March 6, 2018 | CONTACT: mesa@sistersofmercy.org
 
New MESA Mission Statement Unveiled at Leadership Forum
 
On Thursday, March 1, 2018, more than 100 leaders from Mercy education ministries gathered in Atlanta for the 2018 Leadership Forum, where the MESA Board of Directors presented our newly approved mission statement. It reads:

The Mercy Education System of the Americas (MESA) is rooted in the Gospel, through the Catholic faith and the Mercy charism. Inspired by Catherine McAuley, MESA nurtures highly competent and deeply compassionate leaders ready to serve a vulnerable world.
-Approved February 23, 2018

The annual gathering is designed to convene our educational administrators and board leaders to receive input and to dialogue with one another on matters concerning Mercy mission and Catholic identity. This year, forum-goers were treated to insightful messages about ethical decision-making from Sr. Patricia Talone, R.S.M., in addition to a freestyle Q&A process to exchange information and share lessons learned in leading our schools.

Expect a full report about the Leadership Forum in the upcoming issue of Around the Table. Make sure you are subscribed to receive it.
 
Registration Now Open for the Second Annual Mercy International
Education Program
 
The Mercy International Association is hosting a gathering of educators from around the Mercy world in Ireland July 9-13, 2018. The program will include topics such as Catherine's story, life and ministry; her approach to leadership; living Mercy today; and Mercy in a global context. Participants of the inaugural program explored the concerns of Mercy Global Action and how service learning in schools prepares young Mercy leaders for the future.

Space is limited! Direct all questions to Sr. Anna Nicholls, R.S.M.
 
Sisters to Share Personal Vocation
and Ministry Stories
 
During National Catholic Sisters Week, March 8-14, Mercy will be highlighting the personal vocation stories and ministry work of seven Sisters of Mercy. Check out the Sisters of Mercy Facebook page each day this week to see a different sister’s video.

Additionally, on March 9 at 11:35 a.m. Eastern time, tune in for a Facebook Live video chat with Sister Patti Donlin, theology teacher at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School, as she shares about her ministry work teaching young people about Mercy’s Critical Concerns and Catherine McAuley.

For more information on our plans for National Catholic Sisters Week, click here.
 
A Call for Contributions for World Water Day and Earth Day
 
The Mercy International Association is extending an invitation to share reflections, insights, and action steps related to World Water Day and Earth Day. Email them to: mercyenews@mercyinternational.ie.

World Water Day is celebrated on March 22, 2018. This year’s theme, "Nature for Water," explores how we can use nature to overcome the water challenges of the 21st century. Contributions for MIA's Mercy E-News are needed by Tuesday, March 13, 2018.

Earth Day is April 22, 2018. This year’s theme, "End Plastic Pollution," is dedicated to providing the information and inspiration needed to fundamentally change human attitude and behavior about plastics. Contributions for MIA's Mercy E-News are needed by Tuesday, April 3, 2018.
 
Summer Institute for Catholic School Leaders Coming in June
 
Registration is now open for the 2018 National Advancement Summer Institute for Catholic Schools, presented by Partners in Mission. The dual-track conference offers four days of intense learning for Catholic school leaders involved in advancement, admissions and enrollment, communications and alumni relations. The "Enrollment Management" track includes such topics as managing data, recruiting non-Catholics, social media, and retention plans. The "Advancement" track includes topics like donor stewardship, major gifts and bequests, prospect research, and strategic planning. Sr. Clare Fitzgerald, foundation and director of the Catholic School Leadership Program at Boston College, will keynote the event.
 
       School Profile:
Mercy High School
Farmington Hills, Michigan
 
This week, we continue with our series of brief school profiles with Mercy High School in Farmington Hills, Michigan. As always, our goal for these profiles is to support learning from one another. So if you see something you want to know more about, get in touch with that school community! All MESA education ministries are listed here: http://mercyedu.org/educational-ministries.
 
Mercy High School is a Catholic college preparatory school for young women. It opened in 1945 in Detroit and moved in 1965 to a 25-acre campus in Farmington Hills. Throughout its 73 years, more than 15,000 students have graduated from Mercy. The student body is made up of young women from over 70 metropolitan Detroit communities. This broad, inclusive base provides Mercy with a rich, multi-ethnic constituency from diverse, socioeconomic backgrounds. The common thread among staff, students and parents is a commitment to academic excellence, cultural diversity and the integration of Mercy Values into daily life. Ninety-nine percent of Mercy graduates go on to attend college, and in 2017, graduates earned more than $21 million in scholarships.

Learn more about the school by visiting its website and following it on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Get the latest news from the school's newsletter or download its new app for iPhone or Android! The student newspaper, Newsprint Now, is also a must-read!
 
Today, Mercy High School educates 672 students under President Cheryl Delaney Kreger, Ed.D., and Principal Patricia Sattler. They receive instruction through a rigorous curriculum and coursework that includes more than 20 honors and AP subjects. School life is marked by the values of mercy, human dignity, justice, service and option for the poor. Last year, the senior class alone logged more than 26,000 hours of community service. In addition, the school year is replete with a number of traditions that students have come to cherish, including Kairos, the A-Ball, Ethnic Bazaar, Alumnae Tea, Fiesta, Sweepstakes Drive and Frosh Festival.

