November 3, 2023

Director of Marketing and Admissions, Elisabeth Cassady ’02

The fall is always an exciting time for our community as we welcome prospective students and their families to Assumption High School. We have been thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome potential new members of the community of Assumption in a variety of ways including our shadow visits, Rocket Athletics Information Night, Excellence Empowers Night, Walk & Talk Tours, Halloween Night, and Rocket Nights and we are eagerly anticipating our Open House next weekend when we will have the chance to showcase the people and the programs that make an Assumption education second to none!

As parents in our community, we know that you are probably often asked questions about your daughter’s experience at Assumption High School. Frequently parents will ask us for information about the school so that they can speak more specifically to answer questions asked by friends, family and co-workers. Below you will find our Numbers to Know, up-to-date information that highlights questions frequently on the minds of prospective families.  

  • Students come from 91 unique schools, 52 zip codes, and 26% come from a public or private middle school.
  • Our average class size is 18.5 and our student to ratio is 9:1.
  • We have 70 clubs and student organizations, 14 varsity sports, 61 state and national championship titles.
  • We offer 25 AP courses and 15 Dual Credit courses which gives students 40 college courses to choose from.
  • Nearly $1.4 Million was awarded in financial assistance for the 2023-2024 school year.
  • The Class of 2023 was accepted to nearly 150 colleges in 35 states and the District of Columbia and earned nearly $30 million in college scholarships.

Please know that we are so grateful for your support and advocacy. We are lucky to have you as a part of building our community’s future and thank you in advance for sharing your perspective on the Assumption Advantage with future Rockets!

All Saints Day

On Wednesday, the Assumption community celebrated All Saints’ Day! In this service we reflected on what it means to be a saint, who can be a saint, and how we can live our days in the destiny of joining the saints in Heaven. We learned that saints don’t have to come from a certain time or place, but rather that family, friends, teachers, and ourselves can be everyday saints. It was truly a celebration of faith! We want to thank Father Dustin Hungerford and Deacon Ned Berghausen for leading us in our celebration of All Saints Day, as well as Archbishop Shelton Fabre for his leadership in this service and for visiting us this morning. We are also grateful for St. Raphael allowing us to use their beautiful church!

MOTHER-DAUGHTER BUNCO: A long-standing Assumption tradition—Mother/Daughter Bunco!  The Rocket Parent Network’s Mother/Daughter Bunco will be held on Tuesday, November 7 at 7:00 p.m. in the cafeteria.  Students are encouraged to bring their mom or a female role model in their life to this super fun event.  RPN will have lots of door prizes and lots of snacks.  Admission is only $5 per duo, and you do not need to have any prior knowledge of bunco to play and have a great time.  Please RSVP using this link: Bunco RSVP 2023

LEAD & LEARN WEDNESDAY ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8: We are looking forward to our second LEAD & Learn Wednesday of the year, which will take place on Wednesday, November 8.  Students invited specifically to attend an academic help session were notified by their teachers by Thursday, November 2 via email, and a parent/guardian was copied on the email.  Please remember, we strongly recommend that students attend if an invitation is extended. On Friday, November 3, students received information about educational extension opportunities offered by faculty and staff and were asked to develop their plans for their purposeful use of November 8 to specifically work to achieve their academic and co-curricular goals for this semester.  Please be sure to talk with your daughter about her plans for this day as her plan must be submitted for her attendance on November 8 via an attendance online survey.  Students may arrive for their scheduled meetings, if applicable, after 12:00 p.m.  Supervised study will be available between 12:00-4:30 p.m.  Please consult this message sent out prior to our first LEAD & Learn Wednesday on September 28 to review general details of these days: SPECIAL MESSAGE TO PARENTS – LEAD & LEARN WEDNESDAYS

12:30 DISMISSAL DAY: On Friday, November 10, we will be preparing for our Open House on Saturday, November 11.  We will dismiss at 12:30 p.m. on Friday to prepare for our visitors. After-school supervision will not be provided, so please make arrangements for your daughter to be picked up by 1:00 p.m.

OPEN HOUSE HOLIDAY: Monday, November 13, is our Open House holiday, and school will be closed.

ASSUMPTION PARENT PRAYER: Our parent prayer group will meet on Tuesday, November 7 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 Cork Family freshmen and sophomores. Please join us for any or all of these opportunities.

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!

AC LEAD & LEARN DAY + WORK IT WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE: The Achievement Center is hosting students next week during the LEAD & Learn Day on November 8 from 12:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Students will receive an email on Monday to reserve their spot for this day. Students may work independently or request to work with an AC teacher during this time. Work It Wednesdays will resume November 15. 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. Please remember students must RSVP in advance for both LEAD & Learn Day and Work It Wednesdays.

FLIK DINING SERVICES SURVEY: FLIK Dining Services, our cafeteria food service provider, is seeking your input.  As part of their commitment to provide delicious and healthy dining options, they are asking that you complete this short survey. Your feedback will help guide them towards providing the best dining experience possible for your daughter. The survey closes on Friday, November 17.  FLIK thanks you in advance for both your participation and your patronage. FLIK SURVEY

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, 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. 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 14.
  • 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.
  • Information about dance dress code requirements has been reviewed and emailed to each student. 

