January 15, 2020  |  PARENT ENEWS 

Dear Mercy Families,

 

Catherine McAuley's words that "our charity must be in our hearts and from our hearts" truly came alive last night as we welcomed over 120 families from Mercy San Francisco and prospective families who had applied there. The Great Hall was filled with the spirit of mercy as our community came together to welcome our sisters with grace and humility in such a difficult situation. To say that we are proud of our MercyB students for the warmth and empathy they showed would be a tremendous understatement- what beautiful souls your daughters have.

 

As we pray for all the Mercy San Francisco families beginning their search for a new school to call home, we also pray that some of the young women may wish to continue to experience the gift of an all-girls Mercy education at Mercy Burlingame. Our doors are open to our Mercy SF sisters, and I know that this might raise questions from you on how it could affect our community.

 

First, I'd like to assure you that we will never make any decisions that would negatively affect our school community. While we will do all we can for Mercy SF families, know that we will pay special care to not make any decisions that could negatively affect our school's financial state, the financial aid packages of our current families, the class sizes your daughters are accustomed to, the integrity of our academic program, or our treasured school culture.

 

Rest assured that Mercy is more than capable of growing in numbers as it has multiple times in its 89 year history. Should our school grow significantly, we will make all necessary changes to meet the needs of the school's new size. We will hire new teachers to ensure that class sizes remain small as your daughters are used to. Please know that should our school grow significantly due to a large number of Mercy San Francisco transfer students, we will place great care in how we blend our parent and student communities so that we are simply one in Mercy. Know that in all the decisions that we will face in the coming weeks, we will never lose sight of the community we value and the experience your daughters have come to love.

 

Though it is sad to know that there will no longer be the treasured sisterhood of Mercy San Francisco and Mercy Burlingame, we find peace knowing that we will forever be one in Mercy, and this is a beautiful thing. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding Mercy San Francisco's closure, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly. Thank you for your continued trust in us as we look towards not only Mercy's future but also that of each of your daughters.

 

Sincerely,
Natalie

2020-2021 Mercy Course Catalog

The Mercy Course Catalog for 2020-2021 is available now. Students will meet one-on-one with counselors in the coming weeks to make their course requests in PowerSchool. This year families will not be responsible for making those requests at home, which is a change! We hope this is more convenient for you. Parents will still have access to the recommendations and course requests, and we encourage you to talk with your daughter about them. Email or call your daughter's counselor with questions or concerns. Thank you for careful consideration of a balanced and rigorous course load!

Parent Survey

 

As part of an ongoing effort to best serve our students and address their social-emotional needs, we invite our parent community to complete a Parent Survey on Student Social-Emotional Needs. Your answers to this survey will provide us with your unique perspective on student needs and the resources you find useful on these topics. Thank you very much for your time and participation.

 

Click HERE to complete the survey. 

Parents, if your daughter is absent or late for school, it is imperative that you call the Main Office at 650 343 3631 to let the school know. You are welcome to call 24 hours a day and leave a voicemail if someone does not answer. Thank you for helping us make sure all of your daughters are accounted for during the day! Student safety is our number one priority.

 

Please be sure your back up emergency listings are up to date. If your daughter becomes ill at school and she will need to be picked up, it is important for us to have the correct phone numbers to call. Thank you!

 

We have had a reported case of Mononucleosis at Mercy. Students with mono are required to stay home from school until they are cleared by their doctor and are not contagious. Click HERE for more information from the CDC. 

Parent Education Workshop on Social Media 

Tuesday, January 28 • 6:30pm

Mercy's Counseling Department invites parents and guardians to join us for a special educational workshop that will include a screening of the new documentary LIKE, and a discussion facilitated by licensed clinical counselor, Laura McGrouty. We will discuss how social media affects the way young people perceive themselves and others, and how parents can promote awareness of and facilitate positive online behavior. Register HERE to attend!

 

LIKE is an IndieFlix Original documentary that explores the impact of social media on our lives and the effects of technology on the brain. 

Grandparents/Special Elders Day

Friday, January 31 • 12:45 - 2:30pm

At Mercy we recognize that many special people participate in the growth and development of our students. Often grandparents and significant elders have a profound impact on our students lives. As a way to honor those special relationships, Mercy will hold a Grandparents/Special Elders Day on January 31, 2020 from 12:45pm-2:30pm. Our special guests will have the opportunity to tour the school and meet your daughter's teachers and friends. Ms. Simonetti sent out a Google Form through Schoology for students to sign up to bring a guest. Please encourage your daughter to invite a special guest and sign up on the Grandparents/Special Elders Day form. Please keep in mind our campus has special challenges, so if a guest has special needs please let us know by contacting Angie Simonetti at 650 762-1149 or asimonetti@mercyhsb.com.

Dad and Daughter Dance RSVP 

Join us for the Dad and Daughter Dance on Friday February 7th, 8-10pm at Kohl Mansion. Students are welcome to bring their dad, guardian, or special adult in their life! Prizes awarded for best-dressed duos so come in your 50s dancing shoes for a date at the diner! RSVP HERE

 

Moms, we need your help to make this a special night! Sign up to help (and sneak some photos that night) HERE. 

