November 11, 2022
This week we held our second LEAD & Learn Wednesday of the year. As we have shared, these days were designed to meet many different needs of our students, faculty, and staff including time for faculty/staff professional development, purposeful time for academic support for students, and opportunities for students to engage in other educational and individual opportunities. We have been excited to witness your daughters planning and executing a day that was specifically tailored to each of their individual needs. In a student survey, once again, 99% of the students said the day helped them accomplish the academic goals they had set for themselves. One student shared, “I think the best part was just the gift of time. I really needed it to not only catch up, but to also work forward.”
Our students have used their days so wisely both on and off campus. Over the two LEAD & Learn days this semester, there were over 200 individual teacher meetings with students, numerous college visits, hundreds of service hours completed, and productive time spent organizing and planning, working on college essays and scholarship applications, completing long-range school projects, and catching up on homework, mental health practices, and even a little bit of extra sleep.
Recently, during an education committee of the Board meeting, we realized another amazing benefit of these days. Serving on the board is alum Kristin Wallitsch, Dean of Student Success and International Programs at Bellarmine University. Dr. Wallitsch recognized the importance of students learning how to purposefully plan for an unstructured day – something that many freshmen struggle with as they begin their college careers. One of our students also recognized this benefit by stating in the survey, “The best part was having the independence to do my work on my own time so I didn’t feel pressured to get things done within someone else’s timeframe. I also think independent work time like this is useful in preparation for college for when we don’t have someone holding us accountable.”
Of course, the success of our LEAD & Learn Wednesdays could not happen without the support of our parents. Thank you for helping your daughters make the most of their time at Assumption!
On Wednesday, we had 13 Assumption seniors take part in an athletic signing ceremony committing to 11 different university athletic programs. Congratulations to our senior student athletes!
- Field Hockey:
- Bella Bergner– Boston University
- Tyler Everslage– University of Louisville
- Lucy Frederick– Rhodes College
- Carleigh Hofelich– Ball State University
- Hannah Riddle– Indiana University
- JoJo Cox– Maryville University
- Soccer:
- Lily Burchett– Centre College
- Softball:
- Regan Monroe– University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Caroline Unruh– Centre College
- Swimming:
- Ava Fears– Centre College
- Volleyball:
- Gabrielle Gerry– University of South Carolina
- Alexis Strong– Abilene Christian University
- Whitney Woodrow– Fordham University
OPEN HOUSE 2022: We will be hosting Open House on Saturday, November 13, from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Families will have the opportunity to receive a personalized tour and meet teachers, students, and other future Rockets as they learn more about our community. They may register online to secure their arrival time here. If you daughter has been asked to work Open House, she received training this week during LEAD & Learn time. As always, we want to thank you for your support of this event and sharing it with prospective families!
OPEN HOUSE HOLIDAY: Monday, November 14, is our Open House holiday, and school will be closed.
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS: Thanksgiving is only two weeks away! Please note:Assumption will close for Thanksgiving break from Wednesday, November 23 – Friday, November 25.
ASSUMPTION PARENT PRAYER: Our parent prayer group will meet on November 15 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 CARLOW Family Seniors. Please join us for any or all of these opportunities!
This past week, students working Open House received training and all students learned about our upcoming Canstruction to benefit Dare to Care.
Next week, students in all grade levels will attend family meetings to discuss Canstruction and club officers will receive leadership training. Next Friday will be an unstructured LEAD & Learn time in an effort to provide students with an opportunity to unplug and take a mental break.
AP EXAMS: If your daughter is taking an AP course this year, she has been busy signing up for AP college exams and AP portfolio submissions. These AP courses will be administered the first few weeks of May at Assumption High School. AP exam and AP portfolio submission invoices will be sent to parents via email from Blackbaud Tuition Management (formerly Smart Tuition) in January. Please take a moment to talk with your daughter about the exams she is registered to take. Exam art portfolio submissions are $97 each except for AP Research and AP Seminar which are $145 each. For more information about AP exams and CollegeBoard, visit https://parents.collegeboard.org/college-board-programs/advanced-placement-program. Please contact Judy.Fieldhouse@ahsrockets.org or Kathy.Fleischer@ahsrockets.org if you have any questions.
