JANUARY 23, 2017 | CONTACT: [email protected]
 
National Catholic Education Week Coming Soon
 
 
Catholic Schools Week is next week! Sponsored by the National Catholic Education Association, the week is an annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. It runs January 28–February 3, 2018.

Schools typically observe the week with masses, open houses, fundraising, social media campaigns and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members. Through these events, schools focus on the value Catholic education provides to young people and its contributions to Church, local communities and the nation.

This year’s theme is Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed. Each day also has a unique theme. 
  • Sunday: Celebrating Your Parish 
  • Monday: Celebrating Your Community
  • Tuesday: Celebrating Your Students
  • Wednesday: Celebrating the Nation
  • Thursday: Celebrating Vocations
  • Friday: Celebrating Faculty, Staff, and Volunteers
  • Saturday: Celebrating Families

Tuesday, Jan. 30th is set aside as a day of giving. Visit NCEA's dedicated webpage to learn more, download graphics and sample materials, and inquire about setting up a donation page if you haven't already done so.

We want to hear from you! How do you plan to mark this year's event? Drop us a note at [email protected]. Be sure to copy us on your social media posts so that we can amplify your messages. Use @mercyeducationsystem on Facebook and @MercyEdSystem on Twitter.
 
  Apply to Become a Green
Ribbon School
 
 
State education agencies (SEAs) are currently accepting applications for nominees to the 2018 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools program, which recognizes public and private schools in three primary areas known as Pillars:

  • Reduced environmental impact and costs
  • Improved health and wellness of schools, students, and staff
  • Effective environmental and sustainability education

Schools that wish to be nominated should contact their SEA for application deadlines and additional information. Note: Each SEA may submit as many as five Pre-K-12 schools or districts. But, once selected as an honoree, a school or district may not be selected again. Here's a fact sheet for the program.

Nominations from states will be accepted by the Education Department until March 31, 2018. After nominees are submitted by the state, the Department of Education will review the nominees to ensure that progress is being made on all three Pillars. This review will determine the 2018 honorees that will be announced on April 23, 2018.

If you are considering applying, have a look at Highlights from the 2017 Honorees or visit the Green Strides website, which provides resources, webinars, case studies, promising practices, and collaboration opportunities for schools to make progress across every Pillar of the award.
 
 
School Profile: Mount Saint Mary Academy
 
We continue with our series of brief school profiles, this week with Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung, NJ. Our goal for these profiles is to support learning from one another. So if you see something you want to know more about, get in touch with that school community!
 
 
Mount Saint Mary Academy is a 110-year old Catholic, independent institution located on a beautiful mountaintop about 23 miles outside of New York City. About 344 students attend each day and get steeped in an exemplary college-preparatory curriculum. Last year, graduating seniors were awarded more than $17 million in scholarships and grants.

Learn more by visiting the school's website and following it on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
 
Classes are designed to encourage critical thinking, effective writing, and high-level problem solving. Students can select from College Prep, Honors, and Advanced Placement courses. Each year, students take AP exams in 14 subjects. Explore the school's online course catalog to learn more about its academic offerings. Mount Saint Mary Academy is also a member of One Schoolhouse, through which it offers cutting-edge online courses.
 
 
Mount Saint Mary Academy students become women of Mercy, living by the core values of justice, compassion, respect, integrity, and service. School masses, class retreats at its House of Prayer, and campus-wide service days are among the many opportunities for students to embrace their faith life. The school's home page and social media posts tell an exciting tale of recent service projects, awards, trips, and more.
 
  Deadline Approaching for #MakeMercyReal Video Contest
 
 
Here's a friendly reminder that the deadline for the #MakeMercyReal Video Contest is March 1, 2018.

High schools students who attend Mercy high schools, colleges/universities, or who are involved in a Mercy-affiliated ministry are encouraged to create a short video about one or more of Mercy's Critical Concerns that:

  • educates about an injustice
  • demonstrates how an individual or group with a history of activism has confronted injustice (the action can still be in process)
  • shows how an individual or group has been negatively impacted by an injustice

 
Updated Job Listings


Our Ministry Openings webpage contains links to the employment pages of MESA schools. Visit regularly to stay up to date.

Do you have an opportunity you'd like to highlight in an upcoming issue of MESA Flash? Email [email protected].
MESA Leadership Forum
 
March 1, 2018
8 am - 3 pm
Atlanta, GA
  “Partners in Mercy”
 
Leadership Academy
July 23-24, 2018
Baltimore, MD
 
 You are encouraged to send in information that you'd like to share through the MESA Flash. We'd love to share your good news, photos from your schools, along with tips and practical suggestions from which others in the community can learn. Email us at [email protected].