March 15, 2024

President, Mary Lang & Principal, Martha Tedesco

As you know, Assumption experienced an unusual week due to the cyber security incident that occurred on Tuesday. As always, our students have been our top priority, as we focused our efforts to restore the technology that supports classroom instruction.  Despite the challenges of this week, we have remained open – teachers were teaching, students were learning, and our Assumption community activities and events continued as planned.  This would not have been possible without the flexibility and professionalism demonstrated by our faculty and staff throughout this week.  Times like this reaffirm for us how blessed we are to work with such a dedicated team!

We want to express special thanks to our IT staff for working around the clock to restore our systems as quickly and as securely as possible.  It is nothing short of miraculous that within 72 hours, faculty, staff, and students had restored access to all technology functions and transitioned to new passwords as an increased security measure.  In addition, we owe a special thanks to Mirazon for responding quickly after we reached out to engage their services to remediate the attack.  Their response to our situation has been nothing short of stellar and they have been a vital partner in resolving this situation so swiftly.

As an assurance to our school families, please know that we have notified law enforcement and are engaging leading data security and privacy firms to lead our investigation, including to determine whether any Assumption data was affected during this incident.  We will continue to provide updates to our community as we complete a thorough investigation.  

We look forward to moving ahead next week.  Please see the special section below that provides updates on a few changes we are making to address the impact of the events of this week.

 SPECIAL SECTION: Adjustments for the Week of March 18 Due to Technology Outage

LEAD & LEARN WEDNESDAY ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20: We are looking forward to our third LEAD & Learn Wednesday of the year, which will take place on Wednesday, March 20.  Please note:  due to the network disruptions this week, classroom teachers will NOT be issuing individual invitations for students in the afternoon. Students will still need to make plans for the day as usual and submit their attendance on March 20 via an attendance online survey. 

CURRENT STUDENT REGISTRATION UPDATE: Current student registration opened on Friday afternoon after school. All students should enter their course selections into PowerSchool using parent login information before they come to school on Monday, March 18 and bring their printed registration forms to school with them. They will be provided time during classes and LEAD & Learn time to attain necessary signatures. The new deadline for students to submit their completed registration is Friday, March 22.  Please see the Current Student Registration Information section below for detailed information.

STUDENTS WHO WERE ABSENT ON FRIDAY: Students who are not in the building on Friday will not be able to log into their laptops until they return to school as the update must take place on Assumption’s network.  Here are the steps a student should take when she returns:

  • Students arriving before 8:15 a.m. on Monday should report immediately to room 109.  Any time after that students should report to the Boeckmann Lab for assistance.
  • Students who are absent on Friday and present on Monday should consult their class Teams’ pages in order to be prepared as best as possible for class on Tuesday.
  • Teachers will be aware that students who are absent on Friday will not have access to their laptops or class materials this weekend. 
    • Students who are in class without assignments on Monday will be expected to submit those assignments on Thursday, March 21.
    • Students who were absent today should not be expected to take a test on Monday.  They will need to make up that test by Monday, March 25.

Animal Action Day

Yesterday was Kentucky Animal Action Day, and 33 Assumption students, as well as a few Assumption faculty, travelled to Frankfort to advocate for animals. Students, Caitlyn Vetrano ’25 and Katherine Amlung ’25, gave speeches in the Capitol’s Rotunda regarding the rights of animals, imploring government officials to be a voice for the voiceless. Additionally, representatives from The Arrow Fund and Kentucky Animal Action attended to express their support. And of course, the star of the show Tri Like Penny , was wagging her tail and smiling big for animal rights! Thank you to Great Day Live for the segments you filmed and aired to spread this message. #KentuckyAnimalAction

LENTEN OPPORTUNITIES: 

  • Throughout Lent, we continue the Rice Bowl collection to support the important work of Catholic Relief Services, which meets the needs of people most in need around the world and here at home in Louisville. Your daughter can donate in theology class or homeroom or via Venmo using the QR code sent to her via email. If you’d like to contribute, please ask her to share the QR code with you!
  • Also during Lent we are challenging ourselves and each other to serve others. As part of our Compassion Connections program, this year all students are encouraged to do service work (outside of ACTS service) at any agency of their choosing and log it on MobileServe. Each hour of service logged earns 15 family points, and for every 5 hours of service, the student’s name goes into a drawing for a gift card! This service drive runs through April 7. Encourage your daughter to get involved in the community!
  • Today, March 15, freshmen were given the option to attend a Lenten prayer service in the chapel during LEAD & Learn time.
  • On Thursday, April 11, Fr. Dustin Hungerford will be present during LEAD & Learn time for an optional short Mass. He will stay on to hear confessions for any students who wishes to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation during her lunch period. Encourage your daughter to check her email for more information on these great opportunities!

