St.
Ambrose School, 2009-2010
Weekly
News Files
January 28, 2010
Thank you to
everyone who contributed to the Open House held on Sunday, January 31st.
It was a beautiful day and everyone had a great time. We had many
visitors and we hope they all choose to join our family.
Links to This Week's New Articles
News Section
Catholic Schools Week
Tuition
SLU Counseling Service
Events and Activities
Section
LEGO Onsite Field Trip
In the Classroom
Section
JA BizTown: 5th Grade
Middle School
| Thursday, January 28 |
Auction Meeting, 7:00 pm, cafeteria |
| Friday, January 29 |
Spelling Bee, 10:15 am |
| Saturday, January 30 |
Trivia Night, 6:00 pm |
| Sunday, January 31 |
City-wide Open House, 12:00 noon - 3:00 pm |
| January 31 - February 6 |
Catholic Schools Week |
| Wednesday, February 3 |
PTO Board Meeting |
| Saturday, February 6 |
Bellarmine Speech Meet |
| Monday, February 8 |
PTO Special Lunch: JVincent Food |
| February 8 - 26 |
Box Tops Contest |
| Tuesday, February 9 |
Maple Sugar Days, Grade 4 |
| Thursday, February 11 |
Faculty Meeting - Noon Dismissal
Mission Dress-Down Day |
| Monday, February 15 |
Presidents' Day
No School |
| February 16 - 23 |
Jump Rope for Heart/Hoops for Life |
| Tuesday, February 16 |
PTO Family Night: Mardi Gras Dinner
Rose of the Hill |
| Wednesday, February 17 |
Ash Wednesday |
| Thursday, February 18 |
Repertory Theatre, Grade 8
Grade 2 Parent Meeting in Church, 7:00 pm |
Catholic Schools Week
January 31 - February 5
Sunday January 31: Open House
Noon - 3:00 pm
- All are welcome, especially those who are new to St. Ambrose
- Raffle for all current families that refer a new family to St. Ambrose
- Refreshments, guided and self-guided tours, and information available
Monday February 1: Community Appreciation Day
- Grades K-2 Game Day and time with buddies
- Grades 3-5 LEGO onsite field trip (75 minutes each session, for each class beginning at 8:15 am and ending at 2:30 pm
- Grades 6-8 activities to reach out to our community in appreciation for their support
Breakfast served from 7:00 am - 7:40 am Tuesday and Wednesday mornings
Tuesday - French toast and bacon
Wedensday - breakfast sandwich
$3.00 per person * All are welcome * RSVP to office
Tuesday February 2: Student Appreciation Day - No Homework Night
- Grades 5-8 attend 8:00 am Mass
- Grades K-2 Pajama Day - Abra-Kid-Abra interactive demonstration at 10:00 am, all are welcome
- Grades 3-8 Ice Skating or Bowling
- No Homework Night
Wednesday February 3: Spirit Day - Break out the Green, White, and Red
- Keep the bottom uniform (pants/skirt) and wear green, white, and red shirts, socks, hats
- Faculty vs. 8th Grade Volleyball Game beginning at 1:30 pm
- 4:00 pm -
8:00 pm Costco celebrates Catholic Schools (stop by any Costco for a
temporary membership night and special offers for purchases)
- 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm join all City Catholic Schools for an evening at Steinberg Skating Rink in Forest Park
Thursday February 4: Academic Day
- IPC Organization to provide donuts and milk to all students and faculty
- 10:00 am Italian singing performed by 3rd grade in the gym
- Academic Trivia begins at 1:00 pm - Mixed grade teams are named after the streets on the Hill
Friday February 5: First Friday
- All-School Mass 8:00 am
- Mission Carnival hosted by the Community Service Learning Club - All are invited from 9:00 am - noon
- Special Lunch to end the week
$3.00 per person deli sandwich, chips, and dessert
Tuition
Tuition for next year is not yet determined. The finance committee
continues to work diligently with Msgr. Bommarito to keep our tuition
in the affordable range. We, as a parish and school community, have
been good stewards. It appears the increase in tuition will continue to
be slight and fair. I trust Msgr.'s positive and supportive direction
of our school on this one. Having said that, we will share the
information about 2010-2011 tuition as soon as we receive it.
