September 23, 2022

We couldn’t have asked for better weather as our Assumption community came together today to Walk the 80’s! What better way to help fund financial aid for our student body then with this long standing and much-loved tradition. Even better – we conquered our school-wide stretch goal of 3,300 by selling 4,458 Rocket Raffle tickets AND raising $111,450 – an all-time high!

With our record-breaking sales, students have earned two incentives this year. March 31st (the Friday before Spring Break) is now an official day off from school, and our students get to wear Halloween costumes to school on Monday, October 31st.

The Rocket Raffle drawing will take place at Rocket Spectacular on February 4, 2023. Last year, Assumption raised an astounding $465,000 (net) at Rocket Spectacular with all proceeds dedicated to student financial assistance. Currently, 40% of our student body receives some form of financial support to attend Assumption, and this year alone AHS distributed close to $1.4 M in tuition assistance. The Walk for Assumption continues to be a means for all of us to come together in our commitment to keep a life-changing Assumption education within reach for any young woman who wants to be part of our community. We thank you, our parents and guardians, for the many ways you supported your daughters in helping to sell Rocket Raffle tickets and exceed our Walk goals!

We proudly recognize…

Our top ticket sellers:

  • Tied for 3rd place: Maddi Biven ’26 and Gracen Block ’24 – each with 44 tickets sold
  • 2nd place – Lily Bratcher ’25 – 106 tickets sold
  • 1st place – breaking all previous records is Caroline Unruh ’23 with 152 tickets sold

The Winner of the T-shirt design: Lina Ngo ‘23

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our wonderful APO moms and dads who helped with the student walk collection and t-shirt distribution. It was two very busy weeks with collecting Rocket Raffle tickets and walk waivers. We could not have done it without each and every one of you!

Did you know Assumption High School welcomes college and university representatives during the school day? So far this school year, we have welcomed reps from ten colleges and universities to our building, and they have been busy with our students! During these visits, college reps share valuable information on such things as the application process, tuition, academics, campus life, and scholarships. Most importantly, these visits allow our students to ask questions and to meet the representative designated for our school. Over the next few weeks, we will be welcoming the University of Alabama, Villanova University, Saint Louis University, and the University of Dayton among others. We encourage all grade levels to meet these representatives – it’s never too early to think about college!

LEAD & LEARN WEDNESDAYS: Our first LEAD & Learn Wednesday will take place next week on Wednesday, September 28. Please be sure to talk with your daughter about her plans for this day as her plan must be submitted for her attendance on Wednesday via an attendance online survey.  Students invited specifically to attend an academic help session were notified by their teachers this week via email (and a parent/guardian was copied on the email). Please remember, we strongly recommend that students attend if an invitation is extended, and we ask that you and your daughter discuss this weekend how to ensure that she is able to do so. Students may arrive for their scheduled meetings, if applicable, after 12:00 p.m. Supervised study in the cafeteria is available between 12:00-4:30 p.m. Please consult this message sent out previously to review additional details of the day: SPECIAL MESSAGE TO PARENTS – LEAD & LEARN WEDNESDAYS.

MERCY DAY CELEBRATION ASSEMBLY: Mercy Day is September 24 each year, and it’s a special day for the Community of Assumption. It marks the anniversary of the day that Catherine McAuley opened the first House of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland. Catherine went on to found the Sisters of Mercy who sponsor our school. We will be celebrating with a special assembly on Monday, September 26 at 10:15 a.m. in the AHS Gym.

ASSUMPTION PARENT PRAYER: Our parent prayer group will meet on September 27 from 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. in the AHS chapel and will continue to meet each Tuesday morning throughout the school year. Please park in any open space and enter the school through the main entrance. During the year, we pray for every student by name twice. Next week, we will be praying for the BIRR Family Seniors. Please join us for any or all of these opportunities!

