Rocket Report – Friday, September 17, 2021
Dear Parents/Guardians,
We are excited to announce that seniors Carly Fawcett, Rachel Hamilton, and Sofia Milliner have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as National Merit Commended students for their excellent scores on the PSAT. Additionally, Rachel Hamilton earned a perfect score of 36 on the ACT. We are so proud of the academic achievement of these students!
HEALTHY AT SCHOOL: Since the start of school, we have had 30 posted COVID cases associated with our school which breaks down to 27 students, 2 faculty and staff, and 1 Flik employee. However, 9 of those 30 cases were from this week alone. While we are taking all necessary measures to minimize exposure here at school, the precautions your daughter takes outside of school are equally important to help reduce the risk of her catching and spreading COVID. Especially since we are at the height of the pandemic with all but one county in Kentucky being firmly in the red zone.
With the Delta variant affecting a greater number young people, we continue to recommend being vaccinated as the surest way to reduce the risk of quarantine and also serious illness in the event of a breakthrough case. Currently, 99% of our faculty and staff and 63.6% of our student body are fully vaccinated. We have also been informed by the Archdiocese of Louisville that Wild Health has set up a COVID testing center at Sullivan University College of Pharmacy at 2100 Gardiner Lane. Testing is free and offered weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and weekends between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. For more information on Wild Health or to schedule an appointment for Covid testing, click here.
CALENDAR NOTES:
- WALK FOR ASSUMPTION: The Walk for Assumption will be held on Friday, September 24. Arrival time for the Walk is 9:15 a.m., and we will dismiss at 11:45 a.m. The building will not open until 8:15 a.m., and after-school supervision will not be provided on this day. Please make arrangements for your daughter to be dropped off after 8:15 a.m. and picked up by no later than 12:00 p.m. PLEASE NOTE: September 24 will count as a full day of school for students, and they are expected to be in attendance unless an excused absence has been requested and approved in advance. If your daughter is ill on the day of the Walk and unable to come to school, please call the attendance office prior to 9:15 a.m. to report her absence. Students who do not want to participate in the Walk for whatever reason and/or do not meet the participation requirements (see Walk information below) must still come to school for an alternate activity. Students who meet the Walk participation requirements but who cannot physically participate in the Walk due to a health condition need to come to school and participate in special non-walking activities designed specifically to allow them to still be actively involved in the Walk and all fun that comes with it.
- COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION NIGHT: On Monday, September 20, we are hosting a College Financial Aid Information Night beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom for our seniors and their parents. The link will be sent to parents and students prior to the event. Michael Abboud, Associate Director of Financial Aid at the University of Louisville, will be our guest speaker and will walk seniors and parents through all they need to know about financing their college education. If you have any questions, please contact our college counselors, LEIGH JACKSON or KIMBERLY HABICH.
- MERCY DAY CELEBRATION MASS: Mercy Day is September 24 each year, and it’s a special day for the Community of Assumption. It marks the anniversary of the day that Catherine McAuley opened the first House of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland. Catherine went on to found the Sisters of Mercy who sponsor our school. We will be celebrating with Mass for freshmen and sophomores on Tuesday, September 21, and juniors and seniors on Thursday, September 23. Each Mass will be at St. Raphael.
CAMPUS MINISTRY:
- ASSUMPTION PARENT PRAYER: The usual AHS parent prayer meeting on Tuesday for next week is cancelled. Instead, parents of all the Catholic high schools are invited to meet on Wednesday, September 22, at 9:15 a.m. prior to the Trinity/St. X game on Friday. This will take place at Trinity High School. The program will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude by 10:30 a.m. Muffins and coffee will be provided.
NOTES FROM THE ACADEMIC DEANS:
- KHEAA DUAL CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP: If your daughter is taking a dual credit class this semester and qualifies for a KHEAA DUAL CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP or a KHEAA WORK READY DUAL CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP, she received an email earlier this week reminding her of a meeting on Wednesday, September 22. Mrs. Fieldhouse will be meeting with students at 8:30 a.m. on September 22 in the theater to lead them through the steps to have this scholarship sent to the partner institution of UL, WKU, or JCTC. Dual credit information is available on our website here: Dual Credit Information 2021 – 2022
- ACADEMIC BANQUET: The deadline to RSVP for Academic Banquet was Wednesday, September 15. We are unable to accommodate any additional reservations.
- TESTING DAY FOR SENIORS – Attention Senior Parents: Since seniors are not involved in taking standardized tests on Testing Day, Wednesday, October 13, they are excused from coming to school on this day. We strongly encourage seniors to use this day for making college visits. Since Thursday and Friday of that week, and Monday of the following week, are Fall Break days, this is a great opportunity of make a visit to an out-of-town college.
