On Campus

This year, following the path of our foundress Catherine McAuley, our Student Life theme is to “Lead with Mercy.” Catherine McAuley was a servant leader in her community in Dublin, Ireland. Her goal was to provide education for young girls and care for poor women. She was a trailblazer in women’s leadership and education. This year our student councils will focus on learning to lead like Catherine.

In the first Student Council meeting of the year, the councils met with Ms. Simonetti, our Campus Minister, to learn more about Catherine’s leadership style. They also discussed how service in the community is central to a Mercy Education and our school’s Mission. This year, each grade will have a theme-based service learning project helping them unify as a class and becoming better global citizens. The girls will be focusing their efforts on service learning projects that directly correlate with one of the critical concerns of the Sisters: Earth, Immigration, Non-Violence, Anti-Racism & Women. The freshmen project will aim to integrate the class into the Mercy Community and the Sophomores will focus on unity. The Juniors will work together to recognize good being done around campus and the Senior project will leave their class legacy.

Claire Rietmann-Grout ‘04 Appointed Assistant Head of School for Student Life Claire is excited to return to Mercy High School this year as the Assistant Head of School for Student Life. Her experience as a student at Mercy created a life long passion for building a community of leaders in all-girls high schools. Claire understands that the Mercy experience is about getting involved. While at Mercy she served as a Student Body Officer, a four-year varsity starter and three-year captain on the softball team, and graduated with honors. In 2016 Claire served as the Assistant Director of Student Life and Athletics, helping mentor Mercy’s student leaders in student council, clubs, and athletics. “I love Mercy and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share that love through all aspects of Student Life.” —Claire

WELCOME Class of 2021!

Mercy Sophomore attends JSA Summer Program Imagine spending a part of your summer debating the question: “Is North Korea more dangerous than ISIS?” That is what Sophia Panjwami ’20 did during her four week Junior Statesman of America (JSA) summer program at Stanford University. Sophia, who will serve as the JSA president at Mercy, was nominated for the program by Mrs. Susan Roughgarden, history teacher and JSA moderator. Sophia’s summer immersion into what life as a college student will be like included days spent meeting Silicon Valley and go vernment leaders and learning about the important issues of the day, tours of the Stanford campus, Chinatown and the GooglePlex, and debate workshops. All the students were required to study an international relations textbook, read sections of other books relating to international issues and, ultimately, their debate topic, write a fifteen page essay and make a presentation to their class. Add to that a mid-term and final exam. It wasn’t all work and no play, the summer school included dances and fun trips in the Palo Alto area. So, how did Sophia get through this intense schedule? In true college student style, she spent lots of time “running on coffee!”

VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS

The Arts

The Visual and Performing Arts are essential to a complete education, as they embody our cultural heritage and shape the perception of ourselves and the world in which we live. The arts contribute to the development of each individual’s full human potential.

At Mercy, the Visual and Performing Arts Program has always been an integral part of the curriculum and student life. Through our program, students immerse themselves in art, ceramics, photography, music and dance. Mercy students are recognized for their musical and artistic talents through the Tri-M Music Honor Society, National Dance Education Or ganization and the National Art Honor Society. Many of our students are involved in Tri-School Productions including the fall play, the spring musical, Tri-School Chorus as well as the symphonic and jazz bands.