Opening of School Technology Resources

What a great start to the year!   Our entire student body is utilizing Office 365, accessing teacher webpages at Edline and parents can now check their daughter’s grades online on a regular basis.  Students are also utilizing the expanded resources that come from online textbooks and websites.

Office 365

Each student at Mercy receives an Office 365 account with her admission.  With this account comes their school e-mail address as well as five free downloads of Office 2016 for their school and home devices.  Office 2016 includes:  Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Skype, Publisher and One Drive. 

To access this resource, students need only sign in to http://portal.office.com  using their school e-mail address and ID#.  The online applications for Office 365 and the link to download the Office Suite is there.  If any students have any questions concerning Office 365, they should see me to assist with the set-up.

Michael DePalma from Microsoft with teachers learning about Windows 10.

Edline

Each student and parent also have Edline accounts which allow them to access teacher, club and activity webpages.  Teachers use Edline to post homework, test and quiz notices and items that might have been distributed in class.  Many teachers post their PowerPoint presentations that have been used in class so that students may review them. They also are able to post website links that could be helpful to students.

Sample Edline page - teacher Lynn Curello's Technology Fundamentals class page

If any student or parent has not yet activated their Edline account, please contact the main office or e-mail me at mbullock@mercyhigh.com and we will send you your activation code.

Grade Access – MMS

This year we have expanded what is available to parents at the MMS Parent Portal.  When parents go to the list of their daughter’s courses, they can now click on that course and see the itemized list of assignments with grades earned for that class as well as the current average.  We are very excited about the increase in information that can now be shared through this portal. 

Directions for creating your parent account to sign in to the MMS Parent Portal can be found on page 16 of the Student-Parent Handbook  You will also find there, the dates throughout the quarter when teachers will have updated their gradebooks. The next grade posting date is Friday, October 7.

MMS Parent Portal Sign in Page Link

Online Textbooks

With more students bringing devices each year, the options for textbooks have expanded.  The number of ebooks that are now in use across the curriculum has grown.   This year we switched to a new vendor for textbook purchases, K12 Direct.   New to the process was the ability for students to create accounts and have the courses they were registered for appear with the needed textbooks.  There is also now an e-library where students go to obtain the information needed to access their digital textbooks. 

Students are now accessing digital materials smoothly and I am hearing reports of an appreciation for the added resources that come from the online texts.  Subjects such as Mathematics and the Languages in particular are enjoying the added video, audio and practice components that come with their texts.

Naviance

Our School Counselors have been meeting with students and taking time in classrooms to make sure all have started the school year in a strong way.  They also make sure that students are utilizing the program Naviance to assist in their career planning and college application process.  

Important information regarding how parents might also log in and use this program to assist their daughter in the college search process can be found at the Mercy website:  

Naviance Sign-in Information

Upcoming Events:

October 6 – Retreat Day

October 7 – Special Schedule for Walk-a-thon Kick-off

October 10 – Columbus Day – No School

October 14 – Faculty In-service Day – No School

October 18 – Senior Class Trip

October 19 – PSAT Testing Day

October 22 – Yellow Rose Auction - Click Here for Ticket Info

October 27 – Dedication of New Spaces – Special Schedule

October 29 – Junior Ring Dance – 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Interstellar Space Travel

Mercy women do not stop learning, even during the Spring Break!  On Tuesday, April 19, members of the Mercy Astronomy Club attended the Wesleyan University Sturm Lecture featuring Dr. Mae Jemison.  Her lecture was entitled:  “Exploring the Frontiers of Science and Human Potential”.  Dr. Jemison is a medical doctor and the first African-American woman in space. 

Her most recent project is the 100 Year Starship  .  This organization promotes the realization of human interstellar travel within the next 100 years.  Her inspirational address emphasized the need for collaboration among all disciplines to make that type of travel a reality.  Planning for a trip that would take lifetimes means answering questions like:  What will they wear? What will they eat? What would be the social/political implications? Faith implications? She also related the fact that humans will benefit in the present through this planning for the future.

Figen Agis '17 with Dr. Mae Jemison

DigiGirlz

On Thursday, April 28, eleven Mercy students from Mrs. Lynn Curello’s Computer Applications and Technology Fundamentals classes, attended the DigiGirlz event hosted at the Microsoft Store in the Westfarms Mall.  The featured speaker at the event was Ashley Stone, business owner and entrepreneur.  Ms. Stone spoke with students about finding their passion in life and following it.  She encouraged them to be open to the possibilities and opportunities that are presented to them as they pursue their careers.  

Ms. Stone’s business is Beauty Entourage.   She spoke with students not only about her company, which provides hair stylists and make-up artists who will travel to you for your special event, but also about the building of the website and app which enhanced her business and services. 

The next activity of the day was led by Mr. Michael DePalma of Microsoft.  Mr. DePalma led the students in an "Hour of Code" activity which saw them writing code to move an avatar through obstacles and levels of play  

The day was a great mix of learning technological skills as well as seeing an example of how those skills can be used in their lives.

Upcoming Events

• AP exams will be administered from Monday, May 2^nd to Thursday, May 12.

• Ascension Thursday Mass will be celebrated on May 5^th.  This will also be the last Mass during the school day for the Class of 2016. 

• Progress Reports will be posted online on Wednesday, May 11^th after 3 p.m.

• The Spring Concert will take place on Wednesday, May 18 at 7:00 p.m.

