St. Ambrose School, 2007-2008
Weekly News Files
August 27, 2007

Welcome Back Edition

NewsCalendarEvents and ActivitiesIn the ClassroomAwards and AchievementsMiscellaneousReference

Kudos to the PTO Executive Board for organizing another successful Family Mass and Open House on Sunday. This is becoming a wonderful tradition as our faculty and families fill St. Ambrose Church to begin the school year with prayer and then gather in the cafeteria for hot dogs and to visit the classrooms. (Thanks to all who participated in the liturgy and to the dads who manned the grill.) If you did not have a chance to sign up for the many volunteer opportunities, please contact the office to join in the fun of helping our kids!


NewsTop

Hot Lunch Program
Click the Cafeteria Menu link in the right column of the Fast Direct home page to see what's being served next week. You may purchase a seven-lunch card for $23.00. Please make checks payable to Chris' Pancakes. If your child forgets to bring lunch, the alternative this year is a cheese sandwich. The price for a single day's lunch is $3.50.
St. Ambrose School Band
Beginning Band, for Grades 3-8, meets from 3:30-4:00 on Tuesday and Thursday. Advanced Band -- which requires previous band experience -- is for Grades 4-8 and meets from 4:00-4:30 on Tuesday and Thursday. The cost is $50 per month. Band practice starts September 4th and continues through May 27th. Click the Band Info link on Fast Direct for more information. If you have any questions, please contact the Band Director, Dan Potter, at 314-583-4930 (cell), danopotter@hotmail.com, or www.danpotter.20m.com.

Volunteer Opportunities
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).

Homeroom Parent Responsibilities 2007-2008
(These responsibilities must be fulfilled in order to earn your 10 parent participation points)
It is the homeroom parents' responsibility to:
  • Get at least 5 workers for the PTO-sponsored lunches. These lunches will be once a month and will be catered by area restaurants. Each grade will be assigned one month. Please check the PTO Lunch Schedule in the Reference section for your assigned month.
  • Organize assigned "celebrations/activities" with other grades (for example, First Holy Communion, Confirmation, Reconciliation, etc.). Please check the Class Celebration/Activity Schedule in the Reference section.
  • Coordinate collection of items for the class-assigned theme basket for La Festa, September 30. Homeroom captains will be contacted with more details.
  • Provide supervision (at least 2 or 3 parents) for the children, from 11:00 - 1:00, for the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon to be held in February (date TBA). This will allow all of the teachers/staff to enjoy lunch together.
  • Count the boxtops that the class has collected for the boxtops contest (date TBA).
  • Keep track of the parent participation hours/points for the class. A class list will be provided with the names of the children in your class.
  • Encourage everyone to purchase TWB coupons/gift cards. It is the profit made from TWB that allows the PTO to fund the Halloween/Valentine parties, celebrations, etc. It is a great program and your continued support of TWB benefits all of the children. TWBs are sold after every weekend mass, and in the school office.
  • NO class money will be collected. The Halloween/Valentine class parties will be funded by the PTO. Each homeroom captain will be contacted with details. The PTO will also take the responsibility for the teachers' birthdays and Christmas presents.
If you would like to volunteer to be a homeroom parent please contact Bernadette Mense through Fast Direct or phone her at 636-349-5562.
Bernadette Mense is also in charge of lunch room parents and is looking for more volunteers. If you would like to help with lunch duty, please contact Bernadette.

Safe Environment Program
Parents, please remember if you are going to work or volunteer around children in any parish-related program you have to be in compliance with the Safe Environment Program. Compliance includes attending a workshop, having a background check, and signing the Code of Ethical Conduct. If you have questions, please call Linda at the school office (772-1437 ext. 116).

New and Improved Security and Electrical Systems
New security cameras have been installed, thanks to a donation of $8000 from the St. Ambrose Alumni Association. The newly replaced wiring throughout the school building can now handle the power requirements for our technology and other electricity-driven systems. Even in the heat, everything is up and running!




CalendarTop

Wednesday, August 29, 7 pmNew Families' Orientation
Friday, August 31, 8 amAll-School Mass
Sunday, September 2Giro della Montagna
Monday, September 3Labor Day Holiday
No school
Friday, September 7, 8 amAll-School Mass
Faculty Commitment
Monday, September 10Taste of the Hill: Toscano's
Wednesday, September 13, 7 pmKindergarten Parents' Meeting, cafeteria
Thursday, September 14Faculty Meeting, Noon Dismissal
High School Night at St. Mary's
Friday, September 15, 8 amAll-School Mass, STUCO, and Safety Patrol Induction
Saturday, September 15PTO-Sponsored Parent Dance Party
September 17-21Iowa Testing
Tuesday, September 188th Grade Right Start
Wednesday, September 19PTO Family Night, 5:15 pm,
Right Start 8th Grade Parent Meeting, 7 pm
Sunday, September 23Sick and Elderly Ravioli Dinner
Friday, September 288th Grade YMCA Trout Lodge
September 30, noon - 8 pmLa Festa


