September 16, 2022

Marketing and Admissions Manager, Kelsey Gunter

Each day I have the privilege to work alongside your daughters and share the Community of Assumption with prospective parents and students. A large part of my job in Marketing and Admissions is spent determining that “one thing” that influences a young woman to choose Assumption High School. While that “one thing” is often different for every student, there is usually a common denominator in a decision to attend Assumption: the shadow visit.

Assumption students fondly recall their shadow visits as seventh and eighth graders, sharing about the opportunities for classes and clubs, the welcoming atmosphere, and of course, the delicious lunch. With nearly 800 seventh and eighth grade students shadowing at Assumption each school year, it is our biggest recruitment tool and the best way for prospective students to experience what it is really like to be a member of the Community of Assumption.

As shadowing officially begins for this academic year, I invite our parents and guardians to share your Assumption knowledge with Future Rocket families in your life. You are our most influential ambassadors for the Assumption experience, and we ask that you encourage prospective students to schedule a shadow visit at Assumption High School.

If you are unfamiliar with the shadow process or can’t remember how it works, eighth-grade students may shadow right now, leading up to the High School Placement Test in December. Seventh-grade students may shadow starting in January. Prospective students can sign up for a shadow visit almost any date that school is in session by completing the shadow request form or by contacting the Marketing and Admissions team at 502-271-2514.

Every story I hear from an Assumption student or Rocket parent about the opportunities for academic success, extra-curricular involvement, or individual growth fuels my passion for what I do. Word of mouth is one of the most genuine ways to share the value of an Assumption education. Even if you don’t have a prospective student in your life, you do have your Assumption story, and we would love to hear it. If you have a story that you would like to share with us, please reach out to Kelsey.Gunter@ahsrockets.org.

We have been busy registering our Dual Credit students for their courses for the fall. We partner with the University of Louisville, Jefferson Community College, Northern Kentucky University, and Western Kentucky University to offer 15 courses. For the 2022–2023 school year we have 283 students taking 550 classes. Additionally, over the past two weeks, students have registered for Dual Credit Scholarships through KHEAA. These funds will pay for up to FOUR courses, both junior and senior year, for our students. Many students are earning 12–15 college credit hours this year at no additional cost to their families!

WALK FOR ASSUMPTION: The Walk for Assumption will be held on Friday, September 23. Arrival time for the Walk is 9:15 a.m., and we will dismiss at 11:45 a.m. The building will not open until 8:15 a.m., and after-school supervision will not be provided on this day. Please make arrangements for your daughter to be dropped off after 8:15 a.m. and picked up by no later than 12:00 p.m. PLEASE NOTE: September 23 will count as a full day of school for students, and they are expected to be in attendance unless an excused absence has been requested and approved in advance. If your daughter is ill on the day of the Walk and unable to come to school, please call the attendance office prior to 9:15 a.m. to report her absence. Students who do not want to participate in the Walk for whatever reason and/or do not meet the participation requirements (see Walk information below) must still come to school for an alternate activity. Students who meet the Walk participation requirements but who cannot physically participate in the Walk due to a health condition need to come to school and participate in special non-walking activities designed specifically to allow them to still be actively involved in the Walk and all fun that comes with it. 

ASSUMPTION PARENT PRAYER: Our parent prayer group will NOT meet next week on September 20. Instead, St. X will be hosting the Spirit Week All-Louisville High School Parent Prayer group on September 21. All are invited! Please see the attached invitation and campus map for the prayer hosted on Wednesday, Sept. 21 @ 9 a.m. at St. X High School. SPIRIT WEEK PARENT PRAYER INVITATION and CAMPUS MAP

Last week, students focused on mental health and suicide prevention on Monday or Tuesday. Students also learned about our 40 Book Challenge and about options for our upcoming LEAD & Learn Day on Wednesday, 9/28. Freshman students heard about the upcoming Pre-Walk Sleepover to be held on September 22. Next week, students will have a Banned Books Week follow up activity and receive their Walk for Assumption t-shirt. 

LEAD & LEARN WEDNESDAYS: On Thursday during LEAD & Learn Time, we met with the entire student body to help students begin to plan for our first LEAD & Learn Wednesday which will take place on Wednesday, September 28. Thursday afternoon we emailed a special message to parents/guardians outlining the expectations of the day.  If you missed this email, please take time to read the message here: SPECIAL MESSAGE TO PARENTS – LEAD & LEARN WEDNESDAYS. We will have three LEAD & Learn Wednesdays on the following dates: September 28, November 9, and March 22.  

