Parents eNewsletter: October 2011

Wit's End . . . notes from the principal

Sports in the “D. Ahhh, the excitement. Ughhhh, the sleep deprivation.

Unless you have positioned yourself under a very large rock, you are immersed to some degree in the mania of fall sports in our area. Our dear Tigers, the giants of October who have notched their importance well beyond the dog days of summer, won the ALDS and battled their Texan counterparts in the ALCS. At the end . . . disappointment, but nonetheless great emotional expressions of pride. Our dear Lions, “Who are those guys?” (a nod here to Butch and Sundance), probably have the die-hard fans near apoplexy and the newly earned devotees doing weekly picks. Yes, the recent loss has been duly noted, but they made it a 5 and 0 start for the season. The last time that occurred, I was in 2^nd grade! (Pause here for those doing the math.) Finally, the Red Wings have kicked off their season with four impressive wins to date, veterans joined by rookies hoping to impress.

Like I said, sports here in the “D”, pretty special. The excitement this time of year is so often about the players on a team, not just any team but one whose players find their images on trading cards and t-shirts, fashioned into bobble heads or printed on flags, towels, and the like. We feel like we know these people, like we are a part of their family. We speak of them fondly, voice our scolding when they don’t do as we’d like, and actually take their victories or defeats personally. Consider the perfect pitches, throws, and shots on goal you have launched from the couch in recent weeks, activities that usually precede the voiced frustration. Enough said.

In all that happens and in all the ways I continue to be impressed by athletic talents of professionals, I cannot stop myself from drawing a comparison between what’s happening in my city and what continues to happen in my school. Let me draw an analogy using sports as the focus. Our opening “season” here at Mercy includes the thrill of fall sports (cross country, equestrian, field hockey, golf, swimming & diving, and volleyball) and the competitions therein have been as exciting and as heart stopping as those in the pros. Here are some observations as to why that remains true.

This fall, here in the “D”, there have been many occasions of a “come from behind” achievement, a stunning turnaround as a result of grit and determination. I have seen calm and composure (on the diamond, the field, and the ice) in the face of pressure that could easily break the concentration if not destroy any opportunity for performance. Pros play on a big stage, get the big bucks, have the media coverage, and receive countless other celebrity perks. When their behavior is classy, it’s a bonus, if not at times, a nice surprise.

Consider now when classy behavior comes from our young people. Now that deserves kudos and recognition. Because I observe it consistently from our students, I take this moment to honor them. What I have seen this fall (and know I will continue to see in the months ahead) is composure and grace. I see high fives, playful nudges, smiles, circle hugs and shoulder pats. I hear the barely audible words of encouragement, and the somewhat louder noises made to signal a valiant attempt. All of this occurs and it occurs regularly regardless of the points noted on a scoreboard or a scorecard or a stopwatch. That is what makes this remarkable. Our girls, young teens, also play on a big stage, watched by family and friends but also by a larger society that looks to judge their every move. What they demonstrate, time and time again, is the magic of calm and teamwork and fun which equals success. They capture it, understand it, and display it to one another, and in so doing, they model a life lesson for all of the spectators. Success comes in the journey itself and never just in the final score.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Carolyn Witte, Principal

Mothers Club

New Mercy MOMS received a warm welcome at the 4th annual Welcome Mass and Dinner held last month. It was a delightful evening with Mass and a glowing reception filled with fine food and even better conversation. A special thank you to Karen Gordon, Debbie Epperson and all who organized and attended. Another thank you to Mrs. Maddox Cake Shop who generously donated two beautiful, delicious cakes for the event.

The Mother-Daughter Evening of Spiritual Reflection, Light My Path of Life and Fill Me with Joy, will be held Thursday December 1, 2011 at St. Aidan Catholic Church. Registration: 6:15pm and Mass: 6:30pm. Dinner immediately following Mass. Cost:$35.00 for. Motr and Daughter and $15.00 for each additional daughter or other important woman in your life. Completed Reservation form and payment due by Friday November 18, 2011. CLICK HERE for evening info and registration.

JOIN US IN PRAYER - The Mercy Moms Prayer Circle is in session every Monday afternoon from 1:30-2:30 in the chapel. Bonnie Reaume and Debbie Tisdel have graciously offered their time to host so please join them and pray for our daughters, as well as the faculty, and special intentions from the entire Mercy community.

ALL MERCY MOMS are invited to join us for our next meeting Monday, November 7th at 6:30pm in the Media Center. This month we celebrate and give thanks. Our raffle items for this meeting are especially designed for you as we enter the holiday season. Hope to see you there!