Events and ActivitiesTop

La Festa Silent Auction Baskets
The annual La Festa celebration is Sunday, September 30. While there is not a big dinner auction at school this year, there will be a Silent Auction at La Festa and each grade/class is asked to contribute a themed basket to be auctioned.
If you do not wish to purchase an item for the class basket, you may send in a cash donation between $5-$10 in an envelope marked “La Festa Class Basket.” The homeroom parents will then use the donations to purchase items to complete the basket.
We ask that all items/monetary donations be turned in to the homeroom teacher NO LATER THAN September 18th. This will allow the homeroom parents time to complete the baskets and provide a description to the auction committee for inclusion in the auction catalog.
We are also now accepting regular donations for the silent auction. Items can be brought to the school office or church rectory and we ask that you complete the donor form that will be available. If you are interested in helping with the silent auction, please contact Michelle Patke at 314-865-1898, or via Fast Direct.
Class/grade basket themes and SUGGESTED items; however, please—BE CREATIVE
Note: We would also like to make a few other baskets and are looking for donations to fill them. If you would like to contribute to the following baskets, please send in the items with a note to your homeroom.
St. Joseph Radio Catholic Lecture Series: "Jews and the Church"
Rosalind Moss and David Moss will share their compelling and deeply inspiring journeys from their Jewish heritage to the Catholic Church on Sunday, September 9, 2007, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Holy Mass at 11:30 a.m. at the Historic Old St. Ferdinand Shrine; 1 Rue Saint Francois; Florissant, MO. Lunch available at minimum cost – reservation required. Free will offerings appreciated. Please call 636-244-0089 for more information. Sponsored by St. Joseph Radio and the Friends of the Old St. Ferdinand Shrine.
 



In the ClassroomTop

Notes from Kindergarten
Yesterday we read the story “The Kissing Hand” and made our own Kissing Hands. We also started our Reading Book! Today we practiced each other's names and went on a tour of the school. We saw the office, art room, gym, computer lab, hall restrooms, and classrooms for grades 1-4. We were hot and tired, so we skipped the 3rd floor that houses the 5-8 grades. We will visit there another day.
After the tour and snack/recess we went into Mrs. Foster’s room to hear a story about a lighthouse. Our school theme for 2007-2008 is: St. Ambrose Lights the Way and the lighthouse is our symbol. Later, we used our new markers to color a lighthouse and then practiced our cutting skill by cutting it out. They are decorating our classroom.
Submitted by Mrs. Patke




Awards and AchievementsTop

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




MiscellaneousTop

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.

New Instructions Regarding Campbell's Labels
Please 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.




ReferenceTop

PTO "Taste of the Hill" Lunch Schedule (served from 11:00 - 1:00)
September 10 (Grade 8) - Toscano's
October 15 (Grade 7) - Imo's Pizza
November 12 (Grade 6) - Rigazzi's
December 10 (Grade 5) - Favazza's
January 14 (Grade 4) - Pasta House
February 4 (Grade 3) - LoRusso's - dinner
February 25 (Grade 2) - Anthonino's
March - None
April 21 (K & Grade 1) - BBQ

Class Celebration/Activity Schedule
Uniform Price List
Maestro Printing
Jerzee Knit Polo, Youth and Adult - $14
Gray Gym Shirt, Youth and Adult - $4
Red Gym Shorts, Youth - $10, Adult - $11
Green and Red Sweatshirt, Youth and Adult - $8
Green Sweatpants - Youth and Adult - $9
Black or Navy Wind Pants - Adult Only - $19
Quinn Uniforms
Skirt - $35-$37
Skort - $27-30

Check Out These Websites
What if my favorite charity had a penny for every time I searched the Internet? Now it can! Search the web with www.goodsearch.com and money from their advertisers will go to your favorite charity without you spending a dime!
Also check out the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Website at www.ascjus.org.

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.

Our Fabulous Faculty
GradeTeacherHomeroomVoice Mail
KMaria Foster107134
Michelle Patke108134
1Mary Lynne Harris205138
Jennifer O'Toole202125
2Jennifer Smith204137
Margaret Rotter203136
3Emily Elmore103123
Ann Grandstaff105130
4Anne Henning106133
Sr. Margaret Mary Stoverink104129
5Judy King307145
Debbie Hilderbrand (homeroom)
308146
6Eugene Marella303141
Leanne Durham304142
7Cathy Griner305143
Dwight Elmore302140
8Shanna Kar306144
Mary Scherer301139
ArtJoAnn Dreas201117
ComputerDebbie HilderbrandComputer Lab126
Learning Consultant, K-4Lisa HornerPenthouse119
Learning Consultant, 5-8Terry KellarPenthouse120
Physical EducationBeth BrickeyGym263
Italian, K-3Sr. Ruth Aubrey
Italian, 4-8Annunciata Buzzai
Teacher AideSr. Sandra Krupp
PrincipalSr. Carol SansoneOffice114
Office Hilma MosesOffice115
OfficeLinda GambaroOffice116
Extended CareSusan NelsonCafeteria314-922-9475