The St. Ambrose approach to learning is to cultivate in the students the discipline of self-activity, so that they may permanently possess an interest and confidence in mastering whatever they set themselves to achieve. Read on for the details on how this is accomplished!

St. Ambrose Academy – a Catholic School

Without question, the Board, faculty, and students of St. Ambrose Academy accomplish their various purposes by putting their efforts in the hands of God. We place the success of our school under the protection of the Holy Spirit and our patron, St. Ambrose.

Do the students receive the sacraments regularly?
St. Ambrose students attend Friday morning Masses at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish with Msgr. Donn Heiar. St. Ambrose boys serve at funeral Masses when there is a need. Bishop Morlino has assigned Father Tim Uhen to St. Ambrose Academy as our Spiritual Director. Father Uhen joins Msgr. Heiar in nourishing our students with the sacramental life of the Church. Once a week students may take advantage of Father Tim’s visits to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and an opportunity to talk about their faith one-on-one. “Spiritual direction with Fr. Tim is invaluable,” said one student. “Padre Pio recommended frequent confession. Through weekly communion and confession, the school is growing closer to God, and its students have that many more opportunities for growth in holiness.” Another student commented, “One of the things I like about Saint Ambrose is that it makes time for Mass. This starts the day well.” St. Ambrose is also blessed to have the support of several priests who celebrate special Masses and the sacrament of confession for our students in other settings, including at our annual School Retreat.

What role does prayer and devotion play in the school day?
Each school day begins and ends with prayer. Students pray Morning Prayer from the Magnificat each school morning. They begin the lunch break with the Angelus. To close the school day, they pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and then pray in silence before the Blessed Sacrament. St. Ambrose faculty sign a profession of faith to the Catholic Church.

Is admission open only to Catholics?
The mission of this school is to serve Catholics, but non-Catholics that accept the teaching of the Catholic Church, as presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, are also welcome to apply.

What is the relationship between St. Ambrose and the Diocese of Madison?
St. Ambrose Academy is a lay initiative that operates with the permission of the Bishop. During the 2003-2004 school year, we worked successfully with the Diocese to gain formal recognition as a Catholic school operating within the Diocese. This recognition was granted in Spring 2004.

A Stimulating Environment

St. Ambrose Academy is located in the St. Thomas Aquinas Parish education wing. The parish setting allows easy access to the sacraments and Eucharistic adoration. We are just a few blocks east of the beltline on Old Sauk Road.

What makes it work?
St. Ambrose Academy maintains small classes, so that each student receives personal attention and accelerates at his own pace. The student masters the tools of learning through a routine of instruction and independent work.

Latin & Senior High Religion teacher: "Quid est veritas?"

The most important element in the approach of our school is the teaching staff. We recruit teachers who are familiar with a wide range of subjects in an integrated fashion so that they can emphasize common themes throughout the day. Literature can be placed within its historical context. The study of History is no longer separated from Salvation History. Faith and Reason thereby emerge as complementary and interdependent, not conflicting and separate. Our Latin & Senior High Religion teacher points out one of the characteristics of an 'integral' education: "One of the greatest assets of St. Ambrose is how much the different areas interact with and compliment each other. In Latin we talk about History class; in Religion we use our Latin. In this way no subject is an isolated discipline unto itself. The students can really appreciate how their education is working to form their intellect, not just teach them various facts from different classes."

Accreditation
Under our arrangement with the Diocese, we have already begun making arrangements to receive accreditation with an accrediting organization approved by the Office of Catholic Schools. Accreditation means the School is operated in accordance with certain guidelines promulgated by the accrediting institution; it reassures institutions, government agencies, and parents of the quality of a school's academic program.

"St. Ambrose students come prepared to learn - you could say that if there is peer pressure, it is to take education seriously." - Deb K., St. Ambrose parent

Preparing Our Graduates for the Future
We are in communication with admissions officers at the University of Wisconsin and other colleges and universities so that our graduates assemble impressive college applications packets. St. Ambrose exposes its students to a variety of regular and rigorous standardized testing. Our course descriptions indicate the truly excellent academic experiences that prepare St. Ambrose graduates for any college or university

Homework
Students should expect to take some assignments home, especially reading and writing, but our teachers work together to limit homework to two hours a night on average for high school students, and less than that for junior high students.

Dress Code
The St. Ambrose dress code ensures that students are not distracted by the fashion statements of the day. Our simple dress code helps maintain school spirit and the dignity of the person, discouraging peer pressure. We foster reverence and respect through appropriate dress.

St. Ambrose student at our annual recital, performing passages from St. Francis of Assisi

It's Worth the Sacrifice
"St. Ambrose has the magic of the small, mission-driven private school. Each teacher, parent and student feels this common sense of mission. The fact that everyone has chosen this school and made sacrifices to be there is reflected in the atmosphere. St. Ambrose has found highly qualified teachers who want to be there. These are the things that give us confidence about entrusting our child to St. Ambrose." – Deb K., St. Ambrose parent