Principal’s Blog

March 20, 2013

What a Game!

We are still celebrating here at Mercy the incredible win of our State Championship Basketball team which occurred on Saturday evening!  If you haven’t yet seen the winning play, just take a look:

YouTube Footage of Game

On Monday the team was greeted by enthusiastic classmates as they returned with a police escort from the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce Breakfast.  You can see pictures at the Middletown Press website:

Middletown Press

What is wonderful is that we have many things to celebrate here at Mercy like the many events that follow!

 

Wadsworth Mansion

The Wadsworth Mansion property which adjoins ours is quite beautiful.  We had a number of our Mercy students volunteer there on Sunday, March 3^rd at their Friends of Long Hill Tea.  It was a beautiful day and event.

Tech Tigers Win Gracious Professionalism Award!

From Tea to Technology….Our winning TechTigers are now home after braving the weather and competing at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) for the FIRST Competition.  We were able to watch them compete online as teams made their robots throw Frisbees through targets and actually climb a pyramid structure!  When it was all done our team won one of the more prestigious awards of the weekend, the Gracious Professionalism Award.  This award highlights how a team presents itself and was helpful to others.  Congratulations Ladies and Thank you to the adult mentors who make it all possible!

 

Grease is the Word!

The same weekend that the TechTigers were in Worcester we were also performing the musical “Grease”!

What a great job done by cast, crew, musicians and directors!  I had been told that the Mercy/Xavier musical is always a treat to look forward to and now I can see why!

 

Senior Class Trip

Can you believe that the senior activities have begun?!  Our senior class spent the day in Boston on March 12 and really had a nice time.  Even though we had pouring rain in Middletown, they stayed dry and were able to enjoy all the sights they had planned. 

 

 

Upcoming Events:

 

 

·  The end of the Third Quarter is Wednesday, March 20.  Sr. Peggy will let you know when the report cards are ready to view.

·  The French and Spanish NHS Induction Ceremony will occur on Thursday, March 21st at 7:00 p.m.

·   On Saturday, March 23 we will be holding our Discover Mercy event for girls in grades 5, 6, and 7.  It promises to be a fun and informative day for all.

 
    ·  Sophomore Ring measurements are happening on March 26
         and 27 from 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

·         Reminder:

-   Thursday, March 28 is Holy Thursday and a student Retreat Day at Mercy.

 

-   Friday, March 29 is Good Friday and there will be NO SCHOOL.

 

• The Home and School Association is holding the Annual Education Raffle on May 16.  Click below for ticket information!  Raffle Ticket

•  Mercy will be holding a summer "Higher Achievement Program" for girls rising to 7th and 8th grade from July 8-19th with optional 3rd week July 22-26.  Click below for more information!  HAP Program

 

A School Calendar for 2013-14 can be found on the school website:  CALENDAR

 

 

May you have a Blessed Easter !

 

 

 

 

 

March 6, 2013

 

Is it Spring yet???

I don’t know about you, but I am ready for Spring to begin!  As I write this latest edition we seem to be waiting yet again to see if a storm will go out to sea.  If we all wish together at the same time, maybe we can give it a good push out! 

One sign that Spring is on the way is a reminder that we have a Daylight Savings clock change coming up this weekend on Sunday, March 10.   So remember “Spring Ahead!” 

We have had a number of our students traveling to participate in different activities and programs this past week.  They are taking advantage of great opportunities!

 

Spanish National Honor Society

On Wednesday, February 27^th members of our Spanish National Honor Society went to Hartford for lunch at a local Spanish restaurant, Costa del Sol.  From the pictures it looks like they had a wonderful time and enjoyed their cultural experience.

 

Yale Discovery to Cure Program
Five juniors traveled to Yale University on Friday with Ms. Sue Psoter to participate in the Yale Discovery to Cure program.  The program was established to “expose talented students from local high schools to Yale’s biomedical laboratories and open their minds to future career opportunities in science and medicine”.  The students who participated on Friday may have the opportunity to work as interns this summer through this program. 

Model UN
On Saturday, March 2^nd members of the Mercy Model UN traveled with the Xavier High School team to a conference at Boston College High School. 