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 2023-2024. If you have any questions, contact JUDY FIELDHOUSE.

SCHOOL PORTRAITS UPDATE: School pictures from Retake Day 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 your daughter’s Assumption ID number as the code to access your daughter’s picture. Orders can be made online until November 28.

AP CAPSTONE PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT – Save the date!  On Monday, November 20 at 6:30 p.m., parents and their daughters are invited to attend a virtual AP Capstone information night via Teams. 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 .

INCLEMENT WEATHER: With winter not far away, we would like to remind parents of our inclement weather policies.  You may also refer to the STUDENT-PARENT HANDBOOK 2023-2024 for detailed information.  This is a great time to check your PowerSchool information and make sure you are signed up for text PowerAlerts. When the Archdiocese of Louisville makes a call about school closings due to inclement weather, we will send PowerAlerts to those who have registered.  You may also listen to local radio and television stations for an announcement that all Catholic high schools in Jefferson County are closed or on a delayed schedule. 

  • When the schools are closed, Assumption High School will declare a traditional snow day, virtual learning day, or a digital learning day via the PowerAlert system. The first snow day of the 2023-2024 school year will be a traditional snow day with no digital or virtual learning. When school is closed, all extracurricular and athletic events are cancelled (unless a special exception is approved by the president or principal).
  • When the school is on a delayed schedule, Assumption will follow our 9:15 a.m. schedule (our usual “Wednesday schedule”), but all morning activities will be cancelled including detention, testing pool, and meetings.  In the case of a delayed opening, the school building will open and before school supervision will begin in the cafeteria at 8:15 a.m. If your daughter drives to school or carpools with another student, please note: If parents have concerns about their daughter driving in inclement weather, they should not allow her to drive to school on a day when inclement weather is predicted. If it appears that inclement weather is on the way, we will allow students to leave early (prior to dismissal) only if their parents come to get them — students will not be released on the basis of a phone call or email or because their carpool driver is going home early. This information will be reviewed with students in November.

OPEN HOUSE 2023: We will be hosting Open House on Saturday, November 11, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 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 will receive training next week during LEAD & Learn time. As always, we want to thank you for your support of this event and sharing it with prospective families!   

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. This year’s theme is “BOW TIES & BUBBLY,” and plans are underway!  We are currently looking for event sponsors. If interested, please contact Michelle Farmer at 502.271.2518 michelle.farmer@ashrockets.org. We also 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!


COLLEGE APPLICATION DEADLINE REMINDERS: If your daughter is applying to a college with a December 1 deadline, her Transcript Request & Application Checklist (TRAC) form is due to Guidance by Monday, November 6.  If your daughter is applying to a college with a December 15 deadline, her TRAC form is due to Guidance by Tuesday, November 21.  If you have any questions about the college application process or deadlines, please reach out to Leigh Jackson  (A-L) or Kim Habich  (M-Z).

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT FAFSA: As you may have heard, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is changing! The FAFSA Simplification Act was passed by Congress in 2020 and represents a significant overhaul of the processes and systems used to award federal student aid. This includes the FAFSA form, the need analysis that determines federal aid eligibility, changes in terminology, and many policies and procedures for schools that participate in federal student aid programs. Though historically available October 1 for the upcoming award year, the 2024-25 FAFSA will not be made available by the U.S. Department of Education until sometime in December 2023.  The delay is due to major changes and improvements coming to the FAFSA, which will result in a more streamlined application process with fewer questions and expanded eligibility for federal student aid.

What can you and your student do now? Students and parents are encouraged to create an FSA ID at least two weeks prior to December 1. The FSA ID is an account username and password combination that allows students and parents to log in to StudentAid.gov and to identify themselves electronically to access U.S. Department of Education systems. To create an FSA ID, the individual will need her Social Security number as well as a mobile phone number and/or email address. At this time, it is recommended the student and both biological parents (if applicable) create FSA ID’s.

Mark your calendars for our College Financial Aid Night, which will be at Assumption on December 7at 6:30 in the Humana Foundation Performing and Fine Arts Center (theater). If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to college counselors Kim Habich and Leigh Jackson. More information will be relayed to your daughter as we learn more.

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, pricing information, instructions, and a contract here: 2024 SENIOR TRIBUTE INFORMATION AND CONTRACT. The deadline to submit tribute contracts is Tuesday, November 21. Please feel free to reach out to Melissa Fette, yearbook adviser, at melissa.fette@ahsrockets.org with any questions. Thank you for your support of the Assumption Rosecast!  

Congratulations to:

  • The Cross Country team for winning the state championship!   The Rockets dominated the race scoring 54 with the next closest team having 110 points.  Reagan Gilmore came in 3rd, Julia Schmitt 8th, Leah Penick 9th, Mabel George 16th, Taryn Tracy 16th, Lila Bensenhaver 26th, and Morgan White 30th out of 275 runners.
  • The Volleyball team for beating Oldham County to advance to the state quarterfinals

NEXT WEEK:

Friday, November 3

  • Volleyball State Quarterfinal vs Whitley County @ George Rogers Clark HS 1:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 4

  • Volleyball State Semifinal vs TBD @ George Rogers Clark HS 11:00 a.m.
  • Volleyball State Final vs TBD @ George Rogers Clark HS 7:30 p.m.