Wit's End . . . Notes from the Principal

“You have to keep a perspective.”  “You’ve lost your perspective.” “Don’t you want another person’s perspective?”

How often have I heard one or more of the above? I certainly understand the word, perspective, and have used it myself many times, but there are singular moments when a common word such as this one suddenly takes on amazing significance. I had one such moment or series of moments earlier this month. As a parent of two children, both of whom are making their way in the world, I count myself blessed. The youngest of the two is completing her second year of college, and at least as of this day, is both thriving and enjoying the full experience. The older of my two children graduated in 2007 (Go Spartans!), had gainful employment before he even had sheepskin in hand, moved out of state one week after his commencement, and is now in year three of a developing career. May I repeat, I count myself blessed.

What brings me today to pen this column is the considerable reflection I have done in the past two weeks, reflection focused on a visit my husband and I made to see our son. The visit was quite purposeful. We went to see our son and his band. As I said earlier, he has gainful employment, every parent’s dream, and he very much enjoys what he does, where he works, and the people he has met. What ignites him, however, is his after hours passion…the guitar.

In our house, music reigns supreme. My husband and I love music…all kinds of music, and fortunately for our kids, they have grown up with it. Music crosses boundaries. It shrinks the globe. It reduces the differences between people.  It celebrates. It mourns. It defines relationships. It gives expression to every human emotion. And truly, there is good to be found in every type of music. So, it was a foregone conclusion that our children would share this love of music. It could not have gone any other way...the first live concert our son attended with us was Eric Clapton! The first instrument our son played was the saxophone and although we quickly came to recognize some innate talent, we knew we had some bartering to do since he had been seduced by the guitar and wanted desperately to play it. We cut the deal. Play the saxophone in the jazz band throughout high school and we'll pay the freight for weekly guitar lessons. He learned the intricacies of two musical instruments, and in 2003, he packed up the guitar and amplifier and headed to college.

Fast forward seven years. The guitar lessons have continued (now on his dime); countless concerts attended (again, on his dime); cds, dvds, downloads, and even now the purchasing of vinyl (aka albums) have increased his personal collection.  But a recent development gives us great joy - he joined a band. This group of seasoned players came together somewhat circuitously as none of them had met before, and they connected, both musically and personally. They represent many years of musical experience but more amazingly, their ages fall into four different decades.

So here I return to my opening premise – rumination on the word perspective. Simply defined, the word means an outlook, a choice of a single point of view from which one can measure an experience.  One’s perspective is always subjective and certainly one’s perspective determines the significance of the event.  Here’s the point and the question. How often do I observe my children, stand back at some distance and really allow myself to see a perspective that has escaped my observation? Our experiences with our children are too numerous to count, especially during all the years that we have them residing in our household and taking or ignoring our guidance. We see them. We watch them grow up and make friends, lose friends, compete with others. We experience their interactions with extended family, neighbors, relatives, teachers, classmates, teammates, and even early employers. We observe them. We think we really know them. We have a perspective that has been cemented over time. What I learned earlier this month was the value of taking another look.

We drove to see the band. We were accompanied by some siblings and spouses, aunts and uncles who wanted to take the road trip. We had no expectation of venue, size of the crowd or the response the band might garner. Each of you has probably had an experience of being at a club when the place was rockin’!  Well that is what occurred.

I sat in the audience and watched what could very well have been a stranger, my son, who played with three other musicians for four hours and delivered a performance that I could not have imagined.  I had a new perspective. Who was this young man? Who were these people in the room responding to each song with cheers and applause and their own vocal contributions? This experience transcended everything I knew about my son. Here he was, sharing the stage with his band mates, a group that is now part of his new life. What I witnessed was an authentic, rousing, joyous exchange on stage. This was seeing my son as his own complete entity, a person with capabilities that have nothing to do with parentage.

Here is my question to each of you, one I asked myself on my return trip home the next day. How many moments exist for any parent when a new perspective might be seen? How often do you or I observe our child in their moments of individual greatness? I don’t believe these moments only happen when the child reaches adulthood. Instead, I believe that there are many such moments of revelation, but I may be missing them because I’ve stood too close. Look for these moments with your children. Watch them more closely, when they don’t know you’re watching at all. See in them what others in their world, even strangers, not only notice but also praise and appreciate. We can gain new insight, a less subjective perspective of our children, if we consciously look for it.

