Sections
- Head of School Message
- Academics
- Student Life
- Advancement
- Business
- Mercy Parent Association
- Important Dates
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Parent Connect is the bi-weekly e-newsletter sent with current news and information for Mercy families.
Please be sure to read every issue as we highlight important information to be aware of throughout the school year.
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NOTE: THIS EMAIL MAY BE CLIPPED. TO VIEW THE ENTIRE EMAIL, CLICK ON "VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE" AT THE BOTTOM
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Dear Mercy Families,
Here we go! The new school year of 2019-20 has begun with much enthusiasm. With our upgraded uniform policy and in spite of the difficulties with our vendor Tommy Hilfiger, the students look fantastic in their uniforms! Hopefully the new look will add to their pride in being “Mercy girls”! Frosh and new students are finding their way around, as are our new faculty and staff. We introduce the new members of Mercy’s team to you in this edition of Parent Connect.
We look forward to working with you to help our students set priorities as they begin this new school year: their health, welfare, and safety come first, academics and schoolwork come second, and everything else follows. We know that learning to make decisions based on these priorities is a challenging but important task, one that needs the support of family, friends and teachers.
We ask the blessing of our God of Mercy that this year all of us may continue to grow in our commitment to “act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8).
In Mercy,
Sister Carolyn
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Welcome New Faculty and Staff!
Promotions and Title Changes:
- Pamela Alano, previously the Executive Assistant to the Deans has been promoted to Director of Athletics & Intersession Coordinator.
- Cynthia Larsen has the new title of Director of McAuley Academic Program.
- Molly Leitner – Teacher will be teaching both Spanish and Health & Wellness.
- Sarah Manzano has the dual role of Director of Campus Ministry & Christian Service.
- Josh Ornelas will continue as Teacher, Dance Program Director and Rental Coordinator and will also now be the ASB Coordinator.
- Ashley Travis will continue to teach yoga in addition to increasing her hours in the Admissions Office as Mercy’s Admissions & Ambassador Associate. She will collaborate with Josh as an ASB Co-Coordinator.
- Elaina Polovick has legally changed her name to Elaina LeGault and has requested that her new name be used at Mercy. Congratulations Ms. LeGault!
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URGENT - Required Forms for School Entry
If you have not completed your child’s Magnus Health forms, please do so by logging into your
Parent Portal. From your Resource page, click on the button titled “Magnus Health Portal.”
There are three additional forms in your Parent Portal that need to be completed:
- 2019-20 Emergency Contact (all students)
- 2019-20 Parent/Guardian Consent (all students)
- 2019-20 Student/Parent Profile Update (NEW students only)
Please note, the Emergency Contact form and the Student/Parent Profile Update form require signatures from ALL parents/guardians listed on the signature page.
Parent Portals are not shared, meaning each parent/guardian must login to their individual Portal to sign the form.
The due date for these forms was August 9, so please complete them as soon as possible.
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Counseling Updates
Greetings from the Counseling Department!
Welcome back parents!
The Counseling Department now has a group page in the
Parent Portal. In order to reduce the number of emails coming from your student’s counselor, we will post regular updates with counseling department events, important reminders for you and your student(s), links and resources for enrichment opportunities, academic support, and college/scholarship info, and much, much more! Simply head to the Parent Portal and click on the “Counseling: Academic & College” link.
Upcoming Events:
Fall:
September 10, 2019 - Frosh Parent Night (Rist Hall, 6 - 8 p.m.)
September 21, 2019 - SAT Practice Exam (Media Center, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
September 24, 2019 - College Financial Aid Night (Rist Hall, 6 - 8 p.m.)
September 28, 2019 - ACT Practice Exam (Media Center, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.)
December 3, 2019 - Sophomore Parent Night (Library, 6 - 8 p.m.)
Spring:
January 28, 2020 - Junior Class College Night (Rist Hall, 6 - 8 p.m.)