Dads Club

The Dads and Daughters Cedar Point trip on October 15th was a sold out success! Braving the high winds, the fun group of dads and daughters spent the day and evening enjoying the best Cedar Point could offer. A spook-tacular time was had by all. Thank you for your participation!

ANNUAL WREATH AND ROPING SALE - Wreaths are a base of Fraser fir with boxwood, juniper berry, conclour and decorated with pine cones and a red ribbon. 24", 28" or 42" Wreaths; 20' or 60' Cedar Roping; and Merry Mix Swag available. You can also support Mercy by purchasing English Gardens Gift Cards for all your other Christmas decoration needs. CLICK HERE for pricing and to pre-order online. Pay for and pick up your items Tuesday & Wednesday November 22 & 23, noon to 3:00pm.

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT AT MERCY - Mark your calendar for the 2nd Annual Dads Club Holiday Family BONFIRE Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 7pm.

Stop by and see us at the Mercy Open House on Sunday, November 6th and ALL MERCY DADS are encouraged to meet, greet, and eat at our next meeting Tuesday, November 8th at 7:00pm in the Cafeteria.

Fall Play - "Murdering the Mob"

Who done it? "Murdering the Mob," an audience-participatory murder mystery, will be presented in Mercy’s cafeteria the weekend of November 11, 12, and 13. "Murdering the Mob," is set in 1927 Chicago. Louie “The Squid” Calamari, Chicago’s Crime Czar, is opening a new speakeasy called Louie’s Place and has invited all of his best friends (the audience) to the Grand Opening. As the audience arrives, each family/couple/person is given an envelope with ten 100 dollar bills in it as “a gift from Louie”. During the first act, one of the eight characters is murdered and Lt. McCarty asks the audience to solve the mystery. During intermission, all characters are sequestered and must move about the tables to talk with the audience who may buy information (from their envelopes from Louie) from any of the characters. The show will also feature singers and a piano player as part of a pre-show. Tickets: $10 for students and $12.00 for adults. Space is limited and tickets should be purchased in advance to reserve a seat or table. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, October 26 and will be available at school from Mrs. Kathy Sill - 248-893-3533.

Student Successes . . . APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE!

Commended Students in the 2012 National Merit Program - Senior Ellen Lezotte was named a Commended Student in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program. Commended Students are recognized for the exceptional academic promise demonstrated by their outstanding performance on the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) and place among the top five percent.

Semifinalists in the 2012 National Achievement Scholarship Program - Seniors Kellie Brue and Imani Gunn were named Semifinalists in the 2012 National Achievement Scholarship program, an academic competition for Black American high school students. Some 160,000 high school juniors who took the PSAT/National Merit Test last year requested consideration in this achivement program and of that number only 10% were selected.They may continue to compete for Finalist status and the possibliity of earning an achievement scholarship.

Outstanding Participants in the 2012 National Achievement Scholarship Program - Cherima Chungag and Mimi Norwood were named Outstanding Participants in the 2012 National Achievement Scholarship Program, an academic competition for Black American high school students who took the PSAT/National Merit Test as juniors last year. These girls scored in the top 3% of more than 160,000 students. Their names are sent to 1,500 colleges and universities across the country in recognition of their academic success.

Be a Mercy Girl!

Prospective students can MEET MERCY at the Fall Open House Sunday, November 6 from 1pm - 4pm. Invite 7th and 8th graders to tour Mercy and discover what it means to be a part of the Mercy family! If someone you know can't make it to the Open House, have them check out our shadow a student program. Contact the Admissions Office at admissions@mhsmi.org or 248.476.2484.

Parent-Teacher Conferences October 27

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held Thursday, October 27th during the afternoon and evening (2:00 – 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.) You are asked to enter at the lobby entrance. Teachers will be located alphabetically either in the gym or the cafeteria; counselors and administrators will be in the lobby.

Please bring the names of your daughter’s teachers and review the current information available to you on PowerSchool regarding her work/grades in each of her classes. You determine the teachers you wish to see. These are parent conferences, and as such, students are not to attend.

Each conference is intended to be a brief touch point with your daughter’s teachers (approximately 3 ‚Äì 4 minutes). It is wonderful that this afternoon/ev ening draws a very large number of parents to school, as it should. Time, how ever, does not allow for any extended conversation or lengthy explanation regarding particular concerns. We ask that everyone respect this. If you need further discussion with any particular teacher, you may arrange for an individual meeting on a different day by phoning or emailing the teacher. If you are unable to see any particular teacher on the 27th due to your own time constraints or lengthy lines, please contact those teachers in the days following.

