Mrs. Ambrosio
Mrs. Rachel Ambrosio, Principal

“Wherever God Places, God Graces.”

Msgr. Royal

Dear Parents,

Last June, as I sat at my daughter Brooke’s 8th grade graduation from Saint Mary School, Monsignor Royal spoke the words above, and those words have stayed with me. Over the past three years of my journey at St. Catherine of Siena School in Trumbull, I have always prayed for the grace to do my job well and to serve the children and the community to the best of my ability. Now as I excitedly rejoin the Saint Mary School community, I am praying for the same grace, and I hope that you too will keep me in your prayers as we all make this transition.

I write this message to you today in hopes that it will help you come to know me. I feel that it is so important to know each child and family. That is what makes the Saint Mary School community so special. I look forward to knowing each of you and your children in the coming months.

My husband and I grew up in this area and have lived in Redding for the past 19 years. Though I did not attend Catholic school before university, all of my education post-high school has been in Catholic Institutions. My undergraduate work was at Boston College and my graduate work was at Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University. Two of our three children attended Saint Mary School, and we have been a part of the parish and the community since 2014. This fall our oldest son Matthew, SMS Class of 2016, will head back to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and our middle son, Nick, will begin his freshman year at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Both of our boys are graduates of Fairfield Prep where they played hockey. Our youngest, Brooke, SMS Class of 2021, will be a sophomore at Joel Barlow High School in Redding and is a field hockey player. Our family is active. We enjoy sports and the outdoors. We live adjacent to over 250 acres of trails in Redding, so I hike my dog, Bogey daily. My husband is an avid golfer and regularly plays in the SMS Golf Tournament. I enjoy cooking, reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. I am fortunate to have my parents and two of my siblings living in the area so we are able to spend a lot of time together. As the oldest of 15 grandchildren, I spent most of my childhood and young adult life around my younger siblings and cousins. I think that this is what led me to pursue a career in education. I cannot imagine my life without the joy of working with children.

Before my position at St. Catherine’s in Trumbull, I was the owner and director of the Montessori School of Redding in Redding where I also began and taught the toddler program. I started my career teaching fifth grade in Newtown and in Wilton before having children. I also spent many years tutoring children in elementary school through high school so I have a range of experience working with children of all ages in their educational journey.

My work at the preschool allowed me the flexibility to spend time volunteering in my own children’s classrooms. It was during that time that I began subbing at SMS and that inspired by Mrs. O’Rourke, I decided to pursue my own certification in educational leadership. I even did my internship under Mrs. O’Rourke. Returning to Saint Mary School is like coming home for me. My heart has always been here, and I am so looking forward to working with your children and the amazing SMS staff as well as Msgr Royal and Fr. Lomnitzer.

I will be in touch throughout the summer to check-in and share any updates relevant to the start of school. Feel free to email me at ambrosior@smsridgefield.org if you have any questions or thoughts you would like to share. I look forward to a wonderful school year with your children and the SMS community.

 

God Bless,

Rachel Ambrosio

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