Wit's End . . . notes from the principal

As families gather in the coming weeks, in this blessed time of year, I reflect upon a time more than 200 years ago when George Washington, as President of the United States of America, issued his Thanksgiving Proclamation. I share a portion of that speech made in 1789. 

Sincerely,
Mrs. Carolyn Witte, Principal

Future Marlins March Through Mercy

On Sunday, November 4, Mercy hosted 244 prospective students and their families at our annual fall open house. 

Mercy students provided tours and individual sport teams showcased their trophies at display tables in the gym.  Each academic department provided a handout on course offerings and staff members answered countless questions from future parents. The Tablet PC demonstration in the media center was a hot spot of activity and then cider and donuts in the cafeteria completed the experience.

Many THANKS to the student, parent, staff, and alumnae volunteers who made the day a success! Our next open house is Sunday, February 10 from 1:00 – 3:00. In the meantime, if parents know of a prospective student in your parish or neighborhood, please invite them to call Maureen Stirling '96 in the Admissions Office and arrange a day to shadow a student.

Mothers Club

The Mercyaires will usher in the Christmas season at the Mercy Moms December 3rd meeting.  A brief business meeting is scheduled for 7pm after which the magical Mercyaires will sing and dance.  Please come share the holidays with us by attending this very special performance. 

Take time out to spend an evening with your daughter.  Join us at the Mother-Daughter Evening of Spiritual Reflection Tuesday, December 11 at 6pm at St. Edith Catholic Church in Livonia.  CLICK HERE for invitation and registration information or call Nancy Maxwell at 248.476.7341.

Note the JANUARY meeting has been cancelled.  Click here to check out all the ways you can get involved with Mercy Moms and to download the volunteer form.  

Dads Club

Dads and Daughters had a rockin' good time at the Barn Dance held November 2nd.  One dancin' Dad said, "We had a great time, and it was easy for those of us who are non-dancers. Sure would like to see this happen again next year. This is a unique event, and a great time for all!"

Decorate and celebrate with the Dads Club!   Be sure to pick up some festive WREATHS and ROPING available for purchase at the Mercy Marketplace held Thanksgiving weekend.  Click here to pre-order online.  

Gather your loved ones for the Dads Club Family Christmas Dinner Party on Saturday, December 8 at Mercy.  CLICK HERE for reservation information. 

We welcome ALL DADS to our next meeting December 4 at 7:00pm in the Cafeteria. 

Mercy MOMENT of the Month 

OOOHHHH, THAT'S SCARY!

Staff had a harrowing good time dressing up in their favorite halloween garb. 

Can you guess who's who?

CELEBREZ La Semaine Nationale Du Francais

Mercy French students embraced the French language and culture last week during National French Week sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French.   The week was filled with prayers in French, savory crepes and French cuisine at Josephine's in Ferndale, pétanque ball game, and cool contests. 

Kimberly Kim won the t-shirt contest, Delia Uke won the top seller award for selling the most Parisian fundraiser coupons, Stephanie O'Neil and Elizabeth Allen won the French trivia contest.  In addition, guest speaker and Alumna Emily Bitzarakis '01 gave the students a beautiful introduction of interpreting French music complete with lyrics and music videos.  Très Bien!

Guess What?

Extra, extra, read all about it!  You can now view a sampling of some of the recent feature newspaper articles about Mercy on our web site. 

CLICK HERE to check out Mercy in the News.  And if you come across an article in your area mentioning Mercy or a Mercy student, please clip it and send to Julie Earle jhearle@mhsmi.org in the Development Office. 

Mercy MARKETPLACE

Looking for that unique gift this holiday season?  Stop in from the crowded malls and visit the Mercy Marketplace for a wide variety of vendors from artisans and crafters to our Women in Business specialty section to satisfy your holiday shopping bug! 

Do you have a sweet tooth that just won't be satisfied?  Be sure to visit the Mercy Moms Bake Sale located in the cafeteria.  Stock up on holiday treats for the family or stash them away for that unexpected holiday party.  We promise they'll look as good as they taste! 

As always, proceeds from the Mercy Marketplace help fund our Tuition Assistance Program, so plan to save some Thanksgiving weekend shopping time for Mercy Marketplace. 

