Rocket Report – Friday, December 10, 2021
Dear Parents/Guardians,
The past week has been one of preparation. Our teachers have been busy preparing our students for final exams next week, and our prospective students are anxiously preparing for the High School Placement Test on Saturday. Students received class lists and had the opportunity to meet with their deans of studies to prepare for second semester. I would bet that many of us have also begun the preparation for the holiday shopping and gift-giving season. But, most importantly, we are in the Advent season where we prepare for the birth of Christ. In the merry busy-ness of our days, may we be ever mindful of Catherine McAuley’s words: “Generosity is not in bestowing gifts…but in bestowing ourselves most freely and relying with unhesitating confidence on the Providence of God.”
HEALTHY AT SCHOOL: To keep our families informed of how COVID is affecting our school, we will continue reporting our COVID cases each week via the Rocket Report.
- Since the start of the school year, we have had 38 total COVID cases
- This week (reporting since 12/3/2021 and including today) there was one new COVID case – which is a student.
Mask Mandate: As we mentioned in our prior communication, AHS will be moving between being mask optional and mandating masks depending on the circumstances, and we will review the situation on a weekly basis and make a determination regarding masks for the following week.
After assessing the situation within our school and also greater Louisville community, AHS will move to a mask mandate next week due to the surge in COVID cases in Jefferson County, a rise in illness overall at our school including seven cases of the flu in the past week, and to help keep your daughter healthy during exam week and as she heads into the holidays. We haven’t experienced any flu cases since last year and in light of the above, this would be a good time for your daughter to receive a flu shot if she hasn’t already.
In addition, AHS will also adopt a “buffer period” after Christmas break. Masks will be required the first week back – which is January 4-January 8.
Our AHS Healthy at School policy has been updated to include our Test to Stay Program. You can view the entire Healthy at School protocol here.
As always, we are grateful to our parents and our students for their continued commitment and cooperation as we continue to navigate the many phases of this pandemic.
CALENDAR NOTES:
- BEFORE- AND AFTER-SCHOOL SUPERVISION ON EXAM DAYS: Final exams will take place Tuesday, December 14 – Friday, December 17 from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. each day. Before-school supervision will be provided in the cafeteria as usual beginning at 7:15 a.m. each day, and FLIK will be selling a variety of breakfast items from 8:00-9:00 a.m. each day during exams. Please note: there will be no after-school supervision in the cafeteria on these days. Please make arrangements for your daughter to be picked up each day after exams by 12:30 p.m.
- VERY IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT STUDENT PICK-UP ON EXAM/EARLY DISMISSAL DAYS: We have had some complaints about parents picking up their daughters in the parking lot in the shopping plaza at the corner of Bardstown Road and Lancashire (next to Frank Otte Nursery) where the State Farm office is located. Please do not use this shopping center as a pick up site for your daughter – even on early dismissal days. If you would like to pick up your daughter off site, we have worked out an arrangement with Gardiner Lane Shopping Center and their lot is available for Assumption parents to park and wait for a short time. If you choose to pick up your daughter at Gardiner Lane Shopping Center, please park facing Bardstown Road and away from the stores to free up those spaces for customers. Also please do not park and wait in the parking lots of the small businesses along Bardstown Road, at Strathmoor Presbyterian Church or St. Raphael Church. It’s important that we continue to have a good relationship with our neighbors and we ask parents to do their part by honoring our local businesses’ requests to not use their lots.
- CHRISTMAS BREAK: Assumption will be closed for Christmas Break from December 20 – January 3. Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 4.
CAMPUS MINISTRY:
- PARENT PRAYER: The Parent Prayer group will not meet next week due to the altered schedule for exams. Parent Prayer will resume its weekly schedule on Tuesday, January 11, at 8:30 a.m. in the AHS chapel. All are welcome!
