All school information

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 FALL 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

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. 

Powerschool

PowerSchool will be unavailable 12/14 through 1/8/16 as teachers complete the S1 final grading process. It will be back online when Semester 1 grades are published. If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Montoya at 650 762 1111 or smontoya@mercyhsb.com

financial assistance  

Financial Assistance Program for 2016-2017
Mercy High School recognizes that families have varying financial needs and make financial sacrifices which include adjusting spending priorities and maximizing both parents’ earnings to provide their daughters with a strong academic education. The Financial Assistance Program at Mercy strives to help those families who, even with personal sacrifices, have a difficult time meeting the full tuition obligation. Awards are made for a one-year period, families must re-apply each year.

The application process is fair and confidential. Assessments are done by an outside firm (TADS) that specializes in school financial assistance programs. Financial aid awards are made based on a family’s demonstrated need and the availability of school funds.

All families who would like to be considered for financial assistance for the 2016-2017 school year must complete an online financial aid application. Applications must be submitted by February 12, 2016* with all necessary documentation.  This link https://www.mercyhsb.com/admissions/financial-aid-clone will direct you to our website for further information and the online TADS application.  Please contact Lynn Beal at 650-762-1101 or lbeal@mercyhsb.com if you have any questions.

*Please note returning 10th, 11th and 12th grade families must apply by February 12, 2016. Families that have both an applying 8th grader and returning student must meet the December 14, 2015 deadline. Late applications will be processed and reviewed, but meeting the appropriate deadline is strongly recommended.

upcoming Activities

*The Formal By The Bay!

Place:  AT&T Park
Date:  January 22
Time: 7:00-10:30

As you’ve probably heard by now, the formal will be held at AT&T Park!! Yes, you read that correctly. As you can imagine, the Mercy girls cheered louder than ever before when they heard.  Tickets are $95. No tickets will be sold after January 8.  Please remind your daughter to read the permission form and dress requirements carefully.  If she is bringing a guest, remind her that the guest forms must be completed by the guest’s parent and his/her Dean of School at the time of purchase. If you are interested in chaperoning, please email Summer Dittmer at sdittmer@mercyhsb.com.

______________________________________________________________________________

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!  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!

Senior parents

Yearbook Dedication!
Senior parents, It's not too late!  Don't forget to purchase a dedication for your daughters achievement in the yearbook by January 7th. We've extended the deadline so parents would have time over Christmas break to scan and upload pictures. Click HERE for instructions. Please email rwatts@mercyhsb.com with questions. The number for tech support is in the instructions. -Mr. Watts, Yearbook Advisor
______________________________________________________________________________ 

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

I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday season. Our basketball and soccer programs were very active during the Holidays with practice and playing in games.

*Over the holidays, we bought a rowing machine and a couple of exercise bikes for the Grassilli Center weight room. All girls are encouraged to utilize the facility. All girls need to check with the AD to coordinate times for use. Adult supervision is required for any use of the weight room by our students.

*Spring sport teams starting date is February 1. Make sure your daughter starts to prepare now for their respective sport. There will be conditioning classes on Monday and Wednesdays from 4-5pm for any girl who would like to be supervised by our trainer. A program can be designed to whatever sport your daughter plans to play. Please have your daughter contact the AD if interested.Sports offered in the spring at Mercy are softball, track and field, lacrosse, swimming and gymnastics.

*If your daughter plans on playing Lacrosse this spring, make sure she attends an informational meeting this Friday Jan 8 during collaboration in the cafeteria. The meeting will start promptly at 1:15pm. If a player has an interest but can’t attend the meeting, please make sure your daughter contacts the AD to find out what was covered in the session.
_____________________________________________________________________________ 

*Softball players: If you are not on a winter team, Mandatory conditioning started today. Conditioning will take place each Monday and Wednesday during January from 3-4pm.This conditioning session will take place rain or shine as we will utilize the Grassilli weight room if needed.
______________________________________________________________________________ 

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

*Tri-School College Financial Aid Night
Thursday, January 7, 2016 
6:30pm Kohl Mansion

