"The
Bells of St. Ambrose" AuctionSave
the Date:
November
15Committees are now
forming. All who wish to
volunteer are invited
to the first Auction Committee
Meeting: Monday, February 25, at 7:00 pm in the Penthouse.Please also begin
collecting gifts and bring to school with your name marked clearly.
School
Playground RaffleAll proceeds go
toward
construction of a New Playground!1st Prize -
Cardinal Luxury Suite2nd Prize - $1,000Tickets: $25
each, or 5 for $100
Winner
will be announced on May 20th at the School Picnic, but
need not be present
To reward early
participation, 2 additional drawings (1 in March and 1 in
April)
will be made for Gas and/or Grocery Cards
Yearbook Order
Forms will be coming home next week for those who wish to
purchase.
Box Tops Contest
The
winning class was Mrs. Elmore’s Third Grade Homeroom.
Congratulations to them. They will be receiving a Pizza Lunch for their
efforts. As a school, we collected 13,228 box tops and 11,035 labels.
Thank you to Mrs. Angie Kaestner and her staff for all of their hard
work in preparing, cutting, and counting the box tops and labels. Thank
you everyone for supporting this effort. We will be collecting both of
these items again in the Fall, so continue to save those box tops and
labels!
Other Easy
Ways to Show Your Support
St. Ambrose eMall: Purchase
products and
services from the more than 400 participating online merchants. In return, participating
merchants will
contribute a predetermined percentage of each purchase to 4OurCause for
St. Ambrose. Click the Shop Online and Help the School link on Fast Direct.
Recycle
Your
Ink Jet Cartridges, Paper, and Aluminum Cans: This
free program generates money
for St. Ambrose and helps protect the environment. Simply drop the
cartridges off in the cafeteria and the paper and cans in the bins on
Hereford.
Target's Take
Charge of
Education Program: Apply for a Target
REDcard or Visa
and 1% of your
purchases are returned to your designated school.Foot
Locker School Rewards and Flowers into Dollars: Present
the key tags recently sent home at Foot Locker stores or shop
online at footlocker.com and 1-800-flowers.com, using our School Code
WL3B when checking out. Whatever your method of payment, 5% of what you
spend will be donated to St. Ambrose.Macy's Shop for
Education Program: Sign
up to support St. Ambrose and every time you use your Macy's card, the
school earns money. Complete the flyer sent home this week and return
to the office to start earning from 1 to 3 percent of your monthly
charged purchases at Macy's.Internet Search
Website: Search
the web
with www.goodsearch.com
and money from their advertisers
will go to your favorite
charity.Common
Sense Parenting
A skill-based parenting program that
teaches parents practical and effective ways to increase
children’s positive behavior, decrease negative behavior, and
teach children appropriate behavior.
The first session is full. Trainers will be offering the program again
during the Summer and in the Fall. Dates and times to be
announced.
School
Improvement News
One
of the parts of our School Improvement “Validating the
Vision” process is our Catholic Identity. We want to share what
the students are doing currently. Each grade of St. Ambrose attends
Mass twice weekly, including the All School Mass on Fridays at 8am.
During Lent, all students and teachers attend Stations of the Cross
each Friday at 2:30 pm in church. Grades 2-8 will have the opportunity
to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for Lent on February 25th
and 26th. The second graders will be making their First Holy Communion
on April 12, 2008, and the seventh and eighth graders will receive the
Sacrament of Confirmation on April 7, 2008. Both the Communicants and
Confirmandi have scheduled days of retreat to assist them in preparing
for their sacraments. Thank you to the teachers and parents who have
also been busy preparing the children for these sacraments.
NCADA
ClassesThe
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. Representatives from the
NCADA are working this week with grades 1, 2, 4, and 5:
Grade
1: Amazing Grace
Grade 2: Enemy Pie
Grades 4 and 5:
Bullying 1 Classroom Sound
Systems Enhance Audio LearningProceeds
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.Technology
UpdateSt.
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
StreamingCheck 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.