- MINDFULNESS OPPORTUNITY FOR PARENTS & FAMILIES: The Earth and Spirit Center has put the finishing touches on their new Winter/Spring Semester of courses and workshops. Consider taking one of many mindfulness classes to start or continue a practice, help with stress resilience, and rejuvenate you. They are offering mindfulness courses for parents and families. Some courses are even offered for free! For more information on these offerings, click here.
SECOND SEMESTER SCHEDULES: Hard copies of the second semester schedules will be given to students during homeroom on Tuesday January 4. Students will have homeroom scheduled first on this day. Students will need to report to homeroom FIRST when they return to school. Students have already had the opportunity to meet with their deans with any scheduling questions. Drop/Add for second semester elective courses ends on Friday, January 14. Any elective schedule change request must be accompanied by a note from a parent and any necessary teacher signatures and recommendations.
SECOND SEMESTER BOOKS: Christmas break is a good time to check and make sure students have all of their second semester books. Please go to https://bnck-12.com/ahsrockets to review this list.
FIRST SEMESTER GRADE REPORTS: First semester grade reports will be emailed to parents on Tuesday, January 4.
UNIFORM UPKEEP: We have asked the girls to take care of any uniform issues over Christmas break. Skirts have started to get shorter and hems are falling. Also, please make sure she has the official AHS uniform sweater or quarter-zip sweatshirt to wear over her uniform shirt in these colder months. Additionally, black leggings or tights are allowed to be worn, so those might make great Christmas gifts for your daughter. Please assist your daughter in evaluating her current uniform status and take care of any uniform upkeep so that we can start off second semester as well as we did first semester. We sincerely appreciate your help and cooperation!
DRIVING PERMIT TEST FORM: Kentucky requires that your daughter obtains a School Compliance Form from her high school for her to take the driving permit test. If your daughter is planning to take her permit test over the Christmas break and she has not obtained this form, please contact the school before Friday, December 17, at 4:00 p.m. The office will not open again until Tuesday, January 4, at 7:00 a.m., so please plan ahead to obtain this form to ensure your daughter can take her test at her scheduled time. Per DMV requirements, this form cannot be emailed, scanned or faxed; therefore, the original copy will need to be mailed or picked up at school. Please call 502-458-9551, option ”0” if you need further assistance regarding this issue before Friday, December 17.
EXAM SCHEDULE: First semester exams will be held from Tuesday, December 14, to Friday, December 17. The schedule for exams is listed below. We will begin each day at 9:15 a.m. and dismiss at 12:15 p.m. Before-school supervision will be provided in the cafeteria as usual beginning at 7:15 a.m. each day, and FLIK will be selling a variety of breakfast items from 8:00-9:00 a.m. each day during exams. Please note: there will be no after-school supervision in the cafeteria on these days. Please make arrangements for your daughter to be picked up each day after exams by 12:30 p.m. Please note: Our building will close at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 15, for a faculty/staff luncheon.
Tuesday, December 14
A Block: 9:15 – 10:40
B Block: 10:55 – 12:15 (dismissal)
Wednesday, December 15
C Block: 9:15 – 10:40
D Block: 10:55 – 12:15 (dismissal)
Thursday, December 16
E Block: 9:15 – 10:40
F Block: 10:55 – 12:15 (dismissal)
Friday, December 17
G Block: 9:15 – 10:40
*H Block: 10:55 – 12:15 (dismissal)
*Students who have H block STUDY on their schedule may leave at 10:40 on Friday (after the G block exam period) if they would like. Those who choose to stay will need to report to Room 142 where they will be supervised until dismissal at 12:15 p.m.
ABSENCE DURING EXAMS & MAKE-UP EXAMS: In light of the pandemic, if your daughter is sick on an exam day, please contact the school nurse for consultation as usual to determine if a medical release is required. Makeup exams will be given on Thursday and Friday, December 16-17, beginning at 12:30 p.m. and Monday, December 20, at 9:00 a.m. in Room 204.