ASSUMPTION PARENT PRAYER: Our parent prayer group will meet on Tuesday, March 19 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. 

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 all together 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!

This week during LEAD & Learn time our underclasswomen will use the time to gather registration signatures and have continued discussions about courses for the 2024-2025 school year with their teachers, counselors, and Deans.  Our seniors will be getting more information about graduation events including Baccalaureate, Graduation practice and ceremony, and other events leading up to our May celebration of their high school achievements.  We will end the week with our Prevention Assembly.

CURRENT STUDENT REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

  • PARENT POWERSCHOOL LOG IN FOR 2024-2025 REGISTRATION:  Parents will need to log into your parent PowerSchool account to register your daughter for classes next year.  If you have forgotten your parent username or password for PowerSchool, when you go to the login screen for PowerSchool, just click on the link “Having trouble signing in?” and follow the directions to obtain a forgotten username or forgotten password.  Please contact kathy.fleischer@ahsrockets.org or brent.miller@ahsrockets.org if you have trouble logging in!
  • 2024-2025 COURSE SELECTIONS & DEADLINES: Your daughter consulted with her teachers for class suggestions on Monday and Tuesday of this week.  If you have not already, please have a conversation with your daughter about her classes for next year before she enters her courses into Powerschool this weekend.  We ask that she print the selections and bring them to school to obtain teacher signatures and turn in the parent signed course selections no later than Friday, March 22. PLEASE NOTE: You are not able to use the PowerSchool app to access the registration link.  It must be at https://ahsvps1.ahsrockets.org/public/

FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIP LETTER:  Financial Aid and scholarship letters were mailed to families on March 1 through USPS. If you applied for financial aid or a scholarship, you hopefully have received your notification letter by now. If your daughter received a scholarship, the scholarship award was also included in the financial aid letter. Scholarships are awarded on an annual basis and if you daughter did not receive a scholarship for the coming year, she has an opportunity to apply again for the 2025-2026 school year.  With over 1,000 applications for scholarships, it is always a difficult decision when it comes to making awards.  If you do have any questions regarding financial aid awards,  or would like to file an appeal for an additional award, please contact our Executive Director of Finance, Sarah Branham, at sarah.branham@ahsrockets.org or 271-2520. 

DIGITAL LEARNING DAY – MONDAY APRIL 8 – SOLAR ECLIPSE: On the Monday after spring break, April 8, a total solar eclipse will occur and be visible in some areas of Kentucky and southern Indiana.  We will see a partial eclipse in Louisville beginning around 2:00 p.m. with the largest impact occurring locally at 3:07 p.m. So that students, faculty, and staff can be home or travel to see this once in a lifetime eclipse, we will utilize a digital learning day. Teachers will post lessons for the day’s classes on Teams by 8:15 a.m. and will be available via email for students until 1:00 p.m.  Students will be required to complete their digital class work by the next class meeting day. Student attendance for this day will be determined by completion and submission of work by the established due date. The school building will be closed.

ABSENCES BEFORE/AFTER SPRING BREAK:  Please note that Assumption does not grant excused absences for college days on days immediately before or after Spring Break. We also cannot excuse students from school for family trips and/or vacations. If you are planning to take your daughter out of school for the whole day or before 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, whether to incorporate a college visit or to get a jump start on Spring Break travel, please bear in mind that the absence will be unexcused and she will not be able to receive full credit for anything collected for a grade (including tests) in her classes while she is gone; makeup work that is completed and turned in will receive 50% of the grade earned. If your daughter becomes ill and is unable to attend school on Thursday, March 28, or Tuesday, April 9, she will need to provide a doctor’s note for the absence to be excused. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact Dean of Students Kamaria Wesley.  Full details about our attendance and absence policies and procedures can be found in the STUDENT-PARENT HANDBOOK.