TESTING ALERT SYSTEM ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15: We will be conducting our annual test of our weather and emergency alert system on Tuesday, November 15, at 5:00 p.m. All parents who have set their options in PowerSchool will be sent a test message to their email and/or phone via text or voice. If you do not receive the message as expected, please check your options by logging into PowerSchool or contacting our IT Department for assistance. Please email Brent Miller or call him at 271-2527.
WORK IT WEDNESDAY – NOVEMBER SCHEDULE: The Achievement Center will NOT be hosting a Work It Wednesday next week on November 16, but we will have one again on November 30. Students are invited to come to the Media Center from 7:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. to receive extra support in their classes from peer tutors, study groups, or the AC teachers. We’ve had a wonderful response and to ensure we are meeting everyone’s needs, we ask students to please RSVP in advance for Work It Wednesdays.
SOME REMINDERS ABOUT ABSENCES: Assumption does not excuse students from school for family trips and/or travel. Please keep this in mind as you are making holiday plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas in particular. If there are mitigating circumstances that might warrant an exception to this policy, please contact Dean of Students CINDI BAUGHMAN well in advance of the dates involved. Students are required to provide a doctor’s note for an absence just before or after an extended break from school for the absence to be excused. Requests for excused absences must be made by the parent/guardian in writing (email to attendance@ahsrockets.org is fine) and should be submitted at least a week an advance. Also, please note that a student must have no grade lower than a C in any of her classes and have strong attendance for an absence that is not medically necessary to be excused. Full details about our attendance and absence policies and procedures can be found beginning on page 46 in the STUDENT-PARENT HANDBOOK.
CANSTRUCTION: Canstruction is coming up! Canstruction is one of the biggest events in our Assumption community. This event provides the opportunity to donate to Dare to Care by bringing in canned goods for those in need. An Assumption tradition since 2006, Canstruction not only provides food for the community at large (just shy of 18,000 cans collected during our collection last year!), but also provides an opportunity for family bonding. The families collect cans in their homerooms as well as strengthen family relationships. Canstruction is Friday, December 2, so that will be the last collection day, but we will begin collecting cans on November 15. We are looking forward to having the Assumption community help the Louisville community through our partnership with Dare to Care!
COMPETITIVE SUMMER PROGRAMS: Juniors should have received an email in September inviting them to join a group for Governor’s Scholars Program (GSP) applications on Microsoft Teams. Students were invited to attend a virtual meeting about the application process. Applications are due via Microsoft Teams no later than Tuesday, November 22, at 8:15 a.m. Please contact COLLEEN MURPHY regarding any questions about the application.
Two other programs available to students include the Governor’s School for the Arts (GSA) and the Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs (GSE). GSA is available for sophomore and junior students interested in the performing, visual, and creative arts. The application deadline is Sunday, January 9, 2022, and information can be found at here. Students serious about applying are strongly recommended to attend a virtual information session. If a student is interested in GSA, she needs to contact her guidance counselor.
Another program, GSE, is available for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors interested in innovation in business. The application will be available on November 15, 2021. Information about GSE can be found at http://kentuckygse.com/. Further questions? Contact COLLEEN MURPHY or any guidance counselor. Students may be eligible for special scholarships to attend schools in Kentucky if they are selected for any of these programs.
FRESHMAN-SOPHOMORE SEMIFORMAL DANCE: We hope that our freshmen and sophomores are looking forward to attending this year’s dance for their classes on Saturday, November 19, which will be held from 8:00-11:00 p.m. in the gym. This dance is a traditional semiformal school dance, and students may choose to bring a guest if they wish. Additionally, this week during LEAD & Learn Time, we reviewed information about our dance policies and expectations along with information about the theme and ticket details at a joint freshman-sophomore class meeting. This information is included here: IMPORTANT DANCE INFORMATION. Some important highlights include:
- Tickets are $20 per person and must be purchased in advance. No tickets will be sold at the door. Every student and her guest must have a ticket.
