2018 PIE MEMO (Partners in Education)

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1 October 2018 PIE MEMO (Partners in Education) A Note from Principal Susan Morrissey Dear Parents, Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me." (MK 9: 36-37) What a privilege it is to serve your children! There is no greater joy than the moments of laughter or discovery or kindness we share with your children. It is an honor to be a part of this important time in their development, and we are grateful you have trusted us at Mercymount Country Day School to serve your children well academically, spiritually and socially. Though I still have so much to learn about who we are and how we do things, I am impressed by the often and simple expressions of love that I see in our community. There are glimpses of God present in your children and in the adults who care for them and each other as well. How blessed we are to be able to openly celebrate the power of good in our day, and to make that a central focus of the education our children at Mercymount experience! I can see your commitment to the faith and the community in the behavior of your children. They are innocent and loving, and this is more rare than I care to imagine, but will prize the time and people who created enough safe space around them and solid examples to see that they can be children still. Because you have sent your child to a Mercy school, I know that you have a sense of purpose and design for what you want from your child's education. Consider taking time for a conversation with your child about his or her purpose for learning. In a culture that sometimes encourages kids to get the "right" answer or the "quick" answer, it is very important that the adults in their lives stress the value of learning in and of itself - emphasizing not what is on the next test or quiz, but helping them instead to understand how it is that meaningful learning shapes their thoughts, experiences and ultimately their future far more than any grade could ever do. There are fine teachers at Mercymount, but no one will ever rival your role as teacher in what you say, what you do, and of course...how you model reading and learning. We are fortunate to have so many successful adults in our community, and I am glad for the students to be able to see where hard work, faith and education have led us. Keep up your fine example - they are following you. Thank you to all who have been so welcoming to me, and to all of you who have offered your feedback and patience as I learn the ropes of leadership at Mercymount. I am working hard, and have been blessed with some amazing allies - too many to name here, but your support is treasured. May God continue to shine on us all in this week of Mercy, Susan Morrissey Principal

2 Fall Fundraiser Our Fall Fundraiser is off to a great start, with Magazine and Cookie Sales as well as the Color-A-Thon! This gives you many options to support our school: sponsor a student in the Color-A-Thon, purchase cookie dough and other yummy products, purchase gifts online and/or order magazines. Plus, you can encourage your friends and family to do the same. It all results in a percentage of earnings to our school for general support. The final Turn-In Day for the Magazines and Cookies orders, as well as the final registration for Color- A-Thon is Tuesday, October 2. Cookie Dough distribution is scheduled for early November (date TBD). Mercymount Parent Association Facebook Page The Parent Association hosts the Facebook page MCDS Parent Association, a parentmoderated closed group for current Mercymount families. The page features posts of current and upcoming events at school, offers an opportunity for questions, and is a forum for Ms. Morrissey to post a weekly update via a live feed (usually Friday). To join, just submit a request to that page on Facebook. Safe Schools October 1 All volunteers who have not been through the Safe Schools Presentation and/or had a criminal background check (BCI) since 2015 MUST complete these requirements prior to volunteering in school this year. Mrs. Lydon will present the Safe Schools Program on Monday, October 1st at 6:00 p.m. prior to the Sports Committee meeting. Please bring your driver s license. Math Olympiad October 9 The popular Math Olympiad, which begins on Tuesday October 9th has expanded to include Grades 7 and 8! The program will include two teams, Grades 4 6 and Grades 7 8. Both teams will meet each Tuesday morning (7:45 8:25) through March. See the flyer on the PIE Memo page of the web site for more information and to sign up. And..parent volunteers are always welcome! Flu Clinic October 10 There will be a Flu Clinic held at Mercymount on Wednesday, October 10th from 4:00 7:00 p.m. The clinic is open to Mercymount students and families (ages 3+). Pre-register online at: or bring a completed consent form to the clinic. The flu clinic is run by The Wellness Company, in conjunction with the RI Department of Health. If you have any questions regarding the clinic at Mercymount, or to find out about other school clinics on different dates, please call RI Department of Health directly at See the PIE Memo page of the school web site for additional information and consent form.

3 Friends of Mercy October 10 The first meeting of Friends of Mercy will be held after school on Wednesday, October 10th. Friends of Mercy, open to students in grades 4 6, is a service and faith club guided by the teachings of Catherine McAuley. Students learn about Catherine and the Works of Mercy, serve the needy through weekly projects, and take part in other fun activities. See the flyer and sign-up on the PIE Memo page of the school web site. Contact Mrs. Petrich at mpetrich@mercymount.org with any questions. Spirit Week! October We are looking forward to all the fun we have scheduled for our Spirit Week! Kicking off on Monday with the annual Golf Tournament and ending on Saturday with the Pasta Supper, the fun includes Crazy Hat Day, our famous Pig Race, Blue and White Day, among other activities. More details will be sent to parents as we get closer to Mercymount Spirit Week! School Picture Day October 15 Smile! Lifetouch will be here on Monday October 15th for our annual individual and class pictures. Students may wear uniforms or dress clothes. Order forms will be sent home with each student soon. Orders may also be placed online more information to follow. Golf Tournament October 15 The 22nd Annual Mercymount Golf Tournament is almost here! This year s tournament will be played on Monday, October 15th at Kirkbrae Country Club. A No Uniform slip will be given to those who register prior to October 8th and extended After Care hours available to registered Mercymount golfers. The two awesome raffles are open to all! All forms were ed and are also available on the Mercymount web site PIE Memo page. Color-A-Thon October 19 The Color-A-Thon fundraiser will be held the afternoon of Friday, October 19th. We are looking for volunteers to work the event that day. Contact Lisa Lydon at llydon@mercymount.org if you are interested. Please remember that you must have gone through the Safe Schools Training to be qualified to volunteer. Pasta Supper October 20 Join us for our Annual Pasta Supper scheduled for Saturday, October 20th. This fun and popular evening is a chance for Mercymount families to get together in a casual, relaxed environment! Enjoy a quiet dinner with your kids, stress-free! Reconnect with old friends (and make new ones) over a home-cooked meal! RSVP form is available on the PIE Memo page of the school web site. If you have any questions, or would like to help out in any way, please contact Erin McFarlane at erin.sparrow@gmail.com.

