December 5, 2025

Director of Mission Effectiveness, Mary Ann Steutermann

Advent is my favorite liturgical season of the year. Certainly, the joy of Christmas and Easter can’t be beat, but the quiet, reflective nature of this current season of hopeful anticipation has always appealed to me. The four themes of Advent – hope, peace, joy, and love – speak to our deepest longings, and the ritual act of lighting candles to mark each week’s progression through the lingering darkness of the calendar year is a tangible sign of God’s enduring presence. 

This past Monday, Assumption’s Campus Ministry Leadership Team hosted our first-ever “Worship Night,” where our students, along with guests from other Louisville Catholic high schools, listened to music, made their own Advent wreaths, and enjoyed food and fellowship together. And best of all, they prayed for and reflected on the light and hope of the first week in Advent.  

I’ll be honest. The first time for a new event can be daunting. Students often aren’t sure yet if it will be worth their time. And I get it. With so many demands on the 24 hours in a day, they need to make wise choices about the many opportunities available to them. So, I will admit that a part of me thought, “Sure, we have a lot of RSVPs, but I bet a bunch will bail before it starts.”  

Boy, was I wrong! In fact, we had more participants than the number of RSVPs, and what I thought would last an hour went an hour and a half – and could have gone longer – because the students were so engaged. They were not just taking up space or putting in time. No one checked off a box. They were truly present. They reflected on where they see Christ’s light in their own lives and their call to share that light with others. And they prayed for light for all those who experience the darkness of pain, loneliness, and injustice.  

The other chaperones and I were moved in a way we didn’t expect. The first week in Advent focuses on “hope,” and we agreed that what we saw in our chapel that night was the most hopeful thing we’ve seen in a long time. Watching nearly 30 young people united in a desire to bring light to a world that can often seem too dark is hopeful indeed. Hearing them make prayerful commitments about how they will share that light made each of us excited about a future in which these young people are the Christian leaders guiding our churches and institutions and communities.  

Our students are the very hope and light our world needs. And as the season of Advent reminds us each year, the light always wins out over the darkness.  

WINTER CONCERT 

Thursday evening, students in our Guitar classes, Glee Club, Bell Choir, and Advanced Choir performed what they have been working on all semester for our annual Winter Concert! Friends and family had the opportunity to listen to beautifully performed Christmas music. Many thanks to our teachers who have helped these students grow in their performing arts classes and for our gifted Rockets for sharing their talents with us! 

PERFORMING AND VISUAL ART EVENTS:  The following events will take place over the next week in the theater showcasing our Fine and Performing Arts programs: 

  • Advanced Acting Showcase – Friday, December 5, at 6:30 p.m. – free  
  • Introduction to Theatre Showcase – Tuesday, December 9 at 6:30 p.m. (B block) & 7:30 p.m. (D block) – free 
  • Visual Arts Department Art Show – Thursday, December 11 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. – free  
  • Humanities II Extravaganza – Friday, December 12 at 6:30 p.m.- $1 advance-purchased tickets – no tickets sold at the door.  

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION MASS: We will celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary by coming together for Mass as a school community on Monday, December 8 at 9:35 a.m. at St. Raphael. Archbishop Shelton Fabre and Father Minh Vu will celebrate the Mass for this holy day. 

ASSUMPTION PARENT PRAYER: Our parent prayer group met for the last time this semester and will begin again on January 7. We wish all our families a blessed Christmas season.  

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.  

ADVENT REFLECTIONS: The season of Advent begins on Sunday, December 1 and runs until Christmas. If you would like to receive a daily reflection throughout the season, you can do so free of charge by signing up for “Sacred Advent Emails” through Loyola Press. 

OUTSTANDING TUITION AND FEES: As stated in our financial policies, which are outlined in the Student-Parent Handbook, a student may not take her semester exams and may not begin the second semester on January 5, 2026, if her account is not current.  Your daughter will not be allowed to take her semester exams scheduled for December 15 – 19, 2025 or begin the second semester if there is an outstanding balance on the account. We want to avoid any embarrassment to your daughter. Please be sure you have addressed any outstanding balances by December 12, 2025.  Payment may be made by cash, certified check, or money order to the main office at Assumption High School. Thank you for your continued cooperation and the many sacrifices you make to send your daughter to Assumption.  Questions regarding your account balance should be addressed to the finance director, Jessica Thompson, at 271-2529.  

