Wit's End . . . notes from the principal

November has always been a special month for me. I love the seasonal changes that autumn brings and the busyness that surrounds us here at Mercy. The celebration of Thanksgiving is well placed because each and every year, it gives me pause to assess all that isdeserving of gratitude.

Recent and/or current events surrounding the national election are central to my thoughts ofthanksgiving. Despite all the difficulties known about public office, individuals still make a choice to enter a race. For that I am grateful. Hundreds, if not thousands, of other individuals work tirelessly to assist the campaigns of a candidate they embrace. For that I am grateful. Ideas get shared in a myriad of ways. For that I am grateful. Earlier this month, thousands upon thousands returned to the voting booths after a long personal absence. For that I am grateful. Even larger numbers of people under the age of 30 enthusiastically particpated by casting a vote, some for the first time. Passionshowed itself in this process. Forthat I am grateful.

These personal sentiments are not partisan in nature. I am genuinely grateful that I haveseen the return of interest, of dialogue, of concern. People in attention - getting numbers care, collectively, about the future of this country. It is terribly tempting and even more terrifyingly easy at times to accept cyncism. In a country where we have so much - somany opportunities- so many freedoms - so many examples of goodness . . . it is surprising to me how easily some people can become negative, depressed, or even despondent.

I resist that thinking whenever I can. I need to resist it becausemy life's work has been dedicated to education and the belief that I continue to learn and be wowed by what others teach me. For that I am grateful.

At this time of Thanksgiving I am also keenly aware of those on the planet who have so little or at least so much less than I. Many lack food, shelter,and even minimal life comforts. Many in this country who do have a decent quality of life face a new fear, having just lost their jobs or their savings. Their future is now precarious and unknown. Each of us must look around and keepa focused vision on the plight of others. Despite the many differences in this country, each of us has avoice, a voice in the future. That is not a given in all places around the world. Many of us exercised thatvoice on November 4th. May I suggest that we always use our voice and use it well. Use your voice with your own children, and with all those who are younger than you. Use your voice with those who are your peers or older than you - siblings, parents, neighbors, co-workers, and friends. Others should be change d in some way by your voice. One can always hope that the change is a good one.

Beyond the use of the voice, I also hope to betterusemy ears. Listening, and listening with all of the senses, is as valuable as talking. Indeed, probably more valuable and significantly more insightful. I learned so much all through the election process by listening to others' points of view. Those points of view did not originate from any one age group, gender, or demographic. For that I am grateful.

So my wish for you is a blessed Thanksgiving. I hope you havemoments to gather with loved ones, and that those gatherings provide a cacophony ofvoices. How boring to hear only one's own.

And finally, I participate in acommunity called Mercy. For that, I am especially grateful.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Carolyn Witte, Principal

Mercy MOMENT of the Month

ELECTION 2008

Ballots cast, votes tallied, results are in! 626 students and staff voted in the school-wide mock presidential election last month. The senior class used a full ballot and actual voting equipment provided by the City of Farmington Hills, who sponsored a city contest for seniors in high school. The rest of the school community voted for president at polling stations run by approximately 70 students from Mr. Baker's and Ms. Robinet's classes. They also promoted the election and posted results. The process was a fun learning experience for all of Mercy.

Oh, and the results? Obama/Biden = 337; McCain/Palin = 265; Other = 24

The Freshwomen also voted for change. Congrats to these Class of 2012 elected officers: President Mikhaella Norwood; Vice President Olivia Stoick; Secretary Laura Williams; Treasurer Kelsey King and Christine LaRoure; Class Rep Meg Spenchian; Human Relations Council Kathleen Abenes, Lauren Hensick, Susan Panetta, Elaina Weber.

Mothers Club

Fabulous fashion, fabulous finds, fabulous fun! A fabulous time was had by all at the Mothers Club Annual Fashion Show and Boutique. Check out these Mercy moms and models strutting their stuff.

Take time to reflect. Spend time with your daughter. Join us at the Mother Daughter Evening of Spiritual Reflection Tuesday, December 9 at St. Fabian's in Farmington Hills. Mass begins at 6:30pm with dinner immediately following. Cost is $48. CLICK HERE for more info and registration form. Questions? Call Joan Bickes at 248.683.2879.

ALL MERCY MOMS are invited to join us for our nextgathering December 1 at 6:30pmin the Media Center.

DadsClub

Deck your holiday halls with Christmas Wreaths & Roping from the Dads Club. A variety of sizes are available as well as English Garden gift cards. Pick up and pay for items on November 28 - 29 from 10am - 2pm at the Mercy Pool Parking Lot. CLICK HERE for details and to reserve your items online.

