On behalf of the Faculty and Staff of Mercy, we wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you for being a part of the Mercy community!  Have a restful and bountiful Thanksgiving.

All school information

Today at Mercy

Don't miss...
Christmas at Kohl
Wednesday, Dec. 2nd
5:00-9:00 p.m.
Plan to bring your family and friends and visit our Holiday Boutique full of gifts and treasures.  Join us for live holiday music, food and drink. Enjoy a docent presentation of the beautifully decorated Kohl Mansion.  Donation: $10.00 - no charge to Mercy students and children under 12.
Volunteers Needed for Christmas at Kohl!!! Volunteers needed to help out for this fun event.  The event runs from 5:00 to 9:00 pm and we need help all day long.  We will need people to help set up the cafeteria and wine bar in the afternoon, sell tickets and wine that evening, offer general greeting and direction and help with parking, and clean up. Shifts are about 2-3 hours long.  Click here to sign up to volunteer for Christmas at Kohl We will always make sure that you will have time to shop the mansion either before or after your shift!  For more information please email Mary Lund at mlund@mercyhsb.com.

Willy Wonka's Candy Factory!
Christmas Dance Show
December 3, 2015
Matinee at 4pm 
and evening showcase at 7:30pm
Skyline College Theater
Please join us Thursday December 3rd at 4p and 7:30pm for the Dance Departments production of "Willy Wonka and the Candy Factory" featuring Cat Bigelow, Maggie Grogan, Mr. Watts and the MHS Drama department. Admission is free but we will be collecting donations at the end of the show.

Christmas Concert and Tri-M Recital!
Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015
Tri-M Recital 5:30 p.m. - Reception Room
Christmas Concert 7:30 p.m. - Great Hall 
December 8th is a big day for music here at Mercy celebrating the Christmas Season with our annual concert in the Great Hall and preceding the concert with a delightful recital by the Tri-M Music Honor Society musicians.  We hope you will be able to attend both events and bring some friends. If you do attend the recital there will be food served between the two events to make it easier to stay.  
Tri-M Recital 5:30 p.m. Reception Room, Christmas Concert 7:30 p.m. Great Hall. Click HERE for flyer.

Want a time to meet with your classmates to study and
get help from some of your teachers in preparation for finals?
Come to Cookies, Cocoa & Collaboration
Wednesday, Dec. 9
5:00-7:00 pm - The Great Hall
Dinner and Dessert will be provided.  Please contact Lauren Conklin, lconklin@mercyhsb.com if you have any questions!

Parent Advent Evening of Reflection
December 9, 2015
Please join us for our annual Advent Evening of Reflection.  Pope Francis has declared December the Opening of the  Year of Mercy and so our evening will focus on the theme of Mercy.  Our evening of reflection this year titled:  Pope Francis and the Year of Mercy will be presented by Sister Jean Evans, RSM.
Please join us in room 306. Everyone is welcome!  
Schedule:  6:30pm Hors Devours    
7:00pm Presentation by Sister Jean Evans, RSM 
8:15pm Conclusion Please RSVP to Sandy Flaherty @ sflaherty@mercyhsb.com by 12/7/15. Click HERE for flyer.
 

OPENING DOORS OF MERCY
Ritual and Celebration
Mercy Chapel
Saturday, Dec. 12 - 7:00pm
Reception Following
Click HERE to view invite.
To begin the Year of Mercy as designated by Pope Francis, the Sisters of Mercy will initiate Opening Doors of Mercy on Saturday, Dec. 12 at  7 p.m. The ritual will celebrate the Year of Mercy, Foundation Day and Our Lady of Guadalupe. Refreshments will follow. All are welcome.  Please RSVP for this free event, at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/opening-doors-of-mercy-tickets-19304053945.

Host an International Student
with gphomestay!
Looking to share an international experience with your family without leaving the comfort of your home? Open your home to an international student and receive a monthly stipend of $1500! We’ve partnered with gphomestay and together, we are looking for caring host families for the Spring 2016 semester. Visit www.gphomestay.com for more information on how you can benefit from this cross-cultural experience. Contact info@gphometsay.com or click here to fill out a Host Inquiry Form. Click here for flyer.