February 1, 2020 - SAT Practice Exam (Media Center, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
February 22, 2020 - ACT Practice Exam (Media Center 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
Your Student(s) Counselor:
Siobhan McVeigh: Room 118 (in the back of the counseling center)
- Class of 2023 - Last names: A - L
- Class of 2022 - A - Le
- Class of 2021 - A - Le
- Class of 2020 - A - Lap
Margaret Wickham: Room 116 (off of the main hallway across from Wellness)
- Class of 2023 - Last names: M - Z
- Class of 2022 - Li - Z
- Class of 2021 - Li - Z
- Class of 2020 - Lar - Z
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Coro District Community Action Fellows Program
The District 7 Community Action Youth Fellows program trains D7 youth to initiate positive change in their communities through
Coro leadership training. Youth will grow their leadership skills, gain an understanding of community issues, and
get paid $500 for program completion!
The program meets weekly from September - December. Their first session will be a full-day commitment on Saturday, September 14.
Applications are due by Sunday, September 1.
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Weekly Homeroom Slides
Every Monday in homeroom, students review slides for messages and updates regarding campus events and opportunities. These slides are displayed on the TVs throughout campus for the week. Students and parents have access to the slides through the Homeroom Slide Archive in
Parent Portal.
Look for this widget in your Portal!
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Once you find it, take some time to look for this week's slide deck today!
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California Law Puts Suicide Hotline on School ID Cards
A law that went into effect in July requires schools to print the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on student ID cards for 7th-12th graders in public, private and charter schools.
The law also says that student IDs may have information on the Crisis Text Line
—which can be reached by texting HOME to 741741
—as well as local suicide prevention resources.
To get help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). There is also a crisis text line. For crisis support in Spanish, call 1-888-628-9454.
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School Picture Make-up Day - Sep. 17
If your student missed picture day, Lifetouch will be back on campus for make-ups on September 17.
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Tommy Hilfiger and Uniform Guidelines
At picture day and during student orientations, we reiterated that there would not be uniform violations if the students are following minimum guidelines.
- All students must wear a white polo and black Mercy logo'd outerwear.
- Solid black or white leggings under the Mercy plaid skirt are OK.
- Students who do not have the Mercy Plaid skirt or Tommy Hilfiger Gray pants, may wear charcoal gray dress slacks* (Store brand and Dickies ok) until their order arrives.
*ONLY Juniors and Seniors can wear black pants as part of their Monday-Thursday uniform as these are being phased out.
Facial piercings are not allowed.
If your daughter has a facial piercing, she must take it out during school hours. Students were reminded of this policy at orientation/picture day.
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Campus Ministry Training Date
Mercy students are invited to join Ms. Manzano for Ministry Training Day on Saturday, September 7 at St. Augustine. It’s free for Mercy students, and lunch is provided! To get a registration form or more information, email Ms. Manzano. RSVP deadline: Monday, August 26.
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WELLNESS at Mercy
Mercy’s unique Wellness program encompasses holistic education and support to students, families, and staff in the many dimensions of wellness, including emotional, social, mental, and spiritual.
The Wellness Program includes:
- Social emotional learning programming
- Brief mental health counseling and check-ins
- Community resources for additional support and learning
- Crisis intervention as needed
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Notice Regarding
13 Reasons Why
, Season 3 - Airing Aug. 23
This popular Netflix series depicts the story of a high school student’s suicide and the journey of her friends and family. This show has captivated the attention of teens nationwide, including Mercy students. This series contains scenes that viewers consider disturbing, including sexual assault, substance abuse, and suicide. If your child has viewed or is planning to watch this series, please be thoughtful about the appropriateness of this show by viewing the show and its trailers, either beforehand or with your child. If you need support in this, please reach out to Yen Hui, Mercy’s Director of Wellness for guidance and support.
Crisis Text Line
For help, text REASON to 741741
SF Suicide Prevention
Crisis Line: (415) 781-0500
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Special Discount Pricing for Senior Yearbook Ads
Do you want to celebrate your daughter's accomplishments with a page you design in Mercy's 2020 yearbook? From now until October 31, you can purchase an ad at reduced prices? See the attached flyer for more information.
