October 6, 2023

Manager of Annual Giving & Alumnae Relations – Abby Martin 

This week, we were thrilled to welcome back nearly 60 AHS alumnae representing the classes of 1976-2019 for our Seventh Annual Alumnae Career Day! We are so thankful for our alumnae and their dedication to our mission and for taking time away from their workday to spend time with our students.  It was an excellent opportunity for students to learn from women who were once in their shoes and walked these halls.  

Each grade participated in activities that allowed them to think about college and career planning. Freshmen had the opportunity to assess their strengths using SCOIR’S Principles. You Inventory and how those strengths can tie into careers. They also heard from two alumnae from Bellarmine University’s Career Center and Center for Community Engagement on the importance of finding their interests and building on those in high school and college. Sophomores, juniors, and some seniors participated in our Alumnae Career Fair, where alums shared about their career path and experiences, as well as what students should be doing now to pursue careers in the future. We had 58 alumnae attend the fair representing over 28 different career fields including advanced practice nursing, aviation engineering, entrepreneurship, event planning, finance, government, journalism, law, marketing, nursing, photography, professional sports, social work, veterinary medicine, and many others. While some seniors went to the Career Fair, others chose to spend their time getting caught up on college applications and scholarships. Our guidance and English departments worked closely with seniors to help them with their essays and time-sensitive tasks. 

There always seems to be excitement and a buzz after Career Day with students sharing what they learned with faculty and staff and hopefully you, their parents and guardians. We know our students will excel in their futures and hope that by giving them the tools they need to succeed at Assumption, they will be well-prepared for college and beyond. 

Academic Awards Celebration

On Sunday, we were excited to celebrate the academic achievement of students at our annual Academic Awards Celebration. We honored the academic accomplishments of the following groups of students – sophomores, juniors, and seniors who earned a 4.0 GPA during the 2022-2023 school year; newly inducted Beta Club members; newly inducted National Honor Society members; freshman McAuley Scholars and newly inducted McAuley Scholars; and seniors recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. We applaud all our honorees listed in the awards program linked here: ACADEMIC AWARDS CEELBRATION PROGRAM 

TESTING DAY: Wednesday, October 11, 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 11:30 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 new digital PSAT by reservation, sophomores will be taking the PreACT or PSAT (depending on their English class), and freshmen will be taking the PreACT test.  All students taking the PSAT MUST bring their laptop computer with the Bluebook software downloaded and fully charged.  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. Please note: 

  • There will be no after-school supervision on Testing Day.  Please make plans to have your daughter picked up accordingly. 
  • Those parents/guardians/grandparents picking up students on testing day may park in any open spot on campus (all senior spots will be open) to wait until your daughter is dismissed.  Please be sure to do this if the car pick-up lane is already lined up to Bardstown Road when you arrive so that traffic does not get backed up on Bardstown Road.   

UPCOMING FALL BREAK – Thursday, October 12 – Monday, October 16: On our fall break holidays, school will not be in session.  Classes will resume on Tuesday, October 17 for freshmen, sophomores, and seniors.  Juniors will take the National ACT at school on this day. Remember that a doctor’s note must be provided if your daughter misses school the day before or after any holiday break. If your daughter is absent and does not have a doctor’s note for her absence before or after a break/holiday, she will have an unexcused absence for the day.  

ASSUMPTION PARENT PRAYER: Our parent prayer group will meet on October 10 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 Juniors and Seniors. Please join us for any or all of these opportunities. 

ALL SAINTS DAY AND ALL SOULS DAY:  The Assumption community will celebrate All Saints Day with a Mass at St. Raphael on Wednesday, November 1.  At this Mass, we will honor the saints who have come before us as well as those in our own lives.  Because November 2 is All Souls Day, we will also prayerfully recognize the family members of anyone in the AHS community who has died during the past year as well as ALL Assumption alumnae who have passed on at any time during a prayer service in students’ theology classes that week. We will ask students to share the names of any family members they may have lost this past year so they can be part of this special remembrance, and we invite you to do the same.  If you have lost a family member in the past calendar year, please email that person’s full name to Gail King at Gail.King@ahsrockets.org.  

