Sections
- From the Head of School
- Academics
- Mission
- Advancement
- Business
- Mercy Parent Association
- Important Dates
- Upcoming Events
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Dear Mercy Families,
As I’ve continued to read Magdalena Yeşil’s book
Power Up: How Smart Women Win in the New Economy
, I was struck by a central theme of the first few chapters: failure. Yeşil feels so strongly about this that Chapter 1 begins with this bold claim: “power comes from having the courage to fail.” Failure has been a hot topic in business and education for a while, and for good reason. Check out just some of the top
results for “failure” on Edutopia
to get a sense of what people have been talking about. The importance of failure for learning both in school and in one’s professional career has even spawned a
Failure School
!
Yeşil focuses on how her failures (including failing to find investors for her first startup) have contributed to her success because they are the perfect opportunities to learn and grown, to discover other’s expectations (like teachers’ or boss’), and examine yourself. In particular, Yeşil highlights how our response to failure is critical - it makes the difference between growth and stagnation. If you can learn to accept failure and the feedback that comes with it as a gift, you will “fail up.” “My colleagues could sense that I was comfortable [with feedback], so they never censored themselves to protect against a bad reaction. This was a big advantage because they wielded the feedback that I needed so I could improve.”
If this is true in the business world, it is even more so in education. The problem is that “school” as we know it is designed to discourage failure, almost at all costs. So failure is critical for learning, but school makes it clear that “failure is not an option.” This is a complex problem, but grades play a huge role. Check out
this article on curbing academic dishonesty
, especially this bit of insight at the end: “Grades are the coin of the realm, and everything about school, particularly most independent schools, stresses the importance of getting good grades for college admissions. Kids cheat to get good grades because grades are infinitely more important than the learning that they are meant to stand for.” At Mercy we know that we have to find ways of never allowing grades to interfere with learning or create an environment where cheating is perversely incentivized.
Heading into the next couple weeks, these are some of the questions I’ll be thinking about: As parents and educators, how can we model and encourage productive failure and cultivate the ability to receive failure as a gift? How can we change the conversations we have with our children and students so we are talking more about learning than grades?
Yours in Mercy,
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Scott McLarty
Head of School
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FEB. 22 GATHERING IS CANCELLED
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Instead of attending Catherine's Cup at Night, we hope families can cheer our varsity basketball team to victory in the second-round playoff game at home against Carmel High School.
Game time is 7 p.m. at McAuley Pavilion. Tickets are $5; $10 for adults; and free for kids 5 and under. According to league rules, tickets must be sold for playoff games.
Wear your Mercy red and bring your Skipper spirit!
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Mandatory Intersession Parent Meeting Tonight at Mercy
With intersession trips happening February 26-March 2, parents of students who are attending overnight trips must attend a mandatory meeting tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. in the Theatre.
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Varsity Basketball Playoff Game at Home on Thursday
Cheer our varsity basketball team to victory in the second-round playoff game at home against Carmel High School on Thursday, Feb. 22.
Game time is 7 p.m. at McAuley Pavilion. Tickets are $5; $10 for adults; and free for kids 5 and under. According to league rules, tickets must be sold for playoff games.
Wear your Mercy red and bring your Skipper spirit!
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Dear Mercy Families,
My first week at Mercy as the Chief Advancement Officer has been a whirlwind, and I deeply appreciate the warm welcome I have received from across the Mercy community. I am thrilled to be here and look forward to meeting you and your daughters in the days to come.
The purpose of an Advancement team is to advance the mission of the school through development (fundraising), marketing and communications, and alumnae relations. Our job is to meaningfully engage and communicate with the key constituents in our community, to tell our Mercy stories, and to contribute to the financial well-being of the school. I look forward to partnering with parents, guardians and families to build a culture of philanthropy at Mercy.
As I mentioned in
my hiring announcement
that was previously released - I hope to play an instrumental role in helping Mercy achieve its ambitious goals, and to ensure the school’s long-term success in the years to come. I hope to have a positive impact on bringing increased growth, sustainability and purpose anchored in Mercy’s strong mission and bold vision of preparing women for their expanding roles in society.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or if you would like to get more involved.
In Mercy,
Anne Farrah
Chief Advancement Officer
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Senior Parents - Payment Reminder
ALL tuition payments and accounts must be settled for seniors prior to close of business,
Monday, April 30
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to allow seniors to take exams, walk at graduation and attend Grad Night.
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Crab Feed Most Successful in Recent Years
We want to share a huge thank you with all the parents who bought tickets to the Crab Feed and the more than 20 parent volunteers who helped make the event the most successful crab feed in recent years.
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MPA Minutes for Feb. 8 Meeting
Full meeting minutes from the Feb. 8 meeting.
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Feb. 14-March 5
Wednesday, Feb. 21
- Junior College Workshop
- 8:00-8:45 a.m.
- Computer Lab, Room 318
- MANDATORY: Intersession Parent Meeting for Overnight Courses
- 7-9 p.m.
- Mercy Theater
Thursday, Feb. 22
- Catherine’s Cup at Night
- 6-7:30 p.m.
- M Lounge
Friday, Feb. 23
- Senior Holiday
- WITA Museum Visit
- 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Feb. 26 – March 2
Tuesday, March 6
- Sophomore: Do What You Are Career Workshop
- 8-8:45 a.m.
- 8:45-9:25 a.m.
- Computer Lab, Room 318
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Wednesday, March 7
- Mercy Parent Association Meeting
- 6:30-8 p.m.
- Rist Hall
Friday, March 9
- End of 3rd Quarter
- Mercy/Riordan Benefit Dance
- 6-9:30 p.m.
- Riordan H.S.
Friday, March 16
- Mother Daughter Trivia Night
- 7-10 p.m.
- Mercy High School
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Spring Musical:
Seussical
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Dates:
April 20, 21, 27, 28
Time:
7 p.m.
Location:
Mercy High School Theatre
Cost:
$12
This lively musical weaves together Dr. Seuss’ most famous tales and characters.
Seussical
incorporates elements from at least 15 of his books, as well as many of his best-loved and most familiar characters. Many of these characters never met one another before. But they meet in this musical!
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Save the Date: La Merced Gala
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Date:
Thursday, May 3
Time:
6:30 p.m.
Location:
Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco
BECOME A SPONSOR
Do you or someone you know want to become a sponsor of this year's La Merced Gala? Complete the fillable form below and email it Bekah Paige, Director of Development,
bpaige@mercyhs.org
Tickets on sale soon!
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Our Mission
Mercy High School, San Francisco, educates women to pursue lives of spiritual and intellectual depth, determination and daring action to improve our world as an inclusive, college preparatory community enlivened by the gospel of Jesus and the charism of the Sisters of Mercy.
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Our Vision
We are the Social Advocacy Based Learning Catholic school of the San Francisco Bay Area where women graduate with fierce determination to improve our world.
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