The picture below shows members of both teams working in the Mercy library media center to prepare for their weekend conference. 

Commission on the Status of Women 57

On Sunday, March 3^rd, four Mercy students traveled to New York City to attend a Youth Orientation at St. Jean Baptiste High School to prepare for the 57^th Annual Commission on the Status of Women.  This meeting occurs each year at the United Nations and takes on a different theme each year focusing on the condition of women throughout the world.  This year’s theme is “Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls”.

Our Mercy students met young women from around the globe who have traveled to participate in this annual conference.  They will travel to NYC again in order to participate in some of the meetings occurring around this topic. 

 

Second Quarter Honor Roll
While our young women have been actively participating in these various activities, they are also making sure that their work is getting done!  Congratulations to all our Honor Roll students in this second quarter!   Second Quarter Honor Roll

Upcoming Events:

·         Our Varsity Basketball team is doing a great job as they work toward the Class LL State title.  They will be playing E.O. Smith on Thursday, March 7 at 7:00 pm here at Mercy.  I know our Mercy Tiger will be there!

 

·         Mercy – Xavier Musical – March 8, 9 and 10

Our drama students have been working very hard to prepare for this year’s musical, Grease!     From what we are hearing at rehearsals, it promises to be an enjoyable evening for your   families. 

ClickHere for Grease Ticket Information

·         Our TechTigers are traveling to the Worcester Polytechnic Institute to compete in the FIRST competition this weekend, March 7 – 9.  There are rumors that the competition may be streamed live so visit the TechTiger website for updates!

 

·         Our Chamber Choir did such a great job singing the National Anthem for the UCONN women that they have been asked back to sing at the Big East Semifinal game on Monday, March 11.    Congratulations Ladies!

 

·         Course selection sheets and registration fee are due on Friday, March 8.

 

·         You may want to make note of the following dates:

-          March 21^st :  Spanish and French Honor Society 

             Inductions, 7:00 p.m.

-          March 23^rd:  Discover Mercy

-          March 28^th :  Retreat Day (also Holy Thursday)

-          March 29^th:   Good Friday, No Classes

-          April 8^th      :  NO FACULTY MEETING – Regular School

                                      Day*

* April vacation, scheduled for April 15 – 19, will remain intact.

 

Be well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 13, 2013

The Blizzard of 2013

Having grown up in the heart of the state of Maine, I am accustomed to a bit of snow during the winter months, but, I do have to say that my first winter in Connecticut has been quite impressive!  Forget the little 3 – 6 inch snowstorm, let’s go straight to 36 inches!

Here are two pictures of downtown Middletown on the Sunday after the storm!

 

While quite impressive, it can also be quite dangerous.  It has taken a number of days to make the roads safe to travel.  We are hoping to open for classes this week.  Please know you will receive another call/notification today to give you an update.

Now before the snow fell we were in the midst of a very busy few weeks!

 

Indoor Track & Field

On Friday, February 1^st members of our girls indoor track team competed in the SCC indoor track & field championships in New Haven.  I was quite proud of our girls as they cheered each other on in the various events and came in 8^th out of 18 overall.  Quite an accomplishment!  Congratulations ladies!

 

Mercy on Saturdays!

 Mercy High School isn’t active only during the regular school week!  One example would be Saturday, February 2^nd (the last Saturday before the BIG SNOW!)   We had students arriving for the first session of the SAT preparation course, the Tech Tigers were arriving as they are in their build season preparing for the FIRST robotic competition in Worcester, sports teams were arriving and our Mercy Dance Team was heading out to its first competition. 

Here’s a picture of some dance team members performing at the last home basketball game!

 

On that Saturday they came home with a Third Place Trophy in the Hip Hop category!  Congratulations!

To see their trophy click here:  TROPHY 

 

Mock Trial Team

The Mock Trial team did compete at Weston High School on Monday, February 4^th.  They did very well but did not advance.  You can read about their competition on the Mercy website:  Click here:
MOCK TRIAL

 

Rotary Student of the Month

Congratulations to Delia Ernst ’13 who was selected as the Rotary student of the month for February.  Click here to see picture and article:  ROTARY 

 

National School Counselors Week

This past week we celebrated National  School Counselors Week.  I  would like to take this opportunity to thank our school counselors for all the great work they do for our students at Mercy!  One example is the opportunity presented below.

