MMA Weekly • September 26, 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've been thinking a lot lately about this year's theme for Mercy Day.
Surely the Sisters of Mercy had the iconic red door of Catherine McAuley's House of Mercy in Dublin in mind when they chose the theme for this year's Mercy Day: "Opening Doors: Creating Places of Welcome." We have opened our doors many times already this school year, from the Welcome Back Mass and Breakfast to Back-to-School Night to Mercy Day to the Reunion we will host this weekend. When members of our community—whether parents, family members or alumnae—walk through our doors, we hope they feel welcomed by the love and kindness that characterizes Mercy.
Throughout this year we will discover new doors of Mercy and open them together. As Sister of Mercy Kathleen Erickson reminds us in a recently published article, it is up to us and our relentless work to be a welcoming presence in the world.
My hope this Mercy Day is that we continue to open doors and extend ourselves to one another so we can open our minds, push through thresholds, and find the gift of Mercy in the person we meet on the other side.
Mercy hospitality offers us the deep and satisfying welcome that comes from God's endless love. I look forward to the many ways we will continue to open doors for our extended MMA family. For all of them, and all of you, my door is always open.
Warm Regards, Announcements Schedule Note for October 13
Township buses have been notified. Township bus riders should check with their bus drivers about pickup time. Pick up time for MMA Private Shuttles and the Prep Bus System will be shared in the coming days.
Seniors are not in school that day.
Open House and Scholarship and Entrance Exam
Parents are reminded that the Open House for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students will be held Sunday, October 3. There will be two sessions: 10 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. with Mass being offered at 12:15 p.m. Those of you with younger daughters may want to take advantage of this opportunity.
The Scholarship and Entrance Exam will be held the following week on October 9 and October 10 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Registrations for both Open House and the Scholarship and Entrance Exam can be found here.
We still need a few more parents willing to chat with prospective parents or help with refreshments at the Open House. Please contact Eileen Killeen in the Admissions Office at 610-664-6655 ext. 166 or ekilleen@merion-mercy.com if you are able to join us.
There are still a few lawn signs left that need a home. Have your daughter stop by the Admissions Office to pick one up. Thanks to all of the families who are already spreading the news!
Transitions Ms. Bernie Fahy will step down from her position as Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Students. Ms. Fahy has been a valuable member of the Merion Mercy staff since 2001, and she has touched the lives of countless girls over the years. While we will miss Ms. Fahy tremendously, she knows she will always have a home at Merion Mercy.
We would like to welcome back Mrs. Aimee Quinn, who will temporarily fill in for Ms. Fahy as we look to fill the role. Mrs. Quinn taught science and mathematics at Merion Mercy for 10 years and served as the chairperson of both departments. She is the proud mother of MMA graduates Megan '05 and Colleen '09.
Due to an unforeseen family obligation, Mrs. Ginger Moore has decided to leave her teaching position at Merion Mercy effective September 30. We certainly appreciate her beginning the year with us and the comfortable classroom environment she created for her students. We wish her the best in her future endeavors.
Senior Yearbook Submissions
Senior parents, please remind your daughters that the deadline for yearbook submissions (quotes and thank yous, as well as baby pictures) is September 30. These will appear in the senior section of the yearbook with their formal senior portrait, and the baby pictures are also needed for the keepsake ornaments that seniors receive on Carol Night (courtesy of the Parents Association). The yearbook staff and Parents Association would appreciate your help with having your daughters meet this important deadline. Seniors have been emailed a link to a Google form for submissions. If your daughter has questions, she should reach out to Mrs. Debbie Bevilacqua at dbevilacqua@merion-mercy.com. Student Life
Community Space
The theme for this past Thursday's Community Space was leadership—this year we chose to broaden our understanding of student leader induction to include more of our outward-facing clubs that either host events or produce community-wide resources. We emphasized that we are all called to be leaders in our own regard. We celebrated our weekly shout-outs of students living out the Mercy core values as a form of leadership, those nominated for National Merit, and those leading our clubs with creativity and courage!
At Merion, we lead in Mercy. So it was a natural transition for leadership induction to Mercy Day on Friday! We celebrated by pausing from academic classes and embracing a day rooted in our Mercy core values.
Also, we discussed the theme of respecting shared space during Community Space the past two weeks. As a community, we want to honor the space entrusted to us and also show immense gratitude to our Maintenance team for their invaluable work. Please note the following announcements shared with our community:
Picture Day
Picture day for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors is this September 29 and 30. Information from our photographer LifeTouch will be distributed during advisory on September 28. Please see the attached picture day schedule.