- TESTING DAY FOR JUNIORS – Attention Junior Parents: You received a special message today with important information regarding testing days in October. If you have not already read it and responded to the survey, please do so here: LETTER TO JUNIOR PARENTS – PSAT & ACT
- WORK IT WEDNESDAY: Work it Wednesday has returned! The Achievement Center is hosting open tutoring sessions in the Media Center on Wednesday mornings from 7:45 to 9:00 a.m. This is a great opportunity for your student to get some extra help in any subject from Mrs. Conway or Ms. Prentice. Study groups are also available. Students simply need to contact Mrs. Conway to reserve a spot. The next session is on Wednesday, September 22.
- FRESHMAN AND TRANSFER APPLIED DIGITAL LEARNING CLASS: A reminder to our parents/guardians of freshmen and transfers: the third online lesson was sent out this week. Students will learn more about features in Teams as well as how to join Teams meetings. The assignment is due Friday, September 24 by 4:00 p.m.
WALK FOR ASSUMPTION: On Friday, September 24, we will hold our 39th annual Walk for Assumption, an event to which our students make contributions to support financial assistance at Assumption. This year’s theme chosen by the students is “A Walk of Champions”. In order to participate in the Walk for Assumption, students must sell a minimum of three 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, January 29, 2022. If the school reaches our goal of 3,000 tickets sold, not only will we have an amazing Walk for Assumption, but students will earn the day off from school on April 1, 2022, the Friday before spring break! 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 support financial aid and to make the Walk a success!
Collections of the students’ contributions will take place at lunches the weeks of Monday, September 13, and Monday, September 20. The deadline for collection is Wednesday, September 22, at 1:30 p.m.
Walk collection/Walk permission forms: All students should turn in their three Rocket Raffle tickets and a signed permission slip by Wednesday, September 22, in order to participate in the Walk. The first three Rocket Raffle tickets and permission slip must be turned in together. Students may continue to turn in Rocket Raffle tickets up until the deadline.
WALK CLASS EVENTS: Thursday, September 23, will give each of our classes an opportunity to come together and gear up for the excitement of the Walk the following day with some fun pre-Walk class activities. Freshman homeroom moms and sophomore, junior and senior class officers have planned activities to meet the needs of each of their classes. Read on for details about each event.
- Freshman/Sophomore Pre-Walk Party Fun and Games: Freshmen and sophomores will gather on campus after school with their classes from 3:15-6:15 p.m. Each group will participate in class activities, which will include t-shirt decorating as well, to help them continue to connect with each other. Freshmen may bring markers or Sharpies to decorate their t-shirts. Paint of any kind is not permitted for decorating. Materials will be provided for the sophomore t-shirt decorating activities. Each class will also enjoy a pizza dinner. Freshmen and sophomores planning to attend should bring $5 to homeroom on Monday or Thursday of next week to cover the cost of dinner and their drinks for the event. Freshmen and sophomores can be picked up on the main campus drive at 6:15.
- Junior-Senior Pre-Walk Movie Night at the Green: Juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to connect as classes and as upperclasswomen in this fun evening event at the Green. Activities will include an opportunity to decorate their Walk t-shirts along with viewing the movie selected by their classes! Juniors and seniors may bring markers or Sharpies to decorate their t-shirts. Paint of any kind is not permitted for decorating. The event will begin at 8:00 p.m. and conclude at 10:30 p.m.
GOVERNOR’S SCHOLARS PROGRAM – ACT and INFORMATION MEETINGS: Any junior applying for the Governor’s Scholars Program, and who wishes to use her ACT score as part of that application process, has two more opportunities to take the ACT: Tuesday, October 5, at Assumption and Saturday, October 23, at an official test site of her choice. Registration for the ACT at Assumption on October 5 will be handled by AHS; students need to use ACT.ORG to register for the October 23 administration. The due date for October 23 without paying a late fee is September 17. Any student who registers after that date can pay a late fee through October 1. Students will hear initial information about the application process from KELLY KIRWAN via email next week. Informational meetings will be held the week of September 26. While attending these meetings is not mandatory for the application process, it is highly recommended that a student attends if she is interested in applying. Please encourage your daughter to check her email carefully about these upcoming meetings.
DONORS NEEDED FOR BLOOD DRIVE: On Monday, September 20, and Tuesday, September 21, the National Honor Society will be hosting a Red Cross blood drive from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Assumption. We still have openings available and invite parents to donate. You may SIGN UP HERE through the Red Cross online scheduling system. You will need to sign-up for an account if you have not done so before. This is a wonderful way you can make a difference during a time of critical need. Also, parents, please ask your daughter if she is scheduled to give. If she is, please make sure she eats a good dinner the night before and a good breakfast the morning prior to her donation. The Red Cross also recommends that donors drink a lot of water to stay hydrated both before and after donating. Any questions? Contact KELLY KIRWAN. In advance, thank you for considering!