Your presence is important because it demonstrates your involvement in your daughter’s success. We look forward to seeing each of you.

Let's Hear it for the STAFF!

	This past summer Mrs. Schrimscher and Ms. Kitzmann attended ChemEd 2011 at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. This five-day conference is organized by and designed for high school chemistry teachers from all across the country. Ms. Kitzmann was on the committee that spent three years planning for the conference. She presented a session called "Using OWL (On-line Web-based Learning) in AP Chemistry." Ms. Kitzmann and Mrs. Schrimscher jointly presented a session called "Using Mini-Labs to Teach Solutions and Acids and Bases." While at "Chemistry Camp" they also had the opportunity to make tie-dyed lab coats!
	Last month Mrs. Lorrie Kusch rode 30 miles in the Tour DeTroit bike ride through the city of Detroit, Belle Isle, Indian Village, and surrounding areas. Over 4,000 people participated in the ride, and the proceeds contribute to creating more bike trails in the city.
	Mercy Varsity Field Hockey Coach Mr. Butch Babler is the new Regional Development Manager for USA Field Hockey Region 9. USA Field Hockey is the national governing body for sport of field hockey in the United States. Region 9, also called the Great Lakes region, includes Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. Mr. Babler is a Futures and scholastic coach and has attended and earned the status of a pending Level III USA Field Hockey Coaching certification. A pending Level III coach is one who has taken the rigorous Level III Accreditation course and requires additional practical hours within our High Performance programs before earning full USA Field Hockey Level III status. He will be in charge of 85 coaches, over 800 athletes, and all the referees for Region 9! WOW! Check out this Observer Field Hockey article featuring Coach Babler.

MONTHLY REFLECTION

On October 7th the Senior Class was blessed by Fr. Fox and Fr. Battersby at the Senior Blessing Mass: Lord God source of life and author of all that is good, we praise and thank you for brightening Mercy High School with Your gift of love. In Your wisdom and love You surround us with the mysteries of the universe. In the past You sent Your prophets to teach us and bear witness to Your unending love. You then sent us Your Son, Jesus to teach us by word and example of Your wisdom and love. Lord God, send down your Holy Spirit upon these seniors and fill them with Your wisdom and Your love so they can proclaim Your greatness to the world. Grant that their senior year of high school may be filled with many blessings and that they may be witnesses of Your love to one another and others in the world. They were called upon to follow Christ by following His footsteps. As leaders of the school, they were challenged to live out their Mercy Values of Human Dignity, Mercy, Service, Option for the Poor, and Justice at Mercy and in the community. In Mercy, we walk with Christ. *Mass Program Cover Photography By Sarah Stanners and Design Edited by the 2011 - 12 Portfolio Class.

FLU CLINIC for Mercy Families

Mercy High School will host an influenza clinic on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 in partnership with the Visiting Nurse Association of Southeast Michigan (VNA) and Alana’s Foundation. The clinic will be held from 12:30 pm ‚Äì 3:30 pm in Mercy’s lobby on November 2nd and is available to students, staff, and families of Mercy . It does require advance registration. If you are interested, complete and return the necessary materials to the Reception area no later than this Friday, October 21, 2011. Visit mhsmi.org/announcements/flu_clinic_11 for all the detailed information.

* Click here for Informational flyer for clinic ‚Äì Alana’s Foundation

* Click here for Consent form - Influenza Vaccination and What You Need to Know (Inactivated Vaccine- Flu shot)

* Click here for Consent form - Flu Mist and What You Need to Know (Live, Intranasal Vaccine-flu mist)

Retreat Recap

Frosh had a memorable morning retreat on October 12th. APeX Ministries (aka Gene and Brad) is an internationally known comedy duo based out of Baltimore, MD and Casper, WY. Since 1996, they have traveled North America using a style they define as "Christian Vaudeville." They are evangelists who perform death defying juggling, sketch comedy, and use the power of personal testimony.

They challanged the Freshman class to be “Superheroes” for Christ. 20 Seniors came in on their day off to be leaders on this retreat and 15 of our staff members were on hand to assist with the day. Thank you, APex Ministries, for making a difference!

Latest and Greatest from the Alumnae Office

Please join us for Mass to commemorate the lives of Mercy’s deceased alumnae, staff, family, friends, and benefactors on Sunday, November 13th at 12pm in the Mercy Chapel. If you are unable to attend, please contact the Alumnae Office with the names of those family and friends you would like included in our prayers and book of remembrance.

