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MERCY MEMO PARENT E-NEWSLETTER - November 2016
Wit's End...notes from the principal
Letting go - an interesting skill. It it likely something you and I have done countless times, but some leave takings are a bit more difficult than others. Case in point. You have likely seen the email communication I sent out earlier this week. I shared news that I will retire at the end of this school year. Such a decision was neither made on the fly, nor was it something I pained over for many months. Making the decision, and then telling others, made it very real. Now that I have accomplished those two things, I have allowed myself the gift of more keenly enjoying the present moments, and all of the things that are now a part of this final year.

What is important to me is that while I remain professional, I also want to proceed with grace and with gratitude. I feel a bit like one of the seniors, more than a little anxious (in a good way) about the future, but quite curious and excited about the unknown. Whenever a senior tells me "I'm not ready to leave Mercy" I very quickly reply, "Oh yes you are. You're ready. You really don't want to be a student in high school forever. Think of all the adventure you'd miss!" Time to take my own advice.

So I repeat, Letting go. That needs to be my focus as I make my way through all of the great moments that remain ahead. I will very likely need your help. I've already begun the process by seeking the wisdom around me. I started by referencing the wonderful song lyrics of Paul Simon. Yes I am a child of the 60s. That decade encompassed my teen years, and by the very early 70s I had finished college, completed my first years of teaching, had arrived at Mercy, and was married in December, 1975. I will stop now lest I bore you with further detail. Back to Paul Simon. His was one of the voices of my generation. His song lyrics often struck me as eloquent commentaries on the surrounding realities. They still do. I can say that I was then, and am still now, quite a fan. In recent days, one of his lighter and somewhat tongue in cheek songs has been stuck in my head: "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover"* (from his 1975 album Still Crazy After All These Years). I looked to Mr. Simon for what might be some relevant connections or even advice about extricating oneself from a long term relationship, tips I might follow for closing the book on a long standing career.  

So here's what I've determined thus far. "Slip out the back, Jack" - that won't do. The "back" here at Mercy is the loading dock and I'd break a leg trying to climb down. Plus, I've always thought that if I was ever required to sneak out of the school, that probably meant I had stayed one day too long. "Make a new plan, Stan" - no. Planning for the unknown sort of diminishes the adventures of the now. "You don't need to be coy, Roy" - coy, not my thing. The very word means pretending shyness as a way to look alluring. Come on, even typing that description makes me laugh. "Just get yourself free." Well, Paul and I agree. That's the point of retirement isn't it? Create a new freedom of sorts. Days get to unfold in unusual ways. OK. How about the rest of the chorus. "Hop on the bus, Gus. /  You don't need to discuss much." Don't have a destination in mind - so I can't purchase the ticket quite yet. "Just drop off the key, Lee / And get yourself free." Now that is pretty final. Surrendering my keys to the kingdom, so to speak, will come later, actually some seven months from now.

For now, I continue to take it all in. At the same time, I choose not to exaggerate or overemphasize the many common, routine moments of school. It truly is in the routine, that I find comfort and also pleasure. So I don't really need to consider 50 different ways to leave. I just need to let my feet follow the path in and out of this school, keep my head up so I don't trip, and do what I do until my feet point me in another direction. It's all good!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Carolyn Witte, Principal

* Simon, Paul. "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover." Still Crazy After All These Years,
          Columbia Records. December, 1975.
Mothers Club
Mother Daughter Evening of Spiritual Reflection
The Angels Whispering To One Another
 
Monday, December 12, 2016 
St. Edith Catholic Church
Mass: 6:00 pm
Dinner immediately following Mass
$25 per person 
Reservations are limited so please register early!
 
Please return payment and reservation form to Mercy Reception Area in an enveloped labeled Mother Daughter Evening of Reflection by Thursday, December 5th.
 
Special Note to Mercy Moms:
It is a tradition to present a "Then and Now" slideshow as part of the event. Please email 3-4 photographs of your daughter at various ages and a recent mother-daughter photo to MercyDinner2016@gmail.com.
 
If you have any questions, please call Michelle Joyner at 313-743-1831.

December Meeting

All Mercy Moms are invited to join us at our upcoming December 5th holiday meeting and celebration at 6:30pm in the Media Center. Be sure to check out the Mothers Club home page and calendar for more information about upcoming events and important notes.
Dads Club
Buy your 2016-2017 MDC 500 Raffle Ticket!