PRAYER INTENTIONS: The Community of Assumption knows the power of prayer! All AHS parents and alumnae are invited to submit prayer intentions online. These intentions are then lifted in prayer altogether during Five-Minute Prayer in the chapel on Wednesdays and weekly on the PA during morning prayer. If you would like to submit an intention, you can do so here. They will remain there for about two weeks, but feel free to post the same intention again later if needed. Also, you may wish to consider adding the intentions you find there to your own personal prayer! 

In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, from September 15- October 15, our Diversity Club has arranged for all homerooms to play Lotería, a traditional game of chance much like bingo.  As a way to engage with one another in homeroom and celebrate diverse cultures, students will take every chance they get on Monday in this fun experience.  We have also enjoyed the decorations our Diversity Club has provided for our Marshall Family Atrium and main hallway in celebration of Hispanic heritage including traditional piñatas, posters highlighting the work of famous Hispanic individuals, papel picado, and even some of our student’s beautiful Quinceañera dresses.  

On Tuesday, October 10th we will hold our fall pep rally in celebration of our fall athletic teams.  We look forward to the many celebrations this week leading up to a well-deserved Fall Break.  

MID-SEMESTER CONFERENCE COMMUNICATION:  As shared in last week’s Rocket Report, teachers will be emailing the parents of any student whose grade in their class is a D or F as of TODAY Friday, October 6 requesting to schedule a conference between October 9-24 via phone, virtually through Teams or in-person at a time that is most convenient for both the parents and teacher. We ask all parents who receive an email to respond in a timely fashion. Of course, any parent may request a conference call via phone or team or in-person meeting with a teacher at any time during the school year to discuss a student’s progress in a course.  We appreciate your shared commitment to our partnership to best help our students achieve academic success. 

INTRAMURAL FLAG FOOTBALL KICKOFF EVENT:  On Sunday, October 22 at 4 p.m., Family Council and Athletics will host a kickoff event for the flag football intramural season! We invite all students, faculty, staff, family and friends to join us as we raise money for our Compassion Connection agencies. Come watch some competitive flag football, check out our chili cook-off and bake sale, and enjoy a quintessential fall day all while raising money for local non-profits and earning family competition points! After the flag football kickoff event, intramural flag football will continue the following two Sundays, October 29 and November 5, for those who signed up.  

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 18. This dance is a traditional semiformal school dance, and students may choose to bring a guest if they wish. We are aware that many students who are excited about attending have started shopping for the dance!  With that in mind, our Dean of Students, Kamaria Wesley, emailed information about the dress code for the dance to the freshmen and sophomores this week.  Please take a few minutes to discuss dress code requirements with your daughter so you can help her know what is expected if she plans to attend.  As the dance gets closer, we will share information about our usual dance policies and expectations along with information about the theme and ticket details in a class meeting and with reminder emails and announcements.  Please reference the handbook Dance Dress Code Policy for more information. 

ROSE THEATRE SPECIAL EVENT: This fall, Rose Theatre Company is proud to present Mamma Mia! In this musical, ABBA’s hits tell the hilarious story of a young woman’s search for her birth father. This sunny and funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On Sunday, October 8 at 2:00 p.m. the theatre department will hold a special ticketed event to support and promote the show. This will include Greek appetizers, pub-style trivia, ABBA music, and a secret surprise. Please see Showtix4u or email Rose Theatre for additional details. Performances will be October 27 and 28 at 7:00 p.m., October 29 at 2:00 p.m., November 2, 3, and 4 at 7:00 p.m., and November 5 at 2:00 p.m. November 2 will be a Rocket Night with special features for future Rockets and alumni! Tickets are available at www.showtix4u.com. If you or anyone in your party needs assistance with handicap accessibility, please reach out to us at rose.theatre@ahsrockets.org.  

OCTOBER’S WORK IT WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE: The Achievement Center is hosting two more Work It Wednesdays in October in the Media Center from 7:45 to 9:00 a.m. This is a great opportunity for students to receive extra support in their classes from peer tutors, study groups, or the AC teachers. It is also the perfect environment to work on homework and projects. Students receive an email each Monday to reserve their spot. Mark your calendar now for October 18 and 25. There will be NO WIW on October 11.  

SCHOOL PORTRAIT MAKE-UP DATE: If your daughter was absent earlier this year for picture day, there is one more opportunity to have her portraits made. Photo retakes for faculty, staff, and students will be taking place on Wednesday, October 18 in the theater. The photographer will be set up starting at 8:30 am. Pictures can be taken before school, during lunch, or during an A or B block study. Students wear their school uniform. Students need to have their picture taken onthis day so it can be included in the yearbook.  