Educational Travel click here for all educational trips

Travel to Italy and Greece
(ONLY 3 spots left!)
Summer 2016
Click here for more information on the trip.  For more info contact Gary Ferguson at gferguson@mercyhsb.com. 

VPA Student Trip Open to ALL Students
Lights, Camera, Los Angeles  
Click HERE for Itinerary and cost  Some tour highlights are Disney Imagineering, Universal Studios/ Acting and Cinema Secrets Workshops. This is a great opportunity for your daughter to tie her classroom experience to the real world. The proposed dates are February 12- 15, 2016. For more information contact Nadine Baroudi at nbaroudi@mercyhsb.com. 

upcoming Activities

*The Counseling Department is excited to announce that Wellness Week is coming up November 30th- December 4th. Click HERE for a list of events planned for this week.

*Sock Drive for the homeless at 
St Anthony's Foundation!
Bin Location: Student entrance by Mr. Wootton's room. 
Type of Socks: Either men's or women's white crew socks. Hiking socks are also good.
Reason: Access to socks are often limited for the men and women living in homeless shelters. Interestingly enough, socks are the least donated clothing item. They are an important necessity, especially as the weather grows colder. Please bring in as many pairs of socks as you can. These socks will be donated on December 5th to St Anthony's for the holiday season. Thank you to student Rachel Lock for organizing this Sock Drive!

*Mercy Blood Drive on Tuesday, January 19th, 2016 
Interested donors needed! Adults & Youth 16+ (with parental consent) welcome! Our Red Cross Club is looking for blood donors for our first ever Mercy Blood Drive!  We need at least 50 people signed up by November 30th.  Please sign up today!  Did you know each donation can save 3 lives? Make a difference in the lives of others by donating blood at MHSB Red Cross's Blood Drive. Free refreshments and a complimentary gift will be provided. 
Click HERE (google sheet link) to sign up!

Click HERE for printable pdf of Kate Spade event

Junior & Senior parents

Kairos Retreat Infomation
Junior Parents, 
Kairos 12 is from Wednesday, January 13-Friday, January 15th.  Click HERE for a list of students who are signed up to attend that Kairos.  If you would like to add your daughter to the list, please email me at asimonetti@mercyhsb.com.  If your daughter is signed up, please send in your $200 check by Friday, November 20th.  Some of you have already paid $50 so only a check for $150.00 is needed.  Thank you!

Yearbook Dedication!
Senior parents, Take out a dedication ad in the 2016 yearbook showing your pride in her. You can upload pictures and write a dedication saying how proud you are in her completing this chapter of her life in an easy-to-use design program. The prices vary by size click HERE for information. The final deadline is December 17th but don't wait too long.
-Randall Watts, Yearbook Advisor  rwatts@mercyhsb.com

Early Dismissal for Seniors: Seniors will now have the early dismissal on January 27th since this is the new date for the curriculum presentation.  Career Day has been moved to February 23rd. Seniors are expected to be on campus until 2:30pm on the 23rd.

Athletics

*Winter Sport rosters have been set.  All athletes on a Winter team should be ordering the Sportpacks for their respective sport. Go to the Mercy website and go to Athletics and then CrusaderWear.

*All uniforms/gear from the Fall teams should be returned to the Athletic Director. Please have them laundered when returning. Any uniform/golf bags not returned by a player will result in the family being charged a replacement fee for the missing uniform/equipment.

Fall Sports Awards Night: Nov 30 at 6:30-8:00pm in the Great Hall at Mercy. All fall sport athletes and parents should attend.

*Any student interested in playing softball -- there will be an Interest Meeting on Wednesday 12/9 at 2:30pm in Grassili.  If you are unable to make this meeting, please reach out to Ms Longwich prior.

Very Important: Every student who plays on a Mercy athletic team must be fully registered with the Appryse system.  There will be no exceptions.  You can access thru the Mercy website under Athletics/Forms.

