Saint Ambrose News
October 14, 2025
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
-Psalm 46:10
Marathon Update
We raised $31,550 this year. We appreciate the support!
Dear Saint Ambrose Parents,
Thank you to all parents who attended or are attending conferences. We are grateful for your partnership. I hope your family enjoys some time together over this break.
- Vision and Hearing screening will take place the morning of October 21st for grades 1, 3, 5. Additional students may be screened if there are any concerns.
- 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
Many blessings,
Betsy Osterhaus Hand
Principal
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.
Hallow App Permission Slip - 3rd - 8th grade
Dear 3rd-8th grade parents and guardians,
We are so excited for our partnership with Hallow! Our teachers have been using Hallow to introduce your children to different ways to pray and Saints to pray with, and we are excited to offer a personal subscription for each individual student. Ask your child how they have prayed with Hallow in their classroom!
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. You will also have access to this account as a parent.
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.
If you have not already, please Complete permission form here
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
MATH CHALLENGE 2025-2026
General Information:
Math Challenge is free, and no sign-up is necessary.
All students from K to Grade 5 are invited to participate.
There will be 12 challenges throughout the school year.
Each student completes the minimum number of problems by the due date.
How to Participate:
Students may pick up a current Math Challenge packet starting the day they are available from Ms. Toninato outside her Office Room 202 OR print out the Math Challenge from the website at home.
You can place the completed Math Challenge papers in Ms. Toninato’s mailbox in the school office on the due date listed or outside her office.
Solve as many as you can. Please pay attention to the minimum number of questions required for your grade. Don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it!
Solutions will be available online as per schedule below.
What are the benefits of the Math Challenge Program?
The purpose of this program is to entice, engage, and challenge students to solve interesting math problems while, along the way, strengthening their math fundamentals, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills and improving their confidence in math. Students can also involve their families to help and engage in a fun discussion to solve math problems. https://www.mathinaction.org/
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.