SECOND SEMESTER SCHEDULES: During Community Time on Thursday, December 11, your daughter’s homeroom teacher will review how to access information about her second semester schedule. Please take a moment to ask your daughter about her schedule. Students will also receive an email from the deans of studies on December 11 that provides detailed instructions about steps they should take if they want to discuss an elective or level change.  The deans will be available to meet with students during their study hall on Tuesday, December 16-Friday, December 19.  Course changes can also be made during the drop-add period when students return to school after Christmas break.   Please note that for any level changes, a signed schedule change form  indicating approval from both her current teacher and from a parent/guardian must be submitted.  Students interested in a level change should already be in conversation with her teacher.  These forms are available in the main office. Of course, Judy Fieldhouse  (A–K) and Theresa Schuhmann(L-Z) are always available if you have any questions or concerns.  

GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL FOR ENTREPRENEURS (GSE): Applications for Kentucky’s Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs Summer Startup program are available HERE now! This program for future business leaders teaches collaboration and innovation in a three-week on-campus program. Kentucky high school students in grades 9, 10, and 11 are eligible to apply. Many area colleges offer scholarships for GSE attendees. The application deadline is January 16. If you would like to learn more, you can register for a virtual information session at THIS LINK.  

STUDY GROUP OPPORTUNITIES DURING EXAM WEEK: Students have been invited by the Achievement Center to form study groups during exam week. Students may also come to study independently during this time. All students MUST RSVP to attend. Study sessions will take place on the following dates before and after school: 

  • Monday, December 15 from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. 
  • Tuesday, December 16 from 7:40 – 8:40 a.m. and 11:40 – 2:00 p.m. 
  • Wednesday, December 17 from 7:40 – 8:40 a.m. No afternoon study groups due to faculty luncheon. 
  • Thursday, December 18 from 7:40 – 8:40 a.m. and 11:40 – 2:00 p.m. 
  • Friday, December 19 from 7:40 – 8:40 a.m. 

INCLEMENT WEATHER: The wintry weather hit early this year! At this time, we would like to remind parents of our inclement weather policies.  You may also refer to the STUDENT-FAMILY HANDBOOK 2025-2026. When the Archdiocese of Louisville makes a call about school closings due to inclement weather, we will send an alert through SchoolMessenger to those who have registered.  You may also listen to local radio and television stations for an announcement that all Catholic high schools in Jefferson County are closed or on a delayed schedule.   

  • When the schools are closed, Assumption High School will declare a traditional snow day, virtual learning day, or a digital learning day via SchoolMessenger. The first snow day of the 2025-2026 school year will be a traditional snow day with no digital or virtual learning. When school is closed, all extracurricular and athletic events are cancelled (unless a special exception is approved by the president or principal). 
  • When the school is on a delayed schedule, Assumption will be delayed one hour (from our traditional 8:10 start time) and will follow a 9:10 a.m. schedule, but all morning activities will be cancelled including detention, testing pool, and meetings.  In the case of a delayed opening, the school building will open, and before-school supervision will begin in the cafeteria at 8:10 a.m. If your daughter drives to school or carpools with another student, please note: If parents have concerns about their daughter driving in inclement weather, they should not allow her to drive to school on a day when inclement weather is predicted. If it appears that inclement weather is on the way, we will allow students to leave early (prior to dismissal) only if their parents come to get them — students will not be released on the basis of a phone call or email or because their carpool driver is going home early.  

This is a great time to check your parent preferences and information on SchoolMessenger which you can access through your PowerSchool account.  Please note: this functionality is only available through the PowerSchool website and not the app.  

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS: Scholarship applications for the 2026-2027 school year are now on our website. Applications are due via email by 8:00 p.m. on January 19, 2026, via this link: Scholarship-Directory-2026-2027.pdf 

Our Advancement Services Manager, Jackie Bloyd, is happy to answer any questions you may have about scholarships or the application and awards process and can be reached at Jackie.Bloyd@ahsrockets.org.    

TUITION ASSISTANCE: The tuition assistance link for the 2026-2027 school year has been added to the school’s website. The due date is January 15, 2026, and the form must be submitted online to FACTS Grant and Aid Assessment.  TUITION ASSISTANCE APPLICATION LINK. As a reminder, you are required to file every year to be considered for assistance. 

