MOUNT MERCY ACADEMY October 2010 Newsletter

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1 MOUNT MERCY ACADEMY October 2010 Newsletter A Message from our Principal October, 2010 Dear Parents and Guardians, I am composing this letter on the anniversary of the birthday of Catherine McAuley (September 29). Catherine, as we all know, is the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, foundress of schools and advocate for women and the poor. Catherine knew the value of an education and the value of a woman in leadership roles. Here at Mount Mercy Academy we live the mission of Catherine, the Mission of Mercy. We value and nurture your daughters so that through education they too will take the Mercy mission into the world. As part of your daughter s education we firmly believe it is our duty to provide the opportunity for each one of them to become a leader. The newly established Leadership Academy is doing just that. Because of the dedication of several of our teachers, the Leadership Academy took shape this summer. I want to particularly thank Mrs. Margaret Staszak who conceived this idea several years ago and pushed to make it a reality. I also want to thank Mrs. Paula Barblock, Mrs. Teresa Melonson, Dr. Karen Huffman, Miss Kelly Accordino and Mrs. Michele Kujawinski who devoted many hours to make it possible for us to introduce the Leadership Academy at the start of this school year. These women have taken the mission of Catherine and the mission of MMA to heart. We introduced the Leadership Academy to you at Meet the Teacher Night but we hope to keep you posted on our progress and the results at the end of this school year. The most obvious manifestation of your daughter s leadership skills was evident at our recent Open House. I cannot tell you how immensely proud I was of all of the students who participated and helped to promote MMA. From the girls who ran the registration table, our tour guides, our club, class and athletic representatives to the girls who distributed refreshments all of them exhibited poise, maturity and hospitality and it was noted by those who attended the event. I heard from parents, our Board members and members of the faculty who witnessed your daughters in action. They were wonderful ambassadors for Mount Mercy but more importantly they displayed the leadership characteristics we hope to see in all of our students. What better birthday gift can we give to Catherine than to show how her legacy lives on? Happy Birthday to Catherine McAuley! May we continue to make her mission come alive in our students, faculty, staff, parents and all of those who are part of the Circle of Mercy. Sincerely, Paulette Gaske Principal VOLUME 8, ISSUE 75 Items of Special Interest October 6: Early Dismissal: 12:42 PM October 11: NO SCHOOL in observance of Columbus Day October 12: 7:00 PM Mercy Center Auditorium: Parent Meeting regarding Catholic Health Partnership Opportunities October 13: TESTING DAY: Early Dismissal 11:30 AM October 15: 7:00 PM 10:00 PM MMA Gym: Fall Back Dance Grades 9-12 October 17: 8:00 AM St. Martin of Tours Church: Mother Daughter Mass and Breakfast following at Lucarelli s Banquet Center October 26: 7:00 PM Mercy Center Chapel: McAuley Scholar Induction Ceremony Other Items of Importance: Atlas Prep Classes for SAT Exams will take place at MMA from 9:00 AM 1:00 PM on Saturdays (10/2, 10/16, 10/ 23, 10/30, and Wednesdays from 3:00 PM-6:00 PM on 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27and 11/3) Entrance Exam Prep Classes will run from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM Saturday mornings 10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13 and the Entrance Exam will be administered at 8:30 AM on November 20, 2010.

2 Mt. Mercy Photo Album MMA students smile brightly at the Mercy Day assembly. The entire Mt. Mercy community prays the Suscipe of Catherine McAuley together on Mercy Day Catholic Health Professionals, Dr. Lefever of Trocaire College and students from Mt. Mercy Academy and Bishop Timon pose after an informational assembly at MMA. The Mercy Magic Cross Country Team is ready for a great season! Happy October, Mt. Mercy Parents! Western New York Autumns are known to be fabulous, so we hope you enjoy the beautiful foliage and the last warm days before winter arrives in Buffalo. October also brings the arrival of 5-week reports from teachers regarding student academic progress, so please be sure you have access to your daughter s EdLine account and check on grades and achievement so far. Please contact Mrs. Joyce Fruth at jfruth@mtmercy.org if you require assistance in activating your account. Parents are encouraged to contact teachers and school counselors at any time regarding student academic concerns. All teachers have MMA accounts and voic accounts and will respond to parents right away. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events, such as the Mother-Daughter Mass and Breakfast on October 17th and a the Magic Money Party on November 19th! Please send your Magic Money ticket sales with your daughter to the MMA Main Office asap! Thank you for your continued support!