- Tickets will be sold during lunches beginning Tuesday, November 15.
- In order to ensure student safety, all students and guests must arrive by 9:00 p.m. and stay at the dance until 10:30 p.m.
- All Assumption students must show their student ID when entering the dance.
- All students and their guests will be monitored with the use of a passive alcohol sensor.
DUAL CREDIT TUITION DUE TO WKU, JCTC, AND UL: Students enrolled in a dual credit class this semester need to make sure they pay any tuition owed by the beginning of December. Students should log into their accounts on www.KHEAA.com to double check which colleges they chose for disbursement for the Dual Credit Scholarship and then need to log into their JCTC, WKU, and/or UL account to pay any remaining tuition due for this semester. This includes all first semester and yearlong DC courses except for Precalculus and Calculus, which will register for credit in January. If you need help knowing which course is associated with which university, consult this sheet from our website: DUAL CREDIT INFORMATION 2022-2023. If you have any questions, contact JUDY FIELDHOUSE.
YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY: Assumption is taking part in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey on November 28. This survey is sponsored by the CDC. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey will ask about the health behaviors of ninth- through twelfth-grade students and include questions about nutrition, physical activity, injuries, tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use. The survey will also ask about sexual behaviors. Students will be asked to fill out a survey online during LEAD & Learn Time, which will take about 15-20 minutes. All responses to this survey are 100% anonymous, and the survey has been designed to protect your child’s privacy. Students will not put their names anywhere on the survey. The results of our survey are used exclusively for in-house programming and aggregate data useful in planning curriculum to meet the needs of our current students. No action will be taken if your child does not take the survey. Students may skip any questions they do not wish to answer. In addition, students may stop taking the survey at any point. If you would like to see the survey, a copy is available at the following CDC link: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/2023/2023_YRBS_Standard_HS_Questionnaire.pdf. If you have any questions about the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, please feel free to contact your daughter’s counselor for further information.
AP CAPSTONE PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT: On Thursday, November 17, at 6:30 p.m., parents and their daughters are invited to attend the AP Capstone information night in the Media Center. Access will be available through the CAC entrance. The AP Capstone Diploma Program is an “innovative program [that] equips students with the independent research, collaborative teamwork, and communication skills that are increasingly valued by colleges.” If your daughter is a freshman or sophomore who may take AP Seminar her junior year, or if she is a junior currently enrolled in AP Seminar, then we recommend that you and your daughter attend this meeting. The program will last one hour. Any questions? Contact COLLEEN MURPHY.
WORK STUDY PROGRAM – HELP WANTED: Assumption is accepting applications for our Work Study program. Students participating in Work Study receive a $400 tuition credit for 40 hours worked. At this time, we are only looking for students who are available to work Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. Please submit applications for Work Study by Friday, November 11. For more information about Work Study and to apply, please click here.
ASSUMPTION PARENT ORGANIZATION (APO) NEWS – ROCKET SPECTACULAR SPONSOR OPPORTUNITIES: We are excited for our 42nd annual Rocket Spectacular Benefit Dinner and Auction on Saturday, February 4, 2023. All proceeds benefit the financial needs of our students, and there are many ways you can support this effort!
- Sponsorships: Several levels of support are available, and with your sponsorship, you will receive promotional opportunities and tickets to the event. Interested in sponsoring? Contact Tricia Ferree: tricia.ferree@ahsrockets.org before November 14.