4 Vision Screenings October 22 The required annual vision screenings required by the Rhode Island Department of Health, in coordination with the Cumberland Public Schools and The Lions Club, will be held on Monday, October 22nd. Screenings will be performed on students in grades Preschool- 5th, 7th, and those new to the school in grades 6 and 8. If your child(ren) wear glasses or contacts please be sure they have them that day. Parents will be notified only if their child(ren) did not pass the screenings performed at school. Contact the school nurses with any questions. Bids For Kids 2019 First Planning Meeting - October 24 And the planning begins! Bids for Kids 2019 is getting organized and We Want You! The first meeting date for the 2019 Auction is scheduled for Wednesday, October 24 th at 8:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. We welcome back this year s co-chairs, along with Lisa Lydon: Melissa Quinn, Jamie Sims and Melissa Titov! There are many opportunities to help with this amazing fundraiser, many of which do not require attending most meetings. Please join us... not only will you be serving the school community, you will be meeting people and enriching your own Mercymount experience! P.S. The Auction committee is in need of 16 empty and clean 2-liter soda bottles. You can drop them off to Lisa Lydon s office. After School Fun! Drop In Art Drop-In Art for October will be held on Wednesdays. This once-a-week art class runs from 3:00-4:00 p.m. in the Art room with Mrs. Masterson. Each week the project changes as well as the medium. No sign up required; come once, twice or every week! $10 per student on the day of the class (Please note: all payment to be by check payable to Mercymount)...let the creating begin! Zoo Crew Do you love animals? Would you like to learn more about them? Come join your zookeepers, Mrs. Burke and Mrs. Corio, each Tuesday in October as we read about animals, move like them, play games and sing songs about them, and make the animals or their habitats come to life with a craft. Students in grades PK - 3 are invited to join us! Learn about a different animal each week! No sign-up is required, come when you can. Admission to The Zoo Crew is $10 (Please note: all payment to be by check payable to Mercymount.) Be sure to pack a snack to munch on during your visit. Mercymount Spirit Wear We are thrilled to offer Mercymount Spirit Wear again this year. Our online store is fulfilled by Donnelly's of RI. If there are items that you would like to see offered, please notify Lisa Lydon at llydon@mercymount.org with your ideas. We are always happy to consider suggestions! Click on the following link to order:

5 Adult Basketball Interested in pick-up basketball for Men (Thursday nights) and Women (Tuesday nights) in the Mercymount gym? Contact Brian Bright at or Chris Daley at for Men s night and Gina Lopes Thibodeau for Women s basketball at glopes@riag.ri.gov. Volunteer Name Badges and Lanyards There are new name badges for all Mercymount volunteers (lunch, recess, library, coaches, etc.) Pick up yours at your earliest convenience (in the Office next to the volunteer sign-in book) Do You Shop at Stop & Shop? The A+ Bonus Rewards program from Stop & Shop is available again this year. Through March 16, a percentage of your receipts will be donated to Mercymount when you register your card and designate our school as the recipient of the funds (our school ID is ) Please see the flyer available on the Mercymount web site PIE Memo page and follow the easy directions. Note: if you have registered in the past, no need to do it again! If you are new, please help us support Mercymount, and forward the info to your friends and family to do the same! Asbestos Information In accordance with federal guidelines, schools are required to notify parents and employees about asbestos in the school. Mercymount conducts regular inspections and has a Management Plan available upon request. Parent/Teacher Conferences Mark your calendars! Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Thursday, November 8 th. Middle School students will have no school that day; Grades PS 5 will have a half-day of school with a dismissal at 12:00. More details to follow. Sign up will be online, and an with links to the schedules will be sent to parents.

6 Ministry of the Month New to the PIE! Each month the PIE Memo will feature one of the service ministries our students are involved with. This month we highlight the Mercy Ministry site The Warde-robe in Central Falls, a volunteer-supported thrift store offering quality used clothing and household goods to those in need. Customers are working poor families from Central Falls, Pawtucket and Cumberland seeking necessities at an affordable price. Shoppers entering the shop find a clean and well-organized facility, with seasonal clothing for the whole family, as well as household items such as lamps, small pieces of furniture, bedding, curtains and decorative items. The store provides a welcoming atmosphere which preserves the dignity of each person. Donations of quality used clothing and household items are always welcome. For more information visit The Rosary has ever been the fruitful source of benediction to the devout sons and daughters of Mary. Venerable Catherine McAuley