September 26, 2025
Director of Mission Effectiveness, Mary Ann Steutermann
Assumption has always celebrated Mercy Day, which is September 24. It’s the day that Catherine McAuley, the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, opened the first House of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland in 1847. But one day isn’t enough to celebrate such a powerful legacy of mercy and compassion! So this year we celebrated Mercy Week! Each day focused on one of the five Critical Concerns of the Sisters of Mercy, and we offered activities for students to engage with the sisters’ efforts today during RTI time and lunch throughout the week.
On Wednesday, the whole student body came together to recall Catherine’s story and recognize those in our own community living out mercy values today. We honored four students and four faculty and staff who were selected by their peers as the 2025 Models of Mercy for being Christian leaders who are guided by faith, characterized by compassion, filled with integrity, and driven by a pursuit of excellence. Recognized were Elli Keeley-Fine (sophomore), Kate Jarboe (junior), Anna Conner and Aislinn Ryan (seniors), Janet Adkins and Eileen Moore (faculty), and Kelsey Gunter and Amy Koloff (staff). Congratulations to all our honorees!
The week ended with a dress-down day to raise money in support of our school in Cambodia. This school was built by AHS alumnae from the Class of 2010 to make it possible for young girls to have a quality education, and we continue to carry this legacy forward. At Assumption, we know that “mercy” isn’t something confined to one day or even one week. It’s the way we live out the Gospel of Jesus in today’s world.
National Merit Recognition
We are thrilled to announce that three exceptional young women in our community have been recognized as National Merit Commended Students. This prestigious commendation is a testament to their outstanding academic achievements and commitment to excellence. Their hard work and dedication in and out of the classroom serve as an inspiration to all.
Please join us in congratulating Agnes, Nikita, and Taryn! They truly exemplify the Assumption pillar of Excellence Empowers. We are so proud of them and know they will continue doing amazing work during the rest of their senior year and beyond!
ACADEMIC AWARDS BANQUET: The Academic Awards Banquet takes place this Sunday, September 28 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza for those who have RSVP’d. We look forward to celebrating the academic accomplishments of the following groups of students: sophomores, juniors, and seniors who earned a 4.0 GPA during the 2024-2025 school year; newly inducted Beta Club members; newly inducted National Honor Society members; freshman and new sophomore McAuley Scholars; and seniors recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
ASSUMPTION PARENT PRAYER: Our parent prayer group will meet on Wednesday, October 1 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 Carlow family freshmen and sophomores. 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.
Club involvement is alive and well at Assumption! For more information about the clubs we offer to all students, please encourage your daughter to visit our newly updated Club Catalog for 2025-26, which is always available on the Assumption website under Student Life. Additionally, students and families can gain information about club meetings and locations by checking our Club Meeting Calendar.
Our first fall pep rally of the year will take place on Monday, October 6 at the end of the school day. Students are invited to wear dark/black Assumption spirit wear to participate in this “black-out” themed pep rally in celebration of our fall athletic programs.
During our Friday Freshman Mentor Time this week, our Freshman Mentor Team called in the expertise of Ms. Kamaria Wesley, our dean of students, to discuss behavior expectations of an Assumption student at community-wide events such as the upcoming St. X. vs. Trinity football game and the fall dances at our school and our other Archdiocesan schools. Our Freshman Mentors also shared bits about their experience with big events and how to make sure we’re all looking out for one another. We look forward to celebrating each upcoming event with our students and know that they will represent Assumption well.
MOTHER-DAUGHTER BUNCO: A long-standing Assumption tradition—Mother/Daughter Bunco! The Rocket Parent Network’s Mother/Daughter Bunco will be held on Tuesday, October 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 or $3 per individual player, and you do not need to have any prior knowledge of bunco to play and have a great time.
LEAD & LEARN DAY – Wednesday, October 8: Our first semester LEAD & Learn Day will occur on Wednesday, October 8. While our faculty and staff will be participating in a professional development day, our students will utilize this day from home. Students will be trained on how to design their day to position themselves for success in the next part of the semester. Students will be asked to identify how they can most productively utilize the day to achieve academic and co-curricular outcomes for the semester and may choose to engage in a variety of activities to accomplish these goals. These could include catching up on homework or working ahead on a project, writing college essays or completing college applications, making a college visit, completing service hours, or engaging in standardized test prep. This could also include some time for rest, mindfulness, or exercise. As a final step in solidifying their purposeful use of the day, students will be required to submit their plans for the day by 12:00 p.m. via email through an Attendance Forms Survey. This survey will serve as their virtual attendance for the day.
- NOTE ABOUT PSAT TESTING ON THIS DAY: Only students who have opted to take the PSAT will come to school on this day. Testing will begin at 8:10 a.m. and conclude at 11:15 a.m. Parents of students taking the PSAT will receive more specific information via email from our testing coordinator, Dr. Colleen Murphy.
YEARBOOK PHOTO SELECTION AND ORDER: Links to your daughter’s school pictures should have been texted and emailed. ALL STUDENTS need to go into their gallery to select their yearbook photo by Thursday, October 27. If a photo is not selected, we will select one for you! There is a photo makeup day on Wednesday, October 1 for any student who has not had her photo taken yet or needs a retake. If your daughter plans to have a retake taken, please have her fill out this form. Retouching is available for photos. For any questions about school photos, please contact our photographer, Michelle Haas Hutchins ’04, at michelle.hutchins@ahsrockets.org for questions.