2022-23 YEARBOOK DISTRIBUTION: 2023 yearbooks were distributed this week! Students who were absent on their pick up day may pick up their book from the Media Center. 

CANDY DONATION REQUEST & ASSUMPTION FAMILY HALLOWEEN NIGHT: The Assumption Alumnae Association and Marketing & Admissions office are once again hosting the annual Family Halloween Night on Wednesday, October 25 from 5:00-7:30 p.m. Parents are invited to donate a bag of candy that would be used to support this important engagement event. Please click here to sign up to donate candy. This event is open to all AHS alumnae, families, faculty, staff, and future Rockets, but is most suited for elementary aged children and younger. There will be activities including trick or treating, character stops, face painting, coloring, and more. For more information about the event, please contact ABBY MARTIN.  

ROSE AWARD NOMINATIONS: When you think of an Assumption employee who is a role model and positive influence on our community, who comes to mind? Please take a moment to nominate a current administrator, faculty, or staff member who has made a significant difference in your life or your daughter’s life.  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, 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 20.  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. 

ROCKET SPECTACULAR BENEFIT DINNER AND AUCTION 2024 – Saturday, February 3, 2024: Mark your calendar–you won’t want to miss it! This event will SELL OUT. Our theme this year is “Bowties and Bubbly”, and plans are underway!  We are currently looking for event sponsors. If interested, please contact Michelle Farmer at 502-271-2518 or michelle.farmer@ashrockets.org. 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!  

TESTING DAY FOR SENIORS: Since seniors are not involved in taking standardized tests on Testing Day, Wednesday, October 11, 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 to make a visit to an out-of-town college. 

TESTING DAY FOR JUNIORS – Attention, Junior Parents: You received a special message on Wednesday of last week and Mrs. Fieldhouse visited the junior class meeting on Thursday with important information regarding testing days in October.  Please read this important message and check with your daughter that she has the proper software downloaded to her laptop computer and ensure her calculator batteries are fresh.  A fully charged computer on PSAT test day is key to a successful digital testing experience. 

JUNIOR ACTS SERVICE HOURS: This is a reminder that the first seven (7) service hours for Junior ACTS are due on Friday October 20 for all students who are currently taking Catholic Social Teaching. These hours will need to be logged in and verified in MobileServe by 8 a.m. on October 20 for them to be approved and counted. The remaining eight (8) hours will be due on December 8. Fall break would be an excellent time to get some service in!  

Winter Sport Tryout Information: 

Archery: October 24 at 6:00 p.m. at Highland Hall – 2129 Bardstown Road.    Please email archery@ahsrockets.org with questions. 

Basketball:  October 17 and 18 from 6:00- 7:30 p.m. in the Assumption gym. 

Swim: October 2 from 6:45- 7:45 and  October 3 from 7:45- 9:15 at St. Xavier High School.  

All athletes trying out must have a current KHSAA physical on file.  Please email Christy.hulsewede@ahsrockets.org if you have questions regarding the status of an individual’s physical. 

Congratulations to:

  • Senior Geriann Ackermann for competing in the golf state finals 
  • The Freshmen, JV, and Varsity Volleyball teams for wins over Holy Cross and the varsity team for beating Mother McAuley (IL) 
  • The Varsity Field Hockey team for beating Highlands Latin 9-1 and Manual 3-0 
  • The Varsity Soccer team for winning the District Tournament and advancing to Regionals  

NEXT WEEK:

Saturday, October 7 

  • Cross Country @ Great American in Cary, NC 
  • Soccer First Round of Regionals TBA 

Monday, October 9 

  • Soccer Regional Semifinals TBD 

Tuesday, October 10 

  • Volleyball @ Paul Dunbar. Freshmen 5:00 p.m., JV 6:00 p.m., Varsity 7:00 p.m. 
  • Varsity Field Hockey vs KCD 7:30 p.m. 

Wednesday, October 11 

  • Soccer Regional Finals TBD 

Thursday, October 12 

  • Volleyball vs Notre Dame Academy. Freshmen 5:30 p.m., JV 6:30 p.m., Varsity 7:30 p.m. 

Friday, October 13 

  • Varsity Field Hockey @ Thomas Worthington (OH) 5:00 p.m. 
  • Varsity Field Hockey @ Upper Arlington (OH) 7:30 p.m.