Community - a group of people having a particular set of characteristics in common. It's a nice concept and certainly one I hold dear. Community may be a body of people, a circle of friends and acquaintances where there is a feeling of fellowship. This fellowship or sense of togetherness is likely due to some common attitudes, interests, and goals. Community often includes shared values and responsibilities.

Community is also about membership, about joining, and often making a conscious choice that the group is one to which I want to belong. OK, there is another byproduct of community - belonging. That element for me is not only important but also at the top of any list of benefits related to community. And in education, namely in school, community is what it's all about. Let me narrow the focus to Mercy High School.

There is the community of students who currently attend Mercy. The student body in total gets a great deal of needed attention but each girl needs more. She is also a member of her individual graduating class and that group is specific and unique. There is the wider community of Mercy alumnae, graduates of the last 71 years. This year's senior class will soon join that prestigious group. Narrow the conversation a bit and each girl also participates in countless smaller communities such as athletic teams and clubs where individual attention and recognition can be given and received.

The Mercy community also includes all of the staff, past and present, because each person has made indelible marks on the community. The same is true for all the Mercy parents. Your membership in the Mercy community has hopefully been rewarded by many moments of shared joy and pride. Those moments are likely attached to specific life changes you have witnessed in your daughter. She continues to be impacted by all those around her, by what she does for others, by what others do for her and by the collective efforts of many groups. It is that element of interdependence that is so attractive.

That inter-dependent community was on display just over one week ago when Mercy held its annual auction, its 38th. It was the collective work of hundreds of people. Parents, students, staff, friends, neighbors - all who identify as members of the Mercy community, worked for months to execute a tremendous event that was not only an evening of laughter and camaraderie for those able to attend, but also a necessary fundraiser to assist with the educational costs that never go away. For whatever you were able to do, I offer my sincere thanks.

Mercy is just one of the many communities that vie for your attention. May it continue to offer you a shared sense of ownership and may your contributions to its success create some of your most valued memories.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Carolyn Witte, Principal

Meet, greet and eat with Mercy Dads at the next Dads Club meeting Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 6:30pm in the Cafeteria.

Stay in touch with Dads Club happenings at mhsmi.org/mercy-life/mercy-dads. 

All parents are invited to Mercy High School for our Ash Wednesday Mass on March 1 at 10:10am in the Auditorium. Worship with us as we begin this Lenten Season of prayer, almsgiving and fasting.

Freshwoman, Sophomore and Junior Parents: The course selection process for the 2017 - 2018 school year is fast approaching. We know that choosing classes for the next school year can be both an exciting and sometimes anxious experience. In an effort to support students and help them make appropriate decisions, we have organized a detailed process for selecting courses. We believe that making wise course selections, in conjunction with teacher, parent and counselor input, is key to a successful high school and post-secondary experience.

   

Each student in current grades 9-11 attended an all-class presentation that explained the course selection/registration process. In addition to the information presented at the meeting, students were given a registration packet which consists of the following: step-by-step directions that students need to follow in order to complete the registration process correctly; a Course Registration Form that needs to completed by the student and reviewed/signed by a parent/guardian; directions for selecting courses online in Powerschool; important information about Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors courses; as well as notification of your daughter's individual appointment time with her counselor to discuss her curriculum plan.

   

Your daughter will be assigned an appointment time to meet with her counselor sometime between March 6th and March 31st. At this meeting, the counselor will discuss the student's initial course selections with her and make adjustments as needed, ensure that alternate course choices were selected where required, and review your daughter's graduation progress. It is expected that your daughter be prepared for this appointment. Prior to her assigned meeting time, your daughter needs to have completed the following: (1) Review course offerings and complete the Course Registration Form, including parent signature. (2) Complete the online course selection process in Powerschool.

As you think about having a conversation with your daughter about her course selections, here are some things to consider to help guide the conversation:    

We want to highlight the importance of choosing the right courses. We understand that students are making decisions now for a curriculum that they will follow next school year. It is important for students to thoughtfully consider their options and make decisions wisely. The master schedule is built from student requests. We determine staffing and the number of sections offered for a course based upon these student selections. Therefore, requests to change a course will not be allowed after Friday, May 12, 2017. After this date, the number of sections needed to accommodate student requests are determined and the scheduling process will begin. Please be advised that there will not be schedule adjustments to accommodate teacher preferences, class preferences, or after-school commitments. Schedule adjustments after May 12th will only be made for the following reasons:

Our goal is to provide both parents and students as much information as possible in order for students to make informed choices regarding their curriculum. Please direct any questions you may have about the registration process to your daughter's counselor. We ask you to please keep in mind that counselors will be meeting with students throughout the day during this 3-week registration period and, as a result, to allow for a longer response time to phone calls and emails.

The 38th Annual Auction at Farmington Hills Manor was a wonderful night for Mercy filled with socializing, fabulous food and drinks, and tremendous generosity. Thank you to everyone who participated in this event as sponsors, donors, volunteers and attendees, with a special note of gratitude to our Auction Committee!

Some highlights from the evening included Witte's Wish for a renovated concession stand brought in $25,000 courtesy of Tom & Rita Lewry. Plus, a call out to help raise money for pool repairs exceeded more than $30,000.

