MMA Weekly • September 12, 2021 The MMA Weekly covers important announcements, the school calendar, and other co-curricular updates. Since the calendar is subject to occasional adjustments, please be sure to visit the calendar on the MyMMA platform or check the live calendar on our website.
Do you have a great photo that showcases a great "Merion moment"? If so, please email your photo to Kristina Cawley at kcawley@merion-mercy.com. Head of School Dear Merion Mercy Community,
I was thinking a lot last week about the Gospel reading from September 5. In the reading, Jesus performs a miracle, and as He cares for the man, Jesus says the word "Ephphatha," meaning to be open or let's be open. With all of us experiencing different ways we have been closed off in the past 18 months, I am truly rejoicing in the many ways we as a community are open!
The joy of welcoming our students back for their first full day last week, seeing the Class of 2022 enjoy the traditional senior tailgate, the launch of fall sports, tryouts for the Merion Mercy Music Theater, our first club meeting time, and Community Time focusing on holistic health are tangible reminders that we are very much open to a rich and exciting school year!
We are also opening up our hearts and minds as a school year begins. We have committed to connectivity and community. These two "Cs" require a certain degree of openness on the part of each and every member of our community. I personally am ready, willing, and, yes, open to all the possibilities that the school year holds for each and every one of us.
I hope to greet many of you in the coming weeks in the car line, on the sidelines of games, for "Coffee and Conversation" this week, and/or for the "Welcome Back Mass and Breakfast." Otherwise, my door is always open, and I would love to see and hear from you.
Warm regards, Announcements
Welcome Back Mass and Breakfast
We invite all of the Merion Mercy community—families, faculty, and staff—to join together for a welcome back Mass and light breakfast on Sunday, September 19, beginning with Mass at 10:30 a.m. in the school gym. Mass will be followed by light refreshments in the Lyceum and Dining Commons.
We ask that you kindly RSVP by clicking here by September 15 if you plan to attend.
Mercy Mission Corps
We are thrilled to announce the creation of the Mercy Mission Corps (MMC). MMC is an organization unique to Merion Mercy Academy and provides opportunities for students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumnae to put their faith into action through service.
MMC enables all service initiatives and programs (past, present and future) to be united under the same canopy. This will help ensure that our multifaceted outreach opportunities maintain greater balance and that our partnerships are guided by our Catholic and Mercy identity.
Our vision of MMC is to be an umbrella organization (similar to CSC in the past) but with a framework that will lend itself to increased service activity across our entire MMA community.
This new program will include the longstanding service club entitled "Kate's Girls" and will also organize several opportunities with both longstanding and newer partnerships. This organization will help fuel the service interests of other clubs, teams, and honor societies.
Activities are open to all students to participate and there are opportunities for students to demonstrate greater commitment and leadership by helping to plan and facilitate opportunities during our club rotation meetings. Students will receive more information about how to get involved in an email communication early next week.
Please click here to view the MMC website to learn more.
Magnus Health Reminder
If you have not yet uploaded the required Health Forms into Magnus Health please do so as soon as possible. Updated and accurate medical records are a requirement.
If you are having difficulty navigating the Magnus system, entering data online, or downloading the hard-copy cover sheets and forms, or if you have any other questions, please contact customer support at Magnus Health SMR by phone at 877.461.6831 or by email at service@magnushealthportal.com.
COVID-19 Acknowledgement of Risk and Family Agreement
All parents/guardians are being asked to sign a "COVID-19 Acknowledgement of Risk and Family Agreement" as we begin the new school year. This agreement asks for families to acknowledge that while Merion Mercy Academy has put in place preventative measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, MMA cannot guarantee, even with the steps it is taking, that students will not be exposed to COVID-19. This form has been assigned to parent/guardian MyMMA accounts for each student. Please log in to your parent/guardian (not the student's) MyMMA account and review and complete this document as soon as possible. The due date is October 1.
We continue to make the health and safety of your daughters a priority, and thank you for your cooperation. Please contact Mrs. Anne Gregg at agregg@merion-mercy.com if you need assistance with the form.
Transitions
Mrs. Katie Horgan has decided to step down as our school nurse. Mrs. Horgan has been a valued member of our nursing staff since 2013. Throughout the pandemic, her commitment to the health and safety of our community has been unwavering. Her work combating the spread of Covid-19 has been heroic, and she has made Merion Mercy a safer place to teach and learn. Please join us in wishing Katie the very best in her next steps.
Car Line
For car line drop off and pick up, please do not double park as you wait for your daughter to exit the building. Please use one line or pull into a visitor's parking spot. In order to best ensure a smooth process, please be mindful if you are blocking any cars from passing. Academics Back-to-School Night
We are excited to welcome you to campus for Back-to-School Night on Tuesday, September 21 from 6-9 p.m. We will begin the in the gymnasium for prayer and welcoming remarks. Following that opening session, parents will meet their daughter's advisor and teachers. The spirit shop will also be open.
