Parents eNewsletter: September 2011

“Mommy, I like her dress.”

“Well, why don’t you go tell her.”

Thus began an encounter I observed in late August that just might set the stage for a wonderful year ahead. Better yet, such behavior, if mimicked, could have far reaching consequences. I will elaborate.

While awaiting our name to be called for a dinner reservation, my husband and I sat outside a local restaurant enjoying the summer weather and the inherent people watching it afforded. A small child came wandering up the street, accompanied by her mother. She was, at best, three years old. As she approached and caught sight of another little girl standing a few feet away, she proclaimed her compliment: “Mommy, I like her dress.” Her mom replied quite simply, “Well, why don’t you go tell her.” Here’s what followed.

The little girl rather timidly walked toward the girl wearing the pretty dress. The other little one, likely the same age, was standing with her back turned, alongside her mother and father, looking into the window of a bakery. They had neither seen the child nor heard the compliment. Undeterred by the lack of response, this little one still approached, but hesitated. We thought she would lose her nerve, so my husband looked to the girl and said “I think she wants to tell you something.” As she turned around and away from the window, connection was made. Once again, the little one announced “I like your dress,” and upon hearing those words, the other little one not only broke into a grin, but also excitedly shared “And look, it’s a spinning dress!” at which moment she began to twirl in circles. Things didn’t stop there. These two had bonded.

Now, they were both grinning. The one stopped spinning and exclaimed: “It’s my favorite dress and I have shoes that match!” She promptly took off running toward a stroller parked nearby.

Mom and daughter started to head down the street in the opposite direction, presuming the encounter had ended. Moments later, “spinning dress girl” reappeared, shoes in hand, now looking for her new friend who had seemingly disappeared. She started slowly down the street, straining to see ahead of her and now, another person entered the unfolding drama. An elderly couple, seated on a bench, had obviously been watchful of all this. The man stopped the mother and child from walking any farther saying, “There’s someone coming behind you who wants to show you something.” Once again, these two little ones met. Huddled together, face to face, one showed and the other admired the sparkly plastic shoes reverently held between them. The parents stood by and watched. The moment passed.

I have no idea how many others that night might have observed this little one act play, but that moment set the tone not only for our lovely dinner that followed, but also for countless moments since then when either my husband or I have recalled what we saw.

How often do we witness such tiny miracles or at least have blessed moments around us that we may or may not notice? We see something or hear something. We could interject ourselves and help the good to happen, but we retreat or stand mute. Not my business. No one I know. Wasn’t asked. And maybe equally telling, how often do we swallow a compliment rather than say it aloud? We rationalize. No one will care. Doesn’t make a difference. No big deal.

How about this for a resolution as a new school year begins? If you see something nice, tell someone. If you can make a moment better, do it. If you can prevent a missed opportunity, engage. Such fleeting minutes, strung together, make up what might very well be the significant times in our lives. Don’t miss out.

And if you’re lucky enough to have your own equivalent of a “spinning dress,” wear it proudly, shoes and all!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Carolyn Witte, Principal

Mothers Club

THANK YOU to all the moms who attended our first meeting and all are welcome at our next meeting Monday, October 3rd at 6:30 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 from the President Amy Petrucci.

NEW MOMS WELCOME DINNER -There is a special welcome dinner planned for Monday, September 26th here at Mercy to honor and celebrate all the new moms of our Mercy community. The evening begins at 6:30pm with Mass, followed by a reception and light dinner. A Welcome program will follow at 8:15 pm. New moms should have received an invitation and please remember to RSVP to newmomdinner@gmail.com with your name, your daughter's name, and a phone number. We hope to see all our newest Mercy Moms on September 26th!

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.

Dads Club

The annual Dads and Daughters Cedar Point trip will be held Saturday, October 15th. All rides are open and once darkness falls, Cedar Point becomes a giant haunted amusement park. Fun includes snacks, movies, and refreshments on the bus ride and an opportunity to spend a whole day of roller-coasting fun with your friends and DAD! Bus leaves Mercy at 9:00am. CLICK HERE for all the info and sign up online at http://bit.ly/Cedar2011.

There's plenty of fun in store with the Dads Club this school year: Barn Dance; Wreath Sale; Grand Raffle; Tigers Baseball Game; Golf Outing. ALL DADS are welcome at our next meeting October 5 at 7:00pm in the Cafeteria. Follow us on Twitter: MercyDads; Become a fan on Facebook: Mercy Dads Club; and join our google group: MercyDadsClub http://groups.google.com/group/mercydadsclub?hl=en.

WELCOME to MERCY!

Mercy students and staff proudly sang, "WE ARE MERCY HIGH" at the opening school assembly to give a heartfelt welcome to the 217 Freshwomen, 4 new Sophomores, and 3 new Juniors who joined our Mercy family. More warm welcomes to these 3 new staff members: Speech and Drama Teacher Mrs. Anne Sill Eddy '98; English and Social Studies Teacher Mr. Michael Barnes; and Latin Teacher Ms. Lauren Bennett '06. These 2 current staff members have new positions for this school year: Mr. Larry Baker, Associate Principal/Operations and Mrs. Colleen McMaster Rozman '81, Associate Principal/Academic Affairs.