Thank you, Sr. Carol
SLU Counseling Service
Again we are very fortunate to have SLU graduate student counselors who
will be doing their practicum work here at St. Ambrose. With parent
consent, they will be meeting with individual students to counsel them
in personal or social issues. We are blessed to be able to offer this
service to families for the semester at no charge. Students can be
referred by parents and/or teachers. Please let me know by email or
phone if you feel that your child might benefit from this service. I
will send the permission forms home for you to sign.
Lisa Horner, learning consultant
Special
Intentions
Contact Debbie Hilderbrand if you wish to include any prayer intention
in the newsletter. We are a prayerful
community and wish to provide this avenue of support for any special
needs.
|
 Events
and Activities |
Top |
LEGO Onsite Field Trip
The following pertains to the Catholic Schools Week program for grades 3-5 on Monday, February 1.
Curriculum
Standards: Curriculum standards that are covered include simple
machines, forces in motion, electric motors and gear ratios,
synthesizing information, fine motor skills, sharing and working with a
partner and following directions.
Course Materials: Students walk away from All About Learning,
Inc. classes with the knowledge of concepts taught in the class.
Please
go to our website parent page: http://michiganlearning.com/parents.php
for feedback from parents whose children have participated in our
programs.
Costco Wholesale and the Archdiocese of St. Louis Celebrate Catholic Schools Week
Catholic
school families are invited to an Open House at the 301 Highland
Boulevard location (corner of Manchester and Highway 141) on Wednesday,
February 3, from 4:00 - 8:00 pm. Non-members may shop for merchandise,
purchase new memberships with special incentives, and are eligible for
door prizes. Print the Costco flyer on the front page of Fast Direct, as this is needed to sign in.
Celebrate Catholic Schools
Join
neighborhood Catholic schools for a night of family fun on the ice and
donate canned goods for a food pantry. We are asking your assistance to
help stock a local food pantry. Please bring one canned good per person
or per family to the rink. While we are having fun in the cold, there
are many who are without a home and/or food in this cold weather.
Where: Steinberg Skating Rink in Forest Park
When: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Cost: $6.00 (per person) – payable at rink (Steinberg accepts cash only, but an ATM machine is on the premises.)
Skating, Rental, and Hot Chocolate
Light Up the Night During Catholic Schools Week
Various
activities are being planned for the children at school for Catholic
Schools Week, January 31 through February 6. Families and parishioners
are invited to show their support for Catholic Schools by lighting
candles outdoors from 5:00 - 9:00 pm each evening during the week. Join
in purchasing vigil candles that burn for 72 hours and placing them on
your sidewalk, porch, or window (in the event of rain). These will be
sold, two for $5, beginning January 19 in the School Office and in
Church the weekend of January 23 and 24. Or, print the Candle form from the front page of Fast Direct and send it to school.
Extended Care Session II
The program for the second semester will begin the week of February 8.
Currently, classes in cooking, karate, and photography are confirmed
with the possibility for a fine arts and soccer class as well.
Convent to Classrooms
Auction 2010
The St. Ambrose Auction for 2010 will be held on November
13, 2010. The theme of the 2010 auction is “Convent to
Classrooms.” The proceeds will be used to offset the costs
of converting the convent space to classrooms. The Apostles of the
Sacred Heart, still committed to St. Ambrose as a mission, have moved
out of the St. Ambrose School building, and are now residing in a home
near the Sacred Heart Villa. The move was essential for the updating
and extra space needed by our students and learning environments. Since
the auction date is 11/13, the school office will be encouraging
donations on the
11th and 13th of each month. We are accepting items now. Donation forms
are in the office. Just fill out the donation contract and attach it to
your gift. Thank you in advance for
your generosity.
|
 Volunteer
Opportunities |
Top |
Can You Spare Some Time Over
Lunch?