All parents and caregivers are welcome to attend. Please keep in mind that due to safety protocols, classrooms have a set capacity. We do ask that if a classroom reaches capacity, one parent from each household would remain in the classroom in order to accommodate each student in that course.
More details will follow prior to the evening. Student Life Community Time
The theme for this past Thursday's Community Time–a weekly gathering every Thursday afternoon–was holistic health, a topic rooted in so many of our Merion values. About 10 different community members reviewed existing and introduced new supports available for students to grow physically, mentally, spiritually, academically, in their identity, and in their character this year.
COVID-19 Policies
Safe2Say Something (S2SS)
The program Safe2Say Something (S2SS) was reviewed with students as a form of honoring communal health–S2SS is a government program focused on providing students the skills to recognize warning skills of concerning behaviors in themselves or others, as well as a confidential space to report those concerning behaviors. The goal of S2SS is to prevent violence, protect students, and empower students to speak up and "say something." For more information about the S2SS program, please visit https://www.safe2saypa.org/.
Snack Time with the Dean
Ms. Sharkey enjoyed her first week of "Snack Time with the Dean'' and chatting with students after school. Round 2 this week–all are welcome to sign up for available times through this sign-up link. If needed, revisit this video for more details! Parents Association Save the Date for Trivia Night!
MMA Trivia Night will be held on Friday, October 15: Call your friends and put a table together—or let us seat you with other MMA parents. The winning tables get bragging rights and small prizes. Details will follow, but be sure to save the date!
If you would like to volunteer to help with Trivia Night, please click here.
Sip 'n Bid
Mark your calendar now for the school's largest social fundraising event of the year: Sip 'n Bid 2021 on Saturday, November 20! Planning is now underway, and if you would like to volunteer, you may sign up here. We need help with everything from item and sponsor solicitation to decorations, basket packaging, technology assistance and help during the event. Please join us in making this a successful event while having fun and meeting other parents! We will hold a Zoom meeting for all Sip 'n Bid volunteers on Wednesday evening, September 15, at 7 p.m. The link is here. If you would like to volunteer but can't make the meeting, please sign up on our Sign Up Genius or email auction@merion-mercy.com, and we will be sure to follow up with you.
We are Actively Looking for Volunteers
The Parents Association welcomes your involvement! We are looking for volunteers for upcoming programs and events. Click here to view current volunteer opportunities and to sign up. (Please click here to volunteer for Sip 'n Bid and here to volunteer in the Spirit Shop.) Food Services Servery
Merion Mercy's cafeteria will once again offer a limited number of breakfast items in the morning, snacks, and a variety of hot and cold lunch options for purchase each school day. These may be purchased using funds added to student IDs through "myschoolaccount.com" (see below) or cash.
Student Lunch Accounts
Merion Mercy Academy uses the myschoolaccount.com online lunch payment service. This service allows you to make deposits directly into your daughter's meal account, transfer funds between students in the same household, and have an email reminder sent to you when an account balance gets low. Deposits can be made through ACH payments or by credit card. Each student's account will be updated nightly so that account balance information and payments will be current as of the following day. You may also monitor your daughter's lunchtime purchases and track what she has been eating for the past 30 days through this system.
In order to take advantage of this convenient service, you will need to create a parent account. Please click here for more details and instructions for creating an account.
Since this account is linked to each student's ID card, they can pay for items in the cafeteria by simply swiping their ID. College Counseling Attention Juniors and Seniors
Attention Parents/Caregivers of Seniors
Save the date of September 16, 7-8 p.m., for Senior Parent Night on campus in the Dining Commons. This is a parents/caregivers event only. We will be seeing the seniors during the school day on September 14. We look forward to helping you navigate your daughter's final year at MMA. Spirit Shop Spirit Shop News
New League sweatshirts have arrived just in time for cooler fall weather: the navy hoodie with front pockets is now also available in white, and it looks great! We also have a new vintage-inspired denim crew neck imprinted with an eco-friendly ink. Also check out our key straps, new small thermal tumblers, restocked large tumblers, and anorak jackets. Remember, tee-shirts are 10% off during September, and they are going fast. If you're ordering online, be sure to use code WELCOMEBACK at checkout.
Regular in-person shopping hours are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. You can always shop 24/7 online here. Request "pick up" and your daughter can pick up your order at the Spirit Shop.
Senior Parents: We will open at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday evening if you would like to shop before Senior Parent College Night. (Or order online ahead of time and pick up on Thursday evening.)
The Spirit Shop will also be open for Back-to-School night on September 21.
Volunteers Recent News & Happenings Shannon Fisher Presents at PIAA District One Athletic Directors Association New AD Meeting Calendar |