A reminder to all Senior parents that Mercy will be hosting the Tri-School Financial Aid Night on Thursday, January 7, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. in the Great Hall. Ken Souza of the financial aid department at Dominican University, will speak about filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and will answer questions about financial aid for college.
______________________________________________________________________________ 

*Applying for Financial Aid - The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is now available online.  Please complete this form if you are planning to apply for financial aid. https://fafsa.ed.gov/  Some colleges require this by February 1st.  If you do not have your taxes done by February 1st, estimate or use last year's tax paperwork.  You can go in and change it once your taxes are completed.  Some schools require the CSS Profile.  Please click on this link to find the profile. https://student.collegeboard.org/css-financial-aid-profile  If you have any questions about the FAFSA or the Profile, please email Mrs. Ohanessian.
______________________________________________________________________________ 

*Mid Year Reports - Some schools may be requesting Mid Year reports.  Those will be sent in the upcoming weeks.  Please notify Mrs.Ohanessian if you need any additional transcripts sent to schools.
______________________________________________________________________________ 

*Update your Naviance - As you hear back from schools, please update your naviance so we can track what schools need the appropriate paperwork.
______________________________________________________________________________ 

*Scholarships - Did you receive a scholarship from a school?  Email Mrs. Ohanessian the name of the school, the scholarship, and the amount.  We like to commend our students on all of their accomplishments.
______________________________________________________________________________ 

*Senior Parents - If you have questions about the FAFSA or the forms for financial aid? or you need help navigating all the upcoming requirements, schedule a meeting with Mrs. Ohanessian by sending her an email at fohanessian@mercyhsb.com
______________________________________________________________________________ 

*Junior Parents - Schedule your college meeting with Mrs. Ohanessian today!  Email Mrs. Ohanessian (fohanessian@mercyhsb.com) to schedule your daughter's preliminary college meeting today!

Mercy parent club

Father Daughter Dance- Save the Date! Friday January 29, 2016 will be this year's Father Daughter Dance.  Make sure to mark your calender for this special evening for Dads and Daughters.  If you are interested in helping with this event, please contact Event Coordinator Jennifer Munsey at 650-762-1199 orjmunsey@mercyhsb.com
______________________________________________________________________________

Save the Date for Mai Tai's at the Mansion! Saturday March 5, 2016 at the Historic Kohl Mansion, transformed for a night you wont forget!!!  To get involved with the planning of this event, contact Event Coordinator Jennifer Munsey at 650-762-1199 or jmunsey@mercyhsb.com

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: Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches - Thinly sliced Beef grilled with Caramelized onions and Bell Peppers, topped with Provolone Cheese over a soft French Roll

Friday: Greek Style Meat Pasticio - Short Tube Pasta layered with Greek Spiced Ground Beef, Baked in a White Bashamelle Sauce

*Lunch Specials the Week of January 11th
(click HERE for full description of the specials and vegitarian options.)

Monday:  Chicken or Cheese Enchiladas
Tuesday:  Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Wednesday:  Scalloped Potato and Chicken Casserole
Thursday:  Spaghetti and Meat sauce
Friday:  Grilled Cheese sandwich with Cilantro Tomato soup

Please check out our daily changing gourmet salad selection!!!
Don't forget to preorder 

Musc at Kohl

*MUSIC AT KOHL THANKS VOLUNTEERS

Music at Kohl Mansion belatedly thanks the following volunteers for helping at our December 20th Gala Holiday Concert: Sandra Corzantes, Natalie Griffin, Stathis Kavantzas, Susan Melanson, Erin Murphy, Sarah Murphy, Mike Popa, Megan Samn, Esteban Thumas, Tatyana Thumas, Abby Vargas and Paula Wong. We had a beautiful reception, festive with champagne and many special delicacies to celebrate the holidays, thanks to the many efforts of a great volunteer group!

Our next concert is on Valentine's Day, February 4, featuring the Boreal Trio. Please let me know if you would like to volunteer. Yvonne Wun, Program Administrator
at admin@musicatkohl.org or 650.762.1130.

Also, our Free Family Concert will be on Saturday, January 23 at the San Mateo Public Library at 3pm. Enjoy a performance by a MAKM favorite and Grammy nominee, Quartet San Francisco.