September 2015

I write to inform the school community about a personal career decision I have made regarding my employment at Mercy. Recently, I was offered a full time faculty position in the School of Education at Santa Clara University. I have decided to accept this offer. I am very excited and grateful for this extraordinary opportunity to transition into higher education.

I want to express my sincere appreciation to the Sisters of Mercy, Burlingame, who provided me with the gift of leading Mercy for the past twenty-one years. I also wish to thank all of those who have served on the school's Board of Directors, our faithful donors and alumnae.

Finally, I wish to thank the faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumnae who have made Mercy San Francisco such an extraordinary school. I wish you all the best and hope that as you move forward into the future you continue to take care of each other in the spirit of Mercy.

Our Board of Directors, in cooperation with the West Midwest Community Leadership Team of the Sisters of Mercy, will be working on an interim leadership plan and I have every confidence that the school is in great shape and in good hands. Mercy is already off to a great start this year, so this transition should be a smooth one.

I encourage everyone to stay focused on our extraordinary students, give them your best each day, for they are the reason why the school exists.

With gratitude,

Dorothy J. McCrea, Ed.D.

As Dr. McCrea noted in her letter, "the Mercy High School Board of Directors, in cooperation with the West Midwest Community Leadership Team of the Sisters of Mercy, will be working on an interim leadership plan."

The Board has put in place an Administrative Team as called for in the Succession Plan while the search for a new Principal begins. This team is made up of administrators representing key areas of school life. The team meets weekly and is responsible for the day to day operations of the school representing their area of responsibility. The Board has also established a Transition and Search Committee to create a process for finding Mercy's next Principal. Members representing faculty/staff, parents and students will be added later this fall.

To paraphrase Dr. McCrea, the Board and the Sisters of Mercy want to thank faculty and staff, students and families, alumnae and donors, for making Mercy High School such a special place imbued with the Spirit of Mercy.

The Administrative Team, on behalf of the entire Mercy community, is excited for Dr. McCrea's career change and is grateful for her years of service to the school and to the larger world of Catholic education. That the school year is off to a strong start - with the quality education you have come to expect from Mercy, ever expanding academic and co-curricular programs, and the best student body anyone could hope for - is a testament to the work she has done to ensure the school is successful and operates collaboratively in the spirit of Mercy.

May God continue to bless and protect us, making us the instruments of God's goodness.

Rita E. Cutarelli, Associate Principal of Mission and Campus Life

Audrey Magnusen, Director of Advancement and Alumnae Relations

Daniel Meyers, Director of Academic Affairs

Janine Nolfi, Director of Student Activities

Laura Schulkin-Parnell, Director of Counseling

Lorelei Zermani, Director of Finance and Human Resources

In This Issue

Alumnae

Announcements

School News

Upcoming Events

Alumnae

NEW "LITTLE ANCHORS" INTRODUCED TO STUDENT BODY

During the Mass of the Holy Spirit, August 31, 2015, Mercy recognized those members of the Class of 2019 who are "Little Anchors."

"Little Anchors" are those students whose mothers graduated from Mercy, San Francisco and in whose footsteps they follow. We are so grateful, mothers and daughters, for all that you have contributed, and will contribute still, to our community.

MERCY ALUMNAE ADVOCATE FOR REFUGEES

When Brittney Tabel '13 arrived at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Sacramento to begin her summer internship, she found that she already knew one of the other interns: Helen Van '11. Brittney is currently studying Sociology at UCLA, and Helen graduated last May from UC Davis with a double major in International Relations and Communications. At the IRC, both work directly with refugees who are resettling in the United States after fleeing violence and poverty. Brittney first became interested in working with refugees when she read Sr. Marilyn Lacey, RSM's book This Flowing Toward Me while a student at Mercy." I discussed the book in my interview," Brittney said. "When I saw Helen there, too, I knew that the Circle of Mercy really is timeless!"

CLASS OF '95 CELEBRATE 20 YEARS

The Class of 1995's 20th reunion was held on August 22, 2015 at San Francisco's Lava Restaurant and Lounge. A special thank you to coordinators, Joy Rodrigues-Guandique '95 and Lenie Santos-Ugaitata '95.

RECONNECT: 2015 REUNIONS AND EVENTS

Class of 1965 Golden Diploma Reunion

The Mercy High School Class of 1965 will celebrate their 50th graduation anniversary "Golden Diploma Reunion." We look forward to welcoming you back to your alma mater.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015 11:30am

Luncheon at Original Joe's, San Francisco. A time to share memories, photos and celebrate!

