July 22, 2020 Dear Class of 2024 Parents,
High school is an exciting time in one's life, and the Class of 2024 is now ready to begin this wonderful phase of their lives. We welcome each member of the Class of 2024, along with their parents and families. The next four years will go by very quickly! I encourage all of you to get involved in Mercy McAuley and stay connected with your daughter's teachers, counselor and administrators. We are all here for the same reason, and that is for each and every student of Mercy McAuley High School to be successful.
Our goal is to open school with face-to-face classes for all students on Thursday, August 13. I cannot wait to see all our students! Please take some time to read the following:
All of the above documents can also be found on our website HERE under the "Current Families" tab. As we safely re-open our school, the health and safety of our students and employees, and our commitment to outstanding academic instruction, are our top priorities. Please know that the re-opening plan is a fluid document and could change as circumstances change. One thing we have learned is that the only constant we can rely on is that nothing is constant! We want what is best for everyone as we strive to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 for all students and employees.
The Sisters of Mercy were founded by Catherine McAuley with the hope of educating women, helping the poor, and caring for the sick. We will continue to highlight Catherine's dreams by educating our students throughout the school year with an emphasis on our core values of Faith, Compassion, Service, Leadership and Excellence and the Sisters of Mercy's Critical Concerns for Care of the Earth, Immigration, Anti-racism, Women, and Nonviolence.
We are pleased to welcome our new employees: Ms. Jackie Noelker, an intervention specialist, and Mrs. Christine Minix, our new Director of Ministry. We look forward to welcoming all of you at these Wolves Welcome Events over the coming weeks:
As you and your daughter prepare for an exciting first year at Mercy McAuley, please review these important details:
School Day Start and End Times – Our school day starts at 8 a.m. each day. On Mondays, dismissal is at 2 p.m. to provide time for teacher collaboration. Dismissal is at 3 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday. The doors to the building will be open at 6:30 a.m. each morning and will remain open until 9 p.m. each evening to accommodate students who need to arrive early and/or stay late for various activities. The cafeteria will be open before and after school, providing students with a location to prepare for the day, socialize, or wait for a ride or an activity after school. If students are not with a teacher before or after school hours, they should remain in the cafeteria. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the cafeteria will close between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. to avoid large gatherings of students. At 7:30 a.m. all students who are present will be directed to proceed to their first bell to await their first class of the day. After 4:00 p.m., all students must socially distance in the cafeteria as they wait for their rides. For safety reasons, all doors are locked during the school day, and all visitors and guests must ring the buzzer for entry and sign in at the main office.
Cafeteria – W.g. Grinders is our cafeteria service provider. Breakfast is available for purchase each morning before 7:20 a.m., and lunch can be purchased at the scheduled time during the school day. Students may pay for food with cash or with their school ID badge. To use the ID badge for purchasing food, money must be deposited into their lunch account. Students will not have their school ID badge until a few weeks into the school year, so they should be prepared to use cash until the ID badges are distributed. More information about the cafeteria and how to deposit funds into your daughter's lunch account can be found on our website HERE under "Current Families."
School Uniform
Handbook and Calendar – The student handbook and school calendar are available on the Mercy McAuley website under the "Current Families" tab. The online calendar will be updated when changes occur or when additional events are scheduled.
Summer Homework Assignments – Summer homework assignments can be found at on our website HERE under "Current Families." Summer homework is due on the first day of class. The summer reading book for freshmen is available in our main office.
Student Schedules – Freshmen will receive their schedules during freshman tablet orientation. They will be emailed to parents, and a copy will also be sent home in the mail. School counselors will be available to answer any scheduling questions you may have. Please email or call your daughter's school counselor if you have any questions concerning her schedule. Students are assigned to the following counselors by last name: A – G Ms. Clarke H – O Mrs. Schwartz P – Z Mrs. Rieth
Flexibility and working together are the keys to having a great year. Whether we are in school face-to-face or learning remotely, our goal is for each student to continue her faith journey, progress academically and get involved at Mercy McAuley. The high school years are awesome years as students learn to become independent young adults. Our teachers will set high expectations for their students and challenge them, while accomplishing the learning outcomes for their courses. Various experiences and exciting challenges will guide students on their continual faith journey as they learn to live the core values and become aware of the Critical Concerns. Involvement in their high school helps students to maximize their potential and become beautiful Women of Mercy. Thank you for sharing the gift of your daughter with us. It is great to be a Wolf!
"Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the product of the activity of learners." —John Holt
"Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of a true education." —Martin Luther King Jr.
Mercy and compassion always in our hearts,
Connie Kampschmidt Mercy McAuley High School 6000 Oakwood Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45224 • (513) 681-1800 |