January 24, 2025

Next week we will celebrate National Catholic Schools Week. Now in its 51st year, this week provides an opportunity for us to appreciate how much Catholic schools have been and continue to be an important part of our lives. Catholic schools have a 98.9% graduation rate, which is higher than other religiously affiliated schools, non-sectarian independent schools, and public schools. Similarly, the percentage of graduates of Catholic schools that go on to attend a four-year college is 85.2%, which is significantly higher than any other type of school. The National Catholic Education Association calls Catholic schools “a gift to the nation” because based on the average per pupil cost to educate a student in the public system, Catholic schools provide the U.S. with $23.4 billion in savings every year. Our own Catholic high school is a fantastic example of the many benefits of a Catholic education.  With an average class size of 18, over 130 courses offered, 14 athletic programs, and over 70 clubs and organizations, there’s something for everyone at AHS. These are just a few of the many reasons we have been identified as a Cognia International School of Distinction and been recognized as the best Catholic high school in Louisville. We have so much to celebrate!  

Each morning next week, we will have a special prayer that focuses on five aspects of our Catholic experience: community, ritual, sacraments, social teaching, and tradition.  On Tuesday, January 28, student representatives will attend the Archdiocesan Mass celebrating Catholic Schools. Additionally, we will take time to celebrate special people in our community each day. On Thursday, January 30, we will be celebrating our amazing students. All students can wear spirit wear on Thursday and enjoy a special treat at lunch! 

UPCOMING CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK COLLECTION: Special Message from Our Students:  Hello, Assumption students and families! We are excited to announce our upcoming Toiletries Drive, which will take place this upcoming week from January 27-31, 2025. Our Lead4Change service teams, Hopeful Horizons and Live to Give, are coming together to support two incredible causes in our community. Hopeful Horizons will be donating all proceeds to Sparc Hope, an organization that helps provide single parents with everyday necessities to make their lives a little easier. Meanwhile, Live to Give will be extending support through His Blessings Box to those in poverty-stricken areas of Louisville, ensuring they have access to essential hygiene products. 

We will be collecting a wide range of toiletries for both men and women, including (but certainly not limited to): 

  • Shampoo and conditioner 
  • Toothpaste and toothbrushes
  • Soap and body wash 
  • Deodorant 
  • Feminine hygiene products 
  • Contact solution and more 

 Your participation is crucial to the success of this drive. We are calling on all students and parents to contribute as generously as possible. Please remember, the items don’t have to be expensive, but they must be new and unopened. No donation is too small, and every item will make a significant difference in someone’s life. Students, please drop off your donations in the designated boxes in the atrium and CAC lobby during the week of the drive. Together, we can make a positive impact on our community. Let’s come together to support those in need and show others how compassion inspires! 

Thank you in advance for your support! 

Molly Keiran ’27, Megan Oeswein ’27, Madeline Lynch ’27, Gabrielle Buschemeyer ’27 (Hopeful Horizons), Ella Brown ’26, Kara Hobgood ’26, Leah Johnson ’26, and Kate Lucas ’26 (Live to Give) 

MERCY AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

We are excited to welcome five students from our partner school, Colegio Santa Ethnea in Bella Vista, Argentina, to participate in our Mercy Ambassadors Program. These students will be hosted by five of our students and their families. They will attend school, participate in extracurriculars, and get the chance to experience what life is like here in our community. In June, our Assumption students will spend the month doing the same in Argentina. This program is a chance for us to experience Mercy hospitality through a global connection, and we are so fortunate to have this opportunity. 

COLLEGE WORKSHOP AND REGISTRATION INFORMATION FOR SOPHOMORES, JUNIORS, AND PARENTS: Attention, all sophomore and junior parents and students – please mark your calendars for a college workshop on Thursday, January 30 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the theater.  Parents and students will have the opportunity to choose from breakout sessions on topics such as Mastering the College Application Essay, Helpful Strategies for Standardized Testing, the College Resume, The AP Capstone Program, Purposeful Planning and Course Selection, and many more. If you have any questions, please contact LEIGH JACKSON or KIMBERLY HABICH, our college counselors. 