Representatives from Rustic Pathways Student Travel visited to talk with interested students and faculty about service and adventure travel programs. They can zipline through the jungles of Costa Rica, ride horses across the plains of Mongolia, or teach English to underprivileged students in Thailand.

 

 

Basketball Last Home Game

The last regular season home game was played on Thursday, February 7.  It was a special night for the seniors and most especially Jordyn Nappi who scored her 1,000^th point!  Congratulations!  Here are some pictures from that night!

 

 

 

National Honor Society Blood Drive

 

I am quite proud of our National Honor Society and their sponsorship of the annual blood drive.  We had a number of students, faculty and staff donate or attempt to donate a pint of blood on Thursday, February 7.   Facilitating the donation of this gift of life is a great service to the community at large.  May this giving become a habit of a lifetime. 

 

Upcoming Events:

 

·   Due to the number of school days lost to the snow, Monday, February 25^th and Monday, March 11^th, previously scheduled as faculty NEASC work days will now be class days for students.  Please mark your calendars.

 

·   Given the amount of snow we received with the Blizzard of 2013 there are a number of activities which will need to be rescheduled.  One example is the Senior Valentine Dance.  As we have new dates for these activities, we will let you know.

 

·  A reminder to those who are planning on filing for financial aid.  Financial aid forms are due by March 1^st.  FACTSlink  

 

·  You can expect Progress Reports to be posted on February 27^th.  Sr. Peggy will send you notification once they are available for viewing.

 

·   Valentine’s Day:  This is a reminder that Mercy High School will not accept any deliveries of flowers, candy etc. on Valentine’s Day for any of our young women. 

 

·      Winter Break begins Monday, February 18 with classes resuming on Monday, February 25th.

 

 

Be Well.

 

Catholic Schools Week

January 30, 2013

We have survived Midterm Exam week (needing only one snow day!) and are now back into full swing in this new second semester! 

 

I do want to congratulate the Spanish Honor Society for their leadership in helping us to celebrate “Three Kings Day” here at Mercy!  They created a wonderful bulletin board that was displayed outside our cafeteria which reminded us of the gifts of the Magi as well as the gifts we each have to bring to each other.

 

CLASS OF 2017

On Thursday, January 17, we welcomed the parents of the Class of 2017 and were pleased to see so many familiar faces.  We had many parents in attendance for the meeting and one of the important hi-lights of the night was the revealing of the Class of 2017 skirt!

 

We also spoke of the Mercy High School policy, which began this year, of allowing students to use their digital devices in classes.  Many have begun to ask what we are recommending for students to use in their classes.  The following are some parameters for parents who are thinking of purchasing devices for their daughters to use here at Mercy:

 

It should be a device that can do the following things:

• Have a browser and connect to the internet
•  Ability to download or access e-books
•  Ability to create documents
•   Ability to access e-mail
•   Have "One Note" (Microsoft) OR "Evernote" (Apple app) or some application which allows for note-taking
•  Scheduler/calendar to keep track of assignments and activities

 

MARCH FOR LIFE

 On Friday, January 25, 18 Mercy High School students went with teacher Ms. Jean Pepitone to participate in the March for Life that was occurring in Washington, D.C.  They went as part of a delegation from St. Pius X Parish.  They met on Thursday evening at 11:00 p.m. at St. Pius X and after some ice breakers and prayer, traveled to Washington, DC in time for a morning Mass and then gathering on the Washington Mall!  What a great experience for these Mercy Women.

 

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

 On Monday, January 28 we began to celebrate Catholic Schools Week.  The theme for this week is:  “Catholic Schools Raise the Standards”. 

We started on Monday by announcing all the fundraising and collection service projects that were completed in the months of December and January.  We celebrated the service of our National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Helping Hands Helping Paws Club, and the school body in general as it supports Paula’s Place, an orphanage in Haiti, just to name a few of the many clubs that do service for others.

On Tuesday it was “Student Appreciation Day”.  Many of the teachers gave students a “Free Homework Pass” or shared cookies with their advisor groups. 