STUDY GROUP OPPORTUNITIES DURING EXAM WEEK: The Achievement Center is inviting all students to attend mid-term study groups during exam week. They will be hosting four days of before- and after-school study groups in the Media Center for any subject during exam week. Students can form their own study group or come to work independently. An RSVP is required, so students need to email Mrs. Conway to reserve a table. Study sessions will take place on Monday, December 13, from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.; Tuesday, December 14, from 12:15 to 2:30 p.m.; Wednesday, December 15, from 7:30-9:00 a.m.; and Thursday, December 16, from 12:15 – 2:30 p.m. Snack bags will be provided. Please encourage your daughters to take advantage of this opportunity if needed.
FLIK LUNCH ACCOUNT BALANCES: Please take a moment to review your daughter’s FLIK lunch account balance at www.myschoolbucks.com. You can add money to her account through myschoolbucks.com or bring a check to the school office/cafeteria mailbox. Email notifications have been going out to parents whose daughters currently have a low or negative balance. Please be aware that the notifications will come from either myschoolbucks.com (if you have it set up to automatically notify you of a low balance), or they will come from flik@ahsrockets.org or Victoria.Gavin@compass-usa.com
FINANCIAL AID FORM: The financial aid link for 2022-2023 has been added to the school’s website. The due date is January 31, 2022, and the form must be submitted online to FACTS Grant and Aid Assessment. FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION LINK. As a reminder, you are required to file every year to receive assistance.
LEAD & LEARN UPDATE: During LEAD & Learn time this week, students participated in activities in the areas of direction and engagement. On Monday, sophomores, juniors, and seniors participated in career day preparation while freshmen heard speeches from students in their homerooms who were running for class officer or Family Council member. Tuesday, all students took part in targeted activities for their classes on Alumnae Career Day. Thursday and Friday, students alternated between class meeting and homeroom activities. In homeroom, they were led in activities by homeroom leaders designed to help them close out the semester in a fun and connective way.
ROCKET PARENT NETWORK (RPN) NEWS: If you ordered an RPN Parent Directory or are a first-year RPN member who receives a complimentary parent directory, we want to let you know that the directories have been distributed in homeroom to your daughter. If you did not receive your directory, please contact KIM STEINKE.
ASSUMPTION PARENT ORGANIZATION (APO) NEWS – ROCKET SPECTACULAR SPONSOR OPPORTUNITIES: We are excited for our 41st Annual Rocket Spectacular Benefit Dinner and Auction on Saturday, January 29, 2022. All proceeds benefit the financial needs of our students, and there are many ways you can support this effort! Donations Needed: We are currently collecting donations for our live and silent auctions. In the past, donors have asked if there are any specific items that were needed, or if they could purchase and donate. For this reason, and to simplify the process, we have created a “WISH LIST” on Amazon. Please know that all donations will be graciously accepted. https://bit.ly/AHSWishList22 Any questions, contact Tricia Ferree: tricia.ferree@ahsrockets.org
FAIR TRADE SHOPPING WEEK: The Environmental Concerns Committee is hosting a fair-trade shopping week at Just Creations, 2722 Frankfort Avenue, from December 13 to December 18. The ECC will receive 15% of any sales during that time if you mention at checkout that you are part of the Assumption High School community. Join the ECC as they support a store that not only protects the rights and dignity of workers but also strives for environmental sustainability!
CAMPUS STORE CHRISTMAS HOURS: The Assumption Campus Store is a great place to shop for your favorite Rocket! Stop by during our regular hours, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., or on the dates listed below. We also have an online store with shipping and local pickup available. Please note that all online Christmas orders must be placed by the following dates: Custom – November 29, shipping & in-store pickup – December 15. All orders must be picked up by December 17. Additional Christmas holiday hours will be:
- Saturday, December 11, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Placement Test)
- Saturday, December 18, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (holiday hours)
- Monday, December 20, 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. (holiday hours)
Gratefully,
Martha Tedesco
Principal