Help us welcome even more Mercy girls to our spectacular school! Spread the word about our upcoming Mercy Open House, November 6 from 1pm - 4pm. Please encourage seventh and eighth grade girls to shadow a student and experience life at Mercy firsthand. Contact admissions@mhsmi.org for more admissions information.

Student Successes . . . APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE!

Colette Berg, Elizabeth Eagle, and Elaina Weber were named Semifinalists in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Competition. These academically talented seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition to earn a Merit Scholar title. About 1.5 million juniors in some 22,000 high schools entered the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, which represents less than one percent of US high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. To become a Finalist, a Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the high school principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student's earlier performance on the qualifying test. National Merit Scholarship winners of 2012 will be announced beginning in April. Good luck, girls!

129 students took 165 AP exams in May 2011. Highlights: English Lit & Comp: 88% scored 3 or better; U.S. Gov't & Politics: 91% scored 3 or better; U.S. History: 50% scored 4 or better; We salute these girls who have earned the honorary distinction of AP SCHOLAR in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the AP Exams.

Let's Hear It For The Staff!

Mr. Larry Baker attended the Apple Distinguished Educator Institute in July at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Mr. Baker worked on a team to create iTunes U Resources for teachers with a focus on developing assets for multimedia assessment.

FRESH FROSH

Welcome to the Mercy Family, Class of 2015! Link Crew Leaders, consisting of a select group of Mercy juniors and seniors, kicked off the new frosh year with a bang. Orientation Day for the new 217 freshwomen was an inspiring experience booming with music, fun, friends, games, and teamwork. Link Crew is a high school transition program that welcomes freshwomen and makes them feel comfortable throughout the first year of their high school experience and is built on the belief that students can help students succeed. As positive role models, Link Crew Leaders are mentors and student leaders who guide the girls with what it takes to be successful during the transition to high school and help facilitate freshwoman success.

Latest and Greatest from the Alumnae Office

Shop TONIGHT to Help Mercy Girls!

SCOUT Royal Oak

508 South Washington

Royal Oak, Michigan

TONIGHT! Thursday, September 22, 2011
6 to 9 pm - Open House

Join us for a fun shopping and social event! 20% of all sales will benefit the Alumnae Association Tuition Assistance Fund. It's your chance to help educate women who make a difference!

Located in downtown Royal Oak, Scout is a bright and beautiful place for hip home decor, fab jewelry, fine art books, candles, lotions, and potions. Buy for yourself, or make it a gift - and help a girl become a Mercy Girl!

Invite friends and family! Read this flier for more information. Check out the Facebook event page and Scout Royal Oak.

Legacy Dinner

More than 80 current Mercy students have alumna moms! If you are one of those alumna moms, you and your daughter are invited to the annual Legacy Dinner, hosted by the Alumnae Association.

Legacy Dinner
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
6:00 - 7:30 pm
Mercy Media Center

To RSVP or for more details, view the invitation or contact the Alumnae Office at 248.476.3270 or alumnaeoffice@mhsmi.org.

Golfers Make a Difference

On June 20, 2011, parents, alumnae, staff and friends gathered at Fox Hills for the Make a Difference for Mercy Golf Outing. The event raised more than $13,000 for tuition assistance at Mercy High School. We'd like to express our gratitude to the following event sponsors and donors:

Monthly Reflection

Mercy Day 2011 Prayer

Please join our Mercy School Community as we celebrate Mercy Day with Mass tomorrow, Friday, September 23 at 9:40am in the Auditorium.

Check It Out!

See our beautiful Mercy campus online via our new VIRTUAL TOUR. Share it with friends, family, and prospective Mercy families. We are Mercy High!

Do You Know?

Do you know the meaning of the school seal? The book symbolizes the school where moral courage (virtus) and knowledge (scientia) are fostered under the guidance and protection of Mary, Our Lady of Mercy. The lilies are Mary's coat-of-arms. The Maltese cross is the symbol of the Religious Sisters of Mercy.

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

Golf is in full swing. Swim and Dive are splashing to first place. Cross Country continues to set records. Equestrian is galloping to victory. Field Hockey is scoring a winning season. Volleyball is spiking their way to the top. Brush up on your Marlin cheers and chants and see our teams in action! Be sure to check out the new team blogs with scores, stats, and news! CLICK HERE to view the Athletics Calendar and even get driving directions.

MNotes . . . miscellaneous info you need to know!

AUCTION 2012 - Calling All Parents! Come and join the fun. Attend our Auction Kick-Off meeting and learn how you can use your talents to help with this all important Mercy Parent Event. The meeting is on Wednesday, October 12 at 6:30 pm in the Mercy Cafeteria. Find out about the changes for this year's auction, the committees that need extra help and why you should be a part of it all. For for more information contact the Auction Office at 248-893.3535 or klweber@mhsmi.org.

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 already at work 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 October 3 - 7 before and after school or online at www.yearbookforever.com. Cost is $60 but will increase to $65 in November. 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!

SNAPSHOT of Mercy

IT'S SPIRIT WEEK . . .enough said.

If you have a snapshot of Mercy to share, please send to jhearle@mhsmi.org.

Mercy Month Ahead

The OCTOBER MEMO will be delivered to your inbox October 20th. 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.