I saw and heard a band play. I was entertained. I experienced great pleasure. It was at the hands of four guys who call themselves a band. They gave. I received. I couldn’t help but like them. How nice that our paths crossed. We raise our kids for the rest of the world. At moments, we get to count ourselves in that larger world. What a perspective!

Sincerely,

Carolyn Witte, Principal

Spring Musical ~ ANNIE

"The sun'll come out, tomorrow. Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be sun!" ANNIE is coming to the Mercy stage this weekend. What’s new and different about the show this year is that FDR will be played by Mercy’s own Ron Sill as he celebrates his 40th year at Mercy and his 80th Mercy production.

Joining him is a cast of 50 students and six fathers, of current seniors, who will portray FDR’s cabinet members. Mr. Joe Donovan, father of Maura ’10, Molly ’08, and Caitlin’05, will take the stage as Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks. He is so committed to the show that he actually shaved his head at Sunday’s rehearsal. Other dads include Dennis Malaney (Mary ’08, Patty ’09, and Maggie ’13), Mark Switala (Kaitlyn ’06 and Olivia ’10), Ed Battersby (Helen ’06, Patty ’10 and Veronica ’12), Ron Rapson (Katy ’10 and Shanyn ’12) and Marty Jacobs (Annie ’10).

This is a wonderful and rare opportunity for the fathers to make their Mercy debut as their senior daughters, who have been heavily involved in the Performing Arts Department, take their final curtain call. The show is set for Friday and Saturday, March 19 and 20 at 8pm and Sunday, March 21 at 2:00pm. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and children. Hope to see you there!

Mothers Club

ALL MERCY MOMS are invited to join us for our next meeting Monday, April 12 at 6:30pm in the Media Center.

Dads Club

Head to Comerica Park with your daughter on Friday, April 30 at 7:05pm to watch the Detroit Tigers take on the LA Angels. $12 per ticket. CLICK HERE for information and sign up sheet.

FORE! The Dads and Daughters Golf Outing will be held the afternoon of Wednesday, May 19 at Bay Pointe Country Club. More event details coming soon.

Congrats to the Dads Club raffle winners: Judi Griggs-Dennis; Roseanne Romero; and Stephen Abowd.

Calling ALL MERCY DADS! Join us at our next meeting Wednesday, April 14 at 7:00pm in the Cafeteria.

AUCTION SUCCESS!

The 31st Annual Mercy Auction held last month was a beautiful benefit evening raising over $100,000 for the young women of Mercy High School. Parents, alumnae, and supporters mingled and bid with heart on over 400 incredible items. Taylor Swift concert tickets went for a rockin' $1,200, Red Wings hockey stick bench skated in about $2,750, the tasty and much loved Administrative Team Dinner bid up to $1,100, and Principal Witte's Wish ushered in almost $10,000 for a wireless sound system.

The big winners in the Auction Tuition Raffle were Clarrisa & Richard Levandowski, Jane & Mark Gardner, and Pam & Nick Pudar.

Pray, Fast, Give . . . Lent is our time to get ready!

Pray

Your space - Turn off the computer, the iPod, the cell phone, the TV for 15 minutes. Sit in the silence and just be aware that God is with you.

Your temptations – Jesus was tempted in the desert. Write down a list of the things that tempt you to walk away from living your best Catholic life. Ask God for the strength to turn away from these distractions.

Just Peace - PAX CHRISTI MICHIGAN

Pax Christi is a non-profit, non-governmental Catholic peace movement. Its purpose is to contribute to building peace and justice by exploring and articulating the ideal of Christian non-violence and by striving to apply it to personal life and to the structures of society. The Just Peace Club at Mercy is a student affiliate of Pax Christi Michigan and members have been applying their dreams for peace by helping to organize the Pax Christi State Convention to be held at Mercy High School on Saturday, March 27th from 9am-5pm. Gabriela Santiago-Romero 10, Micki Sartori 10, Sydnee Rogers 10, Julie O'Hara-Fisher 10, and Erin Larson '10 are involved with everything from planning and publicity to hospitality and set up. Adviser Mrs. Lusch and Club Moderator Ms. Mika have also lent a hand and said, "Our student leaders have been impressive in their enthusiasm and dedication to club projects this year."