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School Lunch
Mercy High School is thrilled to continue our partnership with Epicurean Group in providing daily lunches for our students. While lunch is provided for the Mercy community each school day, Epicurean does offer breakfast options along with afternoon snack bar for a charge.
Epicurean utilizes
mySchoolBucks for the payment of food services outside of lunch. Please review the documents below for more information.
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Parent Portal
Each parent/guardian has a Parent Portal account where you can view your child’s progress throughout the year. This includes quarter and semester grades, attendance, conduct, and more.
We have created a
“How To” Guide to help you navigate our most used features within the Parent Portal.
Access the "How To" Guide:
- Log in to the Parent Portal.
- Click on the Resources tab towards the top of the page.
- Click on the block that says “How To” Guide for the Mercy Parent Portal. This guide is updated as new and existing features develop, so check in periodically to see what’s new!
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Parent Pledge
The Parent Pledge is a multi-year gift that gives our parents the opportunity to help offset the financial gap between tuition and the actual cost of educating your daughter. Rather than raising tuition, we rely on our parents to support Mercy by making a tax-deductible gift that is both generous and reasonable for them.
Our goal is 100% parent participation, demonstrating Mercy families' commitment to women's education. Please help us reach our goal and give by September 30!
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Tuition Payments
As a friendly reminder, tuition payments are due on the 1st & 15th of each month (dependent on your selection at the time of registration) via SMART Tuition.
Please note that charges are applied by SMART Tuition for any payment that is late, if a check is returned for NSF, or if a credit card or auto pay is returned for NSF. These are fees incurred by SMART Tuition and therefore not refundable.
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Join the Holiday Boutique Committee!
Mercy is having its annual Holiday Boutique on Saturday, December 7! Be a part of Mercy's first big event of the year by joining the Holiday Boutique Committee with fellow Mercy parents.
We are getting started right away! Committee members will work with Mercy staff to help source vendors for the event as well as help plan the entertainment and raffle.
If you have creative flare or a passion for organizing, this is a great event for you to help with. It's also a great way to
earn all your required parent hours doing something fun with other Mercy parents! Please email Bekah Paige, Director of Development, if you're interested in getting involved.
We will hold our first committee meeting in August.
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Parent Volunteer Opportunities: 2019-20 School Year
Parents are asked to complete 15 volunteer hours each school year. Parent volunteer signups for the 2019-20 school year are available now on our website. Be sure to check
mercyhs.org/volunteer to sign up for the upcoming school year! Don't forget to check back throughout the year as new opportunities may be added.
Your participation is crucial to the school community and we are so grateful for all you do to support your daughter's school.
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Friday, Aug. 23
Monday, Aug. 26
- Mass of the Holy Spirit
- 9:45 - 11:10 a.m.
- Formal Dress Uniform
- Fall Play Auditions Begin
- 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 29
- Dance Ensemble Auditions Begin
- 3:30 - 6 p.m.
- WITA Social (Mandatory for WITA students and parents)
- 6 - 7:30 p.m.
- Art Room 101
Friday, Aug. 30
- Intersession Assembly
- 9:45 - 11:10 a.m.
Monday, Sep. 2
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Wednesday, Sep. 4
Thursday, Sep. 5
- All School Book Assembly
- 1:15 - 3:05 p.m.
- Senior Portraits Makeup
- 3:15 p.m.
Friday, Sep. 6
Tuesday, Sep. 10
- Frosh Parent Night
- 6 - 8 p.m.
- Rist Hall
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Giving is a True Act of Mercy
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Our Mission
Mercy High School, San Francisco, educates women to pursue lives of spiritual and intellectual depth, determination and daring action to improve our world as an inclusive, Catholic, college preparatory community enlivened by the Gospel of Jesus and the charism of the Sisters of Mercy.
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