Any student athlete participating in a sport must turn in both the athlete and guardian contract found in the Athletic Handbook. If the signed forms by both student and guardian are not turned in, the student will not be allowed to tryout. Click on the handbook link and print a copy of the contract after you have read the handbook. The Athletic Handbook can be found on the website under Athletics/Forms & Athletic Qualifications. The contracts to be signed are at the end of the handbook. The completed contracts must be returned to the Athletic Director or to the main office. 

Any Parent who is available and/or willing to drive students to games must turn in all the paperwork to the main office in order to be cleared to drive. This would be for your own car or a school van. The forms can be downloaded from the Mercy website, Athletics/Forms or click HERE.  

College Counseling

CSU/UC Applications: The due date for the CSU/UC Applications is November 30th!  Make sure you have your daughter's test scores and applications in.  Your daughter can request her scores before she submits her applications. 

CSU GPA: The CSU application asks the students to calculate their CSU GPA.  Don't just take the GPA off the transcript.  Students need to actually calculate the GPA with their requirements.  The instructions help you calculate your daughter's GPA, but if you have any questions, please have your daughter come by and Mrs. O will calculate it with your daughter. 

Sending Test Scores: To send your scores to the various colleges you are applying to you must log on to www.collegeboard.org or www.actstudent.org.  You will need to know the school codes and you can look them up on those two sites. 

Keep Naviance Updated: I know it is a pain but please make sure your daughter keeps Naviance updated.  This is how the counseling team and your daughter's recommenders know when to send your letters of recommendation.  Check their statuses on Naviance by clicking on "Detailed view" under the "colleges I am applying to" tab.  You will see when we sent your transcripts.  If you need me to send a transcript, please let me know and I will send it right away.  

Acceptances: Some of you are getting acceptances already (Congratulations!).  Please put that into Naviance.  It is a fun way for you to track your decisions and it helps us know where you are in the process.  

Letters of Recommendation: Students should have already requested their letters of recommendation. If your student has a January 1st deadline, please have them contact their recommenders so they have plenty of time before Christmas break to complete them.  

Mercy parent club

*Thank you to all who supported A Toast to Mercy last weeks Wine Tasting Event!  
A special thank you to event chairs Laurie Gomes and Kim Nappi! And a special thank you to Mary Kaileh of Mary’s Kitchen and Catering (& Mercy’s Cafe) for her culinary expertise! Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped make this night a success! Mark Brennan, Peter Grace, Delea Magana, Laurie and Ben Parodi, Maja Nelson, Fuad abu-gharbieh, Andrew Mayne, Maggie and Chinto Velazque, Luis Colom, Bridig Murphy, Luani Jones, Karen and Dave Miller, Judy Ajam, Kelley Chawke, Colette Grady, Sheila Murphy, Theresa Cortez, Tara Milante, Cathy Siri, Jacqueline Bigelow, Larry Berkin, Angela Boland, Carolyn Dane, Susan Haskins, Jim Bracco, Robert Del Rossi, Mike Flieder, Victoria Baldocchi, Arleen and Rudy Jauregui, Carol Kolski and Charlie Dougherty. Also many thanks to our sponsors! Grayson Community Management, Alan & Monica Melkesian; Initial Offerings, Brian & Kimberly Nappi; Nicholas & Dawn Almonte; Karl and Vivian Clausing; John & Margare Finnegan; Kenny & Barbara; Patterson Kato; Fred & Lisa Kost; Michael & Beverly Lock; Ronald & Delea Mendes-Magana; Scott & Martha Ann Milliken; Michael & Sarah Murphy; James & Margaret O’Connell; Benjamin & Laurie Parodi; Michael & Nancy Popa; Rick & Katherine Ragusa; Patrick & Laura Reilly; Dean & Jamee Schorno; Bill & Kathleen Musgrave, McMillian Electric; Auto Exotics, Joe & Judy Ajam; Mary’s Kitchen, Hani & Mary Kaileh; Atlas Pellizzari Electric Inc, Steven & Tami Pellizzari.Our apologies if we missed any names…please let us know so we can thank you in our next E-News! 