RPN EVENT- Parent/Student Night at TopGolf– Come join the Rocket Parent Network on Tuesday, March 19 from 7-9 p.m. for a fun night of golf.  This event costs $20 per person and includes two hours of golf time AND a buffet dinner.  Space is limited, so if you are interested, you must fill out the survey using the link below.  No walk-ups on the day of the event.  The survey includes additional details about this event: TOP GOLF SURVEY 

DRIVER’S EDUCATION CLASSES IN APRIL: The Kentucky Driving School is offering classroom instruction and private driving lessons at Assumption on April 15-19.  Please click on this link for additional information: SPRING DRIVER’S EDUCATION CLASSES

SUMMER ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES: Academic opportunities for the summer have been UPDATED. You can find these on our guidance department page by clicking here: SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES 2024. There are numerous opportunities available with many costing less than $1,000. Programs are grouped according to areas of interest like General/Pre-College, Leadership, STEM, etc. Many applications are due in March and require the assistance of guidance for transcript releases, recommendations, and other documentation. Please contact LEIGH JACKSON or KIM HABICH with any questions.

AHS SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: We are excited to announce that registration for the 2024 camp schedule is now open! Assumption is offering over 40 stimulating enrichment and athletic summer camps for girls and boys in grades K-9. Click here to learn more. Please contact Lauren Lega with any questions.

AHS DISCOUNT CODE FOR KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL MINI-MARATHON AND MARATHON:  Assumption High School has a 10% discount code for the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini-Marathon and Marathon. Registration can be accessed through this link and promo code until April 22:   Website:  https://derbyfestivalmarathon.com/  Promo code: AHS24

NEGATIVE LUNCH BALANCES: Beginning April 9, as FLIK works to close out the school year with our graduating class, seniors who have a negative FLIK lunch account will not be able to charge their account until the account is brought positive.

SENIOR ASSEMBLY: On Tuesday, March 26, seniors will participate in an assembly centered around the award-winning documentary, The Hunting Ground. Current statistics indicate that one in five women will be sexually assaulted in college. The documentary features the stories of several victims of campus sexual assault and shows the emotional aftermath on the victims and their individual journeys for justice. At the assembly, seniors will view the documentary and hear from guest speakers about campus resources, consent, and bystander empowerment. We hope that this program will spark a discussion at home about the prevalence of sexual assaults on college campuses. If you would like to view the documentary with your daughter to foster a follow-up discussion at home, the documentary is available for purchase or rent on Amazon.com: Amazon Link. Seniors will be dismissed from school following the conclusion of the assembly at approximately 12:30 p.m. If you have any questions about this documentary or the assembly planned for seniors, please contact Abby Asfahl via email at abby.asfahl@ahsrockets.org  

SENIORS – MOTHER/DAUGHTER BREAKFAST: Just a reminder to our seniors and their mothers or mother figures – the Mother/Daughter Breakfast is Saturday, March 23, at the Crown Plaza Hotel by the airport (830 Phillips Ln, Louisville, KY 40209) from 9:30-11:00 a.m.  Seniors will be learning more about this during a class meeting next week. Optional pictures will be available beginning at 8:00 a.m. Please note that it’s best to arrive early for photos so that you don’t have to wait until after the breakfast to get yours.  After the event, you can go online to order photos at https://shop.studioillumination.com/.  We are planning on you and your daughter attending, but if a conflict makes this impossible, please let MARY ANN STEUTERMANN  know by TODAY March 15 if you are NOT able to attend.

LETTERS FROM COLLEGES:  Attention, senior parents! Please have your senior daughters submit ALL letters received from colleges regarding admissions decisions, scholarship offers, and admission to special programs and honors colleges to the Guidance Office. The majority of colleges DO NOT provide this information directly to high schools, so your daughter is often our only source of information about this.  Her timely sharing of this information is vital to the Senior Honors Celebration as we work to make sure we have all the correct information to celebrate your daughter and the Class of 2024.  These letters can be hard copies, faxes, or scanned copies and can be emailed directly to COLLEGE.LETTERS@ahsrockets.org.  We ask that students submit all of this information by Monday, March 25, 2024.

SENIOR EVENT DATES & PARENT LETTER: An email will be sent out after spring break to parents of seniors giving details about senior activities and graduation events that will be occurring in April and May.  Senior parents – please be sure to look for this email in your inbox when we return from spring break.  For now, below is a listing of important senior event dates:

