MS. MARY E. KIRBY

PRINCIPAL

As you may know, this fall our President, Denise Corkery Marbach '72, P'05, '09, and I were installed by the Sisters of Mercy as the new school leaders. As I prepared for the ceremony, I reflected on my first introduction to Catherine McAuley over 4 decades ago. Of all of her many inspirational quotes, I have always endeavored to embody Catherine's words, "We must strive to do ordinary things extraordinarily well" and personally accomplish those things through Faith, Hope and Charity.

I have a deep and abiding Faith in our Catholic Religion and in the benefits of Catholic education, a field in which I have had decades of experience. I have equal faith in our Gwynedd community and respect for the wealth of talent, devotion, expertise and integrity of our faculty and staff, and of course, our remarkable students. I acknowledge the heroic efforts of the eighteen Sisters of Mercy principals who have preceded me and brought us to where we are today.

I have Hope that we will continue enhancing our proud tradition of academic excellence with a rigorous curriculum, innovative programs and experiential learning opportunities.  However, the primary principle and method of Mercy education as Catherine McAuley conceived and practiced it, "is to be and do what we teach".  All Mercy educators, in addition to developing intellectual skills, are called by Catherine to teach by example as they comfort, encourage, and console the students in the most thorough and lasting way possible. Our hope is that Catherine's legacy will live through our Gwynedd students as ambassadors of peace, comfort, encouragement and consolation for all they meet throughout the world.

I have Charity in fully embracing the Mercy charism of love of God and service to others.  I am not a stranger to the Mercy tradition, having a sister in the Community and being an alumna of Gwynedd Mercy University, but I have been overwhelmed by the fierce presence of the Mercy spirit and the strong commitment to service that dominates this school. 

So I conclude where I began: I will strive to do ordinary things extraordinarily well as Principal of Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School.

GWYNEDD CHORALE PERFORMS

AT LONGWOOD GARDENS

Monday, December 18

7-7:30 & 8-8:30PM

The Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School Chorale will perform at Longwood Gardens on Monday, December 18. Join us to experience and celebrate the beauty and grandeur of the holiday season. The girls will perform once at 7PM and again at 8PM.

All are invited to enjoy the sounds and sights of a very special evening and support our very talented musicians!

MONTGOMERY COUNTY COACHES

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE,

COACH TOM LONERGAN

Gwynedd proudly congratulates Coach Tom Lonergan, who was inducted into the Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame last month.

Lonergan joined GMAHS as Basketball Coach in 2013 and has won more games in four years than the team has in the previous 11 seasons. The Monarchs have had three consecutive 20-win seasons and won the Academies League Championship in 2016.

"When you get honors like this, you're humbled," Lonergan says. "At the same time you appreciate the respect that the honor brings. I've been fortunately blessed to have some very talented players, terrific coaching staff from year-to-year and I wouldn't be here without them. They should be at the forefront. I've just been lucky."

Emmy® award-winning Monarch

Marisa DeCandido '09

Alumna Marisa DeCandido '09 was part of the NBC26 Green Bay news team honored with a prestigious Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy award for the Best Evening Newscast at the 59th annual Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards in Chicago on December 2. Marisa and a photographer drove all night to report live from the scene of the Dallas police shootings in 2016. "I am thankful that management at NBC26 encourages us to 'think big' and let us drive from Green Bay to Dallas to report on a pivotal moment in our nation's history," Marisa said. "It was a day where we saw our newsroom, and the entire country, come together. I could not be more proud to be a part of this Emmy® award-winning team." 

SPEECH & DEBATE

Speech & Debate competed in the prestigious George Mason Patriot Games Classic Invitational Tournament this past weekend. Congratulations to nationally-ranked team member and president, Julia Kreutzer '18, for placing 9th in Original Oratory.

THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE

In partnership with Gwynedd Mercy University, Waldron Mercy Academy, and Merion Mercy Academy, the 2017 Thanksgiving Food Drive collected more than $1,200 and multiple vans filled with food. Combined, the contributions provided Thanksgiving meals to more than 83 families from Mercy Neighborhood Ministries and the Church of the Gesu.

DIVERSITY CLUB

Gwynedd's Diversity Club attended the Special Olympics held at Villanova University last month. The girls provided cornhole competitions and coloring activities, and shared some awesome dance moves with the competitors between their events. As a surprise, the Philly Phanatic and Darth Vader made a special appearance.

Each year we look forward to supporting this Special Olympics event, as we continue spreading the mercy message!

SENIOR KYLIE SALOMA NAMED TO

U.S. FIGURE SKATING'S

DREAM PROGRAM

Congratulations to Kylie Saloma '18 who has been named a DREAM skater as part of the U.S. Figure Skating's DREAM Program.

DREAM= Determination, Responsibility, Education, Achievement, Motivation

U.S. Figure Skating's DREAM program for synchronized skating uses the skating and leadership skills of America's top synchronized skaters to influence the lives of developing athletes.

Skaters are selected from a highly accomplished pool of applicants from Team USA synchronized skating teams to join U.S. Figure Skating to support and promote synchronized skating in the United States. The 2017-18 DREAM program includes eleven skaters representing a variety of teams from across the country.

©2017 | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School

P.O. Box 902, 1345 Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd Valley, PA 19437

(215) 646–8815

gmahs.org

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