Friday, August 28, 2020

Dear Parents/Guardians, 

It was so good to see our sophomores, juniors, and seniors this week both in-person and virtually for their class orientations. We are now ready to begin our full hybrid implementation next week!   

As part of our commitment to each other to be Healthy at Assumption this semester, please be sure to take your daughter’s temperature each morning and check for any new symptoms PRIOR to bringing her to school:  fever (100.4 or above), chills, uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, severe headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or any exposure to a COVID-19 case in the prior 48-hour period.  To help us all get in the habit of this new daily routine, please print out this DAILY HEALTH ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST to post in a prominent part of your home as a morning reminder! 

In addition to the above, and in order to help stop the spread of COVID-19, parents are required to notify our school nurse if their daughter: 

  • has tested positive for COVID-19, or 
  • suspects she may have COVID-19, or 
  • has been exposed to someone with COVID-19; or    
  • undergoes testing because she has COVID-like symptoms or has been advised by her health care provider to undergo testing.   

In each of these situations, the student should not come to school.  Parents should contact our school nurse, Laura Burnam, for further direction and guidance regarding when their daughter can safely return to school.  Mrs. Burnam can be reached at 271-2507 or laura.burnam@ahsrockets.org. 

Furthermore, as part of our Healthy at Assumption policies, students who have a fever or are experiencing any COVID-like symptoms should stay at home and refrain from coming to school. Again, parents must contact our school nurse for further direction. Students will have the ability to attend school virtually in any of the situations outlined above if they are well enough to do so.  We recommend that you take some time and read through our full STUDENT REPORTING AND RETURN TO SCHOOL POLICY UNDER COVID. We know that no one wants or intends to catch coronavirus.  Please don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed to report.  This is not about passing judgment but about all of us working together to keep our community safe, which allows for in-person instruction to continue.   

As you may know, Governor Beshear began posting the number of COVID-19 positive cases at schools throughout Kentucky. For those interested in seeing this data, it is available on the State’s COVID-19 website (kycovid.19.gov) under K-12 Schools Public Health Report tab.  As of yesterday, the State has reported six COVID positive cases at Assumption High School.  It’s important to understand that none of these individuals contracted the virus while at Assumption.  All of these cases are related to off-campus social activities and occurred before the start of school. Only one individual ever came to our campus – before she knew she had been exposed and had tested positive.  That is the reason for the notification that you received this past week alerting you to the fact that someone who was COVID positive was on our campus.   

Please know that Assumption is working diligently to minimize the risk of spreading the virus on our campus.  We have developed and implemented numerous health and safety policies and procedures as well as made significant building modifications to combat the spread of the disease.  We are asking parents and students to do their part.  Talk to your daughter about the importance of good hygiene, wearing a mask, and practicing physical distancing wherever she goes, and, most important, to limit her socializing outside of school.    

IMPORTANT NOTE: COHORT GROUPS NOW HAVE NAMES: Since our cohort groups will no longer be strictly alphabetical moving forward, we will begin referring to the A-K (beginning of the week; Monday/Tuesday) group as the MAROON COHORT and the L-Z (end of the week; Thursday/Friday) group as the BLUE COHORT.  If you consult the Weekly Schedules on page 7 of the REOPENING & LEARNING PLAN – STUDENT EDITION, the boxes indicating in-person days for each cohort are in corresponding colors.   

CALENDAR NOTES FOR NEXT WEEK:  

DAILY SCHEDULE:  On Monday, we begin our full hybrid implementation with the schedule below: 

  • Monday, August 31 – Day 1: In-Person – Maroon Cohort, Virtual at Home – Blue Cohort 
  • Tuesday, September 1 – Day 2:  In-Person – Maroon Cohort, Virtual at Home – Blue Cohort 
  • Wednesday, September 2 – LEAD & Learn Wednesday:  All Cohorts Digital at Home 
  • Thursday, September 3 – Day 3: In-Person – Blue Cohort, Virtual at Home – Maroon Cohort 
  • Friday, September 4 – Day 4:  In-Person – Blue Cohort, Virtual at Home – Maroon Cohort 

MANDATORY PARENT ORIENTATION MEETINGS:  Parents are expected to attend an orientation meeting specific to their daughter’s class. This year, the orientation sessions will be done virtually via Zoom.  Parents will be emailed the link prior to the meeting date.  The orientations will last about an hour.  Please note the dates below. 