*OPEN HOUSE - Thank you!!!
Thank you to our team of Open House volunteers under the leadership of Chairs Kelley Chawke and Bernadette Hurley! Cheryl Abugharbieh, Lupita Almonte, Karen Cagney, Janie Dawes, Judy Gee, Patricia Gimbal, Laurie Gomes, Maria Leaf, Dave Miller, Scott Milliken, Pam Morey, Carmen Siu, Noelia Vargas, Maggie Velazquez, Ann Young, Lucy Zamattia, Michael Zamattia. Also, thanks to all who donated food for this event, your contribution is greatly appreciated!  Our apologies if we missed any names…please let us know so we can thank you in our next E-News!

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

If you have any questions about the following service opportunities please contact Mr. Diaz at pdiaz@mercyhsb.com

Pacifica Beach Coalition MONTHLY beach cleanup 

Click HERE for Saturdays of Service 

cafeteria Specials

Lunch Order Form - to save time, students may fill out this form and drop off at the Cafeteria in the morning. Please Visit the cafeteria for our NEW and improved daily salad selections

Thursday: Greek Style Chicken with Vermicelli Rice and Vegetables
Friday: Grilled Cheese sandwich with Cliantro Tomato

*Lunch Specials the Week of Nov. 30
(click HERE for full description of the specials and vegitarian options.)

Monday:  Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
Tuesday: Talk about the Chicken Burrito....
Wednesday:  Minimum day, we will accept pre orders for Sandwiches and Salads to be picked up at passing time or after school. Please join us for Christmas at Kohl, we will be open for dinner with a very delicious  special menu.
Thursday:  Rosemary Garlic Roasted Chicken Casserole
Friday: Orange Glazed Chicken with Steamed Rice and Asian Veggie Blend

KohL MANSION

*Let us give Thanks to our wonderful Mercy High School Community for designing and executing the most stunning Christmas decor at Kohl Mansion!  Each one of these creative ladies played a major role in making the Mansion a holiday showcase: 
Current Mercy Moms - Patricia Gimbal, Kelly Lustenberger, Monica Melkesian, Libby Schaul, Jamee Schorno and Una Uniacke. Moms of Mercy Graduates - Lisa McCormick, Kelli Benz and Terry Dahlberg (alum too). Mercy Alum - Debbie Petrucci. Please come by to see the magic they created ...Two Upcoming Holiday Events at the Kohl Mansion Christmas at Kohl on Wednesday, December 2 details at www.mercyhighschoolburlingame.com and Cafe de Kohl on Monday, December 7, 2015 details at www.kohl-mansion.com.
Happy Thanksgiving to all - Terri and Dianne, Kohl Mansion

Limited Time Offer to our 
Mercy Community...
Cafe de Kohl!!!
Monday, December 7th
5:00 to 8:00 p.m. - Kohl Mansion
Exclusive Offer for Mercy Students,Families and Employees 

A festive fundraiser benefiting the restoration and enhancement of Kohl Mansion. There will be a Tea & Espresso Bar, Wine, Light Supper, Dessert Buffet, along with a specialty boutique, silent auction, music and more surpises! This holiday event is reserved for adults and young adults.
Before November 27th: Mercy Adults: $45 (offer limited to 2 (two) adult tickets per coupon); additional adult guests $55 each; 
Young adults (ages 11-17) $30   
Tickets after November 27th and at the door $65 for Adults and $35 for young adults.
To RSVP click here for the invitation/RSVP flyer, print it out and return to the Kohl Mansion Office. For more information contact Dianne Devin 650-762-1137 ddevin@mercyhsb.com. 

Music at Kohl

*Volunteer with Music at Kohl!
Our next concert is our Holiday Gala Concert on Sunday, December 20, featuring Geraldine Walther, violist and the Altius Quartet. The mansion will be fully decorated for the holidays and our reception will be extra special. If you would like to either attend the concert (see our website at: www.musicatkohl.org) or volunteer to help (and feel the holiday season all around you!), please contact Program Administrator, Yvonne Wun at admin@musicatkohl.org or 650.762.1130. We need volunteers to help at the front of house (taking tickets, distributing programs, helping to usher patrons) and with the reception (preparing food platters, serving beverages, set up and clean up). It's an enjoyable evening teaming up with your Mercy and Serra students and parents and community volunteers.