
August 16, 2024

At Assumption, we know that there is nothing more important to you as a parent than the well-being of your daughter. To that end, AHS has dedicated significant resources over the past several years to enhancing the overall safety and security of our school – including improvements in our campus and facilities, investing in designated personnel, and providing education and training for our school community.
Some of these changes are less visible, but are no less important, such as installing ballistic film on glass exterior doors and first floor windows which occurred this summer. Other modifications involved substantial changes to our facilities including gates around our courtyards, enhanced camera and lighting coverage throughout our campus, and the design of our new main entrance, which includes a security vestibule.
We also invest in personnel to protect our faculty, staff, and students. At our Highland Hall lot, Chief Lamey of the Strathmoor Police department, along with his K-9 companion, Luna, and Officer José Wilkie of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department are on duty to provide coverage of the crosswalk and general security of the lot, along with designated AHS staff members. This is in addition to the many administrators, teachers, and staff who you will see each morning and afternoon directing traffic and supervising the main school and St. Raphael parking lots. AHS also contracts with off-duty police officers for athletic and other large events and evening security checks.
One further measure in our ongoing efforts to strengthen campus security is our armed campus security officer — Mr. Rob Owen, who is our Director of Safety and Security. Mr. Owen has over 20 years of law enforcement experience, having served at LMPD in varying roles, including unit sergeant for the Community Policing Unit. He oversees all aspects of safety, security, and emergency preparedness for the entire campus.
In addition to the above, AHS begins each school year with a Safety Week where we conduct emergency drills with all faculty, staff, and students which includes detailed instruction, training, and practice of our safety and security protocols. We continue these drills at various times throughout the school year. In this way, we can all work together and reinforce our commitment to keeping our entire school community safe.

The Feast of the Assumption
On August 15, we celebrated our Opening Liturgy and the Feast of the Assumption in St. Raphael’s beautiful church! We gathered to pray, reflect, and center ourselves to honor the life and assumption of Mary. Father Toan Do, pastor at Epiphany, graciously led us through today’s mass and encouraged us to reflect on the history and mystery regarding the Feast of the Assumption. He also reminded us that it is our faith that can answer many questions in our times of need. This was a great way to set the tone for how our faith is going to guide us through this school year. We want to especially thank Dr. DeKarlos Blackmon, Vice Chancellor for Pastoral Services for the Archdiocese of Louisville, for joining us in mass and visiting Assumption! We also want to thank Deacon Ned Berghausen and our students who participated in the mass and/or the preparation of it!

SPIRIT WEAR MONDAYS: Spirit Wear Mondays will begin on Monday, August 19. Students may wear an AHS sweatshirt or T-shirt with nice jeans (no holes), or AHS pants purchased from the Assumption campus store (no shorts or leggings). Students who choose not to wear Spirit Day attire must be in their full Assumption uniform.
SCHOOL PICTURES: School pictures for sophomores and juniors will be held on Thursday, August 22, and Friday, August 23, during study halls. Pictures will be made in your daughter’s school uniform. Please help your daughter make sure her uniform is clean and in good repair for her school portrait. All students must have their pictures taken for our yearbook. A link to order photos and to choose the yearbook photo will be emailed and texted within a couple of weeks after the picture date. Freshman pictures were taken on the freshman first day of school.