  • Sophomore Parent Orientation:  Tuesday, September 1 – 6:30 p.m. 
  • Junior Parent Orientation:  Wednesday, September 2 – 6:30 p.m. 
  • Senior Parent Orientation:  Thursday, September 3 – 6:30 p.m. 
  • LEAD & Learn WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE – September 2:  As indicated in our Reopening and Learning Plan, LEAD & Learn Wednesdays are designed to provide for asynchronous learning as well as to provide activities to meet the emotional, spiritual, whole-person needs of our students through intentional and creative planning for the activities and experiences that are a hallmark of an Assumption High School value-based education.  This week’s LEAD & Learn Wednesday will include independent learning time for students, class meetings, guidance orientations for freshmen, and our Opening School Prayer Service.  Counselors will send detailed schedules to students for their individual class schedules.    

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL REMINDERS:  

  • TIME: The school day begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 2:50 p.m.  
  • DROP-OFF:  The building opens to students at 7:55 a.m. If your daughter is being dropped off at school, please plan to have her arrive at the time you indicated in the parent survey (7:55 -8:10 a.m. or 8:10-8:25 a.m.).  Students dropped off in the carpool lane should enter through the CAC doors. Even though the tardy bell doesn’t ring until 8:30, your daughter needs to be in the building no later than 8:25 if she is going to go through the temperature scanner, get her wristband, and follow the one-way hallway requirements and be in her first block classroom by 8:30.  
  • TARDY STUDENTS: All students who are tardy or otherwise arrive late to school must enter the building via the main entrance on Tyler Lane. A staff member will meet them there, make sure they are wearing masks before they enter the building, scan their temperatures, and provide them with wristbands before sending them on to class. 
  • PICK-UP:  We will have a staggered dismissal from 2:50-3:00 p.m.  Students who drive and walk to school will be dismissed first and those who will be picked up in the carpool lane will be dismissed last. Since those being picked  up from the carpool lane won’t even start exiting the building until 3:00 p.m., those who are picking them up are encouraged to wait to come pick them up until 3:10-3:15 to allow some of the traffic to clear and avoid wasting time and resources sitting in traffic on Bardstown Road. 
  • REQUESTED BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL SUPERVISION: Parents who requested an exception for early drop off can drop off beginning at 7:15 a.m. Students must enter the school building through the courtyard cafeteria door. Before school supervision will take place in the cafeteria. Parents who have requested after school supervision must pick up their daughters no later than 4:30 p.m.  After school supervision will also take place in the cafeteria. 

TRAFFIC FLOW AND CARPOOL PROCEDURES REMINDER:  Please use this link to carefully review important information about our CARPOOL PROCEDURES AND TRAFFIC FLOW. When dropping your daughter off in the morning, please pull up as far as you can (without hitting the car in front of you, of course!) before stopping; as soon as you stop the car, your daughter needs to exit the vehicle and walk alongside the gym to enter via the CAC doors. In the morning, you need to stay in the carpool line even after your daughter gets out of the car and proceed to exit to Tyler Lane as the line moves on. In the afternoon, after your daughter and any other students who ride with you are in the car, very carefully pull out of the carpool line and proceed to exit to Tyler Lane; after a car pulls out of the carpool line, the cars behind it keep moving up toward the front of the line—this will allow other drivers to move off of Bardstown Road and onto campus. Please pull up as far as you can before stopping for your daughter to get in the car; if you stop and leave a gap in front of you, that causes someone else to have to sit on Bardstown Road even longer.  

ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCES REMINDERS:   

  • All students (Hybrid and All Virtual) must be physically present either in a classroom or online via Microsoft Teams when the teacher takes attendance at the beginning of each class/study. With Microsoft Teams, students can both see and hear the teacher say their name, and they will be required to verbally confirm their presence unless the teacher directs them to do otherwise. Students who are not in the physical classroom or do not indicate their presence via Microsoft Teams will be marked absent.  
  • Hybrid students may opt to learn virtually from home on their in-person day if they are ill but still feel well enough to attend classes virtually. The student will not be marked absent, but a parent/guardian does need to notify the attendance office by 8:30 a.m. so we will know that she is not physically in the building as expected; we have a legal responsibility to know which students are in the building on any given day. 
  • If a Hybrid student is experiencing a possible COVID-19 symptom, she needs to stay home and learn virtually for the safety of others, and her parent/guardian must contact the school nurse for advice regarding next steps and the student’s eventual return to school. The student will not be marked absent as long as she is present virtually. This also applies to Hybrid students who are in quarantine. 
  • If a student is too ill to attend in-person or virtually, a parent/guardian must notify the attendance office by 8:30 a.m.  Attendance policies will be revised to accommodate illness due to coronavirus and concerns regarding the number of absences will be addressed on an individual basis.  If a student becomes too ill to continue during the school day when she is learning from home, the parent/guardian needs to contact the attendance office to let us know she will be absent for the remainder of the day. To encourage students to stay home when ill, the school will not include this year in the four-year perfect attendance recognition. 
  • Leaving school for an appointment on an in-person day is strongly discouraged. If a student must leave for an appointment, we ask that she not return to school physically for the remainder of that day but would encourage her to complete the day virtually from home. Whether learning in person or virtually, the parent/guardian needs to contact the attendance office to request the early dismissal and then to let us know when the student resumes her attendance virtually. 

PARENTS OF SENIORS AND JUNIORS WHO WILL BE DRIVING TO SCHOOL: Please make sure your daughter reviews the specific directions about how to access her on-campus parking spot provided with her parking tag.  In order to alleviate traffic congestion on Bardstown Road, students who park on the main campus may not enter from Bardstown Road in the morning.  All student drivers will enter from Tyler Lane by following their specific directions, even those who are parking in the St. Raphael lot. Your daughter may not drive to school/park in an AHS space unless she has been assigned a parking space and given a tag. It’s not too late for your daughter to get a parking spot if she did not apply for one before school started —please advise her to contact Mrs. Dusch in the main office after when she is ready to start driving to school on a regular basis and we’ll get her set up with a parking assignment. 

FRESHMAN PARENT ORIENTATION:  Thank you to our freshman parents who were able to attend the freshman parent orientation last night.  We are so grateful for your patience and flexibility as we dealt with a technical difficulty.  If you were unable to attend last night, please contact the freshman guidance counselor at abby.asfahl@ahsrockets.org. 

UPDATED LUNCH INFORMATION FROM FLIK:  Flik, our food service provider, has outlined the process for students and parents regarding ordering and serving lunch during the hybrid model phase of our school year.  Lunch services will begin on Monday, August 31.  Lunch orders must be submitted by 6:00 p.m. the day prior but can be ordered a week in advance through this link: www.flikisdining.com.  For full information about the lunch ordering process, please click on these links:  

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACCESSING LUNCH MENU AND ORDERING and ORDER MEALS FROM ANY DEVICE.  Flik Lunch Accounts:  MySchoolBucks, the company that handles the Flik online deposits, is accepting online payments now at www.myschoolbucks.com. All of the balances that were left from last year have been carried over to the new school year. If you plan to write a check for your daughter’s lunch account, please be sure to make the check payable to FLIK and to include your daughter’s name and ID number in the memo line, especially if your last name is different than your daughter’s. Your daughter can drop off the check in the cafeteria drop box during school hours.  Thanks for your help with this!  

STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS:  If you have not returned your daughter’s updated information sheet which please do so as soon as possible.  If you cannot locate the email regarding this, please contact kathy.fleischer@ahsrockets.org. 

ATHLETICS: Thank you to all fall sport participants and parents for your patience and understanding during tryouts this week. Because this season will look like no season we have ever seen before, here are a few things to be aware of as we begin our start to school and fall sports: 