3 Mt. Mercy Academy Open House 2010 was Hugely Successful! Thank You to Everyone for your Support! HIGH SCHOOL PLACEMENT EXAM INFORMATION DO YOU KNOW AN EIGHTH GRADE GIRL OR BOY INTERESTED IN TAKING THE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL PLACEMENT TEST (ENTRANCE EXAM) ON NOVEMBER 20, 2010? IF SO, MMA OFFERS A FIVE WEEK PREP COURSE TO READY STUDENTS FOR THE EXAM. THIS COURSE HAS PROVEN SUCCESSFUL FOR MANY STUDENTS WHO HAVE TAKEN THIS EXAM IN THE PAST. THE COURSE COVERS TEST STRATEGIES, TIPS AND ADVICE FOR OVERCOMING TEST ANXIETY, IN-DEPTH SUBJECT REVIEW OF VERBAL SKILLS, QUANTITATIVE SKILLS, MATH SKILLS, READING COMPREHENSION AND MORE THE COURSE INCLUDES : ARCO PREP BOOK / 5 SATURDAY MORNING CLASSES FROM 9 AM-NOON /SNACKS Course meeting dates: October 16, 23,30, Nov. 6, 13 Exam Administration November 20, 2010 COST: $110 PER STUDENT CONTACT Mrs. Jeanne Burvid x 241 or jburvid@mtmercy.org

4 New to the Circle of Mercy Mt. Mercy Academy President Sister Mary Ellen Twist and Principal Mrs. Paulette Gaske are pleased to welcome Ms. Christine Newman as the new Director of Marketing for MMA. We are delighted to welcome her to Mt. Mercy Academy. MMA Cross Country runners Katie Shea and Claire Walsh show their form. Partial Scholarships offered for Freshmen as of Fall 2011 First Published: September 30, 2010, 12:00 AM The John R. Oishei Foundation is offering partial scholarships for incoming high school freshmen for the fall of One scholarship winner will be selected for each of 16 schools that belong to the Buffalo Independent Secondary School Network. The Oishei High School Scholarship Program provides tuition and fees for economically disadvantaged minority high school students in the Buffalo area. Students must first complete the application process required by individual schools. After admission decisions are made, each school will forward its scholarship nominations to an independent scholarship selection committee that will announce its decisions next spring. Placement exams for the various schools are scheduled for this fall. Application information is available at or by contacting the schools directly. Since 1998, the program has awarded approximately 200 scholarships. Funding is provided by the John R. Oishei Foundation, which was established in 1940 by the founder of Trico Products Corp., one of the world s leading manufacturers of windshield wipers. MMA Students are pleased to greet guests at Open House MMA SPOTLIGHT ON: MMA Science Teacher Dr. Karen Huffman MMA Students pray the Suscipe of Catherine McAuley during the Mercy Day Celebration. MMA students may not realize it, but one of their teachers is a black belt in TAE KWON DO, and recently competed in a national contest in Dallas, Texas, earning a second place medal! According to Dr. Huffman: I was on a Tae Kwon Do competition team made up entirely of women- moms to be exact. There were 15 of us and our average age is 44 (I'm above average!), and we have 36 kids among us all. We started practicing in April once a week, then in July went to 2 times a week- about 3 hours each practice. We did a combination of movements, sparring (fighting) and breaking boards for our event- a 6 minute choreographed routine. We traveled to Dallas TX to compete on August 7th- our competitors were all teenagers from different Tae Kwon Do schools across the country, so we were really thrilled to place second. The Magic Volleyball Team is ready for action!

5 CATHOLIC HEALTH SYSTEM PARTNERSHIP with MT. MERCY ACADEMY AND BISHOP TIMON HIGH SCHOOL FOUR YEAR PROGRAM EXPOSURE TO THE MISSION of CATHOLIC HEALTH CARE IN WNY And the VARIETY OF CAREERS awaiting today s students RESEARCH AND ALL MEDICAL/CLINICAL FIELDS FINANCE, MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS, HUMAN RESOURCES and more HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES PROFESSIONAL MENTORS IN THE FIELD FRESHMAN/SOPHOMORE YEAR HEALTH CARE CAREER CLUB Featuring FIELD TRIPS TO MERCYFLIGHT MASH CAMP IN THE HOSPITAL and more See Mrs. Melonson for details. JUNIOR YEAR SHADOWING ROTATIONS RADIOLOGY, GROSS ANATOMY, MATERNITY, MISSION ON THE MOVE TRAVELING CLINIC, NURSING UNITS, RESPIRATORY THERAPHY, PHYSICAL THERAPY and more CLASS MEETING Friday, October 15 Mercy Auditorium CHRISTIAN SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES MERCY HOSPITAL, OUR LADY OF VICTORY SENIOR VILLAGE SHARING THE MERCY MISSION See Mrs. Melonson for details. SENIOR INTERNSHIPS for SCHOOL CREDIT FROM RESEARCH AND CLINICAL TO MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS and more See Mrs. Dawn Robertson for details. PARENT MEETING Present and Future Parents TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, :00 PM MT.MERCY ACADEMY AUDITORIUM TUITION DISCOUNT FOR CATHOLIC HEALTH EMPLOYEES