DUAL CREDIT TUITION DUE TO WKU, JCTC, AND UL: Students enrolled in a dual credit class this semester need to make sure they pay any tuition owed by the end of December. Students should log into their accounts on www.KHEAA.com to double check which colleges they chose for disbursement for the dual credit scholarships and then need to log into their JCTC, WKU, and/or UL account to pay any remaining tuition due for this semester. This includes all first semester and yearlong DC courses except for Precalculus and Calculus, which will register for credit in December. If you need help knowing which course is associated with which university, consult this sheet from our website: DUAL CREDIT INFORMATION 2025-2026. If you have any questions, contact JUDY FIELDHOUSE.  FOR WKU: Since KHEAA is a bit behind in their distribution of scholarships to our partner universities, you can wait until you get a paper bill in the mail from WKU as their online system is not yet ready for your payment. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM OUR ADVANCEMENT OFFICE: 

  • GIVING TUESDAY: Tuesday, December 2 was Giving Tuesday, which officially kicked off our 2025 end-of-year fundraising campaign! The theme, “930 Reasons to Give,” directly reflects our belief that every single student is the purpose and heart of Assumption’s mission. As a parent/guardian, we humbly ask you to help us reach our goal: please click here to support and share this link on social media to encourage others to support our mission of educating young women! For more info, contact ANNA WHITE. 
  • ROCKET SPECTACULAR “Sapphire Soirée” BENEFIT DINNER AND AUCTION 2026: Saturday, February 7, 2026. Mark your calendar for a fun evening that you won’t want to miss! We need your help with silent and live auction donations (including experiences, tickets to games/events, and items) as well as the bourbon pull. Please contact sarah.brady@ahsrockets.org for more information. Watch for more details in the coming weeks.  We hope to see you there!  

CAMPUS STORE CHRISTMAS HOURS: The Assumption Campus Store is a great place to shop for your favorite Rocket!  Stop by during any of the dates listed below. We also have an online store with shipping and local pickup available. Online orders may be picked up during regular school hours in the main office once they are fulfilled. Please note that all online Christmas orders must be placed by the following dates: Custom embroidery – December 8 & ship to home – December 17. All orders must be picked up by 2:00 p.m. on December 20.  Additional Christmas holiday hours will be: 

  • Tuesday, December 9 –  12:00-4:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, December 10 –  12:00-4:00 p.m.
  • Friday, December 12  – 12:00-4:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, December 13 – 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, December 16 – 10:00 a.m. – 2:00
  • Wednesday, December 17 – 12:00 -4:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, December 18 – 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.
  • Friday, December 19 – 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, December 20 – 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

FAFSA UPDATE: As a reminder, the 2026-2027 FAFSA is available. By filling out the FAFSA, your student’s eligibility will be determined for college grants, work-study programs, federal student loans, and certain state-based aid. While many families don’t think they will qualify for any help, filling out the FAFSA is the only way to find out. In the meantime, students and their parent(s) must complete the process for a StudentAid.gov account. Students and parents are encouraged to create an account at least two weeks prior to completing the FAFSA. To create an account, the individual will need his/her Social Security number and a mobile phone number and/or email address. Students should not use their Assumption email for this process.  

Resources: 

 

Junior Kate Jarboe who has been selected as one of the Top 100 Emerging Innovators of 2026 by the University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship program.  Kate was selected from an incredible pool of applicants spanning 29 countries and 25 U.S. states for her innovative efforts to address local and global challenges. She will be recognized at the Limitless World Summit on April 23-24 in Wilmington, Delaware.  

Congratulations to:

The Flag Football team for winning their second consecutive state championship! The team went undefeated this season. Additionally, senior Reese Owen was also named Ms. Flag Football. 

Next Week: 

December 6 & 7 

  • Archery @ St. Margaret Mary Tournament 

Saturday, December 6 

  • Freshman Basketball vs Ryle @ Lexington Christian 9:45 a.m. 
  • Freshman Basketball vs Sacred Heart @ Lexington Christian 12:00 p.m. 
  • Varsity Basketball vs Example Academy (IL) @ Dixie Heights 5:00 p.m. 

Tuesday, December 9 

  • Basketball vs Frederick Douglass. Freshman 5:00 p.m., JV 6:00 p.m., Varsity 7:30 p.m. 

Wednesday, December 10 

  • Freshman Basketball vs Meade County @ North Hardin 6:30 p.m. 
  • Freshman Basketball @ North Hardin 7:30 p.m. 

Friday, December 12 

  • Cheer State @ George Rogers Clark 5:46 p.m. 
  • Swim Girls Night Out @ UofL 
  • Basketball vs Brown 6:00 p.m. 

Saturday, December 13 

  • Swim EHS Holiday Care-A-Van @ UofL 

Sunday, December 14 

  • Dance State @ George Rogers Clark 3:19 p.m. (hip hop) and 5:46 p.m. (jazz)