Close-Up 2021

January 16-23, 2021

This trip is open to all students Freshmen to Seniors of 2020-2021. Click HERE to watch a video with more information. Please contact Tom Wootten at Twootten@mercyhsb.com if interested.

 

Volunteer with Music at Kohl Mansion
Our special Violins of Hope concert is January 19th and we need some volunteer help!  Mercy students receive service credit hours; adult volunteers receive our utmost gratitude – and a fun evening! Jan 19th, 6-10pm.  Please contact Katie Riggs at admin@musicatkohl.org or (650)762-1130.  For more information on Music at Kohl Mansion's 37th season, please visit www.musicatkohl.org

Join us on Friday, January 17th at 8:00 a.m. for the Coffee with Counselors. This event is open to all seniors parents who are interested in looking at financial aid award letters and packages.  We will do a quick overview of the financial aid awards and discuss the many options students have for scholarships. This event is mostly geared towards senior parents. Please click here to RSVP! We will be meeting in the reception room of the mansion.  We hope to see you there! 

 Yearbook Recognition Ad

Join us in celebrating your senior by placing a Yearbook Recognition Ad for your student. The final deadline is January 31st. 

To purchase, click HERE to begin. Ad space is limited so purchase yours today!

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

Spring Sport Tryouts/Practices start on Feb 3. All athletes must be cleared thru the Magnus system prior to starting a sport.

 

• Swimming will meet at Mercy pool
• Track and Field will meet at Mercy
• Lacrosse will be at Murray Field in Burlingame on Anza Blvd
• Softball will be at Cuernavaca Park in Burlingame
• Gymnastics will be at Gymtowne Gymnastics in South San Francisco

Spring Sports Conditioning  

• 3:15-4pm-Softball and Swimming
• 4:00-4:45pm-Lacrosse, Gymnastics and Track and Field

We currently have coach openings in the following sports. If you are aware of a potential candidate, please tell them that we are accepting resumes. All interested coaches should contact Athletic Director Charlie Dougherty.

• Varsity Head Coach Volleyball-Fall of 2020

• Assistant Varsity Coach in Swimming-Spring of 2020

 Athlete of the Week 
Soccer player Haylee Klingler

Haylee, a senior and 4 year member of the soccer program, is a solid contributing player on the Varsity team. Her versatility enables the team to either play more of an attacking or defensive style. Her high intensity style of play has produced several preseason goals and assists, while her earnest desire also supports the team in its ability to defend higher up the field or to cover and support our line against a strong opponent's attack. Her play has resulted in well-rounded performances and a major reason for the team's early season success. The team currently holds a 8-2-1 overall record.On the season thus far, Haylee has 6 goals scored and 3 assists. Great job Haylee, keep it going!!!!

Games & Practice Schedule

January 16-22

Purchase FALL and WINTER Team Photos

If you would like to purchase photos taken by Lifetouchplease use this link to access pictures. events.lifetouch.com/mercyburlingamehighschool

Donate to the Dad & Daughter Dance Raffle! 

Mercy Parent Club raffles make it possible for us to host our traditional events free of cost for our families. For the upcoming Dad Daughter Dance raffle we are looking to fill the following baskets: Sports (Giants/Warriors/49ers etc. related items), Things Dads Love (tech, activities, experiences!), Formal/Prom (hair/nail services, gift cards to stores for formal wear), Lululemon and Yoga (yoga related items, hydroflask, gift card to Lululemon), Friday Night (movie tickets, snacks, food gift cards), Burlingame Ave (coffee, boba, shops on the Ave). Please include your name and the estimated amount to thank you!

 

If you have any related items you would like to donate or questions please email asilva@mercyhsb.com. 

Winter Formal - SF Galleria Design Center

Tickets are $110 Click HERE for Permission slip for Mercy Students and HERE for Guest Permission slip. Permission slips must be turned in at the time of purchase. Make sure to read all of the guidelines, especially the dress code! If you are not sure if your outfit is within dress code, you may bring it or a photo to Coach RG's office. Looking forward to a fun night on January 24th!

PSAT scores are now available on Collegeboard. Log in or create a username and profile to see your scores.  If you have any questions about your scores, please feel free to reach out to your grade level counselor. 

 

For juniors, we will be offering an SAT Prep course through AJ Tutoring.  This will be offered on campus, afterschool and on weekends click HERE for schedule.  It will help students prepare for the March SAT.  Please see the attached flier and feel free to contact Francesca Ohanessian or Pat Hennes with any questions. 

Financial Assistance Program for 2020-2021

We recognize that families have varying financial needs and make financial sacrifices to provide their daughters with a strong academic education. Awards are made for a one-year period, families must re-apply each year. The application process is fair and confidential, assessed 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 2020-21 school year must complete an online financial aid application and submit all necessary documentation. The deadline for applying is no later than January 15, 2020. Visit the website HERE for more information and the online TADS application.  Late applications are processed and reviewed, but meeting the appropriate deadline is strongly recommended to be included in the first round of aid awards. Please contact Lynn Beal at 650-762-1101 or lbeal@mercyhsb.com if you have any questions.