6 Mt. Mercy Academy Alumnae Association Announces 2010 Honorees The Mt. Mercy Alumnae Association proudly announces the 2010 Mercy Honors Honorees. The awards recognize distinguished Mt. Mercy Academy graduates and affiliates. Awards in two categories will be presented at a gala dinner to be held at Romanello s South Restaurant on Thursday, November 4, 2010 at 6:15 p.m. The Catherine McAuley Distinguished Alumna Award is presented in the name of the Sisters of Mercy Foundress. The award honors alumnae who have distinguished themselves in the areas of faith, family, community and career. The Spirit of Mercy Award honors persons who exhibit the Spirit of Mercy in their professional and personal lives, most notably for their commitment and dedication to their community. The 2010 Mercy Honors recipients are as follows: Distinguished Alumna Award Sr. Sally Walz, RSM Class of 1956 Sr. Sally Walz is a 1956 graduate of Mt. Mercy Academy who earned her Bachelor of Arts in History from Mt. St. Joseph College and a Master of Arts Degree in Education & Supervision from Niagara University. Sr. Sally was a Junior High School Teacher during a period of 10 years and later an Elementary Administrator over a period of 6 years. She continued on to a Secondary Administration position at Mt. Mercy Academy for 8 years. Her work within the Diocese of Buffalo continued in positions as Assistant Coordinator for the Retirement Fund for Religious, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Trocaire College and Director of Development and Alumnae at Mt. Mercy Academy. She is currently the Assistant Director of Development for Sisters of Mercy New York, Pennsylvania, Pacific West Community. Sr. Sally has received a Doctor of Letters Honorary Degree from Canisius College and is the first woman to receive this distinguished honor. She established the first girls comprehensive athletic program at Mt. Mercy and, for these efforts, was later inducted into the school s Athletic Hall of Fame. Sister has also received the Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School Judge John Hillary Award. As a member of many Committees and Boards of Directors, she has raised the awareness of women s issues and advocated for necessary programs to help every woman become all they can be. Distinguished Alumna Award - Sharon Green Class of 1969 After graduating from Mt. Mercy, Sharon went on to receive her Bachelor of Arts Degree from SUNY Fredonia and her Master of Education Degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Early in her career, Sharon taught 7 th and 8 th grade English as a Second Language at the University of Buffalo and in Poland. She also taught an introductory Women s Studies course at UB for 11 years. For the past 24 years, Sharon has taught reading, writing, vocabulary development and critical thinking to college students at both D Youville College and at Niagara University. Her current position is Reading Coordinator in the Office of Academic Support at Niagara University. She develops curriculum, teaches courses, presents study skills workshops and evaluates placement testing. Sharon has done much activist work on women s issues, most notably teaching an introductory Women s Studies course at SUNY at Buffalo for 22 semesters, developing a similar course for Niagara University and writing a monthly column for Common Ground: The Western New York Women s News Journal in the 1980s-1990s. In 2007, after meeting a native of eastern Uganda and learning about how impoverished the people are, Sharon co-founded Global African Village, an all-volunteer non-profit to assist the impoverished Bagishu people of eastern Uganda. Sharon is also the author of the book Sharon s Simple Study Strategies for College Success, as well as numerous articles and opinion pieces in The Buffalo News and other publications. She has received many awards for teaching and professional service.