RTC PARENT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Assumption’s 70th birthday also marks a milestone for our theatre program: 25 years since students selected the name Rose Theatre Company! In honor of our special anniversary season, BRAVE NEW WORLDS, we’re looking for parents and guardians who would like to support our student artists, engage our audiences, and help make this RTC’s best year yet! We will hold a volunteer interest session on Saturday, September 27 from 2-3 p.m. in the Assumption cafeteria. Please email RTC Volunteer Coordinator Colleen Murphy (colleen.murphy@ahsrockets.org) with any questions.
KHEAA DUAL CREDIT SCHOLARSHIPS: DC students have one more opportunity to attend an RTI session on Monday, September 29 to get the tools and information necessary to request their KHEAA Dual Credit scholarships for this school year. The PowerPoint presented at the session is listed below as well as the worksheets. If students need help, they can come see Mrs. Fieldhouse or Ms. Friedenberg in the main office. This should be completed by October 1, 2025. Important note: Freshman and sophomore students are only eligible for the Work Ready Dual Credit Scholarship, so if they are enrolled in a Spanish or math class, they will need to pay the college or university for their dual credit. PowerPoint: KHEAA Scholarship Program and Creating Accounts for Dual Credit Courses.pptx
ROSE AWARD NOMINATIONS: Do you know an Assumption employee who is a true role model and a positive influence on our community? We invite you to nominate a current administrator, faculty, or staff member who has made a significant difference in your life, your daughter’s, or your granddaughter’s – someone who embodies what it means to be a role model and a positive influence on our community. Thanks to a generous $5,000 grant from an anonymous donor, we have the chance to recognize a special employee who has changed someone’s life and who represents Assumption in a profound way. Please take a moment to submit your nomination. The deadline is October 24. Take a moment to share your story and help us celebrate the people who make Assumption extraordinary: Rose Award Nominations The award will be presented at the Thanksgiving Celebration on Tuesday, November 25. If chosen, your nomination submission may be read at the prayer service. Past winners are Katie Hughbanks, Kelly Kirwan, Kathy Fleischer, Dawn Deweese, Angela Lincoln, Barry Haworth, Jackie Metry, Judi Erskine, James Sutherland, Mary Ann Steutermann, Janet Adkins, and Jessica Williams, along with several retired faculty and staff members. These individuals are not eligible to win again.
COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID NIGHT: The U.S. Department of Education has announced that the 2026–27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available beginning October 1. Join us on Thursday, October 2, at 6:30 p.m. for a virtual Financial Aid Night on Microsoft Teams. A representative from the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) will guide families through the financial aid process, the FAFSA, and important tips for paying for college. This is a great opportunity to get your questions answered and prepare for the next steps in funding your student’s education.
The program will be recorded, and the Teams link will be sent prior to the event. In the meantime, we encourage you to review the 2026-2027 FAFSA Completion Guide.
GRADUATION VENUE UPDATE: Graduation has typically been held at Bellarmine University in the past. Unfortunately, Bellarmine University is no longer able to host graduation ceremonies, so our graduation ceremony will be held at the Palace Theatre on Sunday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m. More details will be shared next semester, but we wanted to make you aware of this change in location along with the event being hosted on a Sunday.
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.
ARCHERY TEAM MEETING: There is a mandatory parent and athlete meeting for INTERESTED, NEW and EXISTING archers on Monday, September 29th at 7PM in the Cafeteria. Any questions, e-mail archery@ahsrockets.org.
Congratulations to:
- Kemper Kleinholter for qualifying for the golf state tournament
- The Field Hockey team for beating Garrison Forest (MD), Mamaroneck (NY), West Perry (PA), and Atherton
- The Volleyball team for picking up wins over Bishop Manogue (NV), Rocklin (CA), Vista Murrieta (CA), and Cathedral Catholic (CA)
Next Week:
Saturday, September 27
- Cross Country Palatine Invitational in Chicago, IL
Sunday, September 28
- Field Hockey @ Sacred Heart. Freshman 3:00 p.m., JV 4:15 p.m., Varsity 5:30 p.m.
Monday, September 29
- Golf State First Round @ Pendleton Hills CC
- Soccer @ Elizabethtown. JV 6:00 p.m., Varsity 7:30 p.m.
- Field Hockey AHS White vs Ballard @ Manual 5:30 p.m.
- Field Hockey AHS Maroon @ Sacred Heart 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, September 30
- Field Hockey vs Ballard. JV 6:30 p.m., Varsity 7:45 p.m. **Senior Night**
Wednesday, October 1
- Volleyball Freshman Triangle with Sacred Heart and Mercy @ Mercy 5:00 p.m.
- JV Flag Football vs Mercy 6:30 p.m.
- Varsity Flag Football vs Male 7:45 p.m.
Thursday, October 2
- Volleyball @ Mother McAuley (IL) 6:00 p.m.
- Field Hockey vs Villa Duchesne (MO) 7:00 p.m.
October 3-4
- Volleyball Asics Challenge in Chicago, IL
Friday, October 3
- Field Hockey vs Thomas Worthington (OH) 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 4th
- Cross Country Great American in Cary, NC 9:00am
- Field Hockey vs Glenbrook North (IL) 9:00am
- Field Hockey vs MICDS (MO) 10:30am
