
September 13, 2024

Michelle Farmer, Executive Director of Advancement
Today we came together as a community for our Walk Kickoff Assembly! The annual Walk for Assumption is a time when our students come together not only to walk, dress up, celebrate class colors, and share lots of laughter, but it’s also a time that we focus on achieving an important goal together, as a community!
This year’s theme, WALKING ON A DREAM, was chosen by our Family Council! It’s important to know that all funds raised from the Rocket Raffle ticket sales directly benefit the financial needs of our students and their families. This year, 40% of our student body received some form of tuition assistance, and this number continues to grow.
The Walk for Assumption will take place on Friday, September 27 – just two weeks from today! As we shared with the students, this is the only schoolwide fundraiser hosted in conjunction with our annual Rocket Spectacular Benefit Dinner and Auction. Be sure to mark your calendars for Saturday, February 1, 2025!
To participate in the Walk, each student must sell a minimum of four Rocket Raffle tickets by Wednesday, September 25 (tickets and permission slip can be turned in during their lunch period). The raffle drawing itself will take place at our Rocket Spectacular Benefit Dinner and Auction, where our $20,000 winner will be announced!
Our schoolwide goal is to sell 5,000 Rocket Raffle tickets. While getting the day off school the Friday before Spring Break is an awesome incentive, the real excitement comes from achieving this goal together and supporting one another.
All students came home with their tickets and permission slips today. Tickets can also be purchased here Rocket Raffle – Assumption High School (ahsrockets.org). The students have lots of incentives in addition to a day off to help motivate them to sell! We encourage them to ask friends, family members, and neighbors. We can’t wait for this year’s Walk, and we know that together we can exceed our goal!
Thank you for supporting not only your daughter but our entire Assumption Community. Working together, we all make an impact!

Penny Peetz, our AMAZING Pawsome Therapy Pup
Many of you have may have heard of PE teacher, Lindsay Peetz’s, smiling dog, Penny, who comes to Assumption for monthly visits. Penny has some very exciting news and needs your help! She has been selected as one of the 25 Semi-Finalists for the 14th Annual Hero Dog Awards! She has been nominated in the category of emerging hero and shelter dog. Up to five nominated dogs in each category have been selected by a panel of advisors as semi-finalists.
So what can you do?! Starting at now through October 9 12 PM EST you can vote for Penny to be her category winner. Individuals who are 18 years or older may vote every day until the deadline using this link: https://www.herodogawards.org/nominees
If Penny wins her category then she will be one of five that you can vote on for the title of American Hero Dog. This title would be announced at the awards ceremony gala in Palm Beach, FL in January. We would greatly appreciate it if you could share her story and voting link with friends, family, and anyone you know. You can vote daily for Penny to be a finalist for American Hero Dog!

DRESS DOWN DAY – September 20: Did you know that Assumption sponsors a school in Cambodia? That’s right! Several students in the Class of 2010 learned in their geography class about how difficult it still is for girls to get a quality education there today due to the genocide and cultural upheaval as a result of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. They actually raised enough money to build a school in rural Cambodia and named it Change-Hope Through Education. Each year we raise money to support the English and computer programs there, so students will have a dress-down day on Friday, September 20. For a minimum donation of $3, students can leave their uniforms at home and dress down! Guidelines for appropriate attire on dress-down days can be found in the handbook and in an email sent to students by Mrs. Wesley this week. If you would like to contribute to this effort, please send your donation in with your daughter on Friday, September 20!

ASSUMPTION PARENT PRAYER: Our parent prayer group will meet on Tuesday, September 17 from 8:15-8:45 a.m. in the AHS chapel. Please park in any open space and enter the school through the main entrance. We will be praying for the Booterstown family juniors and seniors. 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.
MASS AND CONFESSIONS: Fr. Michael Schultz was at AHS during RTI Time on Wednesday this week. He offered Mass and confession to those who were interested, and he will be returning on a regular basis to continue providing sacramental opportunities for our community.

Next week during Community time, we have the opportunity to take care of one another by participating in Suicide Prevention programming provided by our Guidance and Counseling Department. Our counselors will provide an opportunity for grade levels to come together for discussion and teamwork. Then our homeroom time will be guided by our homeroom teachers who will share resources students might need to take care of one another and themselves. These resources are always available on our Assumption Website for students and families alike.
We will also have the second Family Celebration Day on Friday of next week, when each homeroom will have a chance to decorate a pumpkin together in celebration of the beginning of fall. We look forward to their designs, and we will hold a social media voting event shortly after. These community-building opportunities allow students to connect with one another in ways unique to the Assumption experience. We can’t wait to see what they do together!