It is recognized as an Exemplary Private high School by the U.S. Department of Education and is accredited by AdvanceEd. Mercy has also been recognized by Apple as a distinguished school for innovation, leadership and educational excellence. Check out this cool "multi-touch book" on technology at Mercy, which was submitted as part of the Apple application process.
 
Mercy is known for its commitment to diversity, its stellar athletics and arts program, in addition to its academic achievement. This year 14 students from the Art department took home 34 awards at the Regional Scholastic Arts Awards. Music students recently advanced to state-level competitions for orchestra and choir. The school's rendition of Mary Poppins was recently featured in the local newspaper. Mercy has also been recognized among 2018 Best Schools in America by Niche with a Grade A rating and top rankings in multiple private school categories. Moreover, the school recently received an invitation for students to participate in the Dale Carnegie Course for Teens. The program is designed to impart real-world skills to help students grow more confident in responding to issues and scenarios at school, home and work. Finally, the school has introduced new STEM-related courses in engineering and computer science. The courses are being facilitated by Lawrence Tech University faculty and students will earn college credit for successful completion.
 
     Good News & Great Opportunities
 
  • The Sacramento Business Journal profiled Cristo Rey Sacramento VP Leroy Tripette II and Sister Eileen Enright in a two-part article.
  • The Education Commission of the States has compiled a brief about state policies on school safety. It includes links to resources and information on emergency drills and safety plans in schools, school safety officers and policies allowing teachers to carry firearms.
  • Jamaica Day, February 23rd, was a celebration across the country with dancing, games, music, black, green and gold colors and community activities. Check out how Alpha Institute celebrated.
  • Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women was recently recognized for creating a scholarship program that supports immigrants and refugees.
  • The Catholic Climate Covenant has released its 2018 Earth Day Program: "Beyond a Throwaway Culture - Reducing Waste-Building Community."
  • Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School is embarking on a community-wide strategic plan, and is calling on all students, alumnae, staff and parents to be a part of it.
  • Congratulations are in order for Emma Bartley, a junior at Assumption High School, who created a program called PAVE the Way to help refugee youth and their families served by Catholic Charities of Louisville navigate the college application process.
  • Does your school need support with coordinating Mercy students who will participate in initiatives related to the Parkland school shooting? See our statement for the assistance being offered by MESA and the Extended Justice Team.

Want to highlight good news from your school? Send a note to mesa@sistersofmercy.org .
 
New Mercy Academy Principal Named

Congratulations to Sarah Peace who will begin her new role as principal of Mercy Academy (Louisville, KY) July 1, 2018. Peace is currently Assistant Principal - Dean of Studies. Sarah came to Mercy Academy as a teacher in 2012 before being promoted to her current role in 2015. She has helped advance the school's accreditation process and supported the development of curriculum. Read more about her and don't forget to reach out and congratulate her.
 
Equipping Educators with Effective Violence Prevention and Crisis Response Strategies

ASCD will host a free webinar on March 8, 2018 to discuss school safety strategies centered on a comprehensive approach to violence prevention and crisis response that focuses on all hazards and is derived from an educational perspective. Speakers include Amy and Amanda Klinger of The Educator's School Safety Network. Register here.
 
Assumption High School's Katie Caswell Hughbanks Published

Katie Caswell Hughbanks, Assumption High School English and Creative Writing teacher, recently had five pieces of writing published locally and internationally. Her poem “ Unexpected Visitor” was published in the February issue of Kentucky Monthly. Two poems (“ The Honey Locust” and “ Birds of London”) were printed in Flight Writing, an online literary journal in Ireland. In addition, two short stories (“ Secrets” and “ Flight”) were published online by another Irish literary journal, Dodging the Rain.
 
   Sisters of Mercy Credited with Sporting Goods Store Gun Policy Change
 
Via Global Sisters Report: A group of sisters that pushes for corporate responsibility played an apparent role in the Feb. 28 announcement by Dick's Sporting Goods that it would stop selling assault rifles and raise the minimum purchase age for firearms to 21.

Mercy Investment Services, the investment arm of the Sisters of Mercy, said its officials met with Dick's Sporting Goods senior management in January to discuss the retailer's policies and responsibilities as a corporate citizen. Mercy Investment Services handles the Sisters of Mercy's investments and, like many sister-run investment groups, works for corporate responsibility.
 
      Updated Job Listings


Our Ministry Openings webpage contains links to the employment pages of MESA schools. Visit regularly to stay up to date. Please forward this message to anyone in your network who might be interested.

Do you have an opportunity you'd like to highlight in an upcoming issue of MESA Flash? Email mesa@sistersofmercy.org.
 
  “Partners in Mercy”

Leadership Academy
July 23-24, 2018
Baltimore, MD
 
 
 You are encouraged to send in information that you'd like to share through the MESA Flash. We'd love to share your good news, photos from your schools, along with tips and practical suggestions from which others in the community can learn. Email us at mesa@sistersofmercy.org.
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