The 29th Annual Conference will center on "Active Nonviolence: Building a Peaceful World "and will feature a speaker, 12 workshops, and lunch. Registration is $40 through March 19 and $45 thereafter. Student rate is $25. For further information, please call 517.482.2558 or paxchristimi.org.

Join the Circle of Mercy

The Circle of Mercy is a group of people interested in helping make it possible for young women to attend Mercy High School by providing scholarships and tuition assistance. Their support may be structured as an endowed scholarship fully funded or funded over time. It can also take the form of a financial commitment over a specific period of time (usually 4 years or more), to be used for tuition assistance.

This special group of donors will be acknowledged in a special section of our Annual Report. Donors who establish endowed scholarships or make a long-term commitment to financial assistance may be able to meet the specific student that they are sponsoring. For more information, please contact Tom Sklut, Director of Advancement 248-893-3538, twsklut@mhsmi.org.

Science Olympiad

Mercy's Science Olympiad Team competed on March 13 at the regional tournament. The students did an extraordinary job, finishing in 10th place and captured medals in seven events: Forensics; Ecology; Disease Detectives; Ornithology; Mission Possible; and Mousetrap Vehicle. Competing members included Serena Sana 10, Katie Conely 10, Kelsey McGill '10, Michelle Ho 10, Jessica Das '10, Rachel Zalupski '10, Christina Lehman '10, Tatum Matlock '10, Laura Grabowski 10, Madeline Ross '11, Hannah Constantakis '11, Emily Walsh '11, Paige Taliaferro '11, Claire Soave '11, and Christina Hadley '13. Other support team members included Shannon Carpenter 11, Michaelene Sartori '10, and Alexis Pinson '13.

Let's Hear it For The STAFF

Women Mean Business Symposium

  Bring your daughters to Mercy High School for an intimate conversation with some of Michigan's most dynamic, brightest businesswomen, entrepreneurs, and leaders.

Mary Kramer, Crain’s Detroit Business

Florine Mark, Weight Watchers

Beth Chappell, Detroit Economic Club

Cindy Paskey, Strategic Staffing Solutions

Darlene Trudell, Engineering Society of Detroit

Debby Dingell, Community Leader

Listen as they share their personal stories, their vision for the work world of tomorrow, their hopes for our next generation of young women professionals. Don't just take your daughter to work - show her the future!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Mercy High School Gymnasium

7:00pm to 9:00pm

Hors d'oeuvres & Desserts

$20/person

REGISTER Online Now!

Sr. Regina Marie Doelker, RSM '56

Sr. Regina Marie Doelker, RSM '56 has been a pillar of Mercy High School for longer than many of us can remember. From Ruth Doelker at Our Lady of Mercy High School, to the Sisters of Mercy and the name Regina Marie, to the new Mercy building as teacher, principal, and president her Mercy journey has been extensive and her contributions endless. Come celebrate with Sr. Regina as she completes her time as President of Mercy High School. Please join us on Sunday, May 2 for a Mass at 2pm in Mercy's auditorium followed by a Reception. The Sr. Regina Marie Doelker, RSM Endowed Scholarship Fund is being established to honor her tradition at Mercy. Please consider taking this opportunity to contribute to this special fund and help carry on her ministries and mission. CLICK HERE now to donate and pay tribute to a true woman of Mercy. Donation envelopes are also available at the Mercy Reception Area and Advancement Office. There will also be a dinner at the Diamond Center in Novi on Monday, June 14th to celebrate the Sr. Regina Endowed Scholarship Fund. Contact the Advancement Office at 248-893-3538 or mercyadvancement@mhsmi.org to RSVP for  these events.