Sophomore Sisterhood Day
Sophomore Sisterhood Day is September 30. Sophomores will be arrive at school at regular time, participate in unique grade-level programming, and be dismissed for the day at 1 p.m. A snack will be provided. Township buses, MMA Private Shuttles, and the Prep Bus System will leave at their regular times.
Please contact Dominique Gwaltney Harris '09, Director of Student Engagement, at dharris@merion-mercy.com with any questions. Ministry Parent and Caregiver First Thursday Prayer Gathering
All parents and caregivers are invited to join with other Merion Mercy Academy parents and caregivers in the Divine Mercy Chapel on the second floor of the school building. We will gather on the first Thursday of each month from 8:30-9 a.m. to pray for our school and students. There will be a Zoom option for parents to pray with us from their commutes, their desks, or wherever they might be.
Each month we will offer our prayer for one grade in particular and will invite the sharing of special prayer intentions for that grade. In addition, we will pray for each young woman in that grade by name. We will also pray for all the faculty and staff and for school-wide intentions.
We will begin by reading the Gospel of the day or another Scripture reading from the week and follow it with a short reflection to center us in the Lord's presence. Then we will share intentions and pray for these intentions together. We will end with Catherine McAuley's Suscipe/Prayer of Resignation and an invocation of Mary, Mother of Mercy.
We are so looking forward to praying as a community of parents and caregivers for Merion and for all the extraordinary young women who grace these halls.
If you have any questions or wish to join us, please email Sister Danielle Gagnon, RSM in the Ministry Office at dgagnon@merion-mercy.com. Development Parents Association Registration for Trivia Night Opens This Week
Registration will open this week for MMA Trivia Night on October 15. Our host will be Mr. Casey Fosbenner P'24 of WMMR's Preston and Steve Show. We'll play six rounds of trivia over the course of the evening, and it promises to be a fun night!
Trivia Night will be held in the MMA Gym. Please remember that this is an adults-only, BYO-food-and-beverage event. Due to COVID-19 precautions, we do ask that you wear a mask except while actively eating or drinking. We are also limiting teams to eight people. You may register a full team or, if you'd prefer, let us seat you with other MMA parents or with a specific group (such as other freshmen parents, sophomore parents, etc.).
Winners will receive small prizes and—most importantly—bragging rights until next year!
Mothers' Cupboard Collection
The Parents Association remains committed to helping address the issue of food insecurity in our wider community. We continue to work with the Food Pantry at the Community Center at Visitation, and our first food collection will be held over two weeks, October 5–8 and October 12-15, around the theme of "Monday Morning Coffee." We ask parents to add an item or two from the following list to your weekly grocery run—you can send them into school with your daughter to drop off at the painted cupboard in the Lyceum, or bring it with you if you will be attending the Parent and Caregiver Prayer Gathering on October 7 or Trivia Night on October 15. Requested items include:
Thank you for your support!
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, and right now, we are most in need of auction items! We have created an Amazon Wish List with suggested items that you can purchase and have shipped directly to Merion Mercy.
Please complete this donation form and return it to the attention of the Sip 'n Bid Auction Committee. We'd appreciate receipt of all items by November 5, 2021 so that we have ample time to advertise and promote them. If you are looking for more visibility or the chance to promote your business, or if you know of someone who is, we also have opportunities for underwriting and sponsorship for the event.
If you would like to volunteer to help with Sip 'n Bid, you may sign up here for a specific committee or email auction@merion-mercy.com. College Counseling Join Us for College Night for Juniors and Parents/Caregivers
Please save the date for College Night for Juniors and Parents/Caregivers on Wednesday, October 20 at 7 p.m. in the Dining Commons. Spirit Shop Spirit Shop News
Wine glasses and new small tumblers have just arrived. (Remember, we have large tumblers and a limited supply of rocks glasses, too.) Coming soon are full-size flags, new pajama pants and men's golf shirts, so stay tuned! 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.
Volunteers Volunteering in the Spirit Shop is one of the easiest (and most fun and flexible) ways to get involved, so please consider joining our team. There are a variety of volunteer opportunities to fit your schedule, including our regular hours during the week and Open House on October 3. View the schedule and sign up here. Please remember that you must have clearances on file to volunteer. Questions? Contact Mrs. Debbie Bevilacqua at dbevilacqua@merion-mercy.com. Recent News & Happenings Calendar |