Letter from the Board Chair

CELEBRATE PHILANTHROPY

From left to right: Ellen Byrnes Willcox ’80, P’12; Kathy Oldfield ’83; Laura Farrell, Head of School; Bill O’Shea, P’06,’13, Board Chair; Cathy McGeever, P’16; Sister Christine McCann, RSM; and Lisa Nicolella Farrell ’78, P’13

2019-2020 Board of Trustees

Mrs. Laura Farrell, Ex Officio Mr. Mark Bullock Mrs. Elsie Goss Caldwell, P’96 Mrs. Gail Connor, P’11, Secretary Mrs. Diane Johnson DiCicco ’97 Mr. Robert Dunne, P’07,’12 Mrs. Lisa Nicolella Farrell ’78, P’13 Sister Janet Henry, RSM Sister Christine McCann, RSM Mrs. Catharine McGeever, P’16 Sister Ann O’Connell, RSM ’62 Mr. William O’Shea, P’06,’13, Chair Ms. Kathleen Oldfield ’83 Mrs. Christine Wechsler Rayer ’95 Mrs. Leslie Drialo Ryan ’78, P’05 Mrs. Ellen Byrnes Willcox ’80, P’12,

Vice Chair Dr. Michelle Williams ’96 Dear Friends of Merion Mercy Academy, I am in awe of the Merion Mercy community. By focusing on the mission of the school and mercy values, MMA’s faculty, staff, students, families, trustees and donors have responded to these extraordinary times with grace and resilience. Merion Mercy’s donors such as you provided unprecedented financial support to the school and many of its families despite economic turbulence and uncertainty. Most importantly, your support ensured every student could return to school. On behalf of the entire community, I thank you for your generosity and commitment to MMA. I am also grateful for our Head of School, Laura Farrell. Laura’s leadership is grounded in MMA’s mission and Mercy values. She approaches every decision by asking “What’s best for our students?” I have rarely encountered a person as committed as Laura to their responsibilities. She and her team have achieved much during her first year as Head of School building upon MMA’s strong foundation. Laura and team implemented a new, integrated education management system, MyMMA; expanded the Academic Board; broadened and reinvigorated the Student Support Team adding referral capacity; created and successfully recruited the new Director of Innovation, Teaching and Learning. She has also developed our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Plan for Action and much more. Laura works to have relationships with the students, faculty, and staff, sharing her natural warmth and sincere appreciation for their talents and dedication. We are certainly blessed to have her lead our school. Our faculty is our greatest asset. They care deeply about each student as they bring their enormous powers to inspire and instruct. Never before has this been more evident than through these months of the virus as they taught classes in multiple, simultaneous environments, mastered complex delivery systems, and demonstrated technological expertise. Our teachers do all of this while wearing masks, moving between multiple class settings, and exhibiting good humor. They are our heroes. Further, I am exceedingly grateful to my fellow members of the Board of Trustees for their strategic guidance of Merion Mercy and for their commitment to our mission during this demanding year. With this winning combination of a community of support, great leadership, a highly talented faculty, and a truly committed Board, how could we do anything but prevail against the challenges of today’s world? The answer lies in the power of the Mercy spirit, the very core of our school community. As Catherine McAuley said, “Let us be shining lamps, giving light to all around us.” Indeed, Merion Mercy shines brightly. In gratitude,