  • Saturday, March 23, at 9:30 a.m. – Mother/Daughter Breakfast at Crown Plaza Hotel by the airport (830 Phillips Ln, Louisville, KY 40209)
  • Friday, April 26, at 7:00 p.m. – Pink and White Game at St. Xavier High School
  • Friday, April 26– Senior Celebration Day – 1:00 p.m. Dismissal for Seniors
  • Friday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. – Senior Holiday (No School for Seniors) & Senior Prom at Mellwood Art Center – DaVinci Room (1860 Mellwood Avenue)
  • Monday, May 13, and Tuesday, May 14 – Senior Exams
  • Wednesday, May 15 from 10:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. – Mandatory Graduation Practice at Assumption (gym)
  • Wednesday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m. – Senior Honors Ceremony at Assumption (gym)
  • Thursday, May 16, at 6:30 p.m. – Baccalaureate Mass at St. Patrick Catholic Church (1000 N Beckley Station Rd)
  • Friday, May 17, from 9:00 -11:00 a.m. – Mandatory Graduation Practice at Bellarmine University – Knights Hall
  • Saturday, May 18, at 11:00 a.m. – Graduation at Bellarmine University – Knights Hall

DRESS CODE FOR SENIOR PROM: Seniors will receive information about their senior prom at upcoming class meetings. Senior prom will be held Friday, May 10, at the Mellwood Art Center from 6-11 p.m. Unlike other Assumption dances, the senior prom is a formal dance, and our dean of students, Kamaria Wesley, will review information about our dress code for a formal dance with the seniors; she will also email information about the dress code for the dance to all the seniors.  Ms. Wesley recommends that students ask parents for advice in following the dress code guidelines to make sure they are dressed appropriately for a Catholic high school dance. We are counting on you to help your daughter evaluate some of the current fashion trends.  As the dance gets closer, we will share information about our usual dance policies and expectations along with other specific information about senior prom in class meetings and with reminder emails and announcements.

NATIONAL ACT FOR JUNIORS:  On Tuesday, March 26, all juniors will take the National ACT at Assumption at 8:15 a.m. Juniors will be dismissed at 12:45 on this day.  Just like in October, there is no makeup date for this ACT at AHS, no signup is needed on the part of each family, and this test fee is covered by your tuition dollars.  Please ask your daughter about the reminders that Mrs. Fieldhouse shared at the class meeting today and encourage her to consult the link sent to them from Mrs. Fieldhouse:  Everything you need to know to prepare for the MARCH 26 ACT.  Encourage her to bookmark this link for ACT practice, information about making an account to see her scores, and to access TAKING THE ACT: A STUDENT GUIDE. This score can be sent to colleges and universities and used for admission and scholarship purposes.  Please contact JUDY FIELDHOUSE if you have any questions.

CONGRATULATIONS ACTS ANGELS:  We are so proud of the Sophomore Class of 2026 for completing their Sophomore ACTS service! The 216 members of the class of 2026 ventured out to 35 agencies each week across Louisville to make and serve meals, comfort the sick, care for small children, provide help to teachers and students, and take care of the environment. Their work amounted to well over 12,000 hours of service! We are proud of their dedication and commitment to following in the footsteps of our foundress, Catherine McAuley, to GO OUT and serve our larger community. We received messages from many of the agencies singing the praises of these wonderful students as well as expressing gratitude for the gift of this time and hard work. We look forward to celebrating this class at their ACTS closing prayer service on April 9th during LEAD & Learn time!

ROCKET PHOTOS: Be sure to check out Rocket Photos:  https://mhaasphotography.shootproof.com/gallery/ahs2023-24/ 

Congratulations to:

  • The Varsity Lacrosse team for starting off the season 2-0 with wins over Atherton and Ballard.
  • The Varsity Softball team for winning their season opener 12-2.
  • The Varsity Tennis team for beating Bullitt East 10-0.
  • The Indoor Track team for winning the Ultimate Indoor National Championships.
  • The lacrosse team has started the season 3-0 with wins over Atherton, Ballard, and Manual. 

Friday, March 15

  • Varsity Lacrosse @ Avon Lake (OH) at 6:30 p.m.
  • Softball vs Lafayette. Varsity 6:00pm, JV at 7:30 p.m..

Saturday, March 16

  • Varsity Softball vs Harrison County at 11:00 a.m.
  • Varsity Lacrosse @ Medina (OH) at 3:00p.m.
  • Varsity Softball vs Daviess County at 5:00 p.m.

Tuesday, March 19

  • Lacrosse vs Dixie Heights. JV at 5:30 p.m. Varsity at 7:00 p.m.
  • Varsity Tennis vs Collegiate @ Seneca Park at 3:45 p.m.
  • Track JV Meet @ St. X. at 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 20

  • Tennis @ KCD at 3:45 p.m.

Thursday, March 21

  • Varsity Softball vs Green County at 6:30 p.m.