Lunches, Tennis, Strings Program, Scantron Testing, back to school info
Posted on August 5, 2016
Dear Parents:
How time flies! It seems a very short time ago that I was wishing you a pleasant summer, and in a few short weeks we will be welcoming back our wonderful students. A special welcome to all of our new families! You will find St. Ambrose a warm and welcoming community.
You will notice some physical changes to the facility due to our expanding preschool program, but the heart and spirit of St. Ambrose School remains the same. We have worked hard in the office this summer in preparation for the next school year. In order to help us we ask that you return all “back to school” forms as soon as possible. If for some reason you did not receive a “back to school” packet please stop by the school and pick one up. Forms are also available on the school website.
As I mentioned previously, we will be offering Smart Lunches on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays next year. You can create an account at www.smartlunches.com, and they will notify you when you can begin ordering. The first week of school (August 29-September 2) there will be no hot lunches. Students should bring a lunch from home that week. Hot lunches start after Labor Day. Please note that August 29 and September 2 are early dismissal days.
Lunchroom and Playground help wanted: With the new lunch program in place the process of serving lunches should be much easier. To that end we will have two people in the cafeteria each day. We have filled some slots, but we are looking for one person to work on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays (or any of those days). We are also looking for two people per day to support Mr. Hechinger for recess. Rather than do a sign-up for each day we would like to have a regular commitment to work on a particular day(s) for the year. If this is something that you are interested in, please contact me.
In an earlier email I sent information about the used uniform sale on Sunday, August 21. Please refer to that email for consigning or donating clothes, or helping on that day. Much gratitude to Mrs. Kelty for coordinating this. Also we have made some slight (and minor) changes to the dress code. Please see the attached.
Uniform information for the 2016-17 school year
This year our standardized testing will switch from Terra Nova testing to the new diocesan-mandated Scantron testing. This will be administered in September, January and May to Grades 3-7. This will be totally online and we were fortunate, with the help of our generous PTO, to update our laptops in preparation. I am attaching a brochure for parents, so that you have information about the process and hopefully have any questions answered. This is new for all of us, so I ask for your patience if there are any wrinkles!
A parent’s Guide to Performance Series by Scantron
Please read the following information regarding our tennis and new strings programs:
Tennis – From Mr. Burke: Good news. The second St. Ambrose Fall Tennis Program will start soon. There will be practices at Wakefield ReCenter 5-6.30 pm on the Fridays in September and October, starting September 9, and matches for grades 4-8 against other Diocese schools on Sunday afternoons, starting September 18. Beginners are welcome. The fee is $40 per participant, except for the third and later participants in a family for whom the fee is $25. For registration information, please contact Olaf Burke, the St. Ambrose Tennis Coordinator, at olaf.burke@verizon.net, or at (703)425-2062. Virtus compliant parents or high school siblings (who have no Virtus requirements) able to help coach are very welcome.
Strings – From Mr. Cho: Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Mr. David Cho, a professional cellist who is committed to bringing a rewarding and fulfilling musical experience to each one of your sons and daughters. Just a little more about myself: I am Director of the Orchestra at Gonzaga College High School and the strings program at St. Rita School in Alexandria, VA. I also work as a professional cellist in the DC area. Some of my highlights are performances for Ballet, Stage concerts, and Opera at the Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, National Gallery Orchestra, and several soloist appearances with different orchestras regionally. I would like to let you all know I’m excited to be starting a strings program program at St. Ambrose School in the fall. Thank you to all for showing an interest by filling out and submitting the survey below. I will be in touch with you all mid-August.
https://docs.google.com/a/stambroseschool.org/forms/d/1hVguSaLC_2fMjpexFBf8AO89F36KZCrk7wLwiVD6YBs/viewform?c=0&w=1
Have a great summer and I hope to see all of you in the fall,
Mr. Cho
I know that there is a lot of information in this email! I am really looking forward to seeing our students and getting back into a routine. Enjoy the rest of your summer, stay safe, and God bless you all.
Angela Rowley
“Christ is everything to us” – St. Ambrose