Mercy Dads Club would like to congratulate Jennifer Lobbia, parent of a class of 2017 student, for winning the 2nd MDC 500 Early Bird Drawing held November 1.

The next drawing will be held this Monday, November 21, 2016. Be sure to purchase your ticket today! Great odds...only 500 tickets will be sold! 
Ticket Price: $100.00
 
1st Prize: $10,000
2nd Prize $3,000
3rd Prize: $1,000
 
Drawing to be held Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at MDC Monthly Meeting
Early Bird Drawings to win $500: Nov 21, Dec 6
 
Early Bird Drawings will take place at Mercy High School and winners are still eligible for all remaining drawings. Click here to complete the order form to purchase raffle tickets by cash or check. You may also purchase by credit card online at mhsmi.org/ecommerce/mdcraffle-16. Ticket stubs will be mailed to you. Good luck!
December Meeting

Meet, greet and eat with Mercy Dads at the next Dads Club meeting Tuesday, December 6th at 6:30pm in the cafeteria.
Student & Staff Successes
Congratulations to Sarah Kurpiers '17 who was named a 2016 National Wendy's High School Heisman School Winner for outstanding achievement in academics, athletics and community service.

Way to go, Varsity Basketball 2015-16! The Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan (BCAM) and Pure Sweat Basketball named the Mercy Varsity Basketball Team as one of the recipients of the 2015-16 Top 100 Sportsmanship Award. This award for good sportsmanship is given during the basketball season. After each regular season girls' game and boys' game, the basketball officials that worked the game were asked by the MHSAA to evaluate the sportsmanship of each school's players, coaches, administrators and fans. At the end of the regular season these evaluations were ranked for all MHSAA schools. We are Mercy!

Welcome to Student Government! Congrats to these Freshwomen Class of 2020 Representatives:
Class Officers
Julia Canty
Courtney Langan
Gabriella Pluszczynski
Suha Qashou
Asha Telang

Human Relations Council
Brooklynne Bates
Macey Earle
Katie Kim
Elise Sikora 
Bravo to the cast and crew of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" for a wonderful fall production!

Read Observer article here. 

Ethnic Bazaar 2016 - Open Mind Open Heart
Human Relations Council proudly presented Ethnic Bazaar "Open Mind, Open Heart" on November 10th. The Drama Studio was packed with cheering students and proud parents watching the wonderful performances. Ethnic Bazaar has been a favorite, long-standing Mercy tradition which highlights the diversity of Mercy through song, dance, poetry, prayer, food, and fashion. It brings the Mercy community together to experience and embrace our uniqueness. Everyone at Mercy takes pleasure in this special day to honor, educate, and incorporate different ethnicities.
Lore Yearbook
Get Your 2017 LORE! YEARBOOK: Catch a sneak peak at the stories and photos appearing in the 2017 Lore. The y earbooks are available for $70 at   yearbookordercenter.com   using the code 13826. Don't miss the opportunity to secure a copy today. They will also be on sale before and after school December 12 - 16th. We will be finalizing our copy count in January.
LA SEMAINE NATIONALE DU FRANÇAIS!
The French students of Mercy High School celebrated National French Week, an annual event sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French, November 4-10. The theme of this year's celebration was "Tout va bien avec le français!" The students enjoyed wonderful speakers and enjoyed French cuisine in class as well as in our Mercy café from regions of the French speaking world.
 
Dr. Daniel Noren, Ferris State University, generously donated his time to speak to all students on Québec and introduced us to "la poutine", the national dish of Québec, which was prepared by our café team. He also taught the students a traditional dance of the region called "La Bastringue" in which they danced with the paddles of a canoe.
 
Mr. Seth High, executive chef of Antietam, a French bistro in Detroit came to Mercy to talk about French cuisine and the artistry of being a chef. The students had the opportunity to go the restaurant and enjoy an elegant French dinner prepared by the chef. This was an amazing truly authentic French meal experience enjoyed by all! C'est très délicieux!
 
Mrs. Margaret Delevie, who is fluent in French,came to speak to the students about her passion for all things French and shared personal experiences living in France and Holland. Ms. Kiara McCalvin (2010) skyped with The French students levels 1-3 from England, while she is completing her Masters in French Language and Literature. The students were able to have an interactive French conversation with her, via SKYPE, about her experiences while living and working abroad in France.

