MOUNT MERCY ACADEMY June 2010 Newsletter VOLUME 8, ISSUE 72

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1 MOUNT MERCY ACADEMY June 2010 Newsletter VOLUME 8, ISSUE 72 VOLUME 8, ISSUE 72 A Message from our Principal July, 2010 Dear Parents and Guardians, The graduation ceremony for the Class of 2010 at Kleinhans in early June was a beautiful and dignified affair. The Class of 2010 went out in style. They are lovely young women and will be greatly missed at the Academy. They now enter into the ranks of over 12,000 alumnae and we hope they will stay connected to MMA over their college careers and into their adult lives. Mercy girls are forever and we saw that manifest in the large number of graduates of the Class of 1960 who attended the ceremonies as well as one representative of the Class of How wonderful to have this deep connection with your high school! We hope our current students stay connected over the summer as well. One point of connection is the summer reading requirement that is mandatory for all of our students. Learning does not stop in June and resume in September. Please touch base with your daughter to monitor her summer reading throughout the summer. Reading is essential to a good education and does much to enhance vocabulary and scores on the SAT. Some of our students will be participating as volunteers in GAL Camp, the week of July 12. Others will be joining us for three weeks of Mercy Prep to give an extra boost for success in their first year at Mercy. Others will be a part of our Title I program that will provide extra help with math and reading. We will see a number of students in the summer Driver Education program. In August a number of Mercy girls will participate in a five day review class in preparation for taking the Regents exams. The Main Office will be open from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Friday throughout the summer. Please call if you have concerns or questions and we will be happy to be of service. Enjoy your summer with your families. We will keep you in our prayers for a relaxing, peaceful and safe summer. Items of Special Interest July 5: Building Closed in observance of July 4th Holiday July 12 July 23: Mercy Prep Course for incoming freshwomen July 26-29: Senior Portraits July 30-31: MERCYFEST WEEKEND! Details inside :) Sincerely, Paulette Gaske Principal

2 Mt. Mercy Academy Class of 2010 Graduation Ceremony Held Commencement Exercises for the one hundred fifth graduating class at Mt. Mercy Academy took place at Kleinhan s Music Hall on Sunday, June 6, The graduates, wearing the traditional white robe and mortarboard, each carried a long-stemmed red rose as they processed into the hall to "Pomp and Circumstance", played by Mt. Mercy Music Director and pianist Mr. Fred Kirisits. Sister Joanne Courneen, RSM, of the Leadership Team of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, NYPPAW, offered an invocation, which preceded the conferral of diplomas by Mt. Mercy Academy Principal Mrs. Paulette Gaske, assisted by Mt. Mercy School Mt. Mercy Graduates together one last time at Kleinhan s Counselor Mrs. Kathleen LoTempio. Awards were presented to the Class Valedictorian, Katherine Purcell, and Co-Salutatorians Sarah Bevilacqua and Alana Stempien. The Catherine McAuley Award for Service was awarded to Patricia Bundt and Noel Ormond, and the Frances Warde Leadership Award was presented Margaret Higgins and Abigail Webster. All four students were selected by the Mt. Mercy faculty to receive these awards in recognition of their outstanding contributions in the areas of service and leadership. President of Mt. Mercy Academy Sister Mary Ellen Twist, RSM, introduced the keynote speaker of the ceremony, Ms. Julia Hall, Class of Julia is an attorney with Amnesty International s International Secretariat in London, England. As a researcher on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights in Europe, she specializes in the human rights implications of counter-terrorism laws, policies and practices in Europe and North America. Julia earned her B.A. Degree phi beta kappa from Fordham University in Political Science and English and was then a Fulbright / ITT International Fellow in Middle East Studies at American University in Cairo, Egypt. Additional studies followed with an M.A. Degree in Sociology from SUNY at Buffalo, obtaining her Certificate in Public International Law as a Ford Foundation Fellow from Hague Academy of International Law, The Netherlands and receiving her J.D. Degree magna cum laude from SUNY at Buffalo School of Law. Julia is an active advocate with respect to the protection of human rights and civil liberties of individuals with extensive work before the United Nations and European Court of Human Rights. She has traveled throughout Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. Julia telecommutes daily from her home office in Buffalo, or can be found traveling frequently to her London office. Her counsel to the graduating class included the recommendation to take risks, to know that they each have the power to change the world, to have faith in God, and finally to take time to have fun in life. At the conclusion of her inspirational address to the students, Ms. Hall was presented with a floral bouquet by her niece, Kelly Rose Hall, member of the graduating class. Mrs. Grace Jackson, (Gannon `81) Director of Alumnae, presided over the recognition of the 50 year graduates, from the Class of 1960, and one 75 year graduate from Class of 1935, Mrs. Rosemary Maloney Twist, mother of MMA President Sister Mary Ellen Twist. The silver and golden anniversary graduates received commemorative pins during the ceremony. In her valedictory speech, Katherine Purcell encouraged her classmates to heed the advice offered in a short story written from the point of view of the Little Engine that Could, to follow their own path on life s journey. Benediction was offered by the President of the Mt. Mercy Academy Board of Trustees, Sister Sally Maloney, RSM. Confirming the Academic Excellence, Compassionate Service and Leadership hallmarks of a Mercy education, ninety nine percent of the MMA Class of 2010 will move on to higher education next fall. All received a New York State Regents Diploma, while fifty percent were awarded a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation, ten percent of those with honor. Additionally, every member of the graduating class performed over 100 hours of service to church or community, and 76% carried the yellow McAuley Rose signifying volunteerism of over 125 hours of service. Mt. Mercy Academy is pleased to announce that the Class of 2010 earned over $6.1 million in college scholarships and merit-based grants. Graduation Speaker Julia Hall `81 with niece Kelly Hall `10 at MMA Commencement Ceremony

