August 14, 2019  |  PARENT ENEWS 

Dear Mercy Families,

 

Welcome back to the 2019-2020 school year! We are so excited to welcome our freshmen this Friday at their Freshmen Welcome Day and our entire student body on Monday for Orientation Day.

 

The next two weeks are busy ones as we start the school year. I hope that you will join us next week at our Head of School Welcome BBQ on Wednesday, August 21. Please be sure to mark your calendars for Back to School Night on Tuesday, August 27th. There are so many amazing events for you and your daughters throughout the year- please sync your devices with the school calendar that is available on our website.

 

We look forward to a successful and happy school year!

 

Thanks,

Natalie Cirigliano Brosnan
Head of School

Mercy Student and Parent Handbook

All Mercy Students and Parents are responsible for reading and following all policies in the Mercy Student and Parent Handbook. The Handbook can be found HERE. After reading, both parents and students must click and fill out the digital Acknowledge Form by Sept. 1st. If you have any questions please email Claire Rietmann-Grout the Assistant Head of School for Student Life.

Parking Lot Etiquette 
Pick up and drop off at Mercy is often a busy time. Student safety is our biggest priority. The following suggestions will help keep traffic flowing both on and off campus. 

 

• Enter the campus through the Main Entrance on Adeline and Alvarado. This is the only high school entrance. 
• Students must enter or exit vehicles on the passenger side only.
• For safety purposes, students may not be dropped off or picked up off campus or on side streets. 
• Carpool whenever possible.
•  Drive slowly (10mph maximum) while on campus, and drive with care while entering and exiting the property. Keep in mind our school is in a neighborhood and we want to be respectful of our neighbors.
• Consider dropping your daughter off between 7:20 a.m. and 7:40 a.m. when the traffic is lighter.  After school, we recommend that you wait and pickup 15 minutes after the school day has ended. With the juniors and seniors leaving campus, it is very congested immediately after school.

Calendar & Important Dates

Important dates for the beginning of the school year can be found on the Calendar Page of the Mercy website. You will find the full Mercy Calendar as well as instructions on how to add it to your own personal calendar. 

2019-2020 Book List

The Mercy Book List is posted online, and you will notice Mercy has a new procedure for apps, books, and supplies provided through the school. Families with students enrolled in the classes highlighted in yellow will be billed for the book through the FACTS system on Aug. 30. Mercy will no longer collect checks for these items. You can email your teacher or the department chairs with any questions. 

 

Use our Amazon Associates link on the SHOP FOR MERCY page to earn money for Mercy as you do your back-to-school shopping! 

Reminder: Students are expected to dress professionally in uniform and in free dress, with proper appearance at all times. Dyeing the entire head of hair an unnatural color is not allowed, but one, one-inch colored streak is permitted. Students should have their hair within dress code before picture day on Aug. 19th. Please see the Student and Parent Handbook on our website. Email Coach RG  with questions.

Click HERE for Mercy's Uniform information.

Last Chance to RSVP!
Head of School Parent Welcome BBQ

Parents are invited to the Welcome Barbecue on Wednesday, August 21st, 2019 from 6:30-8:30pm at Kohl Mansion. Come enjoy delicious barbecue from Emergency BBQ (Mercy family owned), beer and wine*, and a chance to meet and connect with our new Head of School, Mrs. Brosnan! 

Please RSVP by August 14th. 

*Guests must be 21+

All of our events are generously run by our fellow parents and Mercy Parent Club. Click HERE to volunteer for a portion of this event. 

 

Dad's Project - We need your help!

The Mercy Dad's group is asking dads and guardians to assist with a hands-on project for our Mercy campus on Sunday, August 25th 8:30am-2pm! We are in need of some helpers to assemble flexible classroom seating for our girls! This project will facilitate a collaborative learning environment through movable classroom furniture. Come connect with fellow dads/guardians! CLICK HERE if you can attend a shift. Lunch will be provided. If you have any questions please contact asilva@mercyhsb.com. 

 

Parent Opportunities Survey 

The Mercy Parent Club is looking forward to this year's events and opportunities! MPC hosts many beloved Mercy traditions and supports various branches of the Mercy community throughout the year. Please take a moment to share with us your interests, and provide feedback on what you'd like to see at Mercy next year by filling out the 2019-2020 Parent Volunteer Opportunities form.

