MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Sept. 2 – Labor Day Holiday
Sept. 14 – 6:00pm Oktoberfest (more info below)
Oct. 8-9 – P/T/S Conferences
Oct. 10-14 – Fall break
Aug. 30 – Out-of-uniform (last Friday of the month)

LOOKING FOR LIBRARY VOLUNTEERS!
I am looking for a few volunteers to help in the library, for 2 to 3 hours one day a week or one day every other week for the school year. The hours could be any time during the school day. The main duties would include reshelving books and straightening shelves. Any volunteers in the library would need to have taken the Safe Environment training class. Please email bwagner@ascension-parish.com if you are interested or have any questions. Thanks!
Sincerely,
Barbara Wagner
Library and Technology Teacher
Ascension School

PARISH VOLUNTEER “THANK YOU” POTLUCK
We are excited to invite all parish volunteers to a potluck on Wednesday, August 28th starting at 5:30
5:30-6 PM: Social Meet & Greet
6-7 PM: Dinner
6:30-8 PM: Adoration
Your families are welcome to join us for this special event. The parish will provide the main entrée and drinks including soft drinks, beer, and other malt beverages, but we kindly ask that you consider bringing a dish according to your last name:
A-G: Deserts
H-P: Salads / Appetizers
R-Z: Side Dishes
Please RSVP by Wednesday, 8/21,  https://www.wesharegiving.org/App/Form/6f481d36-6b48-4a62-832b-707aa6748947

ATHLETICS
The athletic board is seeking a boys basketball coordinator, a cross country coordinator and a fish fry coordinator.
If interested, please email AscensionLonghornAthletics@gmail.com by 9/16.
Jessica Shaw,
Ascension Athletics Secretary (And Mom to Two Middle School Boys)

FROM THE PTO
Oktoberfest – Sept. 14th @ 6 p.m.
Be sure to join us for a night of fun, food & festivities at our first Oktoberfest celebration! Get ready to enjoy traditional German beer, delicious food, live music, and exciting games. This event is the perfect way to celebrate the start of a successful new school year! Get your tickets and sign up for sponsorships here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ascension-oktoberfest-tickets-956697406697?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Volunteer for the event here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DAEA62BABFCCF8-50506536-ascension?fbclid=IwY2xjawE0IbhleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHX8O2sflmO13S0aFRsdyVWQ8sePiqi0-pHyWff7vIDyzxuySLgNlj0zpYA_aem_ei0bd2IeNJ3qbn92k1P95Q#/

**Sponsorship sign ups end August 31st. If you or someone you know would like to support the event through sponsorship or raffle donation please reach out to Kasey Eblen (kaseyy95@gmail.com) or Brandi Miller (bgmiller187@gmail.com). Thank you for your help in making this event a success!!

PTO WEBSITEhttps://sites.google.com/view/ascensionpto/home
PTO FACEBOOKhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/421480501922288/
PTO NEWSLETTERhttps://sites.google.com/view/ascensionpto/monthly-newsletter
Thank you,
Ascension PTO

THE FAMILY FOUNDATION PUBLISHES OP-ED IN FAVOR OF AMENDMENT 2
This week, Kentucky Today published our Op-Ed “Amendment 2 is good for Kentucky families and student .”This piece outlines a few of the important reasons why need Kentucky voters to vote Yes on 2 on November 5 for the good of Kentucky families and students.

“Ultimately, Amendment 2 comes down to whether parents or government bureaucrats know what is best for their kids. We believe parents know best and education works best when students are put first. For the good of families and students of the Commonwealth, we encourage you to support Amendment 2 on November 5.”

We are thankful that Kentucky Today and a few other Kentucky newspapers published this important piece. Please share it with your friends, family, and church communities.

And don’t forget to review and share our Facts on Amendment 2 handout, FAQ, and additional resources with your family, neighbors, and church. Your engagement, support, and prayers are vitally important to help pass Amendment 2 and ensure Kentucky students can succeed with more education opportunities!

WE WELCOME ALISON SETTLE AS OUR NEW CAFE CHEF!
We have a new chef, Alison Settle, who will begin on Wednesday, although it may be a little while before she sets a new menu – I will keep you all posted. Please be prepared to welcome her!

A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Alison studied biology at the University of Kentucky before moving to Munich, Germany. There, Settle’s growing excitement to prepare and serve delicious food matched with her fascination of biology, thus placing her in an advantageous position to enroll in culinary school. During her time at Sullivan University’s Culinary Arts Program in Lexington and Louisville, Settle honed her skills in some of the region’s top kitchens, including Holly Hill Inn, Woodford Reserve, Holy Grale, Portage House, Gralehaus, and Pizza Lupo.

