01-17-08

Third PTO Family Night: Mardi Gras Dinner
Rose of the Hill (located on Edwards)
February 5, 2008
$10 per person
Doors Open at 6:00 pm, Open Seating
Sit Down Dinner served at 6:30 pm
Reservations limited to about 350 people
No Homework Night

Be sure to check your backpacks for information on this event and the Open House.

Catholic Schools Week is January 27 through February 1 this year. Typically, Special Friends Day occurs on Friday and students invite grandparents or other special friends to attend the All-School Mass and then join them for breakfast and a visit to the school. This year, we have moved Special Friends Day to April 10 in the interest of the health and safety of our guests, hoping for better weather and fewer colds in the Spring. However, students may still invite special friends to join them for the Middle School or Primary Masses during Catholic Schools Week (Grades 5-8 on Tuesday, January 29, and K-4 on Wednesday, January 30). Following Mass, bagels, fruit, and beverages will be served in the cafeteria. Please inform the office of the number of guests attending on either day.

NCADA Classes
The National Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NCADA) will be teaching classes to all grade levels this year. Each class will be age appropriate and range from information about drugs and alcohol and making healthy choices to leadership, peers, and social issues. These classes are provided by grant money. The seventh grade's class called "Challenges and Choices" is January 10 for 7E and February 7 for 7G. It is a three-and-a-half hour program which helps students understand that attitudes, beliefs, peers, and media all play a role in decision-making. Other classes in January will be on the facts about alcohol and marijuana for the 8th grade (1/17 and 1/24). The 4th and 5th grades will begin their series of classes on "Respect and Bullying" in January as well. Classes for other grades will be held in February and March.

Act Now to Maintain Title V-A Funding
Funding for the 2007-2008 school year is set, but Title V-A will cease to exist unless Congress acts. The best thing to do is contact your federal legislative representatives, both House and Senate, and let them know how important Title V-A is to your students. In the past, these funds have been used to purchase the sound systems in most of the rooms and we are currently using Title V funds to purchase another sound system for another room. The funds have decreased considerably over the last couple of years and now the threat is that it will be completely gone. Private schools really depend on these monies for a variety of items.

Classroom Sound Systems Enhance Audio Learning
Proceeds from the Box Tops and similar collections, plus the Quilt Social, have helped to purchase these $1700 sound systems, but more funds are needed. If you, your company, or any organization you are affiliated with is looking for a contribution opportunity, please contact Sr. Carol. We need to equip four more rooms.

Box Tops
Continue to save your boxtops for the upcoming contest in February.

Campbell's Soup Labels
Mrs. Moses is a member of the Labels for Education Coordinator Advisory Board. Congratulations!

Technology Update
St. Ambrose students benefit from age-appropriate use of technology in the classroom. In Kindergarten through Second Grade, students are exposed to the internet via educational web sites projected in the classroom. Grades 3 through 5 attend Computer class in the lab where students learn keyboarding and the basics of Office software. Students in Grades 6 through 8 visit the Computer lab with their teachers and learn advanced Office skills applied to projects in specific subject areas. All students benefit from our subscription to United Streaming, a web site with curriculum-enhancing videos. The manipulatives and visuals engage and excite our students, regardless of their age.

Video Streaming
Check out the new video clips on the St. Ambrose web site. Click the St. Ambrose link here or atop the upper-left column on the Fast Direct home page. Or enter www.stambroseonthehill.com in your web browser.

Collection for the Homeless
St. Ambrose School has joined other Catholic schools in the Archdiocese in the Key Player Initiative to eliminate homelessness. This initiative wants to provide opportunities for self-sufficiency and dignity to those who are homeless or who are at risk of becoming homeless.
An update of the money collected by the school children for the Key Player Initiative for the homeless: September--$179.29, October--$207.76, November--$274.06. Students continue to collect for the homeless during December and January for this initiative to fund housing and programs for the homeless of St. Louis.
Submitted by Cathy Griner

Mrs. Kar - Her 8th grade class will participate in an assembly on alcohol awareness presented by NCADA (The National Council for Alcohol and Drug Awareness). The 8th grade language arts class will begin casting a movie and cutting a soundtrack as a culminating project for To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Mr. Elmore - His 8th grade classes are watching an edited version of Glory to end their Civil War unit. His 7th grade is watching The Scarlet Pimpernel and creating a PowerPoint presentation relating to the movie.