We
are in need of parent volunteers for lunch/recess, hours are 10:50 -
12:40. Please remember that you must have completed Protecting God's
Children and the associated paperwork. Please contact Bernadette Mense
via Fast Direct if you can help.
|
 In
the Classroom |
Top |
JA BizTown: 5th Grade
The 5th graders participated in the Junior Achievement Biz Town program
this year. The JA Biz Town introduces students to the free
enterprise system through classroom instruction and active
participation in a simulated community. Students complete four
weeks of classroom instruction prior to visiting JA Biz Town.
Every student learns economic concepts related to banking, business,
citizenship, competition, work-readiness, quality, ethics, and
competition. During this one-day experience, students run various
sponsored businesses, receive paychecks, open bank accounts, and have
the opportunity to become consumers by making purchases in student-run
businesses within JA Biz Town. Students utilize teambuilding,
critical thinking, and problem-solving skills as they actively strive
to run a successful business at JA Biz Town.
The fifth graders had a great time doing this.
At the end of the visit to J Biz Town, they provide the school with
feedback on the experience they had with the children. The JA
feedback was all positive and they went on to state: “the kids
were extremely polite, spoke well in a large group setting, cooperated
in businesses and were actively engaged in the learning process as they
experienced being consumers and employees for the work day. Our
JA staff could tell
Middle School
In Social Studies, the 6th grade has just finished Renaissance Man
Resumes, The 7th grade recently completed Lewis and Clark Journals and
a propaganda poster project on American Imperialism. Many Social
Studies projects will be on display at Open House.
8th grade: We are beginning the play The Diary of Anne Frank. Students have chosen a character from the play and will be writing diary entries as their character.
7th grade: Students are working on different types of expository writing and reading selections from their Literature anthology.
8th Grade - Creating Newton Scooters; vehicles that move without using gravity or power source
7th Grade - Presenting on a genetic disorders due to mutations or deletion of chromosomes
| Awards
and Achievements |
Top |
|
 Miscellaneous |
Top |
Increase The Return to St.
Ambrose when Shopping at Schnucks
Through November 10, use your Schnucks eScrip card and when you
purchase select Kraft items, and St. Ambrose can earn an extra 3% of
the purchase price! View the web
page for details.
Yearbook Photos
Mrs. McQuay has set up the website for students, parents, and teachers
to submit yearbook photos online directly to Jostens. The Jostens Photo
Submission Website is images.jostens.com;
the user id is 400005642 and the password is "onthehill."
St.
Ambrose Nights at Mr. B's
Eat
at Mr. B's on the first and third Thursday of the month and St. Ambrose
receives 10% of your purchase. Be sure to mention "St. Ambrose Night"
to your server.
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!
You can find St. Ambrose Catholic
School (St. Louis, MO) listed in WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR? You can
also view how much money has currently been raised.
Here are three keys to substantially increasing the money you earn:
1. Remind everyone to begin their holiday shopping at GoodShop.
2. Ask your local businesses to buy their office supplies on your
behalf via GoodShop. All of the top stores including Staples,
OfficeDepot and OfficeMax are on-board!
3. Ask all of your supporters to download the new GoodSearch/GoodShop
Toolbar to ensure that every search and purchase count!
While you're surfing, be sure to also
visit the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Website at www.ascjus.org.
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.
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!
Tuition Grant Applications Now Available
Please be advised that the FACTS Tuition Grant Applications through the
Archdiocese of St. Louis for the 2010-11 school year are now available.
Two methods are available for filing: completing the paper application
OR filing online. The website is www.factstuitionaid.com.
The deadline to file is APRIL 1, 2010. You can pick up an application
Monday through Friday from the Rectory or from Msgr. Bommarito after
one of the weekend masses. If you are experiencing financial hardship,
please complete this application.