WALK FOR ASSUMPTION: On Friday, September 27, we will hold our annual Walk for Assumption, an event to which our students make contributions to benefit the financial needs of our students. This year’s theme chosen by the students is “Walking on a Dream.” In order to participate in the Walk for Assumption, students must sell a minimum of four Rocket Raffle tickets and turn in a signed Walk permission form. Tickets cost $25 each, and the purchaser is entered into a drawing for $20,000, which will take place at our Rocket Spectacular on Saturday, February 1, 2025. If the school reaches our goal of 5,000 tickets sold, not only will we have an amazing Walk for Assumption, but students will earn the day off from school on Friday, March 29, 2025, the Friday before spring break! We have many more fun incentives that will come home today, along with their Rocket Raffle tickets and Walk permission form. We are encouraging the girls to reach out not only to their parents but to other people in their lives who would like the opportunity to support her and the Community of Assumption through the Walk and the Rocket Raffle. We hope that over the next week, you will help your daughter brainstorm ways that she can sell her tickets to help benefit the financial needs of our students and to make the Walk a success! Here is the link that can be shared with your family and friends https://www.ahsrockets.org/rocket-raffle/
Collections of the students’ contributions will take place at lunches the weeks of Monday, September 16, and Monday, September 23. The deadline for collection is Wednesday, September 25 at 12:20 p.m., the last lunch. If you have any questions, please contact Tricia Ferree in Advancement at tricia.ferree@ahsrockets.org.
ROCKET PARENT NETWORK: This is your last chance to join the Rocket Parent Network and/or order a Student/Parent Directory. The Rocket Parent Network is a trustworthy group of Assumption parents united to provide a drug- and alcohol-free social environment for teens. Parents commit to chaperoning their daughters and their friends to be sure that alcohol and drugs are not used while at their home. Membership dues are $10 per year, or $30 for four years. A directory is free in a parent’s first year of membership and may be purchased for $5 per year in subsequent years. If you would like to join the RPN, please visit this website: RPN Website for a membership form. If you would like to order a parent directory, please contact Meghan Rogers at 458-9551 ext. 2539 or by email at meghan.rogers@ahsrockets.org.
PARENT SUPERVISION VOLUNTEERS: As noted in our recent special message, this year, we have implemented a slightly altered daily schedule that incorporates a new Rockets Taking Initiative (RTI) period from 10:50 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. During this time when students are not meeting with a teacher or in an enrichment session, they each have an RTI Family room homebase for quiet independent work. These rooms are supervised by a team of teachers/staff members. Parent volunteers are needed to serve as substitutes for our RTI Family room supervisors when teachers are out of the building to go on retreat, to attend professional development, or for other personal/professional reasons. Whether you can volunteer once this school year or multiple times, we would love to have parents join us in supporting this important work. Please note: All volunteers working with students are required to attend the Safe Environment Training provided by the Archdiocese of Louisville and to complete a background check with the archdiocese. If you have never attended this workshop and are interested in volunteering, see the schedule of trainings here: Archdiocese of Louisville Safe Environment Training. You can also click HERE for a link to the background check form to complete. If interested in volunteering, please complete this PARENT SUPERVISION VOLUNTEER QUESTIONNAIRE. If you have questions, please email Tatum Park. Completed background check forms may also be emailed to Mrs. Park as well.
CAMPUS STORE: Does your favorite Rocket need some updated AHS merch? Check out the online Campus Store, and be sure to click “Email me with news and offers” when checking out to stay up to date with new apparel, sales, store information, and more!
NEWS FROM THE ACHIEVEMENT CENTER: Each week the AC hosts academic support during RTI time for students needing to catch up on missing assignments or receive extra help in a class. Students will receive a weekly email on Fridays from Mrs. Conway to learn more about these opportunities. If your daughter has been away on retreat or missed school for an athletic event, be sure your daughter takes advantage of this support.
DUAL CREDIT COURSE REGISTRATION: Attention, parents of students enrolled in dual credit (DC) courses: If your daughter is enrolled in a DC course this semester, she has applied to the coordinating school and should have all of her accounts in order. Many students took advantage of RTI sessions this week to meet with Mrs. Fieldhouse to make sure everything was in order. She will also want to make sure she has logged into her KHEAA.com account 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, tell your daughter to come to the office with her computer to see Mrs. Fieldhouse or Mrs. Fleischer.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES:
- Paris to Normandy Summer 2025: Bonjour! We will have an informational meeting for NEW students registering for the Paris to Normandy trip this summer May 31-June 8 on Sunday, September 15 from 2-2:30 p.m. in room 120. Plan to enter through the theater lobby. All current Assumption freshman, sophomores, and juniors are invited to this informational meeting, and we have seven spots available! If you have ALREADY registered, your informational meeting starts at 2:30 in room 120. We will discuss travel tips, packing, and passports. Please email Jennifer Shirley at jennifer.shirley@ahsrockets.org with any questions. Here is the link to view the trip and register: www.educationaltravel.com/Shirley-7508
- Greek Isle Cruise Spring Break 2026: We are once again offering a trip to Greece for a weeklong Greek Isle Cruise during Spring Break 2026. All current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors and their parents/sisters are eligible to travel. This trip is PRICED RIGHT, and the cost is all-inclusive. Additionally, our tour company is offering an early-registration discount. We will have an informational meeting for interested students and parents on Monday, September 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. Want to find out more about this incredible opportunity? Contact Dr. Lisa Wieland at lisa.wieland@ahsrockets.org.