LEAD & LEARN UPDATE: During LEAD & Learn Time this week, students had the opportunity to participate in activities for leadership, direction, and engagement. On Monday and Friday, students had the opportunity to attend an informational club meeting of their choice. On Tuesday and Thursday, students participated in class meetings and in homeroom. While in class meeting, students had activities that addressed topics including effective social interaction to Rocket Raffle ticket sales to rehearsal of liturgical music for next week’s liturgies. In homeroom, students were presented with information about resources available from the media center, additional practice of liturgical music, and information about upcoming pre-Walk for Assumption class activities.
Next week, opportunities for direction, advocacy, and engagement abound during LEAD & Learn Time. On Monday, all students will review the most effective ways to participate in the Catholic Mass, whether one is Catholic or non-Catholic, in anticipation of our Mercy Day masses next week. Students will also participate in Mercy Day activities in homeroom and learn about advocacy as part of mercy past, present, and future and how our STOP advocacy program lives out works of mercy. Our Mercy Day liturgy will not only bless our endeavors throughout this school year but will also provide an opportunity to recognize those for living out a life of Mercy in the spirit of Catherine McAuley by honoring Models of Mercy from the sophomore, junior, and senior classes as well as and our faculty and staff.
FROM THE GUIDANCE & COUNSELING DEPARTMENT: September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and we wanted to let you know that students will have a suicide prevention program during LEAD & Learn Time on Monday, September 27. Our focus for this program will be on destigmatizing mental health and providing students with a roadmap for resources and help. As you continue to dialogue with your daughter on the topics of mental health and suicide prevention, we wanted to provide you with some helpful resources:
- Mental health from a teen’s perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BByqa7bhto&t=11s
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
- Crisis Text Line: https://www.crisistextline.org/text-us/
In addition to these resources, please reach out to your daughter’s school counselor if we can provide any support or assistance in the area of mental health.
SCHOOL PICTURES UPDATE: School pictures are available for ordering online. As stated on the card your daughter received after she had her picture taken, please go to this link to order her picture: shop.studioillumination.com. Simply enter “AHS” plus your daughter’s Assumption ID number as the code to access your daughter’s picture. Orders can be made online until December 1.
ASSUMPTION PARENT ORGANIZATION (APO) NEWS:
- Walk for Assumption AND Rocket Raffle – The girls are gearing up for the Walk, which will take place on Friday, September 24. Each student must sell three tickets and turn in the walk waiver to participate. Each ticket is $25.00 per chance to win $20,000. The drawing will be held at the Rocket Spectacular on January 29, 2022. Students can sell paper tickets or sell tickets online Rocket Raffle – Assumption High School (ahsrockets.org). Please ask her about the exciting incentives she can take part in. Additional tickets are available in the atrium during lunch or in the Advancement Office. All proceeds benefit the financial needs of our students. If you have any questions, please get in touch with tricia.ferree@ahsrockets.org.
FROM MARKETING & ADMISSIONS:
- DISCOVER ASSUMPTION DAY: On Sunday, October 3 at 1:00 p.m. we will host Discover Assumption Day for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade prospective parents. Please let all future Rocket parents know that we would love to see them on this fun afternoon of “discovering” all that Assumption has to offer. To register, click here or contact KELSEY GUNTER for more information.
- CURRENT PARENT SURVEY: As a part of our current marketing plan, we are doing a video series for prospective families so they learn about Assumption straight from the people that are living it. As a current parent, you have lived through the admissions process and have great insight about programs, academics, people, and parts of our culture that prospective parents are curious about. We want to hear from you about your experience and what you are most passionate about at Assumption High School. Please complete this short survey, by Wednesday, September 22.
MOUNTFEST at MOUNT SAINT FRANCIS: Mount St. Francis invites the Assumption community to this year’s MountFest, which will take place on Saturday, September 18, from 12:00-8:00 p.m. In conjunction with the Southern Indiana Arts Alliance, there will be artist booths, food trucks, live music, raffles, a butterfly release at 4:30, and an expanded Kids’ Zone. The chapel will also be open for tours by the friars, and there will be a photography exhibit in the Mary Anderson Gallery. This is a great way to support our beloved retreat center! For more information, go to their website at: https://mountsaintfrancis.org/the-monarch-festival-at-mountfest
Gratefully,
Martha Tedesco
Principal