Please
note that an updated Calendar was sent home and is available via Fast
Direct.
| Wednesday, February 20 | First Communion Parent
Meeting, 7:00 pm in Church |
| Monday, February 25 | Auction Meeting, 7:00 pm
in Penthouse |
| Tuesday, February 26 | Grade 3 Parent
Coalition, 7:00 pm |
| Saturday, March 1 | Mouse Races |
| Wednesday, March 5 | Grade 2 Field Trip:
Our Lady of the Snows |
| Thursday, March 6 | Confirmation Retreat,
Grades 7 and 8 |
| Friday, March 7 | Faculty Meeting:
Noon Dismissal
Dress-Down Day |
| Sunday, March 9 | St. Joseph's Altar |
| Monday, March 10 | PTO Board Meeting |
| Wednesday, March 12 | Kindergarten Screening |
| Thursday, March 13 | Grade 2 Field Trip:
Henry and Mudge Performance |
| Friday, March 14 | Third Quarter Ends
8:00
am Mass, Enrollment Ceremony, and Breakfast for 2nd Graders |
|
 Events
and Activities | Top |
Night
At The Mouse Races Proceeds defray the cost
of the May 20th St. Ambrose School PicnicSaturday, March 1st Doors open at 6PM Races start at 7PM Rev. Vincent Bommarito
Cafeteria, St. Ambrose School $10 per person Includes beer and set
ups. RSVP by February 28th
Workers
and Silent Auction donations are also needed. Thanks!
Congratulations
Over
the weekend, the 3rd grade girls won 3rd place in the St. Raphael
basketball tournament. The girls that play are Alexis Cassani, Maddie
Mitchell, Abbey Smith, Rachael Seaton, Jessica Summers, Eli Held, Chyna
Nesser, Kaitlyn Kroger, and Miranda Grasso.
Archdiocesan Instrumental Festival
Band
members from St. Ambrose performed with the bands from St. Martin of
Tours, St. Roch, and St. Simon the Apostle schools, under the direction
of Daniel Potter, in the Elementary Instrumental Festival on February
17, at Bishop DuBourg High School. These festivals, at both the
elementary and secondary level, are sponsored annually by the Fine Arts
Department of the archdiocesan Catholic Education Office. The
participating bands are evaluated rather than ranked so the festival is
cooperative and noncompetitive. Strike up the Band!
Scholastic Book
Fair
Total book fair sales were $6,325.46. Final
totals are still being worked out and we will let you know our net
profit soon. Thank you to this year’s coordinators: Kathy
Luna, Debbie Hilderbrand, and their staff: Mary
Seaton, Caroline Wildhaber, Bobbi Ohmer, Joan
Stark, Bobbi
Pineda, Cindy Harrison, Holly Naunheim, Chris Felt, Carolyn Mitchell,
Beth Beato, and the many students that helped with set-up and clean-up.
The
proceeds from the Book Fair assist the librarians with purchasing
additional books and resources for the library.
 In
the Classroom and the Community | Top |
|
 Volunteer
Opportunities | Top |
Please
remember
that you must attend the
Protecting God's Children Workshop
and
complete the paperwork in order to volunteer with the students.
The
workshops are listed on the Archdiocesan website
or you may
call Linda in the school office (772-1437).
Here
are a few workshops that are not listed on the Archdiocesan website.
Please refer to www.archstl.org
for additional workshop sites. If you have any questions, please call
Linda at 772-1437.
- February 23, 8:00 - 10:30 am, at St. Gertrude Parish
in Franklin County. Call 636-239-2347 to register.
- March 5, 6:30 - 9:00 pm, Saint
Louis University School of Nursing, 3525 Caroline Mall, 63104. Register
online: wunderrj@slu.edu.
- March 10, 6:30 - 9:00 pm, Good Shepherd Parish,
Hillsboro. Register online: goodshepherd@juno.com
- March 15, 10:00 am - 12:30 pm, St. Augustine Parish, in
St. Augustine Hall. No registration required, but call 314-313-8580 if
you need more information.
- March 31, 7:00 - 9:30 pm, St.
Clare of Assisi in West County. No registration required.
Bernadette
Mense is
in charge of Lunch Room Parents and looking for
more volunteers. If you would like to
help with lunch duty, please contact Bernadette.
|
 Miscellaneous | Top |
Yearbook PhotosLaura McQuay, a 5th
grade parent, has taken over the yearbook
and is looking for sports photos, pictures from LaFesta, scouts,
Trunk-or-Treat, field trips, etc. If you have photos, please send them
to school on a CD, addressed to Laura McQuay. As always, thank you for
your help!Notes
to Parents- Fast Food is not
acceptable for lunch; please do not deliver to school for your
children.
