Distance Learning

Mercy is more than an academic learning environment

— it’s a community, a culture, and a mindset I n a matter of weeks, our lives were turned upside down by the COVID-19 global pandemic. We were updated daily with news of restrictions and closures, and were forced to watch and wait while processing fears, frustrations, and worries about the health of our loved ones. But Mercy came together, leaning on our faith and the wonderful gift of community. To ensure the safety of our families, friends, and neighbors, we committed to a ‘new normal’ with Shelter In Place.

The strength of Mercy High School truly shined when faced with the unknowns of COVID-19. Our world shifted immediately and drastically, but Mercy was prepared. We had piloted the program in the fall, and have been using digital platforms that support Distance Learning for years.

In a testament to the skill and flexibility of our faculty and staff, our students went from walking into classrooms to logging into classes over a weekend. There was no gap in their curriculum. They engaged with their teachers and classmates in academics, and participated in spiritual, wellness, and extracurricular enrichment. When other schools took weeks or even months to transition, Mercy pivoted seamlessly. We reimagined our liturgies, club meetings, major events, faculty meetings, and even lunches to support this new normal. We cared for, comforted, and supported each other. Mercy was truly revealed in our community.

“Kudos to Mr. Offield for having AP Lit class online and holding every student’s attention!! After the lesson, I was excited to see that the students broke out into collaborative groups on zoom to discuss, and then came back together as a class. As a teacher and parent this made my day...especially his suit and tie! Impressive teaching!” —Michelle T., Senior Parent S ilver L ining

Though the impact of COVID-19 and Shelter in Place has been profound, many in our community shared that they had sought to find and experience the ‘silver lining’ - lessons and experiences of value that they want to take with them when life returns to normal.

Whether it was playing a weekly virtual game with friends, developing a meaningful new family tradition, or practicing a new personal hobby, members of our community chose to honor the present moment by making the best of it. Here are a few stories they have shared: In a given week, Mercy offered virtual community activities including:

Lunchtime Prayer with Campus Ministry Workouts with Mercy’s Athletic Trainer Lunch with Pets A fter School Meditation and Yoga Spring Sports Virtual Team Meetings Parent College Counseling Support Parent Mixers Parent Check-In with Head of School

“Before Shelter In Place, my husband and I carpooled to work, which gave us time for meaningful conversation. Since the orders, we have made it a priority to walk every single day for 1-2 hours. This allows us to stay connected and have those discussions (it's amazing “ we still find things to talk about after 28 years). We are fortunate to live a block from the ocean, so our walks are filled with beauty and we have been able to discover more about the area we live in. —Patricia Bradley, Science Teacher

Maintaining Mercy A Mercy Education is so much more than an academic program - it’s faith activities, visual and performing arts, athletics, extracurricular opportunities, rich student life, and of course, the sisterhood. Mercy faculty and staff generously spent much time and talent ensuring we maintained the real and intangible aspects of community that make our school so special. They developed new resources for students and parents, made themselves available to connect, and organized activities and events to make sure our students were having fun and taking care of themselves mentally and physically.

Tri-School Social Media Bake-off Challenge

Tom Wootten organized and hosted Mercy’s first Distance

Event - the Rho Kappa Induction Ceremony, inducting 25 Mercy students into the National Social

Studies Honor Society. “Mercy girls meet challenges head on. We walk away holding ourselves a little higher and always coming out the other side with dignity and the highest of morals. Watching our students act as living examples of this has made me so proud not only to be a Mercy girl but also to be their Head of School.” —Natalie Cirigliano Brosnan ‘02 Head of School

Student Body Officer Installation

In a Virtual Self-Care Fair during Wellness Week, faculty, staff and students led fun activities to help the school community relax before finals including meditation, workouts, cooking, diy projects, and beauty tutorials.

W e had a guest appearance by Jesse Manibusan at a Campus Ministry lunchtime prayer session.

We hosted virtual Graduation Events (more in the Graduation section starting p. 16)

Enjo yed meaningful prayer services “ “We are in this quarantine to keep ourselves “ “ During Shelter in Place, my husband and I started paddleboarding in the Pillar Point Harbor. It was so relaxing to start our mornings on the water before the My high school friends and I are still very close. Before Shelter In Place we got together at least once a month and did a yearly girls' trip. We have wind picked up. We safe, but managed to saw seals, jellyfish, what we get all 8 of us stingrays, and lots don’t realize

Pre-COVID-19 hangouts “ (for the most part) on zoom calls once a week. We 'gather' to check in and see each others' faces, which has been such a nice way to stay connected! —Andrea Cabano, Director of AMES “ of birds. I really enjoyed having more time to spend in nature, and I look forward to paddleboarding as a hobby the rest of my life! —Claire Rietmann-Grout ‘04, Assistant Head of School for Student Life THE OAKS SUMMER 2020 5 “ is our earth is being saved. The air is cleaner than it has ever been, and people are out exercising more than you’d see the day after New Years. The entire world is alone together.” —Sissa Collaço ’21 Jacqueline Klingler ‘20 taking advantage of the clean air and clear skies while on a gorgeous social distance hike.