Last week, freshmen learned how to use Teams meetings during a live demonstration during their class meeting. All students heard about the resources offered in our Media Center and Achievement Center. Students also did an activity related to Banned Books Week. Our students also spent time on Tuesday planning for next week’s Lead and Learn Wednesday. Next week, students will learn about waste reduction and being green. They will also have a mental health break on Friday with some unstructured time during homeroom. 

PARENT/TEACHER/STUDENT CONFERENCES: Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday, October 11 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in order to give students and parents the opportunity to meet with teachers about students’ progress. We will be offering the opportunity to schedule either an in-person or a TEAMS conference with your daughter’s teachers. The link to schedule these meetings will be in the Rocket Report next week. All parents are invited to attend, but parents of students with a D or F in in a class or classes as of October 11, the date of the conferences, are required to attend. Our next official grade update will be on Friday, September 30. We recommend, however, that you check your daughter’s grades on PowerSchool between October 1 and October 11 to make plans to attend if needed. If you have any questions that cannot be addressed at parent/teacher/student conferences, please contact your daughter’s dean – JUDY FIELDHOUSE (students whose last names begin with A-K) or THERESA SCHUHMANN (students whose last names begin with L-Z)

POWERSCHOOL APP: An easy and convenient way to see your daughter’s grades and upcoming assignments in real-time is to use the mobile app. PowerSchool Mobile for iPhone and Android is available in the Google Play Store or the Apple Store.  

Our passcode for the app is BRSC

TESTING DAY: Wednesday, October 12, is the National Testing Day for all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. We will have a regular 8:15 arrival on this Wednesday. We will dismiss at approximately 12:00 p.m. So as to not disturb any testing, we wait for all rooms to finish before we dismiss. If your daughter is in our Learning Differences program and qualifies for extended time testing, please ask her what time she will finish. Juniors will be taking the PSAT by reservation (please respond to this form if you have not already done so PSAT RSVP FORM), sophomores will be taking the PreACT or PSAT (depending on her English class), and freshmen will be taking the PreACT test. Please encourage your daughter to maximize the benefits of this day by getting a good night’s sleep, eating a healthy breakfast, and bringing her calculator and pencils with her on Testing Day. There is no make-up day for these tests and no replacement for the valuable feedback they provide for both the school and your daughter, so attendance on this day is very important.

CAREER DAY: Assumption students will be participating in our annual Career Day on Tuesday, October 4. This event will take place during the school day. Students in all grade levels will participate in activities to help them think about careers and college. Freshmen will use our new SCOIR inventory to explore careers that match their interests and hear from an alumna from Bellarmine University’s Career Development Center about how the habits they develop in high school and their academic progress have an impact on their future career pursuits. Sophomores and juniors will have the opportunity to learn about several careers including nursing, finance, aerospace engineering, event planning, and many others from alumnae who work in those fields. Seniors will be part of an alumnae panel focused on college planning and degree selection, as well as have an opportunity work on college application and scholarship tasks.  

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.

ASSUMPTION PARENT ORGANIZATION (APO) NEWS: 

  • Walk for Assumption 2022 and Rocket Raffle: The walk was a great success! Your support of the event is so appreciated. Thank you to all of our parent volunteers who helped make our walk collections and t-shirt distribution run smoothly. It could not have happened without you! We reached our schoolwide goal and will receive the day off of school on Friday, March 31, 2022. Please note that Rocket Raffle tickets will continue to be available until the drawing at our Rocket Spectacular Benefit Dinner and auction that will be held on February 4, 2023. Tickets can be purchased through Rocket Raffle – Assumption High School (ahsrockets.org)
  • Rocket Spectacular Benefit Dinner and Auction 2023: Saturday, February 4, 2023. Mark your calendar–you won’t want to miss it! This event will SELL OUT. Our theme this year is “Run for the Rockets” and plans are underway!  We are currently looking for event sponsors. If interested, please visit: http://www.ahsrockets.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/RS23-Sponsor-Packet.pdf. We need your help with donations toward our silent and live auctions as well as the bourbon pull. Please contact tricia.ferree@ahsrockets.org if you are interested in helping. Watch for more details in the coming weeks. We hope to see you there!