ASSUMPTION PARENT PRAYER: Our parent prayer group will begin meeting on August 27 from 8:15-8:45 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. Please join us for any or all of these opportunities!
PRAYER INTENTIONS: All Assumption parents and alumnae are invited to share prayer intentions. Periodically, we will include the line of “prayer intentions posted online by AHS parents and alumnae” as part of our morning prayer over the P.A. Likewise, feel free to include the intentions you find there in your own personal prayer. To participate, please follow this link.
RETREAT UPDATE: All sophomores, juniors, and seniors will have access to retreat applications starting on Friday, August 16. Freshmen will receive their applications and paperwork via email a couple weeks prior to their assigned retreat. Our first freshman homeroom, Birr, will go on retreat September 9-10 with Tullamore to follow on September 12-13. All Birr, Tullamore, Booterstown, Galway and Cork parents are invited to pray for their daughters going on retreat this semester on September 4 at 5:45 in the chapel. We will wrap up by 6:30 for Guidance’s parent session to follow.
Senior, junior, and sophomore parents: Please encourage your daughters to select a date and turn in their applications and deposits to Campus Ministry (unless paying on Blackbaud) starting on Monday, August 19, to ensure retreat availability and preparation time. Freshman and senior parents will receive information in the mail regarding their daughter’s retreat. This information will be sent out 2-3 weeks prior to the retreat, so keep an eye out for those documents in the mail. We are looking forward to retreats this year and hope you will encourage your daughter to attend. Please contact JULIA SCUDDER if you have any questions.

Our new schedule allows us dedicated time for building community in many ways, and we had a great opportunity to experience that this week during Community Time in class meetings, homeroom, and prayer. There is deep love for the Assumption Community among current students, faculty and staff and alumnae, but that is something we need to purposefully build throughout our student experience. This week, students have been spending time getting to know one another or reconnecting through homeroom activities and compiling a bulletin board that speaks to their unique community as a grade-level family. We will continue to dedicate this Community Time for learning, working, playing and celebrating together as a family, a class, and a school. Next week we look forward to using the homeroom time to prepare for RTI time as we learn this portion of the new schedule together. We will also experience our first Family Celebration of the year –when lasting traditions are built in homeroom and family.