 

 

It was a great treat to see our Mercy Chamber Choir singing the National Anthem at UCONN vs. Villanova game on Tuesday, January 29 at the XL Center in Hartford. Our Mercy Women sounded incredible!

 

 

The rest of the week will include the making of rosary beads, and even Valentine’s Day cards by our art class students that will be shared with elderly shut-ins.  See picture of art students here!

Art Students on Twitter

Most especially I would like to thank our parents for choosing the gift of a Catholic education for their daughters.  It is a choice that comes with much sacrifice and I want you to know we are truly honored that you chose to entrust your daughter to us here at Mercy High School.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

 Even though the weather has been cold, activities are heating up here at Mercy!

·         Parent-Teacher conferences will occur on Thursday, January 31^st.  Teachers will be available to meet with parents beginning at 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.  This is a great opportunity to meet your daughter’s teachers and discuss her progress.

 

·         The first class of our SAT prep course will be on Saturday, February 2^nd.  We are excited about being able to offer this opportunity for the young women here at Mercy. 

·         The National Honor Society is sponsoring a blood drive on Thursday, February 5.  They organized a great assembly to promote the event using a Jeopardy quiz show theme.  I think we all learned a good deal about the need for people to donate blood and I do believe our Mercy Women will step up to respond to that need.

·         Check out the many activities happening in February at our February calendar      February Calendar

Please note that there is a teacher in-service day for our NEASC accreditation process planned for February 25.

 

·         Our Mercy Basketball team is doing a wonderful job and ranked #5 in the state! Our Seniors will have their Senior NIght on Tuesday, February 7 at their last home game.  Congratulations ladies!

 

 

     Be Well!

 

January 11, 2013

We Begin A New Year

 

It is with a heavy heart that I begin to write this latest installment of the principal’s blog.  We have had quite a week here at Mercy with the tragic loss of one of our students, and yet I am so proud of our young women and how well they have shown what it means to be “Women of Mercy”.  We have held all our Mercy families up in prayer this week and are grateful for this faith of ours which guides us in our joys and sorrows.

 

Mid-Year Exams:

The second quarter comes to an end today.  I can’t believe that we have almost completed our first semester!  Mid-Year exams will begin on Monday, January 14 and continue until Thursday, January 17.  The schedule of exams and directives can be found at this link:

Mid-Term Exams 

 Please plan on attending the Report Card night on Thursday, January 31^st from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  This is a great opportunity to meet with your daughter’s teachers and discuss her progress. 

 Congratulations to our Mock Trial Team!

We are quite proud of our Mercy Mock Trial team as they have qualified for the state quarterfinals which will take place on February 4 at Weston High School.  They successfully competed against Xavier High School and Central Valley High School to advance to this level.  Good Luck Ladies!

 

 

Tech Tigers –

Our Tech Tigers Robotics team has been quite busy this new year!  They began by participating in Middnight on Main, Middletown's New Year's Eve event. The Tech Tigers ran various science activities showing children that science is not just educational, it can be fun and entertaining too!

 You can see some pictures by checking their new website:

Tech Tigers Website

 
They kicked off their build season with a sleepover here at school on Saturday, January 5^th.  Now that is dedication!

 

 

Youth in Government

We are quite proud of seven Mercy students who were selected to participate in the Youth in Government program for the city of Middletown.  They will be youth representatives on a number of city committees.  The picture below shows them as they were sworn in at City Hall on Monday, January 7th.  Congratulations ladies!

Upcoming Events:

• January continues to be quite a busy month.  Be sure to take a look at the January calendar

 

              January Calendar

 

• Please take special note of the following dates:

                Midterm Exam Week – January 14 – 18

               Classes Resume:  January 23  -  Beginning of 2^nd Semester

               Report Card Night:  January 31, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.

• Join us on Tuesday night, January 29 at the XL Center to hear our Chamber Choir sing the National Anthem at the UCONN vs. Villanova Game starting at 7:00 p.m.  Discounted tickets can be purchased at Mercy.  Click below for your order form.

                         UCONN vs. Villanova Tickets

 Be Well.