Saint Ambrose September News

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

— Ecclesiastes 3:11

No Bussing, Monday September 28th -

We will use the same procedure as we did week one of school.

Greetings from the Principal’s Office! What a wonderful time of year it is at our Catholic school! As we settle into the rhythm of the school year, there is so much to celebrate, and I am continually grateful for the energy, enthusiasm, and joy our students bring each day. Our Catholic school community is growing stronger every day, and I am excited about all that is ahead!

We are so excited for Fall Fest this weekend! This special event is a wonderful opportunity to come together as a Catholic community, celebrate the season, and enjoy time with one another. I am especially looking forward to seeing our students outside of the classroom and meeting with families. Your presence and participation make events like this so meaningful, and we can't wait to share an afternoon and/or evening filled with smiles, laughter, and spirit. We hope to see you there!

The excitement continues the following week with our School Marathon! This is such a fun opportunity for our students to set goals, challenge themselves, encourage one another, and celebrate what they can accomplish. We are looking forward to cheering our students on and creating another memorable experience together. Thank you to our families and staff for helping make this event possible and for encouraging our students every step of the way!

As we look toward the months ahead, I am filled with excitement about the possibilities for our students and our Catholic school community. There is so much more to learn, discover, and celebrate together. We are committed to partnering closely with our families because we know that when schools and families work together, our students have the opportunity to thrive. Thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and partnership. I look forward to all the wonderful moments we will share throughout this school year!

God bless,

Dr. W

Students should wear SWARM shirts and athletic shorts or pants and shoes next Friday, October 2nd. We are encouraging our students to run laps and enjoy their time outside as we raise funds for our school. Here is information you need regarding the fundraiser, the event and the prizes. 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 Tuesday, September 29 for planning purposes. As we prepare for the upcoming Marathon event, we are seeking donations of water and popcorn to help keep our participants energized and hydrated. If you are able to contribute, please sign up using the link: Sign Up Here. We are also still looking for volunteers to help on the day of the Marathon. If you are able to help, please sign up using this link: Sign up to Volunteer. After the event, head to Bridgeman's for a treat. They will donate a portion of what we spend back to Home and School. Thank you so much for your continued generosity and support. We couldn’t do it without you!

**Note to kindergarten parents - if you are attending the event please meet your child by the warm-up area and ensure that you check them out with their teacher.

Note from transportation -

Due to a severe bus driver shortage and in an attempt to avoid route cancellations, we are making some significant changes to our routes. We apologize for the lateness of bus route changes, but that can’t be helped. We will send you updated busing information that must be communicated to families on or before Monday, as the changes will take effect on Tuesday, September 29th. Thank you.

Conference Information below - We encourage all families to attend fall conferences - Scheduling is Open!

Apologies for the oversight—December 4th is a no-bussing day. This was missed on our original calendar. Please mark your calendar accordingly, and thank you for your understanding!

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.

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.

SWARMing FOR A CAUSE

Friday, October 2nd

2:00 – 3:15PM

Dear Saint Ambrose Community,

This year will mark our 13th annual Saint Ambrose Catholic School Marathon Fundraiser! We ask for donations from our supporters to help fund important purchases.

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, access training for staff, and add safe and updated equipment to our playground. Parents are welcome to join again this year to cheer us on or walk a few laps, and students can be dismissed to their family after the marathon.

HOW TO DONATE:

• Use the Link: https://sawcs.ejoinme.org/Marathon2026

• Text to Donate: Text Marathon2026 to 366283 to donate

The Donation link is open Friday, 9/11 – Friday, 10/9 and all donations are tax deductible. Saint Ambrose School will receive 100% of the donations.

• Share with family and friends! This is a great opportunity for grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and neighbors to contribute to your child’s goal.

• Corporate Matching Available! There is a section on your Greater Giving donation form to include corporate matching information.

• We are requesting that all donations be completed by the Greater Giving link. However, if you need to donate by cash/check, please enclose money in a sealed envelope with your student’s name, grade, homeroom teacher and amount written on it, as we are tracking donations for prizes. Please make checks out to Saint Ambrose.

STUDENT GOALS: Prizes are based on a dollar amount for each individual student. Our goal is to have 100% participation. As in years past, each student is encouraged to raise $75.00 and our school goal is $50,000!

PRIZE INFORMATION!! Donate Early & Often

• New This Year!! Donate $100 by Wednesday 9/16 and be entered to win a FallFest wristband (3 winners)!

• Marathon Day Prizes!! Donate by Friday 10/2 to be Entered to Win!

• Donate any amount and be entered to win a Bridgeman’s Gift Card (6 winners)!

• $25 Donation: Donate $25 by Marathon day and be entered in to win Saint Ambrose Drawstring Bags for you and your class! (3 classroom winners)

• The class with the highest donations on the morning of Marathon Day 10/2 will win a Donut Party!

• Final Collection Day Prizes! These prizes will be awarded on the final collection day Friday October 9th:

• $5 Donation: Swarm Shirt Day! Win a pass for an extra Swarm Shirt Day of your choosing! Students who donate at least $5 will also be put in a drawing to pie Dr. W. (or another adult) in the face (3 winners)!

• $50 Donation: Out of uniform pass!

• $75 Donation: A chance to win extra recess and an ice pop party for your classroom! There will be two winning classrooms per wing: K-2, 3-5 and 6-8 grade levels.

• $250 Donation: A chance to become Principal for the Day! Students will be entered into a drawing to win! Follow Dr. W. through the day and help lead the school! Day determined by Dr. W.

• Top Prize: Top 2 fundraising families will each win tickets to Main Event in Woodbury.

If our school has 100% participation, the entire school will win an extra Swarm Shirt Day on Monday, October 12th!

If the school reaches the goal of $50,000, the entire school will be granted an OUT OF UNIFORM DAY on Tuesday, October 13th (the day before MEA break).

We are so grateful for your participation. Whether you choose to fundraise or not, all students are included in this event to celebrate Saint Ambrose Catholic School.

We look forward to this event on October 2nd!

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.

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