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Mercy High School Monthly Parent E-Newsletter -January 2011
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Wit's End . . . notes from the principal
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
Thus proclaimed Juliet in Shakespeare’s classic drama. In truth, it matters little the word that is used to name or define something. The rose would still have its inherent beauty and its lovely scent even if it was called by another name. It is, however, a rose. Once that word is used and attached to that specific object, a flower, the word has meaning. It has importance. Words, I would argue, are the very cornerstones of our communication. Yes, we communicate our attitudes and beliefs by our actions, by what we do. When we speak, our gestures, tone of voice, and facial expressions all matter as well. In all forms of communication, however, the words we choose are the most important. Words matter. The particular words we use to identify, describe, explain, defend, justify, praise, or critique – the words matter. Communication continues to change as it always has. The tools we use continue to change, and information can be shared in mere fractions of seconds. All of this in and of itself is good. But regardless of the tools we use, the words we select must not go unnoticed. The words themselves are not meaningless or interchangeable. Words matter and we dare not lapse into the belief that in communications, any words will do. We could not be more wrong. The great writers of our time chose their words with intention. It is to me, one of the greatest values of reading literature and a value that remains important in the current educational landscape. By reading the words in a wonderful novel, we get an insight into a world created by its author. As an English teacher for nearly 30 years, I loved inviting my students to question why the author chose one particular word over another. In their own writing, I challenged my students to write and re-write, to search for the right words to say what they intended, and not to settle for words that would only come close. Words matter. My fear is that as a culture, we may be losing that belief. Close enough may become good enough. We overuse words. We take a word and beat it to death by using it so relentlessly that the very meaning is diluted at the very least, or decimated completely at the very most. An example? Consider the word “amazing”. Some time ago, both my husband and I began to notice how frequently we saw, heard, or read that particular word. It was everywhere! People sprinkled it into their conversations, people of all ages and from all professions – television and radio commentators, sports reporters, reality stars, and celebrities. After a number of months, it appeared to be anything but a passing trend. Try to go through a week or better yet a single day, without hearing its use to describe the ordinary, the mundane, or even the trivial. Amazing! It’s a great word. It’s a word to denote the astonishing and the rare. Must we really accept that such a word describes a pair of shoes, a hair style, a football caught, and a meal just eaten? That his eyes, their dog, the last snowstorm, and a movie also qualify? Really? Can’t we do better in our communication and in our reverence for words? I think so. I know so. With a new year, we have a chance to try something new. I offer a suggestion. Let us try to become reacquainted with words, to heighten our skills in communication by searching for and finding the best words, the correct words to say what it is we hope to share. Let us help our children do the same. As I told my students each and every year and still believe myself today: You don’t know what you think, until you hear what you’ve said. I believe every one of us has important things to say. If we are to fashion a better planet and a life for all, we owe it to ourselves not to settle for anything less. Making a choice not to settle, now that indeed could be amazing! Sincerely, Mrs. Carolyn Witte, Principal |
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ATTEND AUCTION 2011 Hurry, hurry, hurry! Only two weeks left to get your "early bird" auction tickets for the low price of $100. On February 1st the price will go up to $125. Grab your friends or come and make new friends. This is also the time to turn in the white Tuition Raffle tickets. For every 5 tickets you sell, you will be entered into a drawing for 2 free Auction Tickets. Drawing will be held on February 4! Misplace your Auction invitation?? CLICK HERE for the full invitation and RSVP form. Auction Sneak Peek
This is just a sampling of the many incredible items available February 26th at this year’s 32nd Annual Mercy Auction. CLICK HERE for all things AUCTION. Don’t Forget those Gift Gathering Parties A special thank you to Nancy and Jack Auffenberg for hosting the first party of the season. Everyone who braved the snowy weather had a fabulous time. The party generated some wonderful gifts and lots of interest for the Auction. While the time is going, going, it isn’t gone yet. There are four more wonderful parties yet to attend this weekend! Thursday, January 20 is the Novi/Northville party. The Detroit U District and Friends Party will be on Friday, January 21 along with the Wild West Party on the same night. Friday, January 27 will mark the last evening party with the East Side Gathering. Click here for party details. Finally, for those who were not able to attend a gift gathering party but still want to donate to Mercy’s Auction, we will have an informal gift gathering party at Mercy the morning of January 27. Join Kari Weber and some of the Auction Co-chairs for bagels and juice in the Advancement Conference Room. |
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Mothers Club ALL MERCY MOMS are invited to join us for our nextmeeting Monday, February 7th starting at 6:30 p.m. In addition to our regular meeting, Mercy President Dr. Kreger has requested to speak with the Mothers Club. She has already had an informative and successful meeting with the Dads Club and looks forward to meeting with more Mercy Moms. Also, since we’ve added a raffle, our meetings have become even more fun! December’s raffle prizes were four small gift bags filled with goodies. Be sure to read the January Notes from the Mothers Club President Yasmin Syed and check out the new Mom to Mom web page. Plenty of moms are gearing up for the Open House and the AUCTION. Hope to see you there! |
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DadsClub Are you a winner? You could be! Just buy and turn in your Dads Club RAFFLE TICKETS to the Mercy reception area for a chance to win $10,000, $1,500, or $1,000!! Drawing will take place at the FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE Saturday, February 19. Whether it's a strike, spare, or gutter ball, it's sure to be a rolling good time with your Mercy girl on Sunday, March 27 for the annual Dads and Daughters Bowling afternoon. Please SAVE THE DATES for a Detroit Tigers baseball game on Saturday, May 14 and Dads and Daughters Golf Outing Wednesday, May 18th. More event details and registration info coming soon! Calling ALL MERCY DADS! We welcome and encourage you to come meet, greet, and eat at our nextmeetingFebruary 1 at7:00pm in the Cafeteria. |
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Refer a Student, Win a NOOK!