3 Mt. Mercy Students Nominated for College Scholarships Mount Mercy Academy held its fourth quarter Honors Assembly in the Mercy Center Auditorium on June 11, The program included the distribution of Varsity letters to MMA Magic athletes, and recognition of outstanding achievement for many students during the last quarter of the school year. This year, as always, MMA school counselors were given the opportunity to nominate members of the Junior Class for awards from specific colleges. Nominated students will be awarded an academic scholarship to that college if they so chose to attend. These nominations are based on academic achievements, leadership qualities, community involvement, SAT scores, and a particular interest in a certain field. The following Mount Mercy Academy students will have the opportunity to consider scholarships to the following colleges: The University of Rochester s Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award: Carly Andriaccio The University of Rochester s Frederick Douglas & Susan B. Anthony Award in Humanities and Social Sciences Award: Simone Howard The University of Rochester s Xerox Award for Innovative and Information Technology: Karly Buntich The University of Rochester s Kodak Young Leaders Award: Bridget Jackson The Clarkson University Leadership Award: Quinn Cassidy The Clarkson University Achievement Award: Rebecca Fink The Rochester Institute of Technology s Computing Medal Award: Molly Krug The Rochester Institute of Technology s Creativity and Innovation Award: Leah Moran The Russell Sage College s Student Sage Award: Brittany Wolf The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Medal: Rylie Schreiber The Wells College 21 st Century Leadership Award: Katherine Marren St. Michael s College Book Award: Sarah Kraus The LeMoyne College Heights Award: Rachel Suchocki Lawrence Technological University Award for Excellence in Science and Math: Stephanie Khoury The Elmira College Key: Emilie Fose The Sage College of Albany Art Award: Alexandra Gugliuzza A reception for students and their parents was held after the ceremony. Mount Mercy Academy will hold its annual Open House for prospective students and families on September 26 th and 27 th, 2010.

4 Below: Mt. Mercy President Sister Mary Ellen Twist (`60) poses with her mother, Mrs. Rosemary Maloney Twist (`35) after graduation ceremonies on June 6th. Mrs. Twist was honored as a diamond anniversary 75 year graduate as her daughter, Sister Mary Ellen, celebrated her golden 50 year reunion from MMA. Above: a small group of the 50 year reunion attendees from the Class of 1960 get together for a photo after the MMA Graduation Ceremonies at Kleinhan s Music Hall. Over 90 members of the Class of 1960 returned to Mt. Mercy for a weekend of reminiscing and recollection of their days as Mercy girls. Don t they look marvelous?! Mt. Mercy Academy Class of Year Reunion!

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6 FROM THE MMA HEALTH OFFICE: Mrs. Kathy Burns, R.N. Physicals: New York State Mandates Health Information for all students: Parents of incoming sophomores, juniors, seniors, athletes or any student new to Mount Mercy Academy: Please call your physician or pediatrician s office now to schedule your summer physical and return completed physical forms to the Health Office as soon as it is completed. Any questions call Parents of Incoming Freshmen: If your daughter is planning to try out for a fall sport (soccer, volleyball, cross country, swimming, and golf) the following forms must be returned to Mt. Mercy Academy no later than Friday, August 13, *Current Physical Exam performed by pediatrician. *Official Record of Immunizations. *Health History completed by parent. If student is participating in sports- *Sports Update form completed by parent and student. Tryouts for fall sports begin on Monday, August 23, No student will be allowed to participate in the tryouts without these forms on file. If your daughter is not trying out for a fall sport the Health Appraisal form and the Health history for sports participation form must be turned in to Mt. Mercy no later than Sept. 1, Any questions: Please call the Health Office or Main Office at

7 PARENT REMINDERS FALL ATHLETE NEWS August 16 th Mandatory meeting for fall athletes and their parents 6:00 p.m. in the school cafeteria August 23 rd First day of fall practices PARENTS WATCH FOR THE AUGUST MAILING OF IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING BACK TO SCHOOL STUDENT ORIENTATION SCHEDULES CALENDAR AND OTHER ITEMS OF SIGNIFIGANCE! SEPTEMBER WILL BE HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT! Attention All Parents If you will be moving over the summer and have a change of address, a new phone number, new cell phone number or a new address, please notify Mt. Mercy with the updated information. It is important that we keep our records updated so that essential infor- COMING THIS SEPTEMBER THE MT. MERCY ACADEMY YOUNG WOMAN S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY DETAILS TO FOLLOW SOON! Parents-FYI Students are not permitted to sell candy bars or anything of the like to other students or faculty during the school day. Fundraising of this sort violates the school policy. All requests to fundraise are reviewed through the Vision of Mercy Committee. Thank you for your cooperation. CONGRATULATIONS TO MMA ART TEACHER MS. JACQUI WELCH, A MAJOR EXHIBITOR AT THE KIRK- LAND ART CENTER IN CLINTON, NEW YORK THROUGH AUGUST 25TH! JACQUI S ARTWORK IS WELL KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE WESTERN NEW YORK AREA AND BEYOND! WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE THIS PRESTIGIOUS WORKING ARTIST ON THE MMA FACULTY! ALL THE BEST TO YOU, MS. JACQUI WELCH!

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