Hello, Mercy Family:

The sights and sounds are unmistakable: Freshly cleaned floors and carpets. Exuberant greetings among returning colleagues. New teachers eagerly setting up their Mercy High School classrooms for the very first time.

Yes, we are on the threshold of a new school year here at Mercy, and excitement could not be higher.

Enrollment continues to be strong enough for us to add sections to several core courses -- and hire more faculty to teach them. Our beloved traditions and events are back on the school calendar, and we hope that you'll join us here on campus to celebrate them if you can.

And, using the thoughtful feedback from the community survey we distributed last spring, we are finalizing a new Strategic Plan for Mercy High School that will serve as our North Star, guiding our growth and expansion over the next five years -- while ensuring that we remain "Mercy," true to the culture and core values that you all know and love.

Here are the most frequently cited positive conclusions from that survey:

• Mercy High School is a values- and faith-based Catholic community with a clear mission and where the charism of the Sisters of Mercy is palpable.
• Mercy High School graduates are well-prepared academically for college.
• Mercy High School graduates are productive leaders in their personal and professional lives.

The areas that need additional consideration are around Mercy’s communication with alumnae; making diversity, equity and inclusion visible components of the culture; and the condition of the athletic facilities.

As for the one thing respondents would change about Mercy? The most common answer was affordability.

Thank you! Your candid, loving feedback on this survey has given our StratPlan Committee precisely what it needs to craft a substantive, visionary, and ambitious blueprint for Mercy High School that will feel relevant and exciting to all of you who cherish this institution.

We are so grateful for the time and thought you invested in that survey and for all you do for Mercy, all the time. In the coming months, we will share the final Strategic Plan with you and encourage you to join us on our journey to make our beloved Mercy High School the best it can possibly be in the next chapter of its history.

In Mercy,

Alissa K. DeJonge ‘95

President