  • Transportation to the Green for practice or games: In the past we have transported student athletes to the Green for contest or practices that began at 5:00 p.m. or before. Due to shortened practice, less practices per week, and keeping with the Healthy Return to Sports Guidelines, we are trying to schedule all games and practices to begin after 5:00 p.m. on school days. In the event we find a need to schedule events before 5:00 p.m., we will provide students transportation to the Green using the school bus or vans. We will provide a transportation schedule weekly in the Friday Rocket Reports. 
  • Storage for students’ sports and after school activities bags: In the past we had students store any additional bags or backpacks that are needed for after school activities in the locker rooms in the gymnasium. Keeping in line with the Healthy Return to Sports Guidelines, we are not using locker rooms until further notice. Therefore, if your daughter has a bag that needs to be stored during the school day, she should enter school through the CAC doors and follow the hallway to the gymnasium. Once inside, she can place her bag on the floor against the bleacher or on that bleacher to her right (St. Raphael side of the gymnasium). After the bell rings at the end of the day, she may make her way back to the gymnasium, retrieve her bag, and exit through the gymnasium doors to the parking lot. She may not return to her bag during the school day so remind her to place anything she needs for school in her purse/backpack or carry it with her separately; also, students should never leave money or valuables in their sports bags during the day. 

PARENT PRAYER BEGINS ON SEPTEMBER 1:  All AHS parents are invited to begin the day in prayer once a week on Tuesdays from 8:30-9:00 a.m. This year our prayer will take place across Tyler Lane in the McAuley Center chapel.  During these times, we pray for EACH student, faculty, and staff member at AHS by name while parents at Sacred Heart, Trinity, and St. Xavier share the same weekly prayer that we do.  Please join us every Tuesday or just any Tuesday you can make it!  No need to RSVP!  We will begin on Tuesday, September 1.  If you are unable to attend but would like the group to pray for a particular intention, please email it to our campus minister at MARY ANN STEUTERMANN. We hope you find comfort in knowing that we are praying for your intention even if you can’t be present.  A few specific directions for this school year: 

  • All parents will have their temperature taken upon entering.   
  • Everyone also has to complete the Visitor Health Screening Form.  It can be completed at home using this link or filled out on paper in the chapel after the temperature scan.  Even if parents take their temperatures at home and complete the form online, they still have to have a temperature check in the chapel.   
  • Everyone must sit at least six feet apart and wear masks the entire time. 
  • Parents should park in the AHS lot in a visitor space or in any open space.  Parking is no longer available at the McAuley Center itself, so parents will need to cross Tyler Lane from the AHS lot to enter the McAuley Center. 

FRESHMAN PARENT MASS – Each year we celebrate the beginning of your freshman daughter’s high school journey as a community of faith with our Freshman Parent Mass.  This special liturgy is scheduled for Sunday, September 13, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Raphael Catholic Church.  The church can host up to 200 people at this time.  In order to plan for appropriate social distancing, we need to know who plans to attend in person.  We also hope to have a live stream of the Mass available for those who wish to participate from home.  Freshman parents, please complete the Freshman Parent Mass RSVP by Friday, Aug. 28 so that we can prepare the best possible experience for you and your family.   

FROM THE GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT – FRESHMAN MANDATORY DRUG/ALCOHOL EDUCATION NIGHTS: Freshman Mandatory Drug/Alcohol Education Nights to be held on Zoom on Wednesday, September 9, and Monday, September 14. – Please plan now to attend one of our mandatory parent education programs. This is an important program designed to familiarize you with the school philosophy and policies in the area of drug and alcohol prevention.  We know that what parents say and do makes a difference in the choices their daughters make. At this meeting, you will hear from a local therapist from Innerview who will present vital information in the area of drug and alcohol prevention. It is a program that will be worth your time and attention. At least one freshman parent or guardian is required to attend. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom and will last approximately one hour. Please complete this Wufoo survey to sign up for the event and receive the Zoom link: https://assumption.wufoo.com/forms/pwtklw1162y5te/ 

MAIN OFFICE AVAILABILITY:  To adhere to state mandates in response to COVID-19 and to continue to keep our entire community safe and healthy, we are continuing to recommend that parents email or mail any school-related items instead of dropping them off at school.   Assumption’s Main Office will be open from 7:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday.  In line with Assumption’s Re-opening and Learning Plan, visitors to the school will continue to be limited.  Any visitor who has an appointment that requires them to come into the building should come to the Tyler Lane door, ring the buzzer, and will be met there.  Visitors must wear a mask, undergo a temperature scan, and complete a health screening before entering the building.  Please feel free to contact Amy Schelb at 502-458-9551, option 0, or email at amy.schelb@ahsrockets.org for questions regarding the above or if you need assistance during this time.   

Gratefully, 

Martha Tedesco 

Principal