Bronner's, Bavarian Inn, Riverside Village.Take in the food and festivities of Frankenmuthwith your family onSunday, December 7th. Snacks and movies on the bus ride which will leave from Mercy at 12:00pm. $80 per dad/daughter and $40 for each additional family member. CLICK HERE for more information and to download the sign up sheet. Questions? Contact Tom Fields at 248-865-9074 ortfields@comcast.net.

ALL MERCY DADS are invited to join us for our nextmeetingDecember 2nd at7:00pm in the Cafeteria.

Future Mercy Girls March Through Mercy

On Sunday, November 2, Mercy hosted 227 prospective families at our Fall Open House. Families enjoyed student led tours aroundthe building and families had the opportunity to speak to our teachers, administrators, coaches and current parents. The Tablet PC demo in the Media Center was a hot spot as well as the Mercyaire performance in the auditorium. Families enjoyed cider and donuts in the cafeteria while chatting with our Moms and Dads Clubs. Many thanks to everyone who contributed their time and talent to make this Open House a huge success! Mark your calendar and spread the word for our Winter Open House on Sunday, February 8, from 1:00 - 3:00!

Food For Thought

"HOPE - we hold onto it in order to believe that better days will come. These are tough times. But most of us know that our family will make it through. It seems we were born with a safety net and we still have it. Call that safety net money, friends, and family. Call that safety net hope. But there are people in Metro Detroit who don't have that safety net. Most of them are old. Most of them are poor. Most of them are alone. Most of them live with tough times year in and year out. And most of them are clinging to hope by their fingernails. It is time for us to give them a reason to hope."~ Mr.Tom Schusterbauer.

Mercy's Focus: HOPE Food Drive ends Monday. It asks all of us to fill a bag of food and donate $5 in this season of Thanksgiving. It asks us to give a little hope.

Cultural Sensitivity Workshop

52 studentsparticipated in Mercy’s 18^th Annual Cultural Sensitivity Workshop. The theory behind the workshop involves identifying a diverse group of student leaders, removing them from the school setting for at least an overnight time period, and immersing them in honest open discussion about very real issues in their lives.They are exposed to both large and small group exercises which stimulate serious thought and frank discussions about diversity, prejudice, stereotyping, racism, and affirmative action.

Students have an opportunity to learn about people who appear different from themselves, get to know them at a deeper level, build trust, understand how damaging stereotyping is to human dignity and to begin to really understand how closely connected and similar all humans are. New friendships develop, barriers between groups are broken down and generally, students return to school with a very different view about fellow students they may have never spoken to before the workshop. Our hope is always that these participants along with others from past years will serve a nucleus that supports a more caring, less judgmental school climate.

Counseling Corner

College Planning Interview- The Counseling Office is focusing on the college planning process with our junior students. To assist and support students and parents through this both complicated and challenging admissions process, we will provide individualized services to all juniors through implementation of a college planning interview and meeting. This is an opportunity for a student and her parents to meet one-on-one with her counselor to discuss her college interests and begin the selection process. The meetings have begun and will run through February and are during unscheduled school hour.

College Event for Parents - The Wealth & Wisdom Institue will be putting on an educational event on the insider secrets for reducing college costs. This workshop will be held Thursday, December 11 at 7pm in the Mercy Auditorium and will provide insight into the real facts and "need to know information" to receive maximum benefits possible to cover today's ever increasing college expenses.

Ninth Grade News - Mrs. Trish Brown will be running a Study Skills Group for Freshwomen every Day 2. Topics will include learning styles, organization, note taking, using time wisely, paper writing, etc. . . Also be sure to CLICK HERE to read the Ninth Grade November Newsletter.

CELEBREZ La Semaine Nationale Du Francais

Mercy French students enthusiasticallyembraced the French cultureduring National French Week sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French November 3-7. The week was filled with t-shirt making, scrumptious crepes, French cafe cuisine, fun French facts, and a field trip to the DIA.

The first and second year French students had a contest for the best t-shirt design and the winners were Diana Levandowski, Lilliana Haddad and Angie Haddad for first year designs and second year winners were Stephanie O’Neil and Marissa Allen. The French Honor Society sponsored National Crepe Dayand madeover 100 nutella and jam-filled crepes. C'est delicieux! 53 studentsdined atJosephine’s Creperie and Bistro in Ferndale for an authentic French dinner and 2nd year French students journeyed to the DIA. They visited the exhibit "Monet to Dali" and completed a study of late 19th century French art, complimenting their curriculum and course work. C'est magnifique!