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Counseling Corner Michigan Merit Exam - All juniors will take the Michigan Merit Exam this March. The exam will be given at Mercy over the course of three days: March 1st, 2nd and 3rd. This three day exam begins with the ACT on Tuesday, March 1st. In order for the student’s ACT score to be college reportable, she must participate in all three days of testing. The Mercy Counseling Staff will register junior students for this exam on February 9th. The fee for the exam is paid by the state of Michigan. For further details, please visit www.michigan.gov/mme. PLAN Test – All sophomores will take the practice ACT on Tuesday, March 1st. Testing will take place during the school day and will end at approximately 11:45 AM. College Information Night - SAVE THE DATE for Wednesday, February 23rd at 7:00 PM in the Mercy Auditorium. More details will be sent via email to sophomore and junior families and posted on the current announcements web page next month. Freshwomen Parents - CLICKHEREto read January Ninth Grade Newsletter. Connect to the Counseling Office web pages at mhsmi.org/counseling. |
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Monthly Reflection
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Students may load $$$ on their Mercy student ID card January 18 - January 31, 2011 and get an extra 10% per $100 dollars! Bring a check or cash for $200 and get $220 loaded onto your card. Bring a check or cash for $300 and get $330 loaded onto your card. And so on . . . *The entire amount must be loaded in one transaction. Never worry about carrying cash for lunch! It’s Fast! Less time in line, more time for lunch. It’s Easy! Simply load money onto your current student ID card at any register. Checks and Cash are accepted. Balance carries over year to year. Balance can be transferred from one card to another (transferred to a younger student or transferred to a replacement ID card). It’s Convenient! No cash? No worries. You can still get lunch with your prepaid card. Questions? Contact Anne Hallberg at 248-893-3536 or AnneHallberg@IamMorrison.com. |
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Latest and Greatest from the Alumnae Office
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Scholarship and Tuition Assistance 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 Named Scholarship and Tuition Assistance application period for the 2011-2012 school year will begin on February 1, 2011. Please note that there have been some important changes to the program requirements. For complete descriptions, details and forms, please visit mhsmi.org/admissions/mercy_named_scholarship and mhsmi.org/admissions/tuition_assistance_fund. The Archdiocese of Detroit also offers a tuition assistance program. Visit www.aodonline.org for details. |
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NEWSPRINT NOW! Newsprint, Mercy's award-winning student newspaper, is proud to announce that it is launching an online website where you can stay up to date on Marlin news and read work by Mercy students 24/7. Check it out beginnning January 24th at newsprintnow.net. Want even more NEWSPRINT? CLICK HERE to read all of the issues printed this year! |
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PASSPORT to FRANCE for Prospective Students
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Let's Hear it for the STAFF Science Teacher Mr. Gerry Meloche is a new Grandpa! His daughter Amy '98 gave birth to a son Caleb on January 10. |
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MNotes . . . miscellaneous info you need to know!
Dance with DAD - The Junior Class invites you to attend the 2011 Father Daughter Dance Saturday, February 19, 2010 at 8pm in the Mercy Gymnasium. Tickets will be on sale in February. And don't miss the big money Dads Club Raffle Drawing! AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING - The National Honor Sociey will offer after school tutoring on Wednesdays from 2:45pm - 3:30pm throughout the school year. Tutoring sessions will have 4to 5 NHS members in the Media Center to tutor in all subject areas. Faith on Fridays - In honor of Catholic Schools Week there will be morning Massat 7:25amin the chapel before school on Friday, February 4th. Look who is a SWEEPSTAKES DRIVE WINNER!
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Snapshot of Mercy BONFIRE BLAST!  THANK YOU MERCY DADS CLUB for hosting the first annual Mercy Family Bonfire complete with treats, tunes, friends, family, and fun! If you have a snapshot of Mercy, please send to jhearle@mhsmi.org. |
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Mercy Month Ahead
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The FEBRUARY MEMO will be delivered to your inbox February 17. If you have any questions or want to submit any educational stories or share some good Mercy news, 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, view past issues of the MEMO newsletter, and browse the home page yellow box to link to what's happening today @ Mercy. |
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