Her first executive chef position was at the restaurant and butcher shop Red Hog, where she specialized in continuously rotating menus and tip-to-tail utilization of proteins and produce. After honing these skills, she was tapped by Steve Wilson and Laura Lee Brown to open culinary operations at Barn8 and Hermitage Farm, a hyper-Bluegrass agritourism project combining the best of Kentucky’s offerings, including bourbon, agriculture, equine operations, food, and hospitality.

Her works and interviews have been featured in Forbes, Food & Wine, Garden & Gun, and Southern Living, as well as multiple local tv and media appearances, podcasts, and blogs. In 2022, Chef Alison Settle was named a James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Southeast Semi-finalist. She was selected to participate in multiple television culinary competitions, including Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games, Beat Bobby Flay, and Chopped. She was also chosen to compete in the James Beard Foundation’s Women in Culinary Leadership Cookoff, San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition, and was a 2nd place finalist in Maple Leaf Duck Farm’s student recipe contest.

BOX TOPS COLLECTION
Did you know that Ascension is a Box Tops school? During this challenging time, our teachers and students need more help than ever. No matter what school looks like, Box Tops for Education is a fast and easy way for you to help out from home.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS: Buy participating products and use the Box Tops mobile app to scan your store receipt. The app identifies eligible products and automatically adds Box Tops to your school’s earnings online. Even if you’re shopping online or doing grocery pickup, you can still submit your e-receipts and earn Box Tops. Twice a year, our school gets a check!

The PTO uses money earned from Box Tops to fund our iPad program and other classroom needs for our students!

Here’s how YOU can help earn money for our school!
• DOWNLOAD the Box Tops app and select our school to support. This ensures that your Box Tops purchases count toward our school’s earnings.
• SHOP for Box Tops products and use the app to scan your receipt to add to our school’s earnings online.
• LOOK for any remaining Box Tops clips on packages. If you find some, clip them and send them to school!
• SPREAD THE WORD about Box Tops!
FUN TIP: You can also use the “Invite Friends” feature in the app to ask friends and family to help support our school!

Your earnings may seem small, but they really do add up. The more people that participate, the bigger the impact we can make. So let’s give our teachers the support they need and help give more kids the opportunity to dream. Little by little, we can help make a BIG difference.
LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW BOX TOPS WORKS AT BTFE.COM

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING
The Archdiocese requires all who volunteer or work with minors to have a background check done every five years (processed for free by the parish office). Also, an initial in-person Safe Environment Training must be completed (dates and locations available at www.archlou.org/safe). This training must be renewed every five years by doing a one-hour online course (ask parish office for the website).

If you volunteer or work around children at all, you must be up-to-date on these requirements. Please call the parish office if you have any questions.

If you are currently not up-to-date, you may continue in your work only if there are two other adults present who are up to date AND you are currently in the process of renewing your training and background check.

Anyone who is not currently volunteering but who might possibly volunteer in the future is welcome to go ahead and receive the initial in-person training. That way you wouldn’t have to scramble to do the training if you suddenly decided to volunteer for a youth event. Please submit the certificate you receive there to our parish secretary for her records.

Thank you so much for your service to our community and for your diligence in helping our parish be a responsible and safe place for our kids.

Sincerely,
Fr. Robert

INCLEMENT WEATHER NOTICE
As winter approaches, there is always the chance we will need to close, delay or dismiss early. Here is what you will need to know in each event:
INCLEMENT WEATHER: The decision to close schools due to weather conditions is announced by radio, TV, and social media for Catholic schools in Jefferson County. One of the following announcements will be made:
1. All Catholic elementary and high schools in Jefferson County are OPEN.
2. Catholic elementary and high schools in Jefferson County will be OPEN BUT ON A DELAYED SCHEDULE.
3. All Catholic elementary and high schools in Jefferson County are CLOSED.
Ascension will also send closure announcement via email and text to all Ascension families.
DELAYED SCHEDULE- two hour delay: Café doors will open at 9:10am. Carpool begins at 9:40am. Classes begin at 9:55am.
EARLY DISMISSAL-ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: No public announcement is made about system-wide early dismissal in Jefferson County Catholic elementary schools except in the case of extreme emergency. Ascension will notify parents via email and text of an early dismissal.

REMINDER
Student’s who are absent should be phoned in or emailed to Ms. Thomas by 8:15am. There is a 24 hour message system for you to phone in absences, 451-2535 ext. 22.
Also, it is very important that your child/ren arrive at school on time daily! Students should be in their class and chair by 7:55am. If your child is late, you must come in to sign them in. Thank you!