As the Thanksgiving Holiday fast approaches, we want to express our appreciation and acknowledge the generosity of our donors who continue to assist in making Mercy ’s dream come true. This year we have combined our Annual Appeal with the Capital Campaign. Our goal for the Annual Appeal is $220,000. Thanks to our kind supporters, and families who have "zapped the gap," we currently have $37,684 in gifts to our Annual Appeal. We still need our Mercy family and friends to help us realize our goal. The annual appeal is a nece ssity which funds the operating needs of the school.

Our goal for Phase I of the Capital Campaign is $4 million in philanthropy and $2 million in bond financing. At this point in the campaign, we have over $2.85 million in gifts and pledges. We will begin renovating our science classrooms into state-of-the-art Science Labs in June 2009, and will complete this project in time for the new school year in the fall. All other Phase I projects including the new student commons and entrance, additional athletic field with parking, and air conditioning of the auditorium and media center will be completed when funds become available.

Won’t you please help us as we continue the tradition of "Educating Women Who Make a Difference" by Investing in Excellence…Building Mercy’s Future?For more Capital Campaign information and to donate, please visit buildingmercysfuture.org.

Student Successes . . . APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE!

Marissa Martz '09 was named Mercy High School's Volunteer of the Year in the 2009 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. Jennifer Long '09 and Elizabeth Krieg '10received Certificates of Merit for their community service.Sponsored by Prudential Financial and theNational Association of Secondary School Principals, the awards recognize outstanding community service by young Americans. Marissa has done well over 500 community service hours and is eligible for the Michigan Youth Volunteer of the Year Award and scholarship. You are an inspiration, ladies!

A U C T I O N 2009

Don't Throw That Away - Think before you throw away any items from holiday gifts such as packing peanuts, paper shredding, confetti paper, and of course baskets. They are critical materials in producing Auction gift baskets. Send them in with your daughter or drop by the Development Office.

'Tis The Season For Auction Gifts - With high expectations for this always exciting parent-driven fundraising event, the Auction Team is reaching out to each Mercy family with the hope that everyone will be able to contribute to the Auction in some way, big or small. Creativity and networking are key as you think of ways to support this year's Auction. Not sure what to donate? Concert, show, and sports tickets; electronics; gift certificates; jewlery; trips and weekend adventures. CLICK HERE to fulfill an Auction gift wish.Over the years, the Auction's most intriguing and successful items have been acquired by parents just like you!

Please contact Special Events Coordinator Linda Conradi at lcconradi@mhsmi.org or 248.893.3535 for anything AUCTION.

Mercy TECH TALK

The TABLET PC's come with a few very different warranties. Three types of warranties to be exact.

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

Volleyball served their way to another District Championship. Awesome!

Pom Pon took an impressive 5th place in the Mid American High Kick Championships on November 2 at Eastern Michigan University. Their routine earned the team a score of 342.5 out of a possible 400 points. Way to kick, Pom!

Golf received plenty of post season awards. All-Area Honorable Mention Maggie Lentz '11, All-Area Second Team Maura Malone '09, All-State Academic Allegra Wrocklage '09.

Swim and Dive Team swam away as Catholic League Champions last Saturday. Now it's time to fish for fast times at STATES this weekend. GOOD LUCK, MARLINS!

Mercyathletessure like to be in the paper! CLICK HERE to read about some of them in all their Marlin glory. Brush up on your Marlin cheers and chants and seeour teams in action!CLICK HERE to view the Athletics Calendar and even get driving directions.

Let's Hear It For the Staff

Mr. Larry Baker assisted in preparing the next AP Edition of The Challenge of Democracy. He reviewed text in the new college edition to identify content that needs to be changed to make it more AP appropriate. Some of his changes will be incorporated. And in case you didn't know . . . 17 out of 18 students scored a 5 on the AP American Government and Politics Exam last May.

Varsity Golf Coach Mrs. Vicky Kowalski has been chosen for induction into the Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Staff gave a warm Mercy welcome to renowned educator and visionary Will Richardson at the in-service day held November 3. Will Richardson is known internationally for his workto implement instructional technologiesandtools of the Read/Write Web into schools, classrooms, and communities. Will’s own Weblog Weblogg-ed.com is a leading resource and a leading voice for re-envisioning learning and teaching in the context of the fundamental changes these new technologies are bringing to all aspects of life. CLICK HERE toconnect to his presentation and plenty of other stories, snippets, and sites.