- The Handbook is a guide,
but does not address all situations. When in doubt about a policy or
procedure, please ask.
- If your child has a
special medical need, please inform Linda in the School Office.
- Please
don't park in the soccer lot during school hours if you are visiting
school or chaperoning a field trip, as the cars block the use of the
lot for recess.
- Birthday
treats are distributed to students in their homerooms during break
time. Please follow Handbook guidelines regarding acceptable treats and
also refrain from delivering special lunches to students on these days.
- Party invitations
may be distributed at school only if all students in the
class are invited.
New
Instructions Regarding Campbell's LabelsPlease
send in the entire label, as the instructions for submitting labels
have changed. We will have homeroom parents help with the
cutting
that is required. Pass
the word to
grandparents and neighbors who may save them too. And, don't forget to
keep clipping boxtops and labels and saving them for upcoming contests!Save
More Labels Please save labels from
Nestle Pure
Life Purified Water. The school gains points for every label saved and
we can earn equipment at the end of the year. Please turn these labels
in separately from the Campbell labels.
Homeroom
ParentsKdg: Captain - Jennifer Mayberry, Ellie Lankford, Rachel
Rickert Gr.
1: Captain - Karen Sinak, Carolyn Mitchell, Teresa Bozikis, Teresa
Weitz, Jill Springer, Nickie Collora Gr. 2:
Captain - Bernadette Mense, Toni Paulus, Jill Springer, Tammi
Miles
Gr.
3: Captain - Julie Passanise, Stacey Byrne, Carolyn
Mitchell, Cami Johanningmeier Gr. 4: Captain - Angie
Kaestner, Kathy Ward, Joanie Stark, Teresa Severino Gr. 5:
Captain - Ann Konzen, Karen Sinak, JoAnn Cronin, Janice Summers,
Jennifer Byers Gr. 6: Co-Captains -
Diana Smith &
Margie Meyers, Toni Paulus, Pam Vollmer, Angie Kaestner Gr.
7: Captain - Bernadette Mense, Anna Stremlau, Robyn O'Leary, Jeanne
Bergfeld Gr. 8: Captain -
Michelle Calcaterra, Donna
Nappier, Stacey Byrne, Lynn Berra, Vicky Crump, Elaine Hall Special
Lunch Schedule (served from 11:00 -
1:00) March
10 (Grade
2) -
Pasta House April 21 (K &
Grade 1) - BBQ Class
Celebration/Activity ScheduleThis list identifies
the classes responsible for hospitality at each event, as organized by
the room parent: - April 7 - Confirmation -
Grades 5 & 6 - more details to follow
- April 14 - First Holy
Communion (this is the Monday after the Holy Communion Mass on
Saturday, April 12) - Grades K & 1 - more details to follow
- May 23 - 8th Grade
Graduation - Grade 7 organizes reception (in the cafeteria) to follow
6:30 pm graduation mass
2007-2008
Student Council Members Officers
President:
Rachel Pearson
Vice
President: Gwen Calcaterra
Secretary:
Alyssa Hilderbrand
Treasurer:
Sam Herbig
Class
Representatives
5th: Marissa
Sinak and
Julie Dempsey
6th:
Addyson Collora and Julia Stark
7th:
Michaela Mense and Nicci Amato
8th:
Samantha Been and Zach Bandera
Also
check
out the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Website at www.ascjus.org.
Our sisters are now engaged in retreat work at Queen of Apostles Center
in Imperial. If you are interested in joining or taking a group for a
day or overnight retreat, please contact Sr. Rosemary Buttice, ASCJ, at
636-464-0163.Archdiocesan
Mandate All parents who wish to
participate in any
event (lunch duty, field trips, class parties, Breakfast with Santa,
etc.) at school involving children MUST attend the Protecting God's
Children Workshop. For information on times and locations of the
workshops, please visit the archdiocesan website www.archstl.org and follow
the link or consult the recent message to parents on Fast Direct. Don't
forget the November 6 workshop here at St. Ambrose.Our
Fabulous Faculty | 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 |
News
Calendar
Reference