December 9, 2022

Last Friday, we enjoyed a fun and successful CANstruction day planned by our Family Council! We were thrilled to announce to the students on Monday that not only had they met their goal of bringing in 18,000 cans to earn the incentive of wearing spirit wear during exams, but that they had far surpassed it! In total, our nine families collected 21,126 cans for Dare to Care – a school record! The impact of this number was brought into focus later this week when we received an email from Joey Dean Stinson, Dare to Care’s Food/Fund Coordinator, who has been Assumption’s point of contact on CANstruction for over a decade. He was excited to share that our 2022 donation amounts to 17,790 pounds of food that will make its way to needy families in our community this winter. Mr. Stinson praised our Family Council’s efforts to generate community-wide support for this activity, noting, “I can tell from the results that you really promoted and encouraged this drive, and I truly appreciate your efforts.” He went on to add, “Please let the students, staff, and everyone involved know this total and how much it will mean to so many folks benefitting from your kindness. Your generosity and loyalty to Dare to Care has been incredible over the years, and we truly appreciate your past and continued support.”

So, on behalf of all of us here at Assumption and our partners at Dare to Care, we want to thank you, our parents, for your support of this special CANstruction tradition. Whether it was sending in money to add to your daughter’s homeroom’s can fund, adding additional canned goods to your weekly grocery visit, or making an out-of-the-way stop in a visitor’s spot to allow your daughter and her friends to unload a trunkful of cans during carpool, you helped in making an important impact in the Louisville community. An additional shout-out to the parents who volunteered their time to help load the Dare to Care truck! And now for an update on how CANstruction impacted our annual Family Competition. All AHS families received family competition points for their can totals with Cork leading the way with the most cans brought in followed by Kingstown and Birr. Also, the families who created the best “canstructions” out of those cans won additional points. First place honors went to Limerick followed by Galway and Booterstown. Again, thank you for your support of this important initiative!

This week our Visual and Performing Arts Classes celebrated the end of the semester by showcasing their work. Students in Visual Arts classes such as Drawing and Painting, Digital Photography, Graphic Design, and Ceramics presented their work at our Visual Arts Show on Tuesday evening. Students in our Instrumental Ensemble, Glee Club, Bell Choir, and Advanced Choir gave a beautiful and festive performance on Thursday evening at our Winter Concert. We are so proud of our artistic and musically gifted Rockets!

EXAM AND REVIEW DAY SCHEDULES: First semester exams and a final review day will be held next week. The schedule for each day is listed below. Please note we will start at 8:15 a.m. on review days, but their dismissal times vary; we will begin each exam 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; however, there will be no after-school supervision in the cafeteria on review or exam days. Please make arrangements for your daughter to be picked up each day after exams by 12:30 p.m. Please note: Our building, including the main office, will close at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 15, for a faculty/staff luncheon.

Monday, December 12

A Block: 9:15-10:40
B Block: 10:55-12:15 (dismissal)

Tuesday, December 13

C Block: 9:15-10:40
D Block: 10:55-12:15 (dismissal)

Wednesday, December 14: Day 2/4 Review Day

E Block: 8:15-9:15
F Block: 9:25-10:20
G Block: 10:30-11:25
H Block: 11:35 a.m.-12:30 (dismissal)

Thursday, December 15

E Block: 9:15-10:40
F Block: 10:55-12:15 (dismissal)

Friday, December 16

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 the cafeteria where they will be supervised until dismissal at 12:15 p.m.

ABSENCE DURING EXAMS: A doctor’s note is required to make up any missed exam. Makeup exams will be given on Friday, December 16, at 12:45 p.m. in Room 204; students need to bring their doctor’s notes in advance or bring them with them on December 16 to be eligible to take a makeup exam.

STUDY GROUP OPPORTUNITIES DURING EXAM WEEK: Students have been invited by Mrs. Conway and Ms. Prentice in the Achievement Center to form study groups during exam week. Students may also come to study independently during this time. All students MUST RSVP to attend. Study sessions will take place on the following dates:

Monday, December 12, from 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. and 12:15 – 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 13, from 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. and 12:15 – 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 14, from 12:15 – 2:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 15, from 7:30 – 9:00 a.m.
Friday, December 16, from 7:30 – 9:00 a.m.

Students should email Mrs. Conway to reserve a table. Please encourage your daughters to take advantage of this opportunity.

BEFORE- AND AFTER-SCHOOL SUPERVISION ON EXAM DAYS: Final exams begin next week! 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 8:30-9:15 a.m. each exam day. 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 within 15-10 minutes after dismissal.

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 Strathmoor Presbyterian Church parking lot and 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 the church parking lot or the 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 or St. Raphael Church. It’s important that we continue to have good relationships 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 19 – January 2. Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 3.

FIRST WEEK OF SECOND SEMESTER: Like this semester, our first week of second semester will follow our regular 8:15 a.m. schedule each day. We will begin our 9:15 Wednesday schedule on Wednesday, January 11. Additionally, we have made a change to our school calendar: Wednesday, February 22, will be an 8:15 schedule due to our Ash Wednesday Prayer Service. A revised version of our one-page calendar is available here: ONE PAGE AHS CALENDAR

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 10, at 8:30 a.m. in the AHS chapel. All are welcome!

This week, freshmen learned about inclement weather plans for late openings, early closure, and school cancellation. Juniors and seniors also had class meetings about their upcoming proms. All students received their second semester schedules on Tuesday, December 6, and celebrated St. Nick’s Day with a homeroom Christmas event. There will be no LEAD & Learn time next week during our exam schedule.

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS: Scholarship applications for the 2023-2024 school year are now on our website. Applications are due via email by 8:00 p.m. on January 16, 2023 via this link: Scholarships – Assumption High School.