- 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 https://bit.ly/AHSRS23. Please know that all donations will be appreciated. Any questions, contact Tricia Ferree: tricia.ferree@ahsrockets.org
HELP AHS AT NO COST TO YOU: AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support Assumption every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to AHS once you set the designation. To shop at AmazonSmile, simply go to smile.amazon.com on your web browser or activate AmazonSmile on your Amazon Shopping app on your iOS or Android phone (found under settings on your app).Also, please consider linking your Kroger Shopper’s Card to AHS and we will receive a quarterly check based on your shopping. For instructions on connecting your account to AHS, click this link. Kroger Community Rewards – Kroger
COLLEGE APPLICATION DEADLINE REMINDERS: If your daughter is applying to a college with a December 15 deadline, her TRAC form is due to Guidance by Friday, November 18. If your daughter is applying to a college with a January 1 deadline, her TRAC form is due to Guidance by Monday, November 21. If you have any questions about the college application process or deadlines, please reach out to Leigh Jackson (A-K) or Kim Habich (L-Z).
SENIOR YEARBOOK TRIBUTES: Over the years, senior parents have developed a tradition of supporting certain activities important to their graduating daughters at Assumption. One of these is helping to underwrite the cost of printing the yearbook by purchasing “Senior Tributes” that can contain text, personal photos, senior drapes, or professionally created senior pictures. “Senior Tributes” can be a great way to document and celebrate your daughter’s time as an Assumption Rocket. If you are interested in purchasing a “Senior Tribute”, you will find size and pricing information at this link. The deadline to submit tribute contracts is Tuesday, November 22. Please feel free to reach out to Kayla Daley, yearbook adviser, at kayla.daley@ahsrockets.org with any questions. Thank you for your support of the Assumption Rosecast!
GOVERNOR’S SCHOLARS PROGRAM: Juniors should have received an email in September inviting them to join a group for Governor’s Scholars Program (GSP) applications on Microsoft Teams. Students were invited to attend a virtual meeting about the application process. Applications are due via Microsoft Teams no later than Tuesday, November 22, at 8:15 a.m. Please contact COLLEEN MURPHY regarding any questions about the application.
The entire cast and crew of the Rose Theatre Company for a successful run of the fall musical production, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee!
Our JV Quick Recall Team who placed 2nd at this year’s JV Challenge. Congratulations to the follow students who placed at the competition:
- Freshman Ellie Hertel placed 1st in Language Arts and 5th in Arts & Humanities.
- Freshman Elise Crump placed 3rd in Arts & Humanities and 5th in Science
- Sophomore Maureen Lally placed 2nd in Language Arts.
- Sophomore Sophie Renda placed 2nd and freshman Nikita Nair placed 6th in Composition.
Members of the Student Y Club for the following recognition at the Kentucky Youth Assembly last week:
- Senior Elise Lewantowicz – Secretary of the Executive Cabinet
- Junior Erin Hynes – Cabinet Secretary
- Seniors Peyton Burnham & Morgan Schulz – Committee Chairs
- Senior Anna Alphin & junior Devan Alvey – Media Delegates
- Sophomore Meredith Blair & freshman Elise Crump – for their bill passing both the Bluegrass House & Senate on creating minimum wages in prisons
- Seniors Emily Delk, Emma Nevitt, & junior Emily Walker – for their bill creating a three-strike policy for violent offenders
- Freshman Elise Crump – Outstanding Delegate
- Sophomores Elizabeth Buttes & Meredith Blair – Outstanding Speakers
- Junior Erin Hynes – elected Secretary of the Executive Cabinet for the 2023 KYA conference
- Junior Abigail Wissing – elected President of the Commonwealth Senate for the 2023 KYA conference
Additionally, to all participants of the Student Y Chapter who participated and represented Assumption at conference earning Assumption High School the Premiere Delegation Award!
Congratulations to:
- The volleyball team for reaching the semifinal of the State Volleyball Tournament!
- Thirteen of our student athletes for signing their letters of intent to continue playing at the collegiate level!
Please follow Rocket Sports on Social media for schedule updates and scores!