It's back-to-school time and we know that means shopping lists for the family! Mercy earns a percentage when you shop on Amazon, shop for groceries, eat out, travel, etc. at no cost to you! Visit our SHOP FOR MERCY page to learn more. 

Freshmen Welcome Day

Friday, Aug. 16 - 8:00am - Noon (free dress)

 

Transfer Student Orientation

Friday, August 16 - 9:00am - Noon (free dress)

 

All School Orientation and School Photos

Monday, August 19

All students should be in formal dress uniform

• Freshman Orientation, Pictures & Activities:
  8:00am - 2:30pm
• Sophomore Orientation & Pictures:
  8:00am -11:00am 
• Junior & Senior Orientation & Pictures:
  9:45am - 1:00pm
  
  

 10:00am - Mass (All Students)

Order School Photos:
To order your daughter's school photos from Lifetouch click HERE and enter the picture day ID BY019549Q0 and your students name. Click HERE for flyer.

New Students & Parents 
Welcome Mass and Reception
Thursday, August 15th - 6:00PM
All incoming freshmen, transfer students and their parents are invited to join us for the Welcome Mass to be held in the Chapel at 6:00 p.m., with a reception to follow at the Kohl Mansion. We ask that the students wear nice free dress. Please park in front of the mansion and you will be directed to the Chapel. Handicapped parking is available in front of the Mercy Retreat Center (near chapel). You can also drop off at the Retreat Center and then park. For more information please contact Christina McMorrow, Director of Admission, at 650.762.1114 or cmcmorrow@mercyhsb.com

Parking Permit Requests for the Class of 2020

and Class of 2021* (*if available)

Both Classes may submit paperwork at this time

The requirements are as follows:
1. Parking Permit Application Form must be completed and signed by student AND parent. 
2. Copy of Current Drivers License must be attached.
3. Fee of $100 (please make checks payable to Mercy High School)
Please bring all required paperwork and fee to Mrs. Folan in the Main Office. 

*SENIORS: You will have until Monday, 08/19/19 at 12:00 Noon for priority consideration  

*JUNIORS. After the Senior priority period has ended, we will open parking to Juniors (if available)

Questions? Please Email Mrs. Folan.

Please feel free to contact me anytime with concerns or comments at 650-762-1107. I am looking forward to a great 2019-20 with Mercy Athletics!

Charlie Dougherty, Athletic Director

 

Follow Mercy Athletics on Twitter for game updates and scores!

All results of each team can be found in the Mercy scoreboard-place HERE

 

Fall Sport Tryouts

• Volleyball Rosters have been finalized
• Cross Country, Water Polo, Golf and Tennis start today August 14 
  

View the full schedule HERE 

Games & Practice Schedule

August 15 - 21

Is your daughter fully registered
with Magnus?

Final Reminder For Fall Sport Athletes 
Students trying out for or participating in Fall Sports must have an updated physical valid within the last year uploaded and all forms completed in the Magnus Health Portal PRIOR to the first day of tryouts (this Friday August 9th for Volleyball, August 14th for all other Fall sports). You will not be permitted to participate in Fall sports without the above requirements. There will be no exceptions. Please check the Magnus Health Portal (accessed through Parent PowerSchool) to make sure all requirements have been met. If you have any questions, please contact me Keri Sotak, Athletic Trainer.

Transportation

To explore transportation options, visit our Transportation Details and Registration webpage HERE!

Mercy Library Research web page updates
This summer the research page has undergone some major changes.  We now have a single search box which allows all the databases and the catalog to be searched with one click of a button, as well as new databases and a new look for the page.  All students should have a close look at this page in preparation for their first research papers.

Summer reading book clubs - We are excited to host our Summer Reading Book Clubs on Aug. 30 during Collaboration. All students chose their books in May, and should have just about finished reading. Please ask your girls about the book they chose! They will be expected to discuss the book as though they were at a book club - relating it to their own lives, considering which character they liked best and why etc. 
 

Reading for pleasure - This year the library has even more e-books available and the hard copy books are being updated frequently.  Please drop by the library to find the perfect book to read for that occasional bit of down time.