, our school community will embrace the theme of Serenity. As a Catholic school, serenity is much more than simply feeling calm. It is the deep peace that comes from knowing God is always with us, trusting in His plan, and living each day with faith, hope, and love. Serenity calls us to find peace within ourselves through prayer, to remain steadfast during life's challenges, and to share Christ's peace with everyone we meet. It reminds us that true peace is not found in a world without difficulties, but in hearts that are rooted in God. Throughout this school year, we will strive to live with serenity by trusting God in moments of uncertainty, treating one another with kindness and compassion, resolving conflicts with grace, and creating a school where every person feels welcomed, valued, and loved. As we grow together in faith, may we remember the words of Saint Francis de Sales: "Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset." Inspired by Christ and the example of the saints, may we become people who not only seek peace for ourselves but also bring God's peace to our families, our school, and our community.

We are challenging you to practice serenity in your daily life! Here are a few ideas.

• Begin each day with one minute of silent prayer.

• Speak words that bring peace instead of conflict.

• Pray for someone who is struggling.

• Show patience when things don't go your way.

• Practice listening without interrupting.

May serenity guide our hearts, strengthen our faith, and lead us ever closer to Jesus throughout this school year.

Our primary goal is student safety. All pick up will require parents to park and walk into the building to meet your child(ren) inside. Please read the information below:

Drop off - If you plan to regularly drive your child(ren) to school, you will keep your regular routine for morning drop off. Drop off on the north side (from Bailey road) or on the south side (from Woodbury Drive). We will guide you to a drop off line.

If your child(ren) will typically ride the bus, please drop off by car at the doors by the playground.

Pick-up-Everyone must park and come inside to collect your child(ren)

If your child does not regularly take the bus:

Pick up time is early- 3:30. You must park your car and enter the building.

Regular North Side families: pick up in the gym

Regular South Side families: pick up in the cafeteria

If your child(ren) do typically ride the bus:

Students will be dismissed from classrooms at 3:45.

WE WILL NOT HAVE BUS RIDERS TO THESE LOCATIONS EARLY

Please pick up based on last name:

Last names

A-N North Side- park your car, enter the building through door #3 and pick up in the gym

Last names

O-Z South Side-park your car, enter through the church doors and pick up in the cafeteria

Both north and south pick up will be park and walk in for your child.

As we continue our partnership with Groves Literacy Organization, generously offered to us through a grant from CSCOE, we are excited to see all the reading progress that has been made over the past few years.

Three times a year, the reading skills of all of our K-3 students are assessed to ensure students are making academic gains in their literacy skills.

This year, we are transitioning to FastBridge as our primary literacy assessment tool. FastBridge provides valuable information about foundational reading skills, fluency, and comprehension, and it helps teachers target instruction to meet the needs of each learner.

• Kindergarten–2nd Grade: Students will take FastBridge only.

• 3rd Grade: Students will take both Aimsweb+ and FastBridge. This will allow us to compare results and ensure consistency in the data as we move forward.

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.

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.

Lunchroom and Recess Help

If you are interested in helping with recess or lunchroom supervision please contact Shelby Miller in our school office. 651-768-3000.

Copy Help

Support our teachers by volunteering to make classroom copies! Parent copy volunteers help prepare materials, worksheets, and classroom resources, allowing teachers to spend more time focusing on instruction and students. This flexible volunteer opportunity can be done during the school day and is a wonderful way to make a meaningful impact behind the scenes while supporting the Saint Ambrose community.

We would like to offer you a link to the Have a Plant website. September is National Fruit and Veggies Month! They have lots of meal and snack ideas, which include healthy plants, for busy families. Happy back to school!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bjm4jZQ_cGmdRUUOb2GTNZN_gUbibdGK/view?usp=sharing

Sycamore will be accessible to families on August 25, 2026.

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)

August 7th August 14th August 21st August 28th

Sept 3rd Sept 11th Sept 18th