Latest and Greatest from the ALUMNAE OFFICE

All Mercy parents are invited to celebrate the Christmas season with tasty treats and holiday tunes.  Warm up with hot cocoa and Christmas cookies at a holiday reception at Mercy on Friday, December 21st from 6:00 - 7:15pm.  Jump on the Mercy bus to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to enjoy A Charlie Brown Christmas jazz performance by Cyrus Chestnut.  Hurry!  Only a limited number of seats are reserved!  Ticket price is $30 per person and includes mid-balcony seating at the DSO and transportation via Mercy bus.  To purchase tickets contact the Alumnae Office at 248.476.3270 or jlstark@mhsmi.org.  All tickets must be purchased by December 4, 2007. 

A Day in the Life of a Senate Page

Helen-Marie Berg, a senior in Mr. Larry Baker's AP American Government and Politics class, spent 30 days this summer as a page in the U.S. Senate.  Helen-Marie applied for this position online and was sponsored by Michigan junior Senator, Debbie Stabenow.  Helen-Marie had a very positive experience in the nation's capitol, and after listening to her excitedly recount many adventures, Mr. Baker invited her to share her knowledge with his students. 

Recently, Helen-Marie donned her page uniform and visited two of his sophomore American Government classes.  She described her duties in the Senate and shared several anecdotes about Senate life.  Her enthusiasm was infectious.  After her visit, several of the younger students declared their determination to follow in her footsteps and apply for a page position.

Cultural Sensitivity Workshop

Partying for S o i r é e

The excitement surrounding this year’s Auction Soirée is already evident thanks to the hosting of two lovely gift gathering parties! 

A sincere THANK YOU to Theresa and Allan Saroki who hosted a lavish evening of cocktails and delicacies on November 3^rd at their Farmington Hills home.  Thirty-five excited guests gathered to make new acquaintances, reconnect with some familiar faces, and donate lovely gifts to this year’s Auction.  The event was truly stylish with valet parking courtesy of Mercy girl volunteers. Thank you, again, to the Saroki Family for your generosity and leadership! 

THANK YOU also to Jeni (daughter of Mrs. Judy Ewald) and Paul Wenson who opened their historic Philbrick Tavern home to the staff and administration of Mercy on November 9^th for a very special gift gathering event.  The evening was complete with unique house tours provided by daughter Samantha Wenson '11 and members of Mercy Pompon, as well as a visit to Mercy’s Fall Play, Anne of Green Gables.  Thank you to all who attended, and of course to the Wenson family for their warmth and kindness. 

Click here for more AUCTION information including more gift party photos. Contact Linda Karbo in the Special Events office at lckarbo@mhsmi.org or 248.893.3535 to get involved in Soirée.

Way to Go Marlin Champions!

Look at all these awesome Athletic achievements from this Fall sports season.  Good luck swimmers and divers at States this weekend! 

Field Hockey Leann Arcori and Caitlin Shrader, All-State Team Egan Franks, Honorable Mention	Swimming & Diving  Catholic League Champions 25 Swimmers and 4 Divers have qualified to compete at States!!!
Golf  Catholic League Champions Maggie Lentz and Megan Novak, All-Catholic Team Megan Novak, All-Area Team, All-State Academic Team Diana Karavelis and Lindsay Mack, All-Area Honorable Mention, All-State Academic Team Miranda Eliason and Maura Malone, All-State Academic Team	Volleyball District Champions  Ed Moeller, Coach of the Year Colleen Loftus, All-Catholic Kelsey Doyle, All-League Bridget Hickey, All-League Stephanie Bodien, All-Academic

What a MeSS! 

The Mercy Shakespeare Society began its second year of existence with forty members.  The group is busy planning a trip to the University of Michigan to see a production of As You Like It. They are also hoping to host a spring event that could feature an evening of Shakespeare and/or celebrate Shakespeare's birthday. 

