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.

December 14, 2012

 

It's the Holiday Season

 

Thank you for all the positive feedback regarding this blog!  It certainly makes it easier as I sit to write the second installment.  We continue to have busy days as we move toward our Christmas break. 

 

We began December with a beautiful Advent Mass on the first Sunday of the month that was well attended by both Mercy and Xavier families.  Fr. John Gallagher, OFM Cap.  came to celebrate Mass from St. Pius X parish in Middletown with the Home and School Association providing breakfast.  It really was a great way to start the Advent season.

 

Our hallways continue to be decorated for Christmas.  The Sophomores have chosen “A Charlie Brown Christmas” as their theme and I am really impressed with the work they put into their design. 

 

 

You will have to sign up for our new @MercyMiddletown Twitter account to hear who the winner of the hallway contest is!  The Mercy Twitter account is new in the past two weeks and we are very excited about being able to keep students, parents and alumnae up to date on what is happening here.  You can just click here:  https://twitter.com/MercyMiddletown to see what has already been posted.  If you have a Twitter account then sign up to follow us and you will know the latest!

 

Speaking of social media, we were privileged to have three Middletown Police Department Youth officers and a representative from the Middletown Youth Services come to speak to the student body regarding bullying and online safety.  We all learned a great deal about what type of information we should be sharing on facebook, twitter and other social media sites.  There was also an opportunity for parents to attend the same presentation in the evening.  Hopefully our young women will be more mindful of what they are sharing with others and their overall online presence.

 

 

On Tuesday, December 11 the Student Council officers and NHS officers attended the Chamber of Commerce breakfast and heard Governor Dannel Malloy speak.  What a great opportunity for our young women to meet government officials and see members of the business community.  Pictured below are the student council and NHS officers with the Governor and Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman.

On Wednesday, December 12 we had our annual Winter Concert.  I want to congratulate Mr. Link and the members of the Concert and Chamber Choirs, Choralations, Wind Ensemble and "No Man's Band" on presenting such an entertaining and enjoyable evening.  The auditorium was packed with parents and friends and we certainly were put into the holiday spirit!  Don't they all look great!

 

Our Mock Trial Team has begun to compete at the Middlesex Superior Courthouse.  The first week they went in as the defense against Xavier High School.  They all were looking very “lawyerly” as they prepared to leave school last week!  Today, (December 14)  they will argue for the prosecution.  Good Luck!

 

Upcoming Events:

·         On Saturday, December 15 our Chamber and Concert Choirs will be Caroling at 6:00 p.m.  at Lake Compounce.  For more information click here.

·         I know that we can hardly believe it but the Christmas Break begins next week with our last day of school being Wednesday, December 19.  I’m told that it is quite a day of celebration so no one wants to miss it!  We will return to school on Wednesday, January 2^nd, 2013.

·         When students return it will not be very long before they will begin to prepare for Midterm Exams.  The second quarter will end on January 11^th with Midterm Exam week being January 14 – 18.  Stay tuned for more specific information in later blogs!

·         The winter sports season has begun!  I attended my first Varsity Basketball game and it really was enjoyable.  Hopefully you’ll be able to attend some home games!  Click here to see the schedule for Freshmen, JV and Varsity Basketball teams:  Basketball Schedules

·         The Indoor Track team is also competing.  Their competitions occur at Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven.  If you are able to travel there, take a look to see their schedule.  I know they would love to see some Tiger supporters!  Girls Indoor Track Schedule

·    Our school store does have a great deal of “Mercy Wear” available for purchase.  Take a look at our Athletic Director and head basketball coach, Mr. Tim Kohs as he sports one of the new Nike shirts!  Stop in anytime from 7:15 – 3:15 pm to purchase Mercy apparel.

 

 

 

May you all have a very Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year. 

 

Be well.

It's A Beginning

November 30, 2012

There are so many good things happening here at Mercy, it has not taken me long to see that a printed newsletter just can’t contain or keep up with our activities on Randolph Road!  I wanted a medium that allowed me to share pictures of daily life as well as special events.  I wanted to be able to give links that will connect the reader to more information than a short article can give and I wanted to be able to do this OFTEN!

And so, I begin with my first blog posting and what a time to start!  The holidays really are something special here beginning with Thanksgiving.  Our young women were particularly generous this year as they collected food for those in need.  Not only did they donate here at Mercy, but also at the annual Xavier vs. Middletown H.S. Thanksgiving Day football game.   (Congratulations Xavier!!)

 

Thanksgiving Collection Article

 Thank you Letter

 We also held our annual Pie Baking evening on the Monday before Thanksgiving.  I was so impressed with the number of parents, alumnae and students who came to bake over 265 apple and pumpkin pies for groups like St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen, Mercy Housing Shelter, Shepherd's Home and Middletown Community Thanksgiving Project. Thank you everyone!

 

No sooner had our students returned from their Thanksgiving break when Christmas decorations began to appear!  Our hallway Christmas decorating contest has begun and I am very curious to see which of the four classes will win this year.  I was quite impressed that our freshwomen began on the very first day of their return!

 

Last evening I proudly watched as 46 new members were inducted into the National Honor Society.  To qualify, a Junior or Senior must have a GPA of 3.6 or higher and also have evidence of strong character, leadership skills and hours of service.  I know that these young women will continue to be successful in whatever they pursue for their future!

 

 

 Many of the students at Mercy are doing well academically.  We can see this with the posting of the first quarter honor roll found here: 

 

First Quarter Honor Roll

 

Coming up Next:

I’m sure that parents will continue to be proud as the second quarter progress reports are scheduled to be posted on Wednesday, December 5.  Sr. Peggy, our registrar, will certainly let you know when they are available for viewing.

Our Varsity Basketball team will be playing its first home game on Friday, December 7 at 7:00 p.m. I hear that our basketball fans are quite enthusiastic and loyal so I look forward to seeing you all there!

Please save December 12 at 7:00 p.m. so that you may come and enjoy our annual Winter Concert. Admission is free though donations will be taken for the victims of Hurricane Sandy in our sister school Catherine McAuley High School in Brooklyn, NY.

Enjoy these next few weeks of Advent and be sure to check our December calendar for upcoming events!

Be Well.