ALUMNAE BASKETBALL GAME - Calling all former Mercy Basketball athletes! Get ready to shoot and score at the Alumnae Basketball game Tuesday, December 27 at 6:30pm in the Mercy gym. Registration coming soon online at mhsmi.org/blogs/mercy_basketball or email Coach Gary Morris at gsmorris@mhsmi.org.

Give Me a M, Give Me an E, Give Me a R, Give Me a C, Give Me a Y!

Volleyball has been spikin it up and is ranked #1 in the state of Michigan! Swim and Dive Team captured the Oakland County Championship for the SEVENTH consecutive year. Golf played superb finishing as Division 2 Regional Champions and runner-up in the Catholic League Championship. Catholic League Awards: All-Academic: Francesca Sovis; All-League: Sarah Montone; All-Catholic: Brenna Hammond. Field Hockey continues to tear up the competition with one of their best seasons yet currently standing at 9-1. Cross Country is racing to 2nd place finishes most recently in the River Rat Invitational. Equestrian had the biggest team to date and finished a successful and fun season!

Mercy athletes are making headlines! CLICK HERE to read about some of them in all their Marlin glory. Brush up on your Marlin cheers and chants and see our teams in action! CLICK HERE to view the Athletics Calendar and even get driving directions.

DID YOU KNOW?

The meaning of the Suscipe, by Catherine McAuley, reflects her strong belief in a loving faithful God. We pray the Suscipe together as a school at the beginning of every week. The word Suscipe comes from the Latin word, (suscipio), which means to take up, support, raise, accept, receive, undertake. Catherine was rooted in faith and kept God center in all she did for the well-being of others.

LINK CREW FRESHWOMAN FRIDAY FUNFEST!

CLASS OF 2015 - You're invited to the Freshwoman Friday FUNFEST brought to you by LINK CREW this Friday, October 21st, 3-7PM at Mercy. We are having a school-side scavenger hunt and a matinee movie, with concessions. Head to your crew classrooms after school and prepare for Friday fun! Check out what's happening with Mercy LINK CREW at mhsmi.org/life_at_mercy/student_activities/link_crew.

A U C T I O N 2012

MNotes . . . miscellaneous info you need to know!

THE 2011-2012 MERCY STUDENT DIRECTORY IS ONLINE!!!! The student directory is accessible to all parents and students online through PowerSchool. Login to PowerSchool and click on the STUDENT DIRECTORY icon. You can look at individual listings or the whole school. Please note if your daughter's entry is not displayed, a request was completed for address or phone number information to NOT be included in the student directory. The program used to post the directory pulls directly from the database and does not allow for individual record modification.

AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING - National Honor Society offers after school tutoring every Wednesday from 2:45 until 3:30 in room N12 throughout the school year. The session is run by at least 6 NHS members with varied curricular backgrounds. All students in all subject areas are welcome and encouraged to attend for some one-on-one help. No appointments needed. On early dismissal Wednesdays (staff mtg. etc.) we run tutoring from 1:45 until 2:30.

YEARBOOK - The Lore staff is busy putting together the 2012 yearbook. It will be our largest book in recent years with more of the photographs, stories and captured memories you've come to expect from this award-winning staff. Pre-order your yearbook online at www.yearbookforever.com. Cost is $60 but will increase to $65 on November 7. The staff will also be selling before and after school November 8 - 11. View pictures, answer polls and stay informed about everything related to the yearbook by joining our Facebook group 2012 Lore (https://www.facebook.com/groups/150574648366272/). Your comments and answers may appear in the 2012 Lore.

Fan Mercy on Facebook!	Follow Mercy on Twitter!	Read Mercy on newsprintnow.net!	Watch Mercy on YouTube!

Snapshots of Mercy

Run, Mercy Girls, Run!

These Mercy girls ran and ran in the Detroit Free Press Marathon relay division on Sunday, October 17. Meredith Clark started the team off with her route taking her over the bridge into Canada. She handed off to Lily Haddad who returned to Detroit through the tunnel. She passed off to Elaina Weber who ran through the historic communities of Downtown Detroit. Haleigh Guerin then made the tour around Belle Isle and Katie Koehler finished the race with the run down Riverwalk. If you have a snapshot of Mercy to share, please send to jhearle@mhsmi.org.

Mercy Month Ahead

The NOVEMBER MEMO will be delivered to your inbox November 17. If you have any questions or want to submit any educational stories or share some good Mercy news, 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, view past issues of the MEMO newsletter, and browse the home page links to see what's happening today @ Mercy.