7 Distinguished Alumna Award Marguerite C. McDonald Garrison Class of 1977 Marguerite C. McDonald was raised in Buffalo, N.Y. and graduated from Mount Mercy Academy in Thereafter, she entered Saint Bonaventure University where she managed the University's first women's softball team and was the recipient of the Athletic Department's Female Merit Award. Marguerite graduated in 1981 with a dual Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Biology and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Military Police Corps through the Army ROTC program. Colonel Garrison currently serves as the Chief of the Initiatives Group for the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army managing a small cadre of personnel responsible for translating strategic plans and policies into action. She was listed in the 1995 Edition of Who s Who in American Women and is in the 2010 Edition of Who s Who in America. She was also selected as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Atlanta by Atlanta Women s Magazine in She is active in the community by volunteering at a Virginia Food Bank, Pet Rescue Adoption, and has served as a lector and religious education teacher at various military installations throughout her career. Her awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with oak Leaf Cluster), Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and NATO Medal (Kosovo). Distinguished Alumna Award - Elizabeth Carey Ras Class of 1987 After graduating from Mt. Mercy Academy in 1987, Elizabeth Carey went on to receive her Bachelor s Degree in Broadcasting and her Master s in Multidisciplinary Studies from Buffalo State College. She started work in the Buffalo area in the highly competitive news industry. Working her way up through radio and television brought her to her current position of Business First Reporter on Channel 7 News. Her television reports focus on local business news, small business issues and current community events. She brings the latest, up-to-the-minute business news covering both successful entrepreneurs and large business corporations in Western New York. Elizabeth also writes print stories for Business First and helps her readers Stay Tuned with her blog at buffalo.bizjournals.com. She is often found hosting charitable events for area non-profit groups. Some of the community groups she works with include Junior Achievement, BNAR and Buffalo State College. Her efforts have also spread to the SPCA, Buffalo Zoo, WNY United, Compeer, Variety Club, March of Dimes and many area nursing homes. Spirit of Mercy Award Dr. Linda Perrone Rooney Class of 1963 Linda Rooney is the Founder and President of Rooney Consultants and Life Enrichment Services and works nationwide to offer consulting, training, coaching, teaching and spiritual services to individuals, faith-based groups and organizations. Her personal and professional mission is to bring compassion, collaboration and healing to those most in need, and education and formation to those pursuing professional or ministerial goals. Dr. Rooney received her Doctorate from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and has spent the past 40 years serving the people of God as a leader within the Roman Catholic Church with ecumenical groups and non-profit organizations. Her ministerial experiences are vast, including 25 years as Director of Lay Ministry Development for the Diocese of Orlando, Florida, where she oversaw the development of ecclesial lay ministry, pastoral care, spirituality of work and adult formation. Additionally, as a certified chaplain and CPE Supervisor, she was instrumental in developing outreach to the sick, dying and aging, writing and producing video-based training processes used in various parts of the country and establishing parish nurse outreach. Dr. Rooney also writes prolifically having produced three books in 2006, Habits of the Soul, 101 Ways to Communicate With Your Kids, Hold Fast to Hope: Help for Caregivers; Praying Our Grief: Comfort and Prayers for Widows (2008), Call to Heal: A Handbook for Those Visiting the Sick, Aged and Dying (2010), and one on Discipleship due in She has also been published in America Magazine for her article: You re Not My Daughter, a reflection on caring for her mother who has Alzheimer s disease. Alumnae, family and friends are invited to honor the 2010 Mercy Award recipients. For further information or to make reservations or be a patron sponsor, please call the Alumnae Office at , ext All proceeds benefit the Academy Scholarship Fund. Anne Marie Kuwik, Class of 1984, is the Chairperson of this year s Mercy Honors celebration.

8 Please Save the Date for the Magic Money Sweepstakes to be held Friday, November 19, 2010 in the Mount Mercy Academy gymnasium. We need your help! All MMA students are required to sell at least 5 tickets to Magic Money. Prizes are awarded to the students who sell the most tickets; and spirit points are awarded to the top selling class. Volunteers are needed to make this event a success. Please fill out and return the volunteer form that you received in August. Tickets are $25 a piece for your chance to win $11,000 in prizes; pizza, drinks, and desserts included! For tickets or questions please call Brittany in the Institutional Advancement Office at ext. 321 or at bfinnegan@mtmercy.org Thank you for your efforts! Macy's Shop for a Cause Find The Magic of Giving Back to MMA on Saturday, October 16th by purchasing a $5 Macy's Coupon Book Save 10-25% all day on Saturday, October 16th at any Macy's Department Store or online at Macys.com Coupon books can be purchased at MMA in the main office or can be mailed to you by calling ext. 321 All proceeds from the sale of these coupon books goes directly to MMA Thank you for your support!

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11 IMPORTANT PARENT REMINDERS FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! Yes, Free!! FREE PSAT workshop for Juniors through Atlas Test Prep Thursday, October 7 from 3-5 at MMA in Room 210 Sign-up sheet in the Counseling Center! (PSAT is October 13th!) Mother/Daughter Mass and Breakfast Date: Sunday, October 17th Liturgy: 8:00am at St. Martin of Tours Church Breakfast following at Lucarelli s Banquet Center Tickets on sale in the MMA bookstore until October 8th Cost of tickets: $15.00/each Invitations were mailed out on September 24th. Aunts, Grandmothers and other significant women welcome! FALL SPORTS BANQUET 2010 Mt. Mercy Fall Sports Banquet and Booster Raffle Saturday, November 6th at 6:00 p.m. in the Mt. Mercy Dining Hall Admission $5 per person Pizza and Pop will be served MMA SPORTS SCHEDULES AVAILABLE ON THE MMA WEBSITE Please check the MMA Website for schedules, including dates, times and venues for Mercy Magic Sports Teams. Results will be posted following all matches. 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. Attention All MMA Parents! Please activate your EDLINE account. If you still need your activation code please contact Mrs. Fruth at jfruth@mtmercy.org or x111. In order for your EDLINE Account to be complete, you need to enter a valid address. You will not receive notices of grade postings or news updates without it so please check your account under Manage Account. Also, we have a new feature this year regarding Absence Excuses. You can submit an absence excuse online. It is located under the Contents section on the main EDLINE page.

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