PARENT ORIENTATIONS: Special thanks to our parents – we had wonderful attendance at our parent orientations both in person and virtually. If you were unable to join us for the informative evening, please contact your daughter’s guidance counselor: Senior: lynnzi.hoehler@ahsrockets.org; Junior: dawn.deweese@ahsrockets.org, Sophomore: jennifer.ruckriegel@ahsrockets.org, Freshman: amy.cundiff@ahsrockets.org . Parents may also review information from the orientation sessions through these links: Freshman Orientation, Sophomore Orientation, Junior Orientation, Senior Orientation. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
TRAFFIC FLOW IN THE MORNING AND AFTERNOONS: Thank you for your patience this first week as everyone learns our traffic procedures. If everyone follows the rules, everything runs much more smoothly! Please be sure to review this link from the summer letter: CARPOOL AND TRAFFIC FLOW INFORMATION & MAP. The paved shoulder along Bardstown Road in front of Assumption is used as a turning lane/waiting area for vehicles prior to entering the carpool lane on campus. Those queueing on the shoulder must be sure not to block the Bardstown Road/Tyler Lane intersection. A few tips:
- If you can, please come earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon; we begin supervising students at 7:15 a.m. and provide after-school supervision until 4:30 p.m. (4 p.m. on Fridays). If you arrive before 7:40 a.m. or after 3:15 p.m., the traffic is much lighter and you can breeze through the carpool line.
- When traveling to/from campus for drop-off and pick-up, avoid Bardstown Road and Tyler Lane as much as possible. For example, instead of turning left from Bardstown Road to get in the carpool line, use the neighborhood streets to get to Bardstown Road north of Tyler Lane and then head south on Bardstown Road so you can turn right into the carpool lane. Here’s an annotated map of our neighborhood streets that can help you work out an alternate route that will help you avoid Bardstown Road and Tyler Lane and save you time: NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS AROUND ASSUMPTION
- When you are exiting campus, TURN LEFT on TYLER instead of turning right and going to the light at Bardstown Road. When you turn left, go to Eleanor Avenue, the first cross street, and then turn left (to take you down to Gardiner Lane for easy access to the Watterson Expressway) or right (to take you up several blocks before making another right to access Bardstown Road away from all the traffic).
- You can avoid the carpool line all together by making a quick stop at Gardiner Lane Shopping Center to drop off or pick up your daughter. They don’t mind as long as it is a quick stop and you don’t use the parking spaces near the stores that they need for their customers. It’s a very short block and a safe walk for your daughter from the shopping center to Assumption.
CARPOOL LINE “NO IDLING” REMINDER: A message to parents from the ECC: The Environmental Concerns Committee has made many changes over the years to help AHS be a more sustainable community. Several years ago, “no idle” signs were put by the main entrance to the CAC so in the afternoon drivers would turn off their cars while they waited to pick up their students. The no idle zone is so important because car exhaust can damage not only the environment but our health. Idling puts off hazardous pollutants such as carbon dioxide and can cause serious health problems such as asthma, heart disease, chronic bronchitis, and cancer. It also causes serious environmental issues; carbon dioxide is a primary contributor to global warming. If you idle for one hour, you waste about $2 on gasoline, and the more you do it the more it adds up. Instead, we invite parents to shop at the campus store or simply arrive just a few minutes before school dismisses. We thank everyone for helping the earth and invite everyone to take part in a greener community.
DRIVER’S ED: AHS and the Kentucky Driving School will be providing a driver’s education program September 16-20. Click here to learn more.
WELCOME BACK FROM THE ACHIEVEMENT CENTER: The AC would like to welcome all students back to school and remind everyone that we are here to help with any subject at any level. We are considered the Guardian Angels of Homework! Please encourage your student to stop by and get to know the AC Team. Be sure to follow us on Instagram to know of upcoming academic opportunities we are hosting before, during, and after school. Follow us @Assumption.AC !
MOCK SCHEDULE NIGHT – Save the date! We will have our annual Mock Schedule Night for parents on Thursday, August 29, beginning at 6:30 p.m.; parents should report to their daughter’s homeroom for opening prayer and announcements. We are asking your daughter to text you a picture of her schedule and her homeroom number by the end of the school day on August 29 so you can have it handy for Mock Schedule.
DUAL CREDIT COURSE REGISTRATION: Attention, parents of students enrolled in dual credit (DC) courses: If your daughter is enrolled in DC English, she began her registration for this course through University of Louisville before was out last spring or this week, and parents will be receiving an email from UL to confirm this enrollment that they must sign and return by next week. All other students enrolled in dual credit classes will be enrolling in the next two weeks. In September, your daughter will want to keep an eye out for an email from KHEAA to take advantage of the Dual Credit Scholarship, which pays for two classes for every student in the state of Kentucky for BOTH her junior and senior year. If the family does not sign up for the KHEAA account and request the scholarships, you will owe each university $95 PER CREDIT HOUR for all courses. If you have questions regarding registration or paying for dual credit courses, Dean of Studies Judy Fieldhouse will be in the cafeteria on Mock Schedule Night to answer your questions. Please stop by and see her!