Luncheon Committee: Anne Scully '65 and Joanne Sehorn Cooper '65

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Mercy Day Eucharistic Liturgy with the Mercy student body, faculty and staff, celebrating the founding of the House of Mercy by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland. The liturgy will include the Class of 1965 and the Sisters of Mercy as honored guests, a campus tour, and a reception.

Liturgy: 1:30 pm

Reception at Rist Hall: 3:00 pm

Please email [email protected] or call 415.337.7218 if you did not receive your invitation and would like to attend.

Reunions and Connections

1970 (45 years)	Date:	Saturday, November 7, 2015
	Time:	4-8 pm Cocktail Reception
	Location:	Rist Hall, Mercy High School Notify [email protected] if you did not receive the invitation by 9-25-2015.
1975 (40 years)	Date:	Saturday, October 10, 2015
	Time:	11:30 am
	Location:	Rist Hall, Mercy High School
	Coordinators:	Mary Coyne '75 Mary Fogarty '75 Maureen Callanan Neumann '75 Janice Kaprosch Pearcy '75 [email protected]
1980 (35 years)	Date:	Saturday, September 27, 2015
	Time:	12:00 noon Hosted Mimosa Brunch
	Location:	Rist Hall, Mercy High School
	Coordinators:	Maria Martinez Florence '80 Theresa Barulich Rutledge '80 RSVP by 9-20-2015. Donations may be made to the Class of 1980 Scholarship Fund.
1990 (25 years)	Date:	Saturday, November 14, 2015
	Time:	6:30 pm
	Location:	Villa D'Este Restaurant 2623 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132 $25 per person
	Coordinators:	Francesca Felizzatto Moore '90 415.602.8194 Amy Courtney Feasey '90 415.412.2032
2005 (10 years)	Date/ Location:	TBD
	Coordinators:	Ariana Angelo '05 Laura Nelson '05 Karlynn Lee '05

Save The Date: Class of 1966 Golden 50th Reunion

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Luncheon at the Lake Merced Golf Club, Daly City. A time to share memories, photos and celebrate! Luncheon Chair - Nancy Dito '66 [email protected] 650.608.5792

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Mercy Day Eucharistic Liturgy with the Mercy student body, faculty and staff, celebrating the founding of the House of Mercy by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland. The liturgy will include the Class of 1966 as honored guests and the 50th Golden Diploma commemoration followed by a campus tour, program and reception in Rist Hall.

	Announcements

	We are proud of our students who made it to the Honor Roll--Spring Semester 2015. $50,000 Gift Towards Rooftop Terrace Campaign We are thrilled to announce that Mercy High School San Francisco received a pledged gift of $50,000 from Bernita McTernan '63 and Maria Schiavone. This goes towards the "Stairway to Heaven" Rooftop Terrace Campaign on the 4th floor which extends off of the former community room in the convent. The outdoor Rooftop Terrace will be a beautiful 1,000 sq. ft. space for all types of Mercy events, receptions and student use. Thank you, Bernita and Maria, for your generous donation to Mercy. If others wish to contribute to this campaign to complete the outdoor furnishings and plant features, please visit our website to make a donation. Make Mercy High School your giving choice for 2015! A special thank you to our generous donors who helped us reach our 2014-2015 $1,000,000 goal! The collective support of alumnae, parents and friends has generated funds for Mercy's most critical need: tuition assistance. We are asking you again to consider a gift this year to help us reach our Annual Goal of $1,000,000 by December 31, 2015! We are at 30% of our goal. It doesn't take a large donation to have a big impact. Gifts to Mercy's Annual Fund, whether $25 or $2,500, create one of the school's most significant sources of support. Click here to make an online donation. We thank those who have already made their donation. Support the Parent Giving Program! The Parent Giving Program is a four year commitment made by parents during their student's freshman year. We ask each family to pledge or give annually any amount that is reasonable for them. This year's appeal is to support the "Take Your Seat" campaign to replace all the existing seats in the theatre. We are currently at only 12% of the Parent Giving goal for this school year. We are striving for 100% parent participation. Payments can be made online. Choose Parent Giving on this page. Gifts of cash, check or credit card are tax deductible and provide immediate funds to the school. Pledges are encouraged and payments can be set up monthly or quarterly. The easiest way to donate is online at www.mercyhs.org. Transfer of Stocks Gifts of stock are accepted through a direct transmittal from your broker. Please call the Advancement Office for instructions 415.337.7218. Giving Levels Catherine and William Callaghan Circle $50,000 + Catherine McAuley Circle $10,000 - $49,999 Mercy Society Circle $5,000 - $9,999 Principal's Circle $2,500 - $4,999 Red & White Circle $1,500 - $2,499 Skipper Circle $500 - $1,499 Friends $1 - $499 The Technology Department recycles used cell phones, laser toner and inkjet cartridges throughout the school year. Please have students drop off items in the Computer Lab, room 319.

