FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2019

As a student myself, I learned about Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, whose central focus was caring for and educating women and young girls; and now as a Theology teacher, I realize my simple yet profound message must be to teach what she taught.  She once said "the proof of love is deed." And for my students, that means demonstrate your love for yourself, your God, your family, your friends and everyone else you encounter with loving action.  Difficult? At times nearly impossible, but everyday I'm blessed to greet another sunrise, and every day I remember she also said, "Try to be good today but better tomorrow."

So, Mercy drives the content of my classroom; I challenge all my students to try to make Gwynedd a better institution than how they found it. My theme of servant leadership offers wide ranging avenues of action; the Socratic Method of instruction forms the basis of my approach in all my classes.

I've been a Mercy educator and an alum of two Mercy institutions for over 25 years.  And I can honestly say from my heart: Mercy lives in this building! It appears on walls and letterhead and envelopes, on bulletin boards and sporting gear, on tee shirts and blazers, on water bottles and pencils and everything else from the school store.  It's also floats in the hallways and the classrooms, in the gym and on the stage, in the faculty and staff; It travels out to the turf field, in the van headed to a nursing home, a soup kitchen or an after school event. But most of all, it's in our students. It moves our girls to learn and achieve, to play and to win, to cheer and to clap, to see disappointment and say a kind word, to raise their hands and say "Yes, I can." Mercy is the engine that powers this school.

Ask yourself an important question:  what do I want from high school? If you can answer that without much thought, dig deeper. Ask it again and again.  Make the answer count; make it count for yourself; but more importantly, make it count for others. That's Mercy!

And that makes all the difference!

TE@CH WEEK

One component of our "She is the Future" Strategic Vision is an emphasis on engaging our community in practices that help to sustain health and well-being for all members of the GMA community. In taking steps toward realizing this goal, Gwynedd held its first annual safety and technology awareness week, titled TE@CH – Tech Empowerment & Cognitive Health.

Our goal for TE@CH Week was to highlight the benefit of disconnecting from technology, being mindful of how reliant we all are on our devices, and to hold one another accountable in helping to create a balanced technology culture at GMA. We want to recognize the many benefits of technology while also raising awareness of the cognitive benefits of disconnecting. When asked to brainstorm some ideas, one student from the Meditation & Mindfulness Club came up with a slogan that captures our larger goal: Keep your brain clean, turn off your screen!

Multiple events were held, including an Information Fair with educational materials and resources to assist students in learning about the responsible use of technology in a way that is healthful.

MUSIC

appear as a soloist at the Choral Society's concluding subscription concert in June 2019. The overall level of auditions was truly outstanding this year, making the final subjective choices extremely difficult.

SPANISH HONORS II

Mrs. Cimorelli's Honors Spanish II classes participated in hosting a "Mercado al aire libre" ("Open air market"). The assignment was successful and a lot of fun.  

Students created 2 handmade items to "sell" at our "mercado." Then, on our block periods, we spent the entire class "shopping."  All students were provided "euros" to use to buy items from our market. The students needed to display their items, create a description of the items, and create a flyer in Spanish, as well as speak and negotiate with one another in Spanish for the entire period. Each student walked away with 2 new items.

Senorita Williamson and Ms. Casavecchia stopped by to check out our items. Ms. Casavecchia also picked up some unique items at a great price!

FRESHMAN HONORS WORLD CULTURES

Mrs. Steiert's and Mrs. Battisto's Freshman Honors World Cultures classes have been studying Folk and Popular Culture. Throughout the week they been researching folk and popular art, food, clothing, languages, religions, etc. in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

Recently, they completed a display tour of the classroom, sharing their research and sharing the cultures of the regions they explored. They took turns at stations as presenters and learners, asking questions, making comments, and sharing some tasty treats!

"TechShop" for the amazing non-profit organization, TechGirlz®  "Remix-U: Unleashing Your Inner DJ" will be offered on the GMAHS Campus, March 9, 2019 from 9:00 am to Noon.

The TechShop is offered exclusively for middle school girls interested in expanding their knowledge in STEM subjects. Read the TechShop description and register below! This TechShop is open to girls in grades 5-8, only. 

MERCY GIRL EFFECT

SHE IS THE FUTURE.

©2019 | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School

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

(215) 646–8815

gmahs.org

Archive Link | Unsubscribe Link | Forward to a Friend Link