12:30 DISMISSAL NEXT FRIDAY: We will dismiss at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, January 31, to allow for the setup of Rocket Spectacular. After-school supervision will not be provided, so please make arrangements for your daughter to be picked up by 12:45 p.m.  

ROCKET SPECTACULAR BENEFIT DINNER AND AUCTION 2025: Saturday, February 1, 2025. Tickets are on sale now to our Platinum Jubilee. Don’t miss out. This will be a sold-out event!  Check out our newly released silent auction items and raffles:  Please visit this link for tickets and raffles. For more information on how to help support the event, contact Tricia Ferree @ tricia.ferree@ahsrockets.org or call (502)271-2519. All proceeds from this event go to the financial needs of our students. Reservations are subject to availability. 

ASSUMPTION PARENT PRAYER: Our parent prayer group will meet on Tuesday, January 28 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 our Assumption community as we celebrate Catholic Schools Week.  Please join us! 

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. 

Our school theme this year is “Unforgettable,” which presents a challenge to all students, faculty and staff to not only look back on the year and see it as unforgettable, but to put in the work to make it so. While we have a number of special events coming up second semester including Junior Prom, Senior Prom, Family Olympics, Pep Rallies, the Pink & White Game, and more, it is in the everyday interactions that a school year becomes unforgettable.  Students were challenged last week during Community time to consider a guiding motto for the semester that allows them to be fully themselves and embrace what they bring to our community. Many students focused on their perspective (making lemonade out of lemons, living life to the fullest, etc.), while others focused on their approach to school (always be kind, work hard every day in everything).  As we move through the days, we will continue to encourage our girls to show up each day in a way that honors the unique role she shares in our community and when we look back on the year, it will be truly unforgettable to each of us.  

FINANCIAL AID FORM: The financial aid link for the 2025-2026 school year has been added to the school’s website. The due date is January 31, 2025, and the form must be submitted online to FACTS Grant and Aid Assessment.  FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION LINK. As a reminder, you are required to file every year to be considered for assistance. 

REGISTRATION FOR THE 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR: Even as we continue to work to make this the best possible semester for your daughter, we are also looking toward planning for the success of our returning students next school year. Part of that planning process is registering for class for the 2025-2026 school year. Registration for current students for next school year will take place in March. More details will be shared as the time for registration approaches. 

FATHER-DAUGHTER DANCE: The Father-Daughter Dance will be held on Saturday, February 8, from 7:30-10:30 p.m. in the gym. This dance is open to ALL students— freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. We encourage all to attend and dance the night away with their fathers or father figures! Tickets may be purchased in advance via GoFan or at the door the night of the dance. Tickets are $25 per couple & $10 for each additional daughter.  The dance theme is “Dads at the Disco” and will be a silent disco! Guests are invited to dress for the theme, but of course, themed attire is not required.  Music will be provided by Assumption’s very own DJ, Jared Ramirez. Hope to see you there! https://gofan.co/event/3086429?schoolId=KY6124

PreACT and ACT TEST REPORTS: Students will receive paper copies of their PreACT and ACT test reports in their English class this week and next. Students will also have their PreACT test booklets returned and will be led through error analysis activities on these tests as well as directed to their digital PSAT scores and error analysis with  their math, English, social studies, and science teachers. 

ROCKET PARENT NETWORK (RPN) UPDATE: SAVE THE DATE The Rocket Parent Network invites you to “save the date” for their next speaker program on February 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the AHS theater. Their presentation will focus on helping your daughters through feelings of anxiety and being overwhelmed.  They will host the parents of three daughters and a local therapist.  This program will also be offered online with a link coming to the Rocket Report in the next few weeks.  