Latest and Greatest from the Alumnae Office

The 6th Annual Tea for Tuition will be held on Sunday, April 25 from 2-4pm in the Mercy High School Gym.  A TROPICAL TOUCH will be added to the tea, treats, and decor this year. Attention Legacy moms!  Sallie Hinz Atsalis '79, mother of Alexandra '13, is hosting a table for all alumnae moms who have a daughter currently attending Mercy. You are invited to sit with other Legacy moms at this fun women's event benefitting Mercy. Your daughter will be bringing home an invitation with details and how to RSVP soon. CLICK HERE for more information and contact Jennifer Stark in the Alumnae Office at 248.476.3270 for more details and to RSVP for this event hosted by the Alumnae Association.

Celebrate the 20 years of dedication by LPGA pro, and Mercy alumna, Meg Mallon '81 on Monday, June 28, 2010 at Fox Hills Golf and Country Club.  Join us for golf, dinner, and a party to celebrate with Meg Mallon and other Mercy friends. Plus . . .enjoy the tunes from the band 50 Amp Fuse! Sponsorship opportunities are available or check out the golf package; dinner package; and party package. CLICK HERE for all the event info. Contact the Mercy Alumnae Office at 248-476-3270 or email alumnaeoffice@mhsmi.org for more details or to RSVP today!

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

Congrats to Brittany Prior '10 who will play softball at Oakland University and good luck to the Mercy Figure Skating "C" Team who will be competing at States on March 28. Three skaters will also be skating in the State individual competition on March 27: Abby Benard 12, Krystal Davis '12 & Rose Walsh '13.

Way to go Marlins on all your wonderful winter sports finishes! Way to swish, Basketball! Catholic League Honors were: All-League Abbey Lovat '11; All-Academic Diana Jasser '11; Honorable Mention Janelle McQueen '11 and Elena Vlachos '11. Way to roll, Bowling! All-Conference Honorable Mention and All-Catholic Brittany Jones '11; All-Conference First Team, All-League,All-State Academic Tera Warn '10; All-Conference Second Team,All-Catholic Academic,All-State Academic, State Finals Qualifier, and All-State Nominee Erin Fitzpatrick 10. Way to shoot and score your way to Catholic League Finalists, Ice Hockey! Plus Pompon finished as STATE RUNNERS-UP!!

Check out studentandathlete.com for plenty of Marlin sports coverage and Mercy In The News web page for articles. Spring sports are in action. CLICK HERE to view the Athletics Calendar and even get driving directions.

Scholarships and Tuition Assistance - Mercy's Tuition Assistance Program is based on financial need and an application must be submitted to Private School Aid Service (PSAS). Application forms must be postmarked and mailed to PSAS by April 19. All applicants will be notified by letter at the end of the school year. Named scholarship essays are due in the Advancement Office by Tuesday, March 30 and all students receiving scholarships will be notified by mail at the end of June.

EVENINGS of PRAYER - The Mercy Mothers Prayer Group invites you to join them for the Evenings of Prayer on April 14 and May 12.  We will meet in the school chapel at 7:00pm to pray the Rosary and The Divine Mercy Chaplet which will be followed by a coffee social in the Advancement Office.

SWEEPSTAKES DRIVE - Get ready . . .the 2010 - 2011 Sweepstakes Drive kicks off March 24! CLICK HERE to see past winners.

Ninth Grade Newsletter - CLICK HERE to read the MARCH Ninth Grade Newsletter.

MOSAIC in your Mailbox - Keep your eyes out for the Spring/Summer 2010 issue of the Mercy MOSAIC Magazine featuring a spread about spirituality, alumnae class notes, and much more!

Snapshot of Mercy

Prayer. Fasting. Almsgiving.

Mary Kate Vincent 11, Teresa Rotondo 11, and Meghan Ronayne '11 created three themes and symbols to remind students of how we can serve God and one another this Lenten season. A crucifix for prayer, ashes for simplifying, and a bowl for giving. Their posters, prayers, and displays have touched everyone in the Mercy community. If you have a snapshot of Mercy, please send to jhearle@mhsmi.org.

Mercy Month Ahead

The APRIL MEMO will be delivered to your inbox April 22. If you have any questions or want to submit information 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.