Academic Enrichment

MAPS (Music, Art, PE, and Science lab)

In grades k-6, students have about 4-5 hours per week where they leave the classroom to learn in a hands-on environement.

Music– Students learn to sing and play instruments.  In the fall, we’re preparing for our December Traditional Christmas Concert which draws an audience of between 800 and 1000 each year.

Art– Students appreciate art every day, but on MAPS days, they work in our art studio learning the essentials of drawing, painting, and sculpting in the classical form.  Students work on the 7 elements of art (line, shape, form, value, texture, color, space) to better reproduce the works of the masters.

PE– Students participate in the Presidential Fitness program, as well as learn to dance and play numerous athletic games.

Science– Students learn science daily, but even our grammar students get to put on the safety glasses and do hands on experiments in our specialized grammar school lab.

Speech Meet

Each fall, every student in grades k-8 performs in a speech meet.  The competition begins in class in front of 3 judges.  Students can choose between famous oratory, poetry, or a story.  Each year, about 30-40 students advance from the classroom round with a superior rating.  These students compete in the semi-finals to determine which 8-10 will move on to the final exordium round.  Over the years, students advance their speaking voice and presence before entering our rhetoric school where they are further challenged to defend a thesis.  Our written and oral rhetoric track is one of the keystones of a classical education.  Shaping students’ abilities at a young age is of priceless importance. 

Parents notice the difference:  “One of the most valuable experiences the graduates will have, or already have, is a skill which carries much more in life, than a lot of other skills…it is a skill of public speaking. Our daughter, Caroline, presenting during 4H meetings, does far superiorly than 15 year olds from other schools…we can tell the difference.”  A Parent of a 4th Grader.

Homework Club

Families who would like a little extra help with homework can join this very affordable club which meets for one hour after school for grades k-6. Students can attend every day or selected days. Students work under the close supervision of adults and student tutors to focus on getting work done.  This is particularly helpful in Latin, math, and history when students exceed their parents’ knowledge.

Music & Drama

Basic Orchestra– grades 7 and up (6th by audition) for students with basic knowledge of their instrument.  This course prepares students for the general orchestra.

General and Honors Orchestras– From accompanying student choirs to the “super spy fly by” to Mozart, members of this orchestra learn to play in a variety of settings.

Jazz Band– Lead by musician Ancel Schoberg, this group varies in instruments every year, but they always bring down the house.

Devoveo Choir– An a capella choir that enjoys singing the classics and some peppered in variety. 

Chime Choir– Grades 2-8, in a choir of between 14 and 20, play Traditional Carols on our hand chimes.

PACE+

From 2007 through 2009, The Ambrose School began testing an  advanced cognitive development program called PACE.  The rigor of our program sometimes reveals cognitive function deficiencies in students that are preventing them from reaching their full potential.  While we do not generally provide special education services, we have found this program to be exceptionally effective at improving the speed of math and reading, memory, and multi-tasking.  We plan to fully roll out this program for the 2010-11 school year. 

• PACE is a pull-out program where students spend one hour of their day in intensive cognitive training using metronomes, physical activity, and other training customized for the student. 
• Our version of PACE also includes other programs that perform specific advantages, depending on the issues the student is encountering.