IMPORTANT HELP NEEDED WITH SAFETY & TRAFFIC FLOW PROTOCOLS: 

  • DROP OFF/PICK UP ON TYLER LANE IS PROHIBITED: A reminder that students may not be picked up or dropped off on Tyler Lane and cars may not wait/park on Tyler Lane at any time.   Picking up/dropping off students on any part of Tyler Lane violates our binding elements issued by the City and opens us up to additional traffic restrictions from the City if neighbors petition for it.   We have received complaints from neighbors recently that AHS parents are also making illegal U-turns in the middle of Bardstown Road in order to get in the queue line next for arrival and dismissal, creating a hazardous situation and blocking normal traffic flow.  Mr. Rob Owen, our Director of Safety and Security, will be monitoring Tyler Lane and directing any stopped cars to move.  Students have been notified that if they are picked up or dropped off on Tyler Lane, they will receive detentions. 

  

  • TYLER LANE SAFETY CONCERN: After dropping off or picking up your daughter, if you are on Tyler Lane headed for the light and want to turn left, please don’t pull out to the left to get around the line of cars waiting to turn right onto Bardstown Road to get to the left lane. You need to wait until the road widens and the left lane actually begins. When you pull around the traffic, you are actually driving on the wrong side of the road and  are risking having a head-on collision with cars coming from the other direction on Tyler Lane. Additionally, do not get in the left-hand turn lane at the light and then proceed to go straight to continue on Tyler Lane as we have had near collisions when cars do not turn left as the lane indicates.  Please wait patiently in a single line of traffic until you get to where there are actually two lanes and then please follow the direction of those lanes. 

  

  • REQUEST ON BEHALF OF STUDENTS WHO PARK AT STRATHMOOR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH & ST. RAPHAEL LOT: Please do not wait in the Strathmoor parking lot across Bardstown Road from Assumption or the St. Raphael lot to pick your daughter up at dismissal. Parents who do this are forming their own carpool lane of sorts, and this blocks our students who rent spaces at Strathmoor into their parking spots, which has already caused some of them to be late for medical appointments, jobs, etc. 

PARENT SUPERVISION VOLUNTEERS: We are very grateful to the parents who volunteered to assist with supervision during our new Rockets Taking Initiative (RTI) period, which occurs 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. As the new semester begins, we want to remind our parents that whether you can volunteer once this school year or multiple times, we would love to have you 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. Thank you in advance for helping us support your daughters and our teachers! 

SERVICE HOURS:  Juniors who are in Catholic Social Teaching this semester will have 15 service hours to complete as part of their class curriculum. Their service commitment form, which needs to be signed by a parent, is due Friday, January 31. This form, the syllabus with all the due dates and requirements, and a long list of approved agencies can be found on Student SharePoint. 

SPRING SPORTS TRYOUTS: 

  • Lacrosse: February 3 – 5 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. @ The Green 
  • Softball: February 10 –14 from 3:45-6:00 p.m. @ The Green 
  • Tennis: February 21 from 3:45-5:15 p.m. @ Louisville Indoor Racquet Club 

Congratulations to:

  • The Varsity Basketball team for beating Newport Central Catholic and the Freshman Basketball team for beating Sacred Heart 
  • The Archery team for coming in second place at the St. Gabriel Winter Tournament  

Next Week:

Friday, January 24 

  • Basketball vs Male. JV 6:00 p.m., Varsity 7:30 p.m. 

Saturday, January 25 

  • Swim Regional Prelims (10:00 a.m.) and Finals (6:00 p.m.) @ UofL 
  • Archery @ Greenwood Gator Bullseye Challenge 
  • Varsity Basketball @ Henry County Ladycat Classic vs Anderson County 3:30 p.m. 

Sunday, January 26 

  • Freshman Basketball @ Boyle County Freshman Tournament 
  • Indoor Track @ Southeast Showdown @ Norton Center 8:00 a.m. 

Tuesday, January 28 

  • Basketball LIT vs TBD 7:00 p.m. 

Wednesday, January 29 

  • Indoor Track @ JV Meet @ Norton Center 5:00 p.m. 

January 31- February 1 

  • Archery @ All Heart Tournament @ Sacred Heart 

Friday, January 31 

  • Basketball LIT TBD 

Saturday, February 1 

  • Basketball LIT TBD