SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2020
GREAT MERCY DAY CELEBRATIONS Mercy Day 2020 was like no other! Gwynedd's celebration of the 193rd anniversary of Mercy foundress Catherine McAuley opening of the first House of Baggot in Dublin, Ireland with Mass, a wonderful alumna gift, education and discussion, and, of course, lots of sisterly fun. Festivities spanned two days this year, first with our community Mass and vow renewal by our Sisters of Mercy, followed by installation of student officers, and recognition of the Joan McDermott Bellwoar's '51 historic gift to Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School. Celebrations continued outdoors with our traditional Senior-Freshmen picnic while Sophs and Juniors competed in socially distanced fun including kickball and Escape the Room.
Each year on a rotating basis, one of the five Critical Concerns of the Sisters of Mercy is selected as a focus of study for the year. As announced last spring, the Critical Concern for 2020-21 is Racism. Friday's Mercy Day began with a presentation and breakout discussions on racism and micro-aggressions, and allyship led by Anita Roberson, our Leader of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Students, faculty, and staff participated in the program, the first of our efforts to educate and empower our young women to become bold and compassionate leaders.
We look forward to engaging faculty, students, alumnae, parents, and our greater Gwynedd community in this topic throughout the year ahead.
CALENDAR UPDATE Ms. Kirby announced after Thursday's Mass that in recognition of Mercy Day, there will be a school holiday on Monday, October 19th. There will be no classes or programming that day.
ADMISSIONS OPEN HOUSE Do you know someone who is interested in Gwynedd? This year's open house is going virtual - spread the word! Prospective students will join faculty, staff, coaches, and students over the course of three evenings to learn all about our programs. The virtual open house will take place on September 28 - 30, 2020. Registration is now open.
SENIOR PORTRAITS All seniors and senior parents should have received a postcard and an email with senior portrait reminders and appointment times. If you are unable to make your appointment time, please contact Barksdale directly at 1-800-220-7667. Please check your email for a message from Mrs. Zandier on Friday with details.
NOTABLE DATES SEPT. 28 - 30 Virtual Open House
SEPT. 29 Navigating College Admission Testing, 7PM
OCT. 3 - 8th Grade Entrance-Scholarship Exam - Senior Portraits - Father/Daughter Cooking Class, 5PM
OCT. 4 - 8th Grade Entrance-Scholarship Exam - Senior Portraits - Father/Daughter Cooking Class, 4:30PM
OCT. 5 29th Annual Golf Classic
OCT. 6 Programming Day, Freshmen Retreat
OCT. 7 Mothers' Club - Mom's Night Out, 7PM
OCT. 14 PSAT/NMSQT PROGRAMMING DAYS Please take note of the Programming Days for the remainder of the first semester. Additional information will be sent out as each programming day approaches.
STUDENT INTERNSHIPS Applications for student internships are now being accepted. Internships are stipend positions within Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School in which professional insight and experience can be gained. An internship will involve a total of APPROXIMATELY 50 hours per school year. The role should not take the place of volunteer activities done by clubs, teams, etc. Upon completion of the program, interns will receive a stipend of $500. To apply: Fill out the attached form. Questions regarding internships can be directed to internships@gmahs.org. Applications are due by October 1, 2020. Internships are only open to Juniors and Seniors.
ACTIVITIES
CLUB SIGNUPS Club Signups are underway! If you'd like to join a club at Gwynedd, take a look at the document linked below. In the document you will find many videos from club presidents and a sign-up form.
ADVANCEMENT
ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC - EVENT SUPPORT Our Golf Classic is SOLD OUT!
This year, our Tech basket raffle includes the change to win Apple AirPod Pros, an Apple Watch 6, and a Range Finder.
Silent Auction items golf outings include Bluestone Country Club (foursome), Philly Cricket Club (threesome), Whitemarsh (threesome), ACE (threesome), Philmont (foursome), North Hills (threesome), Commonwealth (threesome), The 1912 Club (threesome).
If you are interested in silent auction items, please follow the inquiry link below.
PARENT RELATIONS We have SOLD OUT 2 nights of our Father Daughter Cooking Class on Saturday, October 3rd and Sunday, October 4th. For those registered, please send in your check for $100 by Friday, October 2 to the attention of Fathers' Club/Jeannine Hartz. Checks can be made payable to GMAHS. Any questions, please contact Fathers' Club President, Brett Keaton. Our plans for our October Mom's Night Out are well underway. We will be hosting an evening with Painting with a Twist. Please keep an eye out for a message from Mothers' Club President, Megan Plamondon Tomko, later this week with event and registration details.
GWYNEDD FORCE Join the Gwynedd Force: an exciting new digital networking community of alumnae, parents, faculty, and staff. Check your email for your personal invitation or go directly to GwyneddForce.com to create your profile and tap into the power of The Gwynedd Connection!
L.E.A.D
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL SAVE THE DATES! October 8 - 12, 2020
LEAD Initiatives will be highlighting "International Day of the Girl"
OFF-CAMPUS INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES John Kane for State Senate is seeking interns. Their office would love to welcome students from GMAHS, especially those who are passionate about political science and current affairs. Email your resume to emily@kane4senate.com.
COLLEGE COUNSELING
UPCOMING EVENTS Practice ACT (Virtual) Saturday, October 24th at 8:30AM This exam will be proctored live and online through Zoom. Regular-time and 50% extended-time will both be offered. Students will still be taking the test in a scheduled, proctored environment with actual test booklets, allowing us to get as close to the official setting as possible, without bringing students together in a classroom. Please see the registration link below for more details.
Register here: https://www.compassprep.com/schools/gmahs/ SHE IS THE FUTURE. ©2020 Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School |