Long range plans include a Fall trip to Stratford. Members' parents will be invited to join.  MeSS (as the group calls itself) is open to all Mercy students and staff. No dues or mandatory obligations come with membership.  As its moderator, Mr. Larry Baker, likes to say, "Basic membership is a state of mind." Return attendees to meetings can quickly move up to "shareholder" status.  CLICK HERE for much more information about this eccentric group.  To Mercy's cultural credit, the site had one hundred hits the first week it went up!

Let's Hear it for the STAFF!

Mercy Media Specialist Mrs. Katy Koskela and English Dept Chairperson Ms. Fran Mika presented at the Michigan Association for Media in Education (MAME) Conference last month.  The conference focused on the importance collaboration between library professionals and classroom teachers assumes in a school community.  Mrs. Koskela and Ms. Mika profiled an expansive British literature research project Sophomore Mercy students do their 2nd semester.  The experiences from several years of increasing cooperation between the library and the Sophomore English teachers detailed how problems have been solved and information literacy skills added to the list of writing skills learned and practiced by students. The two presenters along with Mrs. Cheryl Corte, Mercy library's Media Technician, who joined them at the informative conference, look forward to putting into practice the tips they learned.

MNotes . . . miscellaneous info you need to know!  

Senior Meghan Porter will be Dorothy on the "Wizard of Oz" float in the Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Look for her on the 1st float in the 2nd hour of the telecast.   

Trim your tree with a LIMITED EDITION Mercy Christmas ornament.  Makes a perfect gift for a future Mercy girl, graduating senior, staff, or alumna.  Available  for $15 and all proceeds benefit the Tuition Assistance Program.  CLICK HERE to purchase. 

Save gas!  Save time!  Give more!  If you have a car to donate, call Charity Motors to pick it up and benefit Mercy.  Mercy just received a check for $1,000!  Think of all the gas money you'll save by staying home on black Friday and shopping online @ schoolpop.com and Mercy will receive a percentage of all sales.   There are hundreds of stores like Target, Barnes & Noble, LL Bean, Discovery Store, Circuit City, Toys R Us, and more!  Simply register your information, select Mercy High School (ID 130214). 

Subscribe to NEWSPRINT, the student voice of Mercy High School, for only $17.50 per year.  Contact lmwaldsmith@mhsmi.org for more information. 

Food, food, and more food.  Bring in your food donations for the Focus: HOPE Food Drive by November 19.

Look who is a Sweepstakes Drive winner!

Senior All-Night Party

Every Mercy parent from freshman to senior, is invited to participate in the production of the 2008 Senior All Night Party (SANP).  Parents of freshmen through junior students can get a sneak preview of what the party looks like and begin to formulate ideas for their own daughter’s senior parties. Many of our families may have connections through which we may acquire some of the items needed to fulfill our goals.  Junior parents are asked to provide the food for the buffet.  Each junior household will be contacted individually. Your help is needed and welcomed.  A brief description of the committees may help you decide where you might fit into the SANP picture. Working on the SANP is a great way to make friends and have fun making a special memory for the girls. The party is held the night of graduation, Thursday June 5, 2008 from 10:00 pm until 5:00 am at Mercy High School. There are 177 graduating seniors this year.  CLICK HERE for a brief description of each committee.

Reminder for Senior parents ~ Please make an effort to turn in your daughter’s baby (any size) and senior (wallet size preferred) pictures to Mrs. Kusch  ASAP!!!  Remember to put your daughter’s last name on the back of both pictures. The more things you get crossed off your to do list now, the more you can enjoy the beauty of your daughter’s graduation events.  Less than half of the senior class has already registered for the party.  If you have already paid, thank you!  Register your senior by sending a check for $80.00 to Mercy High School Attention: Mr. Gernacy.  Contact SANP Chairperson Kathleen Brazzle kcbrazzle@aol.com if you have any questions.

Mercy Month Ahead

Oh My, Deer!

When our Development Director Nadine Maynard isn't raising money for Mercy, she likes to take pictures. 

Look what she spotted outside her office window the morning of the opening of deer season!  We think they are taking refuge.

Want even more?  Click the school year calendar and the Mercy web site. 

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. 

Have comments to make or news to share about the Mercy MEMO?

Submit information for the December issue to jhearle@mhsmi.org by December 12 to be delivered to your inbox December 18.