SENIOR COLLEGE NIGHT FOR PARENTS – FOLLOW UP: Thank you to the parents and families in attendance during last week’s College Night. If you missed the in-person event, the PowerPoint slides can be found HERE. If you have any questions, please contact Kim Habich or Leigh Jackson.
ARISE SERVICE TRIPS: ARISE service trips are offered to seniors and take place during Mission Week. Seniors who join an ARISE team will learn about and participate in service, prayer, community, and simplicity. We are hopeful that we will be able to offer a direct service trip where students will be able to serve in traditional capacities such as building projects and working in food pantries. The number of students will determine the location for this trip. We would also like to offer an advocacy service trip. This group of students will travel to Washington DC to learn about one of the Critical Concerns of the Sisters of Mercy. Then they will plan to visit the Capitol to meet with our lawmakers about this issue. In the past, seniors have said that their mission trips are some of the most amazing and profound experiences they had during their time at AHS. If your student is considering participating on an ARISE trip, please encourage her to commit to joining us. We will have an additional meeting on Wednesday, September 25 during RTI for all students who would like to have more details and to receive a commitment form. I hope you will support and encourage your student to consider this wonderful opportunity. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Katie Culver (Katie.culver@ahsrockets.org)
TESTING DAY FOR SENIORS: Since seniors are not involved in taking standardized tests on Testing Day, Thursday, October 10, they are excused from coming to school on this day. We strongly encourage seniors to use this day for making college visits. Since Friday of that week and Monday and Tuesday of the following week are Fall Break days, this is a great opportunity to make a visit to an out-of-town college.

PSAT ON TESTING DAY: Junior parents, please note below that the deadline for responding to the survey about the PSAT has been moved to SEPTEMBER 16 due to a deadline with the College Board. We need ALL junior families to respond to this survey. As presented at the junior parent orientation night, all juniors have the opportunity to take the PSAT on testing day, Thursday, October 10. The PSAT is the practice test for the SAT as well as the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program. If your junior is a McAuley Scholar, she should plan to take the test. The PSAT is optional for most juniors, but all students are encouraged to test as it will give them an additional test score to compare with their ACT performance and help them to determine which test they prefer (ACT or SAT). The PSAT is a digital test that students will take on their laptop computers, so it will be good preparation for other digital tests, including AP exams. It is a gateway test for scholarships offered by some organizations to the children of their employees. Please check with your employer to see if they offer scholarship opportunities through the PSAT/NMSQT program. A PSAT score may also be used in the admissions process for competitive summer programs such as GSP. Finally, taking the PSAT as a junior is the sole method for a student to be eligible to participate in the National Merit Scholarship Program and to earn recognition as a National Merit Finalist or Commended Student. If students choose to take a college visit instead of the PSAT, they will need to provide verification from the college/university in order for the day not to be counted as an absence. If they do not take the test nor complete a college visit, this day will be an unexcused absence. Please complete this survey to let us know the plans for your daughter on testing day: PSAT TESTING DAY SURVEY PLEASE RESPOND BY MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16.
GOVERNOR’S SCHOLARS PROGRAM (GSP): All juniors should have received an email from COLLEEN MURPHY this week that included the join code for a Team on Microsoft Teams where information about the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program will be distributed and student applications will be collected. GSP is a prestigious summer program for high school juniors in the state of Kentucky who plan to return to a Kentucky high school for their senior year. Students must complete a rigorous application process and submit a standardized test score. Acceptable tests include the ACT, SAT, and PSAT. Informational sessions about how to complete the application and maximize a student’s chances for admission will be held during RTI time on September 17 and 18. If your daughter is interested in applying for this program, please encourage her to follow up on Dr. Murphy’s email and enter the join code on Teams!