	School News

	CAMPUS LIFE TEAM ACQUIRES MORE LEADERSHIP SKILLS Summer 2015 held exciting experiences for many Mercy girls! Five members of the 2015-2016 Campus Life Team attended CASC (California Association of Student Councils) at St. Mary's College in Moraga from July 14th through July 17th. The girls spent four days and three nights with students from all over California and a delegation from Russia to learn and practice leadership skills. The girls came home ready to apply and share their skills with other Mercy student leaders. Probably the best part of their experience was the new friendships that were formed with students from the different schools. Photo above: Veronica Suarez-Lopez '17, Jeimy Navidad '17, Crystal Tobar '17, Jeannelle Malunay '17, and Jannella Natan '16 CALLING UPON THE SPIRIT Mercy High School San Francisco began the new academic year with a lively, vibrant Mass of the Holy Spirit, in which we prayed for the Spirit's wisdom to bless and guide our work throughout the year. The Class of 2019, as well as transfer students, were welcomed and blessed as the newest members of our community, with many parents, including alumnae mothers, attending. Like all of our liturgies, the Mass of the Holy Spirit allowed us to grow in unity and in faith and to reaffirm our commitment to the Gospel values that inspired Catherine McAuley. MERCY HOSTS ANNUAL LITURGICAL MINISTRY TRAINING DAY Nearly 110 students from Mercy High School San Francisco, Archbishop Riordan, Stuart Hall, and Immaculate Conception Academy began the new school year with an intensive, full-day training in liturgical ministry held at Mercy on Sunday, August 30. Nationally renowned composer and pastoral musician Janet Sullivan Whitaker offered the keynote address on Eucharistic theology and spirituality. Students then participated in a workshop of their choice focused on a particular liturgical ministry, including Lector, Acolyte, Liturgical Movement, Liturgical Music, Art & Environment, and Eucharistic Minister. A Sunday Eucharistic liturgy, in which the newly trained students practiced their skills, concluded the program. Pictured above is Janet Sullivan Whitaker with Mercy's Campus Ministry Core Team. MERCY STUDENTS VOLUNTEER AT ST. MARTIN DE PORRES Following in the footsteps of Catherine McAuley, members of the junior class served at Martin de Porres House of Hospitality as part of their community service requirement this summer. In above photo are: Jordan Orque '17, Jeimy Navidad '17, Kathleen Bufka '17 and Meg Bender '17 MS. GUIAO AWARDED GRANT FOR SUMMER STUDY Ms. Hilda Guiao, Religious Studies teacher, received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for a three-week summer institute last June and July titled "From Mesa Verde to Santa Fe: Pueblo Identity in the Southwest" to learn through archaeology, ethnohistory and oral history about the culture, spirituality, and history of the Pueblo Indians. She studied alongside 24 other educators from across the United States with the guidance and assistance of archaelogists, historians and Pueblo scholars and elders. Ms. Guiao spent a day on an archaelogical dig at Crow Canyon Archaelogical Center in Cortez, Colorado and found pieces of cookware and pottery made by ancestral Puebloans, which had not been touched in over a thousand years! Ms. Guiao learned about the rich and resilient history of the Pueblo people and how they continue to adapt yet remain grounded in their culture and spirituality as an enduring ethnic group. She looks forward to sharing with her students her adventures in the American Southwest and the wisdom she gained fro this truly life-changing experience. DOLCE PERFORMS IN DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE Dolce, Mercy High School Show Choir, helped celebrate Disneyland's 60th Diamond Anniversary with a performance on the Backlot Stage in Disney California Adventure. The performance took place on June 3, 2015 under the direction of music director Ms. Laura Flaviani. MERCY 'TIL MORNING ON ITS 3RD YEAR Mercy hosted its annual Mercy 'til Morning event from August 13 through August 14. Now on its 3rd year, it has become the official kick off to the new academic year for the incoming 9th grade class. Members of the Class of 2019 bonded over an evening filled with activities such as team challenges, a movie, lots of food, and a quick nap in the gym before going home the next morning.