WALK FOR ASSUMPTION: On Friday, September 23, we will hold our annual Walk for Assumption, an event to which our students make contributions to support financial assistance at Assumption. This year’s theme chosen by the students is “Walk the 80’s”. In order to participate in the Walk for Assumption, students must sell a minimum of three Rocket Raffle tickets and turn in a signed Walk permission form. Tickets cost $25 each, and the purchaser is entered into a drawing for $20,000, which will take place at our Rocket Spectacular on Saturday, February 4, 2023. If the school reaches our goal of 3,500 tickets sold, not only will we have an amazing Walk for Assumption, but students will earn the day off from school on Friday, March 31, 2023, the Friday before spring break! There are additional individual, family, class and schoolwide incentives to be earned as well. We are encouraging the girls to reach out not only to their parents but to other people in their lives who would like the opportunity to support her and the community of Assumption through the Walk and the Rocket Raffle. We hope that you will continue to help your daughter brainstorm ways that she can sell her tickets to help support financial aid and to make the Walk a success!  

Collections of the students’ contributions will continue to take place at lunches from Monday, September 19, through Wednesday, September 21. The deadline for collection is Wednesday, September 21, at 1:30 p.m., the last lunch. If you have any questions, please contact Tricia Ferree in Advancement at tricia.ferree@ahsrockets.org.

PRE-WALK MOVIE NIGHT: On Thursday, September 22, the sophomore, junior, and senior class officers are hosting a joint outdoor pre-Walk movie night at Highland Hall for the Classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025. All sophomores, juniors and seniors may begin arriving at 7:30 p.m. for the movie, which will begin at 8:00 p.m. Parking will be available at Highland Hall, at Strathmoor, and at St. Raphael. There is no cost for the event. Students may bring their Walk t-shirts and supplies to decorate, chairs or blankets to sit on, and their own food and drink. Coolers are not allowed. This event is for Assumption students only, and students must bring their student IDs. The movie will be over at 10:00 p.m. Students may leave before the movie concludes, but once they leave the event, there will be no re-entry. We hope all sophomores, juniors, and seniors will join us for this fun new pre-Walk event! Please contact STACY JOHNSON, LINDSEY PEETZ, or NICK ROGERS if you have any questions about the event.

ARGENTINA EXCHANGE PROGRAM: We are very excited to announce that our Argentina Exchange Program is back after a year and a half hiatus due to the pandemic! Since 2007, Assumption has participated in the Mercy Ambassadors Program with Colegio Santa Ethnea, a school sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy in Bella Vista, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The program is a one-to-one exchange with students from Argentina living and attending school with selected Assumption students for four weeks in late January/February; in June, the AHS students spend four weeks in Argentina where they will live and attend school with the students they hosted earlier in the year. The program is open to current sophomores and juniors who are taking Spanish III or IV. If your daughter is eligible to participate in the exchange program this school year, she has already received information about the program and an invitation to submit an application; applications are due by Thursday, September 22. The Argentina Exchange Program provides a truly life-altering experience not only for the students who participate but for their whole families. If your daughter is eligible to apply for the program, please encourage her to consider applying. If you would like more information about the program, please read this ARGENTINA EXCHANGE INFORMATION DOCUMENT; you may also contact dean of students Cindi Baughman, who directs the program, if you have questions.

ACADEMIC AWARDS CELEBRATION & DESSERT RECEPTION: The deadline to RSVP for the Academic Awards Celebration is today, Friday, September 16. Please refer to your invitation for the RSVP link. If you have any questions, contact kathy.fleischer@ahsrockets.org. 

WORK IT WEDNESDAY – SEPTEMBER SCHEDULE: The Achievement Center is hosting another Work It Wednesdays next week in the Media Center from 7:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. We’ve had a wonderful response last week and we’re excited to provide another great opportunity for students to receive extra support in their classes from peer tutors, study groups, or the AC teachers. Please remember: Students must RSVP to attend! Mark your calendar now for next week on September 21.  

SCHOOL PICTURES UPDATE: School pictures are available for ordering online. As stated on the card your daughter received after she had her picture taken, please go to this link to order her picture: https://shop.studioillumination.com/. Simply enter “AHS” plus your daughter’s Assumption ID number as the code to access your daughter’s picture. Orders can be made online until November 30.  

ROCKET PARENT NETWORK: This is your last chance to join the Rocket Parent Network and/or order a Student/Parent Directory. The Rocket Parent Network is a trustworthy group of Assumption parents united to providing a drug- and alcohol-free social environment for teens. Parents commit to chaperoning their daughters and their friends to be sure that alcohol and drugs are not used while at their home. Membership dues are $10 per year, or $30 for four years. A directory is free in a parent’s first year of membership and may be purchased for $5 per year in subsequent years. If you would like to join the RPN, please visit this website:  RPN Website for a membership form. If you would like to order a parent directory, please contact Meghan Rogers at 458-9551 ext. 2539 or by email at meghan.rogers@ahsrockets.org

DISCOVER ASSUMPTION DAY: On Sunday, October 2, at 1:00 p.m. we will host Discover Assumption Day for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade prospective parents. Please let all future Rocket parents know that we would love to see them on this afternoon of “discovering” all that Assumption has to offer. To register, click here or contact KELSEY GUNTER for more information.