POWERSCHOOL GRADES: PowerSchool grades are available for your view via your PowerSchool account. The following reminders are important to keep in mind:
- PowerSchool grades are provided as our first line of communication to our families regarding your daughter’s progress, but it is important to keep in mind that no first semester grades are final until January 2025.
- As indicated in the Student Parent Handbook, if a student is absent or misses class due to retreat or any other school-related function, we use a PLACEHOLDER ZERO to help her remember to make up this work. This PLACEHOLDER ZERO will be replaced with the actual grade once the student completes the makeup work and the teacher is able to enter it in PowerSchool.
- Teachers are asked to have grades as up to date as possible by the 1st and the 15th of each month.
- If you or your daughter have a question regarding a grade recorded in PowerSchool, please have your daughter reach out to the teacher with her question. You are always welcome to follow up with the teacher as well.
DROP/ADD DEADLINE: Our drop/add period for classes ends on Wednesday, August 21. Students will need a signed form, $20 schedule change fee for an elective along with a parent/guardian signature for any change and teacher recommendation if required for the course or for any level change. If you or your daughter has questions about her schedule, please contact the appropriate dean of studies: Student Last Name A-K: JUDY FIELDHOUSE, Student Last Name L-Z: THERESA SCHUHMANN
TEXTBOOKS: All students should have their textbooks at this time. If your daughter still needs textbooks, please access her booklist through this link: https://bnck-12.com/ahsrockets.
ASSUMPTION PARENT ORGANIZATION (APO) UPDATE:
- APO REPRESENTATIVES: Representatives will reach out to all parents by email to introduce themselves and share information on upcoming events and parent involvement/volunteer opportunities.
- ROCKET SPECTACULAR BENEFIT DINNER AND AUCTION: Mark your calendar for our 44th Annual Rocket Spectacular, which will take place on Saturday, February 1, 2025. Rocket Spectacular is our largest fundraiser, with all proceeds benefiting the financial needs of our students. We are currently looking for sponsors for this event. Sponsors can be individuals, families, or businesses. More details to come! If interested, please reach out to Michelle Farmer at michelle.farmer@ahsrockets.org or Tricia Ferree at tricia.ferree@ahsrockets.org
BACK TO SCHOOL CAMPAIGN: The Back-to-School Fundraising Campaign ends this Sunday, August 18! Many of our student programs and athletic teams rely on additional financial support. As a parent, please share this opportunity to support Assumption and your student with family and friends to help make it a success! Click here to view our giving site.
INTERNATIONAL TRIP OPPORTUNITIES – SUMMER 2025:
- WORLD WAR II & THE HOLOCAUST: We are excited to announce we will be offering a once-in-a-lifetime educational trip focused on World War II and the Holocaust in the summer of 2025. This trip was specifically designed by history teachers, Ms. Long and Ms. Rose, and will explore important events and places related to the Holocaust and World War II in Europe. The trip will begin in Munich with a visit to the Nymphenburg Palace, a guided sightseeing tour of Munich, a visit to the Olympic site of 1972, and a visit to Dachau concentration camp. We will also go on an excursion to Neuschwanstein Castle. We will then head to Prague and see many important landmarks including a guided tour of the Prague Communism and Nuclear Bunker site. Our trip concludes in Krakow with a sightseeing tour and a guided visit to Auschwitz & Birkenau. This trip is open to all current freshmen & sophomores. We plan to have a meeting in the fall of 2024 with more information about this fantastic trip. For more information and to sign up, please visit: www.educationaltravel.com/long-9651/ If you have any questions or need further information, please email Beth Long at beth.long@ahsrockets.org or Megan Rose at megan.rose@ahsrockets.org.
- THE BEST OF IRELAND AND ENGLAND: Parents are you looking for a once in a lifetime experience for your freshman or sophomore daughter? If so, consider a trip to Ireland and London during the summer of 2025. Your daughter will have the opportunity to visit legendary places like St. Patrick’s Cathedral and tour the International House of Mercy where Catherine McAuley began her ministry and founded the Sisters of Mercy. She will also travel to Galway, the Cliffs of Moher, Limerick, and Blarney Castle. The trip continues with a flight to London to visit Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and Piccadilly Circus; travel down the Thames River; and see Trafalgar Square. A highlight will be taking a tour of Westminster Abbey, where the royals are crowned and married, and visiting the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels. Student informational meetings will be held on Wednesday, August 28 before school at 7:30 a.m. in room 238 and after school on Thursday, August 29 at 3:00 p.m. in room 238. In addition, there will a parent meeting on Wednesday, September 11 at 6:30 p.m. in room 140. If your daughter is interested in traveling, Click here to RSVP. To learn more details about this fantastic trip, please contact Stacy Johnson at stacy.johnson@ahsrockets.org.