Mrs. Durham - The 7th grade students are writing essays about different cultures, which relates to their literature unit on myths, legends, and folk tales from around the world. The 6th grade language arts class is beginning their study of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the C.S. Lewis classic.

The bulk of the morning was spent doing the centers that they did not do last week. Now everyone has played Alphabet Bingo, made Snowman rulers etc. Next week we will have new activities.

After a short practice session on sound blending, we continued our study of Mexico as part of our challenge unit. After reviewing where Mexico was on the map, we learned what an encyclopedia was, and read some of it about Mexico and looked at the pictures from Mexico.

After lunch we had a double math lesson and got to use the pattern blocks in two different problem solving activities. The enjoyed both activities. Then we had free choice where many chose to play games or do creative “writing.” Their day ended with gym and prayer.

Tomorrow is our Junie B. Jones field trip. Please wear the regular uniform and pack a lunch. Since we won’t get a chance to have a snack tomorrow, it would be a good idea to ensure they eat a hearty, healthy breakfast.
Submitted by Mrs. Patke

Thursday, January 17	Grades K and 5 Field Trips Grades Open for Viewing, 3:00 pm
Sunday, January 20	Open House: New Families and Parishioners, Noon - 1:30 pm Current School Families, 2:30 pm - 3:45 pm Family Mass, 4:00 pm
Monday, January 21	No Classes: Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday
Tuesday, January 22	Re-registration Begins
Thursday, January 24	7th and 8th Grade Parent & Student Confirmation Meeting, 6:30 pm in Church
Friday, January 25	Honors amid Clelian Awards Mass, 8:00 am
Saturday, January 26	Trivia Night, sponsored by Athletic Association
Sunday, January 27	Catholic Schools Week Begins
Monday, January 28	Service Day "Fanfare Dancing Through the Ages" Assembly, 1:30 pm
Tuesday, January 29	Student Appreciation Day 8th Grade vs Faculty Volleyball Game
Wednesday, January 30	Spirit Day Special Olympics Student Council Special Lunch
Thursday, January 31	Buddy Day
Friday, February 1	All-School Mass Ice Skating Field Trip, Grades 3-8

Grade	Teacher	Homeroom	Voice Mail
K	Maria Foster	107	134
	Michelle Patke	108	134
1	Mary Lynne Harris	205	138
	Jennifer O'Toole	202	125
2	Jennifer Smith	204	137
	Margaret Rotter	203	136
3	Emily Elmore	103	123
	Ann Grandstaff	105	130
4	Anne Henning	106	133
	Sr. Margaret Mary Stoverink	104	129
5	Judy King	307	145
	Debbie Hilderbrand (homeroom)	308	146
6	Eugene Marella	303	141
	Leanne Durham	304	142
7	Cathy Griner	305	143
	Dwight Elmore	302	140
8	Shanna Kar	306	144
	Mary Scherer	301	139
Art	JoAnn Dreas	201	117
Computer	Debbie Hilderbrand	Computer Lab	126
Learning Consultant, 5-8	Lisa Horner	Penthouse	119
Learning Consultant, K-4	Terry Kellar	Penthouse	120
Physical Education	Beth Brickey	Gym	263
Italian, K-3	Sr. Ruth Aubrey
Italian, 4-8	Annunciata Buzzai
Teacher Aide	Sr. Sandra Krupp
Principal	Sr. Carol Sansone	Office	114
Office	Hilma Moses	Office	115
Office	Linda Gambaro	Office	116
Extended Care	Susan Nelson	Cafeteria	314-922-9475