Thank you,
Msgr. Bommarito
Donna Bosch
St. Ambrose Leadership
Please reference the following lists to identify individuals
participating in the promotion, advisory, and community building of St.
Ambrose School. Click the links for more specific descriptions of each
group.
Marketing Committee
Katie Brennan
JoAnn Buckley
Tim Curtain
Chris Felt
Sharon Gambaro
Debbie Hilderbrand
Jill Jovanovic
Maggie Nikoli
Sr. Carol Sansone
Karen Sinak
PTO Board
Lisa DiPaolo, President
Marsy Canino
Sarah Chavez
Sharon Gambaro
Tracy Hill
Michele Keller
Bernadette Mense
Ann Oliver
Peggy Pancella
Toni Paulus
Mary Ellen Stephens
School Board
Fr. Vince Bommarito, Pastor
Katie Brennan, Marketing
Joseph Colagiovanni, Vision
Derio Gambaro, Alumni
Rob Liddy, Finance
Mike Mense, President
Sr. Carol Sansone, Principal
Karen Sinak, Vice President
Jim Summers, Parent Liaison
Brian Ward, Technology
Wes Yates, Legal
Extended
Care Enrichment Program
Click
for more information on the Extended
Care Enrichment Program.
PTO
Special Lunch
To
thank the neighborhood restaurants for their support and to share their
wonderful cuisine with our students, PTO invites them to provide lunch
to our students. Each month features a different restaurant and
selection. The
cost is the same as last year, $4 for grades K-4, $5 for grades 5-8 and
teachers/staff. Watch for
the order form for these lunches at home and return to the office with
your payment. Please note
that Chris' will not be served on these days.
Hot
Lunch Program Procedures
- Lunch
cards are $15.00 for 5 lunches.
- Every
child buying lunch must have a lunch card before getting in line. Money
will not be accepted in the lunch line. Please make checks payable to
Chris' Pancake & Dining. Special envelopes are
available in the office.
- Students
who forget their lunch will be given cereal and milk that will cost
1.00. Parents will be notified through Fast Direct.
- Snacks
such as pizza, nachos, cereal will be available to buy for students in
grades 3-8.
- A
lunch count is essential in the morning, so there is no food waste and
the students who come through last have a proper lunch. We will not
prepare for extra lunches this year.
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
| Grade |
Teacher |
| K |
Maria Foster |
| |
Jennifer Smith |
| 1 |
Mary Lynne Harris |
| 2 |
Jennifer O'Toole |
|
Margaret Rotter |
| 3 |
Emily Elmore |
|
Ann Grandstaff |
| 4 |
Anne Henning |
|
Sr. Margaret Mary
Stoverink |
| 5 |
Judy King |
|
Kathy McIver |
| Brigid 301 |
Mary Scherer |
| Catherine 302 |
Kate Black |
| David 304 |
Debbie Hilderbrand |
| Thomas 303 |
Jen Ronzio |
| Vincent 305 |
Erin Schaeffer |
| Michael 306 |
Shanna Kar |
| Art |
JoAnn Dreas |
| Computer |
Debbie Hilderbrand |
| Learning Consultant, K-4 |
Michele Grellner |
| Learning Consultant, 5-8 |
Lisa Horner |
| Physical Education |
Beth Brickey |
| Italian, K-8 |
Annunciata Buzzai |
| Principal |
Sr. Carol Sansone |
| Office |
Hilma Moses |
| Office |
Linda Gambaro |
| Extended Care |
Bernadette Mense |
Middle School homerooms
are made up of our house teams. We think this will help promote
relationships within the team and with their team moderator. Houses, moderators, and
colors are:
Michael House: Mrs. Kar (red)
Brigid House: Mrs. Scherer (green)
David House: Mrs. Hilderbrand (orange)
Vincent House: Mrs. Schaeffer (yellow)
Catherine House: Mrs. Black (purple)
Thomas House: Mrs. Ronzio (blue)
Calendar
News
Reference