A Strong Start to the Year at Ascension Catholic School
Despite a frigid start to the year that made it a little difficult to get our footing, Ascension Catholic School has already had an exciting and successful 2025!
In January, our 7th and 8th graders participated in a retreat with NET Ministries, a transformative experience featuring large group presentations, small group discussions, games, dramas, music, and guided prayer time. This retreat was particularly meaningful for our 8th graders as they prepared for Confirmation on March 1st. A special thank you to the O’Daniel family for generously hosting the missionaries!
We also celebrated Catholic Schools Week, a time to reflect on the blessings of Catholic education and recognize the incredible people who make our school community so special—our students, faculty, staff, religious leaders, and families. This week included an open house, where we welcomed six new families for tours and shared the incredible opportunities at Ascension.
For the third year in a row, Mr. Britton’s Fourth and Fifth Grade writing classes participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Writing Contest, sponsored by the Kentucky State Writing Commission. Congratulations to 5th graders Nicholas Theis and Levi Amburgey, who were invited to the official announcement at the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort on January 9th. Levi won 1st place, and Nick won 2nd place—what an incredible achievement! Thank you, Mr. Britton, for your dedication to developing young writers.
Our students also demonstrated outstanding academic success during winter MAP testing:
📌 Math – 89.8% of students scored Proficient or Distinguished, ranking Ascension 1st among all Archdiocesan schools!
📌 Reading – 79.6% of students scored Proficient or Distinguished, placing us 3rd among Archdiocesan schools.
📌 Growth – 67% of classes surpassed their projected growth in reading, while an impressive 78% of classes exceeded their projected growth in math.
This achievement is a testament to our students’ commitment to learning and the incredible dedication of our teachers. To our educators: You are champions of education, and we are beyond grateful for your hard work!
We are also thrilled to announce that Ascension Catholic School has been selected to pilot a special gardening project for the Archdiocese! This initiative will expand and improve our current garden, creating an outdoor learning space for teachers across all grades and subjects. More than just a hands-on learning experience, this project promotes the Laudato Si’ encyclical’s call to care for God’s creation. It also aligns with Ascension’s distinction as one of only two schools in the Archdiocese to receive Green Ribbon School recognition from the Department of Education. You can see our new gardens between the school wings—we can’t wait for our first harvest! A huge thank you to Donna Jackel for leading this incredible effort!
A special shout-out to Pete Heilman (4th grade) for winning 1st place in the Sumobot division at the Kentucky Derby Festival RoboRumble on February 22 at Ballard High School! This marks the second year in a row that the Ascension Robotics Team has taken 1st place, competing against over 600 students. A huge thank you to Barbara Wagner (library/tech teacher) and Ann Sinkhorn (3’s teacher) for their leadership in coaching our talented robotics students.
We are also incredibly grateful for the success of our iGive Catholic campaign, which raised nearly $22,000! These funds were used to improve our playground, and the new turf surface was completed in the last week of February. We invite everyone to check out the updated space, and we extend our deepest gratitude to all who donated to make this possible.
At Ascension Catholic School, we are not just educating students—we are Developing Christian Thought Leaders.
As we enter this sacred season of Lent, may we open our hearts to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, drawing closer to Christ through sacrifice and reflection. May God bless our school, our students, our families, and our entire community, guiding us to grow in faith, wisdom, and love. Let us journey together toward Easter with renewed spirits and grateful hearts.
Blessings to you all this Lenten season!
Terrence Mullaney, Principal