Look at the SPOOKTACULAR staff on Halloween.

Latest and Greatest from the Alumnae Office

Attention all former basketball Marlins! Join alumnae of all ages to shoot some hoops at the Alumnae Basketball Game on December 27, 2008 at 4:00pm in the Mercy GYM. CLICK HERE for registration formor e-mail Coach Gary Morris at gmo1@comcast.net for more details and to RSVP.

Have you read MOSAIC? The first edition of the MOSAIC Mercy High School Magazine debuted this month. CLICK HERE to view it online. If you have stories to share, please contact Jennifer Stark at jlstark@mhsmi.org in the Alumnae Office.

REMINDER - Spread the word! There will be NO Mercy Marketplace Arts & Crafts Show held this Thanksgiving weekend.

December marks the last time to place an order for the award-winning Mercy Yearbook The Lore. Yearbook orders will take place December 1 - 5 before and after school for $60.You may also purchase a personalizedengraved nameplate for $5.

Tri-M Music Club is selling poinsettias.Red, Pink or White plants in 8" pots may be ordered until December 1 for $18. The farm fresh plants will be delivered the day before the Music Department Christmas Concert on Dec 14 at 2pm.Poinsettias will be usedto adorn the auditorium stage and will be available following the concert. The Christmas concert Christmas Traditions features the Mercy choirs, orchestra and Mercyaires. This year we will bring back an old Mercy tradition of singing and playing "The Halleluia Chorus." All Mercy alumnae are invited to join us on stage for this grand finale! For information on ordering poinsettias or the concert, contact Mrs. Malaney at admalaney@mhsmi.org.

Mercy Ethnic Bazaar 2008: embRACE around the worldwill be held December 4, 2008 (2nd-6th hour) in the Drama Studio. Enjoydance, poetry, fashion, song, prayer, art, food, music, and more!

Shop. Give. Make a Difference. If you are ordering gifts online, go toONECAUSE FIRST. Hundreds of online merchants like Nordstrom, Circuit City, Lands End, Amazon, and morewill give MERCY a nice percentage from every item you purchase. Simply register your information and select Mercy High School (ID 130214).If you are out and about Christmas shopping at Target or picking up some tasty holiday fare atGordon Foods or Meijer, pleasebe sure to designate MERCY. Clickto register at target.com/tcoe, Meijer.com/MCRmember,gfsmarketplace.comor click here for more rewards program information.

Ornament Your Tree! For only $15 give someone a treasured Mercy memory that will add beauty to their Christmas for years to come. All proceeds from Mercy ornament sales benefit Mercy Tuition Assistance Program. Contact Special Events Coordinator LindaConradi at 248.893.3535 or lcconradi@mhsmi.org to make this special holiday purchase.

PLEASE NOTE for future planning purposes winter break vacation days are on the following Fridays and not over a week period: February 20 & 27, March 6 & 13.

Faith on Fridays - There will be five morning Masses at 7:25amin the chapel before school on Thursday, October 23, Friday, December 5th, Friday, January 30th, Friday, March 20, and Friday, May 1.

Look who is aSweepstakes Drive winner!

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.

Senior Parents - Please e-mail your daughter's baby picture for the Senior All Night Party to Sylvia Wasson at sylwasmom@aol.com. Include name, advisor, parent e-mail address, and phone number.

The Oakland County Health Division provides health services for the public, businesses and educational communities. It is a great health resource for parents. Access health information on line by visiting www.oakgov.com/health- click on School Health Services to find health information on topics such as safety, substance abuse, nutrition, and immunizations. They also have a hotline 1-800-848-5533 Ext. 85533 to provide answers to health issues and referrals to community agencies.

Snapshots of Mercy

SERVICE, SHARING, and CARING. Several Mercyaires decorated a Christmas tree that will be donated toThe Festival of Trees event to benefit Children's Hospital of Michigan. The Cross Country Team volunteered and partnered with U of D High School to work the 13.9 mile fluid station at the Detroit Marathon. What ateam of Mercy!

Mercy Month Ahead

THANK YOU for taking the time to read the MERCY MEMO. The purpose of this parent newsletter is to inform, enlighten, and entertain.TheDECEMBER MEMO will be delivered to your inbox by December 18.If you have any questions or want to submit information contactjhearle@mhsmi.org.

Want even more? Click the school year calendarand the Mercy web site. And don't miss all of the latest Mercy In The News articles.Check outthe current announcements, view past issues of the MEMO newsletter, andbrowse the home page yellow boxtolink towhat's happening today @ Mercy.