ACTS PARENT SURVEY: This week an email was sent to all parents and guardians of sophomores regarding the sophomore ACTS service program. Included in this email was a link to a form that asks for your insights about your student’s strengths and interests to help match her with an ACTS agency that will be a good fit. The survey also asks for information regarding your student’s immunizations so that we can make appropriate agency assignments. We ask that you complete this form by September 30. In addition to this form, there is other important information in the letter, including information about the ACTS uniform pants and service dates. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Culver (katie.culver@ahsrockets.org)

FRESHMAN WALK SLEEPOVER & WALK COLLECTIONS/PERMISSION FORMS: Next Friday, September 20 in the class meeting, freshmen will receive detailed information about participating in our traditional Freshman Pre-Walk Sleepover. On Thursday, September 26, freshmen are invited to a Walk Sleepover in the gym. The cost of the Walk Sleepover is $5. In order to participate, freshmen need to turn in their Walk permission slip, sleepover permission slip, a minimum of four Rocket Raffle tickets, and $5. The two signed permission slips, tickets, and $5 are due by the end of lunches on Wednesday, September 25. All freshmen are asked to turn in both permission slips even if a freshman is not planning to attend the sleepover. Freshmen should arrive for the sleepover between 7:00-7:30 p.m. and enter through the doors at the gym lobby. Please contact AMY CUNDIFF or THERESA SCHUHMANN if you have any questions about the Freshman Walk Sleepover. Pick up time on Friday, September 27 will be between 11:45 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.
FRESHMAN SERVICE PROJECT: During freshman theology classes, our students will be participating in their annual freshman service project. Every year our students make Halloween treat bags for the children who are served by St. Joseph Children’s Home and Home of the Innocents. More details will be coming home with your student from her theology teacher. Essentially, we are asking that each student bring a $5 donation (if possible) to their theology teacher by September 25 or September 26 so that we can purchase all the supplies needed for this project. We appreciate your support!
ATHLETICS MEET & GREET: On Wednesday, September 18 we are hosting an Athletics Meet & Greet Night for seventh-, eighth-, and current ninth-grade families to meet coaches, players, and parents from all sports. This is a great evening to hear a little bit about our athletic department and make contact with coaches and sports your daughter might be interested in. Fill out this form to let us know you are coming!

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 wins over Henry Clay
- The Golf team for placing second at the Marcus Camacho tournament and for qualifying for the Top 15 State Tournament
- The Cross Country team for a great showing at the Rumble Through the Jungle meet. Both JV and Varsity came in first place. Junior Ella Spalding won the JV race and Junior Mabel George placed second in the varsity race.
- The Varsity Field Hockey team for beating Frank Cox High School (VA)
- The JV Volleyball team for winning the Avon Classic and the Varsity team for winning all four games of their round robin. Additionally, the freshmen, JV, and varsity teams all swept Mercy.
Next Week:
Friday, September 13
- Varsity Field Hockey vs Glenbrook South (IL) 6:30 p.m.
September 13-14
- Varsity Volleyball @ LIVT
- JV Soccer @ E-Town JV Classic
September 14-15
- Golf @ KY Top 15 All- State Tournament @ UK
Sunday, September 15
- Field Hockey vs Sacred Heart. Freshmen 5:00pm, JV 6:15 p.m., Varsity 7:30 p.m.
Monday, September 16
- Freshman Field Hockey vs Ballard @ Manual 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, September 17
- Field Hockey @ Collegiate. JV 6:00 p.m., Varsity 7:30 p.m.
- Golf vs Sacred Heart @ Seneca GC 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 18
- Soccer @ Providence. JV 6:00 p.m., Varsity 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 19
- Soccer vs Providence. JV 6:00 p.m., Varsity 7:30 p.m.
September 20th- 21
- Varsity Volleyball @ Durango Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada
Friday, September 20
- Varsity Field Hockey vs Warwick (PA) @ Max Field Hockey PA 3:00 p.m.
- Varsity Field Hockey vs Kingsway Regional (NJ) @ Max Field Hockey PA 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 21
- Varsity Field Hockey vs Bryn Mawr (MD) @ Max Field Hockey PA 9:00 a.m.
- Freshman Volleyball @ Freshman LIVT
- Cross Country @ Trinity Invitational @ Tom Sawyer Park 9:00 a.m.
Sunday, September 22
- Soccer @ Sacred Heart. JV 4:30 p.m., Varsity 6:00 p.m.