March 9, 2018

Dear Friends,

On Wednesday Mother of Mercy and McAuley students, faculty and staff came together at McAuley for a special day focused on prayer, sisterhood and friendship. We were honored to welcome internationally renowned speaker, singer and recording artist ValLimar Jansen as our special guest. The day included high-energy presentations, as well as breakout sessions in smaller group settings. All students ate lunch together—all 850 of them! ValLimar captivated the students all day, delivering her messages of faith, sisterhood and positivity via song and word. Several photos from this fantastic day are included below. Check out the Mercy and McAuley Facebook pages for videos and more photos. The 2018-2019 master schedule is taking shape. As the students submitted their course requests for next year, it provided definition to the plans that had been sketched earlier. When it is clear how many students wish to enroll in particular courses, a determination can be made regarding the exact number of classes needed. That, in turn, dictates the number of instructors needed to teach those classes. Every effort is being made to meet student course requests. In addition to rigorous required academic courses, students are selecting high-interest electives exploring life skills and cultural experiences, including many new study opportunities

among the TEA offerings. We’ve received some questions regarding teacher selection for 2018-2019. Given the confidential nature of employment processes, we cannot provide specific details, but we’re happy to share an overview. Several months ago, all current teachers at Mercy and McAuley were offered the opportunity to attend an after-school workshop with a human resource professional to brush up on resumé presentation, cover letters and interview skills. All current teachers were guaranteed interviews if they chose to apply for positions at Mercy McAuley. Most teachers chose to apply; some did not. A few who applied withdrew their names. Based on the course needs of the students, we extended invitations to Mercy McAuley’s faculty for 2018-2019. Teachers who accepted the invitation to serve as faculty will receive contracts next week. Job postings for the winter sports head coaching positions soon will be posted on both schools’ websites and on the Archdiocesan website. At this time, the process for selecting assistant coaches for the five fall sports is moving forward with the help of the new head coaches and Athletic Director Denise Harvey.

2

Your ongoing support of the students and staff is deeply appreciated. During the past week, we’ve received testimonials from scores of individuals regarding the impact of our teachers on the lives of so many students. Mother of Mercy and McAuley have been blessed with wonderful, talented, dedicated teachers for generations. Our prayer is that God continues to bless our students with such faculty for generations to come. In Mercy, Tom Otten, chair Cindy Costello Denise Krueger Wayne Morse Kathy Schnier Mercy McAuley Transition Committee

A day of prayer, sisterhood, friendship

3

ValLimar Jansen

Lunch for 850!