The finale of our celebration ended with a crèpe making day and Mrs. Carolyn Witte was the featured chef. Her technique in making the crèpes was PARFAIT! The students were given permission to wear their personally designed t-shirts to proudly display their interest and passion for all things French! It was a wonderful celebration and we thank all our guest speakers and those who helped to make our celebration a success!
Language Lab Update
We are at 63% of the goal for new headphones for the updated Language Lab. THANK YOU to all who have made a contribution and have left such kind notes with your donation!

A message of thanks from a World Language staff member, "How kind of our former Mercy students to remember us and to donate to our new language lab. I remember you with fondness and pride!" Madame/ Señora Shea
 
A message of thanks from a current Mercy student studying Spanish, "¡Hola! Me llamo Dani. Me gusta el laboratorio de las lenguas porque yo aprendo mucho. Yo aprendo hablar español y escuchar el español en el laboratorio. ¡Muchas gracias por el laboratorio de las lenguas!" Dani, Current Mercy Student 

Please check out a video in all four of the World Languages that are offered to Mercy students:


If you have not yet donated and would like to help make this dream a reality, visit  https://mercyhighschoollanguagelab.everydayhero.com/us/mercy-high-school-language-lab-update to make your donation today.

Merci, Gracias, xiè xie, and grātiās tibi agō!!
Latest & Greatest from the Alumnae Office
Senior Class-Alumnae Luncheon
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
12:00-2:00pm
Glen Oaks Country Club, Farmington Hills
 
During Catholic Schools Week, Mercy will host the inaugural Senior Class-Alumnae Luncheon. For the seniors, this is a chance to ask questions about life after high school, in relation to college, careers, and other topics. For alumnae, it's an opportunity to share experiences and model qualities of loyalty and leadership. Online registration for alumnae coming soon to mhsmi.org/alumnae. Members of the Class of 2017 do not need to register.
All Mercy mothers are invited to join the Alumnae Association at their annual Bunco Ladies Night Out.
 
Friday, January 20, 2017
7:00-9:30pm
Mercy Cafeteria
Enjoy sandwiches, snacks, wine, beer & pop. Chances to win fun prizes! $15 per person. Proceeds support tuition assistance.
Register online here.
 
Contact the Alumnae Office for more information: alumnaeoffice@mhsmi.org or (248) 476-3270.
Shop for Mercy
Orin Jewelers Mercy Give Back Day



Purchase in-store or online at Orin Jewelers on Wednesday, December 14, 2016 and receive 10% off and a portion of your purchase will be donated back to Mercy High School. Mention Mercy at checkout or purchase online at orinjewelers.com and use coupon code #MercyGiveBackDay. Click here for more info.

Shop. Buy. Do what you always do, but designate Mercy High School to receive a percentage of your purchases. You can contribute to Mercy every time you shop at Amazon, Target and Kroger. Spread the word and pass it along to family and friends.
Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases
to Mercy High School whenever you shop on AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know.
 
target.com* Organization code 8423
(*click on Community - then Take Charge of Education)
 

Auction 2017


Saturday, February 18, 2017
NEW LOCATION! Farmington Hills Manor
23666 Orchard Lake Rd, Farmington Hills, MI 48336

The  38th Annual Mercy Auction is right around the corner and there are lots of exciting things happening to make this a successful event. We are excited to announce that this year's Auction will take place at Farmington Hills Manor. Save the date of  Saturday, February 18th for a night of fun, food and friends! 

Donate a Gift
Auction  acquisitions are in full swing! Check out the Auction wish list of suggested donation ideas. If every family obtained one gift for the Auction, we would have more items than ever before! Please feel free to bring donations to the school by  January 31st.

During the holiday season there are additional opportunities to support the Auction as well. Receive a gift that is great but not great for you? Re-gift it to the Auction! Have extra baskets from holiday gifts that you are not using? Re-purpose by donating it to the Auction and we will use to display items the night of the event.

Help your daughter earn spirit points for her class. Bring in an Auction donation during morning drop-off Tuesday-Thursday, December 6th-8th. Volunteers are also needed to help collect gifts. Sign-up here if you are able to volunteer.

