March 4, 2020  |  PARENT ENEWS 

Dear Mercy Families,

We are at that time of the year that can be difficult for our students- they are so close to the end yet far enough away that it can feel overwhelming. Knowing that our students often need a little extra love at this time of the year I can't help but think of our foundress. Catherine McAuley always reached out to those in need with courage and love- she wasn't afraid to have difficult conversations and she never hesitated to share her compassion with others.

Knowing this time of year can feel overwhelming and difficult for our students, I encourage you to spend some time in the coming week to simply check in with your daughter and to remind her of the love you feel so deeply for her. I always find it refreshing in conversations with students to hear how much they value their special time with their parents. They need you and they love you even if they can't quite articulate it. Let's help them to make a few more treasured memories with you before we blink and they are adults!

Thanks,
Natalie

Our 2nd Annual Lobster Feed, Live Music, & Auction event last Friday was a SOLD OUT success!  A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the evening such a wonderful event. We are especially grateful to the New England Lobster Market & Eatery, our Mercy Parent and Student volunteers, and all of the guests who supported the event. It was a fast-paced evening with a lot of moving parts and we're so thankful for All of you!

Special thanks to our event leads Judy Ajam, Janie Dawes, Greet Jaspaert, and Karen Sammons.
Thanks to our volunteers Kathy Bracco, Ana Brownstein, Karen Castagna, Bill Chiang, Birgit Dommen, Yohko Fick, Maria and Luis Hernandez, Paula Hong, Ken Hong, Colleen Langridge, Marvin Laubacher, Virgina Sandino, Marta and Steve Sangervasi.

If you missed out on participating in this year's Fund A Need, and would like to consider making a gift to the student bathroom renovation project, please click HERE.

From the Parent & Student Handbook 2019-2020 "Uniform regulations are not dependent upon the weather. However, from November 2019-February 28, 2020, students are allowed to wear non-Mercy winter jackets and vests. Acceptable colors are navy blue, black, white and gray. This does not apply to fleece, sweatshirts and windbreakers. Please do not wear non-Mercy outerwear on formal uniform and liturgy days. A student will receive a uniform infraction if she fails to comply with the preceding."  

Please note that we are no longer in the window where Non-Mercy Outerwear is permitted with the uniform. However, students can wear non-Mercy waterproof jackets with a hood, puffy vests, and rainboots, if rain is predicted in the forecast.

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.

Moms Yoga & Wellness 

Thursday, April 2nd 7 - 9pm 

Kohl Mansion Great Hall

Moms and Guardians are invited to join us as we unwind, drink tea, learn helpful mindfulness practices, and end the evening with a beginner restorative yoga session led by our Wellness Counselor, Joy Phillips. This is a free event and we will provide a limited number of yoga mats as supplies last. Please bring your own yoga mat and water bottle if you can! We hope to see you there! Register Here. 

Beach Clean up at Rockaway in Pacifica. Dads Group and Student Day of Service! 

You're invited to join the Beach Clean up at Rockaway Beach, Pacifica 9-11am on Saturday, April 4th. This event is a hybrid MPC Dads Group Mixer and a Saturday of Service! Dads and guardians are encouraged to invite their Mercy girls and families to join in. Students can receive CORE hours for this event. Let's make our beaches a cleaner and happier place to be! Register HERE. 

Family Easter Egg Hunt for Mercy Friends

Sunday, March 29 • 9-11am  

Mercy welcomes local families and children to a free Easter event at Kohl Mansion! Activities will include an Easter Egg Hunt for kids ages 0-2nd grade, relay races and games for kids 3rd-5th grade, and light refreshments that can be enjoyed by the whole family. The Easter Bunny will also be available for photos. Register Today!

Mercy Student Volunteers Needed for Family Easter Egg Hunt! 

Mercy students are asked to volunteer for the activity stations that day! Volunteer sign up here. 

Mercy Student Volunteers Needed for Family Easter Egg Hunt! 
Sunday, March 29 • 9-11am

Mercy students are asked to volunteer for the activity stations that day! Volunteer sign up here. 

Volunteer with Music at Kohl Mansion!

Earn community service hours by volunteering with Music at Kohl Mansion.  Our next concert is Sunday, March 15th and we need volunteers to help with reception preparation, set up, and clean up from 6-10pm. Students earn community service hours; adults earn our undying gratitude – and it's a fun evening!  If interested, please contact Katie Riggs at admin@musicatkohl.org or (650) 762-1130.  Thank you!

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.

If you are interested in attending the Washington D.C. Inauguration next year, please click HERE to fill out the form and see Mr. Wootten if you have any questions. 

Thank you for attending the Junior Parent Night!  Please click HERE for the slides from the Junior Parent Night presentation. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Fohanessian@mercyhsb.com or Jphillips@mercyhsb.com. 

College Kickoff Meeting

It is time to schedule your College Kickoff meetings with Mrs. Ohanessian. Please click on this link to schedule a meeting. The meetings will include information about testing, the college application process, and upcoming events

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

Winter Sports Awards Night
Thursday, March 5th at 6:30pm
in the Great Hall.

Now that all winter sports have finished, it is time to return all Mercy gear and uniforms. Please have all Mercy issued uniforms and deck jackets fully cleaned and washed. We want all items returned by this Friday March 6. We ask that you do not return the items the night of the Winter Sports Award Night. Any Mercy items not returned will result in the family being charged a replacement fee.

Games & Practice Schedule

 Athlete of the Week 
Softball player Katie Koenig

A Freshman, Katie has already stamped herself a viable contributing member of the softball team. Katie has been the starting Pitcher for all 3 games Mercy has played thus far in the season. She has pitched complete games in all 3 starts with 2 of the games resulting in victory for the Crusaders! In Tuesday's 9-1 win over Terra Nova, Katie had a most impressive 12 strikeouts in her pitching stats. Katie is also an impressive hitter as she has hits in all 3 games played. She has RBI's in all 3 games as well. As defending league champs and a CCS appearance the past 3 years, the softball program has great aspirations for this year's team, Katie will play a big part in the teams overall performance. Great job Katie, keep it going!

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

We currently have a coach opening in the following sport. 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

The health and safety of our students is our utmost priority. If your daughter is ill with a fever or vomiting, please keep her home and call the Main Office to let us know. Students must be kept home for 24 hours without either of these symptoms before returning to school. The Main Office number is (650) 343-3631 and is available 24 hours per day.   

AP Exam Fees: Students enrolled in AP courses will be charged for the exam fees on March 10th. We will draw the funds directly out of your FACTS account. Each exam is $93 and you will be charged for each exam that your student is taking. If you have any questions about the exam fee draw, please contact Francesca Ohanessian

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!

Students will be meeting with their counselors in the coming weeks to choose courses for next year. Click HERE for the informational video they will watch in advisory this week.