Our Advancement Services Manager, Jackie Bloyd, is happy to answer any questions you may have about scholarships or the application and awards process and can be reached at Jackie.Bloyd@ahsrockets.org.

SECOND SEMESTER SCHEDULES: Hard copies of the second semester schedules will be given to students during homeroom on Tuesday, January 3. 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 13. 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 3.

PreACT, PSAT, and ACT TEST REPORTS: Students will receive paper copies of their PreACT, PSAT, and ACT test reports when we return to school in January. Students will also have their test booklets returned and will be led through error analysis activities by her math, English and science teachers.

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 16, at 1:00 p.m. The office will not open again until Tuesday, January 3, 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 16.

OUTSTANDING TUITION AND FEES: As stated in our financial policies, which are contained in the Student-Parent Handbook, a student may not take her semester exams and may not begin the second semester on January 3, 2023, if her account is not current. Your daughter will not be allowed to take her semester exams scheduled for December 12-16, 2022, or begin the second semester if there is an outstanding balance on the account. We want to avoid any embarrassment to your daughter. Please be sure you have addressed any outstanding balances by December 9, 2022. Payment may be made by cash, certified check, or money order. Thank you for your continued cooperation and the many sacrifices you make to send your daughter to Assumption. Questions regarding your account balance should be addressed to the finance director, Lisa Raley, at 271-2520.

FINANCIAL AID FORM: The financial aid link for the 2023-2024 school year has been added to the school’s website. The due date is January 31, 2023, 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.

FAIR TRADE SHOPPING WEEK: The Environmental Concerns Committee is hosting a fair-trade shopping week at Just Creations, 2722 Frankfort Avenue, from December 12 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 pick up available. Please note that all online Christmas orders must be placed by the following dates: Custom – December 1 & shipping – December 13. All orders must be picked up by 8:00 p.m. on December 21. Additional Christmas holiday hours will be:

Saturday, December 10, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Placement Test)
Saturday, December 17, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (holiday hours)
Tuesday, December 20, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. (holiday hours)
Wednesday, December 21, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. (holiday hours)

Note: The store will close early on Friday, December 16, at 1:00 p.m.

END-OF-YEAR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN: Last week on Giving Tuesday, we launched our end-of-year fundraising campaign which ends on December 31. As a parent/guardian, we would appreciate your support of this campaign as a donor and as an advocate. You may not know, but the actual cost per student for an Assumption education is over $17,500. The nearly $2,600 difference between the actual cost per student and the amount of tuition is made up through fundraising efforts. These efforts help us offset the cost of tuition for families. We strive to meet every family’s needs and never want to turn away a student for financial reasons. We hope you will help us reach our fundraising goals through making a donation and by sharing our giving site. For more info, contact ABBY MARTIN.

ASSUMPTION PARENT ORGANIZATION (APO) NEWS – ROCKET SPECTACULAR: We are excited for our 42^nd 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!

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
Link to Purchase Tickets: For more information on ticket reservations or to help support the event, click here or call (502)271-2519 by January 15. Tickets are subject to availability. Click here to purchase your Rocket Spectacular 2023 tickets!

WORK STUDY PROGRAM – HELP WANTED: Assumption is accepting applications for our Work Study Program for the spring 2023 semester. Students participating in work study receive a $400 tuition credit for 40 hours worked. Please submit applications for work study by Friday, December 9. For more information about work study and to apply, please click here.

ACTS PANTS REMINDER: This is a reminder that all sophomores will need uniform pants in order to participate in ACTS next semester. The first ACTS service day is Wednesday, January 18. They are black pants with an embroidered “A” and can be purchased at Shaheen’s. If your students does not have hers yet, please be sure to take care of this over Christmas break. If you have any questions, please reach out to katie.culver@ahsrockets.org.

Our Rocket Debate Team who competed at the Wilson Wyatt Debate League tournament on Saturday. The following students received SPEAKER awards for their outstanding performances in their respective events: seniors Mary-Claire (MC) Schmidt and Anna Alphin; juniors Stelle Bensenhaver and Emma Heck; sophomores Elizabeth Buttes and Breigh McFadden; and freshman Isabel Husk. And we had some special winners: Elizabeth Buttes came in fourth place in Novice Lincoln-Douglass Debate, Emma Heck placed second in Varsity Lincoln-Douglass Debate, and the team of Anna Alphin and MC Schmidt were Tournament Champions in Varsity Public Forum Debate!

Freshman Eva Smith who was selected to the KMEA All-State Junior High Mixed Chorus. She was selected from hundreds of submissions across the state!

Our liturgical singers and musicians who have been invited to perform the music at the Christmas Mass of the Air this year: senior Josie Deye and freshmen Ella Dallenbach, Grace Melder, and Eva Smith. The Mass will air on Christmas Day at the following times and channels: 9 a.m. on WHAS, 10 a.m. on WDRB, 11 a.m. on WBKI, 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Faith Channel, and 10 a.m. CST on WNKY in the Bowling Green area. Many thanks to music teacher Mrs. Jackie Metry for providing our students with this special opportunity!

Junior Anna Whinnery and sophomores Annie Brasler and Taylor Riley for completing three LEOs to learn various leadership skills! They are now eligible for earning one or more of our Christian Leadership Distinctions.

Congratulations to:

the Basketball team for starting their season 2-0, including beating Frederick Douglass on a buzzer beater.
the Archery team for placing second at their first tournament of the season.

Next week in Athletics:

Friday, December 9

Varsity Basketball vs Collegiate 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 10

Cheer at State @ George Rogers Clark High School
Swim at Eastern Holiday Care-A-Van @ UofL
Archery at Frederick Douglas Winter Shootout
Varsity Basketball @ Nelson County 3:30 p.m.

Sunday, December 11

Dance at State @ George Rogers Clark High School

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