Advertise
Do you have a product or service not conducive for bidding? Advertise! From business card to full page color sizes we have a spot for all. Advertising contracts are available online  here

Join a Committee
Each year the Auction has close to 500 items and of these a large part are themed baskets. While you are shopping this holiday season if you would like to make a basket for the Auction, please use this sign-up genius link and select which basket you would like to make and bring to the Mercy High School Reception Area by January 31st. If you would like to purchase the items, but not package/basket the items there is an Auction basket team that is happy to assemble the items into a decorated basket.

There is now a Sign-Up Genius for all the Auction committees that need assistance. The Sign-Up Genius lists the committee name, responsibilities and dates/times. Please note: The basket committee is the only exception because they meet various nights and weekends to create the auction baskets and the chairs will send an email to the committee with all the dates. Sign-up here if you would like to join a committee.

Please do not hesitate to contact Olivia Hanna in the Special Events Office at 248-893-3535 or ohanna@mhsmi.org with any questions, suggestions or to volunteer.
GREEN Club Plants New Tree
The GREEN Club's mission is to make students aware of environmental issues and to provide them with information on sustainable living as well as opportunities to make a difference in the community through environmental service, beginning with the recycling efforts at Mercy.

This year, they are focusing on a theme of trees and will initiate activities surrounding the idea of keeping oxygen in the world clean and keeping our forests strong. On Thursday, November 10 they planted a tulip tree by the flagpole entrance. The tulip tree is special because the roots are balled up and not attached to any dirt, so the GREEN Club members dug up a five foot radius to let the roots spread out and take root. More tree activities like field trips, hikes and other fun events are being planned.

GREEN Club has approximately 120 members and leaders are: Claire Johnston, Evie Dahmer, Maggie Ewald, Tiffany Ellison, Sophia Lamphier, Lara Zammit, Kristen Mifsud, Sofia Bellasario, Victoria Schmitz, Megan Giroux, Sophie Sawicki.
Go Marlins!
Team Awards & Highlights

Swim and Dive won the CATHOLIC LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP. Good luck at Division 1 state swimming and diving championships this weekend, Nov. 18-19 at Oakland University! Volleyball captured the DISTRICT TITLE! Pompon received 2nd Place in the Mid American Pompon High Kick Championship!

Cheer on all your Marlins sports teams!

  
Time for Basketball, Bowling, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, and Pompon and Dance are still in action. Check the athletics calendar and even get driving directions. Our athletes are always making headlines. Read some sports features here.
Senior Athlete Event
   

Are you signing a National Letter of Intent or committing to play a sport in college? The Mercy Athletics Department will be hosting a group signing day to celebrate all athletes committing to play a sport next year at the college level.
 
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
2:45pm - 3:30pm
Mercy Gymnasium 

You're welcome and encouraged to invite your family and coaches. Please wear your college shirt. We will take individual and group photos. Light refreshments will be served. Notify Ms. Kate Scalzi at  kmscalzi@mhsmi.org if you will attend. Include your name, sport, and college.
MNOTES...Miscellaneous Info You Need to Know
MOSAIC in your Mailbox - The Fall 2016 issue of the Mercy Mosaic magazine is in the mail. Be sure to check out features on the Alumnae Legacy, Sisters of Mercy Jubilarians, 2015-16 Annual Giving Report and other Mercy moments.

Daddy Daughter Dance - The Junior Class will be hosting the Daddy Daughter Dance January 28, 2017 from 8pm to 11pm in the Mercy Gymnasium. Save the date for a fun evening filled with dancing, entertainment, snacks, and the opportunity for Mercy girls to write their dad or father figure a special letter.

Fast Forward Rochester Calling for Entries - Do you have a passion for the environment? Showcase your perspective! The Fast Forward Film Festival, Rochester's only environmental film festival, is calling for entries. No film making experience required, no entry fee, cash prizes, and an acclaimed jury. Short environmental films accepted under 5 minutes in length and of any genre made by Rochester residents. 
Entries due February 27, 2016. Rochester's Fast Forward Film Festival will premiere  March 31 & April 1, 2017 at The Little Theatre and George Eastman Museum and selected entries will screen. For more information, please visit  www.fastforwardroc.org or email  info@fastforwardroc.org.
If you have any questions or want to submit information for the Mercy MEMO, please contact jhearle@mhsmi.org. Want even more? Click the school year calendar and the Mercy web site. And don't miss all of the latest Mercy In The News articles. Check out the current announcements and browse the home page links to see what's happening at Mercy.
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