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

ROSE AWARD NOMINATIONS: Current parents, past parents, alumnae, students, faculty, and staffare invited to nominate a current administrator, faculty, or staff member who has made a significant difference in their lives or the lives of their daughters. The Rose Award is a $5,000 grant endowed by an anonymous donor to recognize an Assumption employee who serves as a role model and is a positive influence in our community. Past winners are Katie Hughbanks, Cindi Baughman, Kelly Kirwan, Kathy Fleischer, Dawn Deweese, Angela Lincoln, Barry Haworth, Jackie Metry, Doug Sumey, Judi Erskine, James Sutherland, Mary Ann Steutermann, and Janet Adkins along with several other retired faculty and staff members. These individuals aren’t eligible to win again. Nominations may be submitted HERE and are due by Friday, October 21. Nominations must include a detailed description (three-paragraph minimum) supporting your nomination. The award will be presented at the Thanksgiving Celebration on Tuesday, November 22. If chosen, your nomination submission may be read at the prayer service.

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.

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 was sent to senior parents on Monday, September 19. 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.

ARISE MISSION TRIP: Seniors who plan to participate on an ARISE mission trip during Mission Week this year need to turn in their commitment form and deposit by Monday September 26. They can turn this into Ms. Culver or Ms. King in Campus Ministry or to the main office. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Culver at katie.culver@ahsrockets.org.

TESTING DAY FOR JUNIORS – Attention Junior Parents: You received a special message on Monday of this week with important information regarding testing days in October.  If you have not already read it and responded to the survey, please do so here: LETTER TO JUNIOR PARENTS – PSAT & ACT.

GOVERNOR’S SCHOLARS PROGRAM (GSP): All juniors should have received an email from COLLEEN MURPHY last 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!

ACTS PARENT SURVEY: On Thursday, September 15 an email was sent to all parents and guardians of sophomores regarding the sophomore ACTS service program. Included in this email was a link to a form that asks for your insights about your student’s strengths and interests to help match her with an ACTS agency that will be a good fit. We ask that you complete this form by September 30. In addition to this form there is other important information in the letter including information about the ACTS uniform pants and service dates. If you have any questions, please contact KATIE CULVER.

Congratulations to:

  • the Soccer team for defeating Ryle 8-0
  • the Golf team for coming in 2nd place at the Regional tournament and qualifying for the State Sectional tournament
  • the Field Hockey team for defeating Ballard 1-0
  • the Varsity Volleyball team for coming in 6th place at the Durango Fall Classic and the Freshmen Volleyball team for winning the LIVT

Next week in Athletics:

Friday, September 23 and Saturday, September 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.

Monday, September 26

  • Field Hockey vs Sacred Heart: Freshmen 4:30 p.m., JV 5:45 p.m.
  • Golf @ State Sectionals TBD

Thursday, September 29

  • Varsity Volleyball @ Mother McAuley (IL)
  • Soccer vs South Oldham: JV 6:00 p.m., Varsity 7:30 p.m.

Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1

  • Volleyball @ Asics Challenge in Chicago, IL

Friday, September 30

  • Varsity Field Hockey vs MICDS (MO) at 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 1

  • Soccer @ Lexington Catholic: JV 10:30 a.m., Varsity 12:00 p.m.
  • Cross Country @ Great American Classic in Cary, NC

Winter Sport Tryout Information

Archery:  Tuesday, November 1 at Highland Hall from 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Student-athletes must attend to be on the team. Parent meeting to follow tryouts at 7:00 p.m. Please email archery@ahsrockets.org with questions.

Basketball: Freshman Tryouts in the Assumption gym on Tuesday, October 18 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. and Wednesday, October  19from 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Swim: at St. X pool on Monday, October 3from 6:45-7:45 p.m. and Tuesday, October 4 from 7:45-9:15 p.m. If you are interested in swim & dive and did not attend the interest meeting, please reach out to Head Coach Rick Stewart at Stewart@ahsrockets.org