COLLEGE INFORMATION NIGHT FOR SENIOR PARENTS: Kim Habich and Leigh Jackson, college counselors, have provided detailed information about the college application process to the class of 2025 via the College Workshop held on August 1 and the makeup date held on August 8. To further assist senior parents and families with the college process, there will be a college information night on Thursday, September 5, at 6:30 p.m. in Assumption’s theater. If you have any questions, please contact Kim Habich or Leigh Jackson.
COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS: Most college applications for the 2024-2025 application cycle opened on August 1, 2024. This includes both online college applications and the Common Application. The Assumption-specific college process was reviewed with your student during one of two workshops that occurred on August 1 or August 8. Please encourage your daughter to follow the steps on the To-Do-List as this document includes the necessary steps to complete the process, which includes requesting transcripts to colleges. Kim Habich and Leigh Jackson, college counselors, will be reaching out to your student soon about scheduling a one-on-one meeting.

FRESHMAN PARENT MASS – Save the date! This Mass is a beautiful way to celebrate your freshman daughter’s high school journey as part of a community of faith. It will be celebrated on Sunday, September 8, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Raphael Catholic Church. Please come even if your family isn’t Catholic. Siblings are invited as well – bring the whole family!

Please join us at The Assumption Green for field hockey and soccer games, at the gym for our volleyball home games, and at the courses for our cross country meets and golf matches. All of our athletic team schedules can be found on the Athletics page of our website: ATHLETICS.
Ticket to all home games can be purchased at the door for $8, cash or credit card.
Congratulations to:
The JV and Varsity soccer teams for opening their season with wins over Elizabethtown High School. In the varsity game, sophomore Whitney Cooper delivered the game-winning goal in the final seconds to help secure a 2-1 victory.
The Golf team for coming in sixth place in Anderson County’s Joy of Golf Tournament. The golf team is off to a great start in the race to qualify for the State Top 15 tournament, winning two tournaments and coming in second place in two others.
Next Week:
Saturday, August 17
- Golf @ Lexington Catholic Invitational @ Thoroughbred GC
- JV Soccer vs Bearden (TN) in Murfreesboro, TN 9:00 a.m.
- Varsity Soccer vs Baylor (TN) in Murfreesboro, TN 10:50 a.m.
- JV Soccer vs Ravenwood (TN) in Murfreesboro, TN 2:30 p.m.
- Varsity Soccer vs Signal Mountain (TN) in Murfreesboro, TN 4:20 p.m.
Sunday, August 18
- Soccer vs Father Ryan (TN) in Murfreesboro, TN. Varsity 9:30 a.m., JV 11:20 a.m.
Monday, August 29
- Freshman Field Hockey Apple Tournament vs Christian Academy @ Sacred Heart 5:00 p.m.
- Varsity Soccer @ Brown 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 20
- Golf vs Mercy @ Oxmoor CC 4:00 p.m.
- Volleyball vs Male. Freshmen 5:00pm, JV 6:00 p.m., Varsity 7:00 p.m.
- Freshman Field Hockey Apple Tournament @ Sacred Heart 5:00 p.m.
- JV Field Hockey Apple Tournament vs Eastern @ Sacred Heart 7:00 p.m.
- Varsity Field Hockey Apple Tournament vs Christian Academy @ Sacred Heart 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 21
- Freshman Field Hockey Apple Tournament vs Manual @ Sacred Heart 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 22
- Volleyball vs Presentation. Freshmen 5:00 p.m., JV 6:00 p.m., Varsity 7:00 p.m.
- JV Field Hockey Apple Tournament vs Mercy @ Sacred Heart 7:00 p.m.
- Varsity Field Hockey Apple Tournament vs Ballard @ Sacred Heart 7:30 p.m.
Friday, August 23
- Freshman Field Hockey Apple Tournament vs Ballard @ Sacred Heart 6:00 p.m.
- Varsity Field Hockey Apple Tournament @ Sacred Heart 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 24
- Golf @ Larue Tournament @ Larue CC 8:00 a.m.
- Soccer vs Manual. JV 10:00am, Varsity 11:30 a.m.
- Cross Country @ Tiger Run @ Champions Park 8:00 a.m.