Saint Ambrose September News

“If we wish to make any progress in the service of God,

we must begin every day of our life with new eagerness.”

— St. Charles Borromeo.

A Day of Reflection, Learning, and Growth

We were blessed with a lovely day on Tuesday at Saint Francis for our all-campus day of reflection. It was a full day, and I am so grateful for the incredible teachers and staff who make up our Saint Ambrose community!

Lumen Accrediation

A special thank you to everyone who helped prepare for our Lumen accreditation visit and made the visiting team feel so welcome. We are grateful for the time, thought, and effort that went into making the visit such a positive experience. We will share more about the team's feedback and takeaways with our school community in the near future.

Fall weather is upon us! Thank you for helping students dress for the weather. We will be outside for recess whenever possible.

Language Survey

If your family speaks a language other than English at home, or if your child is exposed to or speaks a second language, we ask that you please complete the attached form and return it to school.
We are gathering this information so we can better understand the languages spoken within our school community and identify opportunities to provide additional resources and support for our students and families. You may send a paper copy back to school with your child or email the completed form directly to me at dhelmberger@saintambroseschool.org. Please use the link below to access a master copy and either make a copy of it to fill out online or print and fill out.Thank you for taking a few minutes to share this information with us. We appreciate your help!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8ccsOGck7KGUlNPcUpfTGhLQVZyVHdIeXA1ZHVsbzI2cEpR/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-FyBhtGBN-MvJSo5MtzBNgA

Spirit Wear Update:

We are excited to announce that our new Spiritwear store is officially open! The store will be open beginning today, November 5, through November 10, with orders expected to be delivered toward the end of November. We are partnering with a new vendor and are excited about the possibilities this brings. We are hopeful that this will be an ongoing partnership that allows us to continue adding options and improving our Spiritwear offerings. One of the first changes you may notice is a new PE short option! We are also making some updates to our offerings based on supply needs and feedback from families. Please know that all previously purchased Spiritwear items that meet our uniform guidelines will continue to be acceptable uniform options. There is no need to replace items you have already purchased.

We appreciate your feedback and patience as we work with our new vendor and continue to improve the options available to our students and families.

Link - https://stambrose.mnprintnstitch.com/uniform-other

The Wellness Committee would like to do a Gratitude Challenge for the month of November! Attached is a calendar with a different gratitude challenge for each weekday throughout the month.

Links Here -

Gratitude Calendar

November Gratitude Challenge Info

Recipes from Our Saint Ambrose Community!

On behalf of our Wellness Committee, we are excited to share a collection of nutritious recipes contributed by families throughout our Saint Ambrose community. A big thank you to everyone who took the time to share a favorite recipe! We hope you enjoy trying something new and bringing a little inspiration into your kitchen. Happy cooking!

Important Dates to Remember

• November 17 - 19th - I:55 Book Fair
• November 19th - Gingerbread Event
• November 24th - End of 1st Trimester

Donalds will deliver online uniform sales to our school! Use code - STS1605

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.

In November, students in grades K–8 will begin lessons from the Circle of Grace Child Safety Curriculum. This program, required by the Archdiocese, helps students understand the sacredness of who they are and how to recognize and maintain appropriate boundaries in relationships.

If you have any questions about the specific lessons being taught, please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher (or Religion teacher), who will be happy to share more information.

Visit https://cogpartners.org/ for more information.

Registration opens Monday 10/26 at 10am! **please confirm all the Tech & Performance dates before registering**

Plan to register right away if your 3rd-8th grader wants to participate in this fun on-stage production!! There are only 65 spots and they will fill quickly!!

email Parent Coordinator Rosanna Bamsey with questions (RgraceRN@gmail.com)

We are excited to welcome I:55 for our school-wide November Book Fair! We are looking for parent volunteers to help students browse and shop for books. Volunteers are needed for 20–30 minutes during each classroom’s scheduled time. Classes will browse on Tuesday, November 17, with shopping opportunities on Wednesday, November 18, and Thursday, November 19. If you are available to help, please sign up using the volunteer link. All volunteers must be E3 compliant with Saint Ambrose’s Virtus requirements.

Thank you for helping make our Book Fair a fun experience for our students and encouraging a love of reading!

We’re thrilled to announce that the I:55 Book Fair is coming to Saint Ambrose! This is a wonderful opportunity for students to explore new books, find stories that inspire them, and develop a lifelong love of reading.

Please consider lending a hand to help make this book fair a success for our students and school community! Many hands make light work!

Sign up to Volunteer

Book Fair Preview & Shopping Days

• Preview Day: Tuesday, November 17
  Students will visit the Book Fair during their class’s scheduled 15-minute preview. They’ll have the chance to browse and fill out a Book Fair Preview Card to think about which books they might like to buy.

• Shopping Days: Wednesday–Thursday, November 18–19
  Students can shop during 25-minute time slots assigned to their class. Your classroom teachers will let you know which day the class will plan to visit.

Purchasing Information

• Students may bring money to shop during their scheduled time. Cash or check accepted.

• Minnesota state sales tax of 8.5% applies.

About I:55 Book Fairs

I:55 Book Fairs are faith-based and focused on providing high-quality, uplifting books for children. They offer a variety of titles that inspire reading, creativity, and personal growth. You can browse their selection online at www.I55bookfairs.com/pages/MN069

Gift Cards – A Simple Alternative to E-Wallets

While they don’t currently offer an e-wallet option, I:55 Gift Cards provide a convenient and flexible solution for families.

• Gift cards can be purchased online: I:55 Gift Card

• The purchaser chooses the email address where the gift card is sent, often their own.

• From there, they can easily:

  • Print the email and send it with their student.

  • Forward it directly to a teacher or librarian.

  • Or both, for added flexibility.

This option is simple, secure, and ensures students can shop without needing cash while still allowing parents and teachers to stay involved.

Dear Saint Ambrose Families,

The virtue for November is Respect. We are focusing on three areas to promote respect in our school - Respect for Self, Respect for Others, and Respect for Property. We are also connecting this with the Saint Ambrose Way tenet of Being Clean. Here are some examples:

Respect for Self

• Keep yourself clean and germ-free.

• Give yourself the same grace and forgiveness you would give others.

Respect for Others

• Remember each person’s dignity in your words and actions.

• Accept others for who they are, even when they are different from you or you don’t agree with them.

Respect Property

• Keep common areas clean and clear.

• Be responsible for your trash. Also, pick it up even if it’s not yours.

• Use school tools, materials, and facilities the way they are intended.

During November, we honor:

• All Saints Day - 1st

• All Souls’ Day - 2nd

• St. Charles Borromeo - 4th

• St. Frances Xavier Cabrini - 13th

• Blessed Miguel Pro - 23rd

• St. Andrew - 30th

Family Virtue Circle Link

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 Sept 25th

Oct 2nd Oct 9th Oct 13th Oct 23rd Oct 30th