Please take a few short minutes to fill out the survey below so that we can continue to improve this successful event. Survey Link:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MercyAuctionSurvey 

 

Stay tuned to mhsmi.org/advancement/auction for more post auction info like amount of money raised and photo gallery. Thank you for your continued support! We are Mercy!

Check out this wonderful "We are Mercy" video by Morgan Ewald '17 which was shown Auction evening.

Stay tuned for more student produced features with the "We are Mercy" theme!

 Workshop Outline

 

Synopsis:

 

The cast of 47 includes young men from Aim High School, Catholic Central High School, Farmington High School, Redford Union High School and St. Mary's Prep. With another 54 students working on stage, sound, light, costume, makeup and usherette crews, there are over 100 students involved in bringing this major production to the Mercy stage.

 

Tickets: The show is set for Friday and Saturday, March 10 and 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 12 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $13.00 for students and children. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased at the Reception Area, or by calling the Drama Office at 248-893-3572, or purchased at the Box Office the evening of the performance. The box office will open 45 minutes before curtain time. We promise you a fun-filled night!

Solo & Ensemble - The Mercyaires and four soloists performed for District Solo & Ensemble Festival last month and everyone advanced to state!

The soloists were Cara Forfinski (11), Nathalie Gijsbers (10), Kylie Kreucher (10), and Alana O'Donnell (11). The Mercyaires and these soloists will go on to compete at State Solo & Ensemble in March.

Special congratulations to Kylie Kreucher '19 who was selected to perform with the 2017 All-State Choir. She will be part of a choir made up of the top 100-120 voices in the state at Michigan Youth Arts Festival in Kalamazoo May 19-21.

Mercy High School's French Department, French Honor Society and French Club sponsored the Passport to France program on Saturday, February 11. This program welcomed 28 7th and 8th grade girls who were interested in learning about the French language and culture. This experience provided the participants a very fun and interactive morning of French immersion.

Our visitors were paired up with "une amie française", a current Mercy French student who assumed the role of guide for the day, who escorted our "tourists" on a virtual tour of Paris, a visit to the Musée d'Orsay, a lesson of French conversation, a French music and dance lesson and ending with a demonstration of how to make a French "crêpe".

Mercy upper level French students were the official guides of each of the segments. All students were able to enjoy a sampling of French cuisine throughout the day. Prizes were handed out based on the lessons learned throughout the morning of Immersion during the French luncheon of quiche, salade, pâtisseries, chocolats and crêpes. We thank our team, all student volunteers, French Honor Society officers (Grace Denomme, Jordyn Kreutcher, Karina Lloyd, Allison Lapinski), Faculty (Madame Campbell, Madame Corte, Madame Iacobell), our Maintenance staff (Mr. Bank, Mr. Finney), who participated and helped make the day very engaging and successful. We especially thank the Mercy parent crew who generously donated their time before and after the event: Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Lloyd, Mrs. Salah, Mrs. Kreutcher, Mr. and Mrs. Vinarcik, Mr. Card, Mrs. Dickow-Surowiec, Mrs. Beasley.

In addition, we are most grateful to the Stus family for donating our new Passport to France banner, designed by Cayla Stus, a French 1 student. This provided a warm welcome to all participants in the program. The day was very successful due to the joint cooperative efforts of all who LOVE all things French! Merci Beaucoup Mille Fois!!!!

Mercy High School 13th Annual

Sunday, April 30, 2017
2:00pm-4:30pm

Tea for Tuition - a meaningful tradition!

All Mercy moms are invited to Tea! Please join us for a lovely afternoon with delicious food, enticing hot and cold teas, and Mercy spirit. Of special note will be the Distinguished Alumna Award Presentation to Sheri Johnson Crawley '90.

Over the past 12 years, this event has raised over $190,000 to help more than 100 Mercy girls in need of financial assistance. We will offer silent auction and raffle items, a table decorating contest, and an opportunity to make a gift to Mercy.

Ways to Participate

Host a table of 10

Attend with a few friends or as an individual

Donate a gift or themed basket

Explore sponsorship opportunities

Be an AbsenTea donor

 

For more information, visit mhsmi.org/alumnae/tea-tuition or contact [email protected] or 248-476-3270.

Mercy High School is grateful to the donors who have generously created a legacy that will enable us to continue to offer learning opportunities to students who are in need of financial help through the Circle of Mercy, Named Scholarship and Tuition Assistance programs.

The Financial Aid application period for the 2017-2018 school year is now in progress. For details and forms, please visit mhsmi.org/admissions/financial-aid-program. The deadline for submitting applications is April 7, 2017. The Archdiocese of Detroit also offers a tuition assistance program. Visit aodonline.org for details.

Yearbook: The yearbook staff is putting the finishing touches on the 2017 Lore. If you haven't purchased yours yet, make sure to order it at www.yearbookordercenter.com and select 13826 for Mercy's page. Not sure if you've ordered one? Check this list. New this year -  purchase of a yearbook also includes a digital version of the yearbook you can carry with you anywhere!