DRIVER’S ED: AHS and the Kentucky Driving School will be providing a driver’s education program towards the end of September. Click here to learn more.

COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION NIGHT: On Thursday, September 29, we are hosting a College Financial Aid Information Night beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Teams for our seniors and their parents. The link will be sent to parents and students prior to the event. Michael Abboud, Associate Director of Financial Aid at the University of Louisville, will be our guest speaker and will walk seniors and parents through all they need to know about financing their college education. If you have any questions, please contact our college counselors, Kim Habich or Leigh Jackson.

TESTING DAY FOR SENIORS: Since seniors are not involved in taking standardized tests on Testing Day, Wednesday, October 12, they are excused from coming to school on this day. We strongly encourage seniors to use this day for making college visits. Since Thursday and Friday of that week, and Monday of the following week, are Fall Break days, this is a great opportunity of make a visit to an out-of-town college.

GOVERNOR’S SCHOLARS PROGRAM (GSP): All juniors should have received an email from COLLEEN MURPHY this week which included the join code for a Team on Microsoft Teams where information about the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program will be distributed and student applications will be collected. GSP is a prestigious summer program for high school juniors in the state of Kentucky who plan to return to a Kentucky high school for their senior year. Students must complete a rigorous application process and submit a standardized test score. Acceptable tests include the ACT, SAT, and PSAT. Informational meetings about how to complete the application and maximize students’ chances for admission will be held on Teams the week of October 3. If your daughter is interested in applying for this program, please encourage her to follow up on Ms. Murphy’s email and enter the join code on Teams!

FRESHMAN WALK SLEEPOVER & WALK COLLECTIONS/PERMISSION FORMS: On Monday, September 12 in class meeting, freshmen received detailed information about participating in our traditional Freshman Pre-Walk Sleepover. On Thursday, September 22, freshmen are invited to a Walk Sleepover in the gym. The cost of the Walk Sleepover is $5. In order to participate, freshmen need to turn in their Walk permission slip, sleepover permission slip, a minimum of three Rocket Raffle tickets, and $5. The two signed permission slips, tickets, and $5 are due by the end of lunches on Wednesday, September 21. All freshmen are asked to turn in both permission slips even if a freshman is not planning to attend the sleepover. Freshmen should arrive for the sleepover between 8:00-8:30 p.m. and enter through the doors at the gym lobby. Please contact DAWN DEWEESE  or THERESA SCHUHMANN if you have any questions about the Freshman Walk Sleepover. Pick up time on Friday, September 23, will be 12:00 p.m.

Congratulations to:

  • Both the JV and Varsity Cross Country teams for winning the Rumble Through the Jungle
  • The Field Hockey team for going 3-0 against top competition in Chicago
  • The Golf team’s Geriann Ackermann for winning the Jefferson County Invitational and to the Golf team for coming in second place overall
  • The Soccer team for a runner-up finish in the Lady Knights Challenge Cup
  • The Volleyball team for a runner-up finish in the Louisville Volleyball Invitational 

Next week in Athletics:

Sunday, September 18

  • Field Hockey Mug Game vs Sacred Heart. Freshmen 5:00 p.m., JV 6:15 p.m., Varsity 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, September 20

  • Golf Regionals at Seneca Golf Course
  • Field Hockey @ Ballard. Freshmen 5:30 p.m., JV 6:30 p.m., Varsity 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, September 21

  • Cross Country Senior Night Meet @ Champions Park (River Road) 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 22

  • Soccer vs Oldham County. JV 6:00 p.m., Varsity 7:30 p.m. **SENIOR NIGHT**

September 23rd and 24

  • Field Hockey @ Max Field Hockey Proving Ground in Conshohocken, PA

Saturday, September 24

  • Cross Country @ Palatine Invitational in Palatine, IL
  • JV Field Hockey vs Eastern 9:00 a.m.

Sunday, September 25

  • Volleyball vs Sacred Heart. Freshmen 2:00 p.m., JV 3:00 p.m., Varsity 4:00 p.m.
  • Soccer Cleat Game @ Sacred Heart. JV 4:30 p.m., Varsity 6:00 p.m.

Please follow Rocket Sports on Social media for schedule updates and scores!