• The Annual Mercy Art Show will take place from May 2^nd to May 20^th.  

Tech Tigers Award Winners!

The weekend of March 4-6 our Tech Tigers Robotics Team found themselves at Wilby High School in Waterbury competing at the FIRST 2016 Waterbury District Event.  Nearly 40 schools from Connecticut and Massachusetts participated with our own Tech Tigers winning the Entrepreneurship Award which recognizes their very fine business plan. Congratulations!

To see the Hartford Courant article on the weekend competition click here:  Tech Tigers

Find pictures of the event below:

Useful Educational Applications/Websites

As more of our students are bringing their own device to use in class, students were surveyed to see what apps they found most helpful for their work.  I would like to share with you some of those applications that they find useful as well as some others that come highly recommended.

Quizlet:  One of the most used applications at Mercy this year has to be the app “Quizlet”.  Quizlet enables students to create electronic flashcards and then finds many creative ways for students to study them!  Click here for Quizlet

OneNote: Students receive OneNote as part of the Office 365 Suite that they have free access to here at Mercy.  Students may also download the OneNote application for free so that it is available across their many devices!  In OneNote, students create digital notebooks where they can take notes, save pictures, powerpoints and webpages.  Click here for OneNote

Khan Academy: Many of our students noted their use of Khan Academy as a place where they go for reinforcement of information they learned in class.  It is a site with short tutorial videos in all subject areas and is a helpful resource for students at all levels.  Khan has also begun to offer SAT prep assistance, partnering with the College Board.  Click here for Khan Academy

Desmos:  Students mentioned that they used this graphing calculator application. Click here for Desmos.  Another interesting app that might be helpful in mathematics is Geogebra.  Click here for Geogebra

Myhomework:  For students who need help in keeping organized, we had students state that they were using this planner app which helps students to keep track of homework.  Click here for myhomework.  Another planner application that is recommended is mystudylife. Click here for mystudylife.

Easybib:  To assist with the writing of bibliographies, some of our students are using Easybib. Click here for Easybib.  Also helpful with the writing of papers is Grammarly, which reviews student papers for any grammatical errors.  Students can find the link to sign in to our school Grammarly account here:  Edline.

Upcoming Events:

Mother – Daughter Mass and Brunch – Sunday, April 10.  For more information and to register, click the link here:  

Register Here

Class of 2018 Ring Measurements will take place on Wednesday, April 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Progress Reports will be posted online on Wednesday, April 13 after 3:00 p.m

Spring Break:  There will be no classes April 18 to April 22^nd.

Senior Prom is Friday, April 29 from 6:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.  There will be no classes for Seniors on that day.  The Junior Prom will be the following day on Saturday, April 30 from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Astronomy Club Trip 

On February 24 -28 I traveled with Ms. Gianna Iannucci, Mercy science teacher and twelve members of the Mercy High School Astronomy club to Tucson, Arizona.  Tucson and the surrounding area is known as a prime spot for star-gazing and is the location of the University of Arizona and the Vatican Observatory.  We were privileged to meet with Vatican astronomers and also experience some of the culture of the area.  

Traveling with us was Patricia Bellm, the Co-Director of the Science and Religion Initiative of the Institute for Church Life at   University of Notre Dame.  Ms. Iannucci and I met Mrs. Bellm at a summer institute we attended with Ms. Jean Pepitone, at Notre Dame in the Summer of 2015.  At that summer institute contacts were made, which enabled us to plan this trip where students experienced first hand the relationship between science and faith.

Following are some pictures of our days in Arizona:

Day One:  We visited Flandrau Planetarium and explored the University of Arizona campus.

Day Two:  We visited the Mission San Xavier del Bac and then did some star gazing with the telescope and then binoculars at Kitt Peak National Observatory.

Day Three:  Meeting with Dr. Brenda Frye, astronomer, of the University of Arizona, Skyping with Mrs. Bachenheimer's Physics class back home and tour of the Mirror Lab.

Day Four:  We visited the Mineral Exhibit at the Flandrau Planetarium, toured the University of Arizona with their admissions office and Skyped with Fr. John Braverman, SJ, who teaches at the St. Joseph's University in Pennsylvania. In the evening we attended Mass at the University's Newman Center and met with Brother Guy Consolmagno, SJ and Vatican astronomers at the office of the Vatican Observatory.  We shared pizza and visited the remote viewing room for the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope and Skyped with Fr. Boyle at the Vatican Observatory on Mt. Graham. We then did some star gazing using the Steward Observatory telescope with the assistance of Vatican astronomers Fr. Paul Gabor, SJ and Fr. Chris Corbally, SJ.  What a night!

                     

Picture of Jupiter through the telescope!

Build Season Has Begun!

The months of January through March are very busy for our Mercy Robotics team the TechTigers.  Twenty-five Mercy High School students comprise one of only two all-girl robotics teams in New England competing in the FIRST Robotics competition each year. These months are particularly important as it is the period in which they build their robot which is to compete at the FIRST regional and state competitions.  

Business Team

The theme for this year is a bit Medieval entitled:  FIRST STRONGHOLD.  Announced and explained by founders Dean Kamen and Woodie Flowers, teams are to build a robot which can overcome obstacles (as if attacking a castle tower!) and toss a soccer sized ball (boulders) to conquer the opponents castle!  The robot must  be able to pick up a ball, aim and toss the ball, crawl over obstacles and even climb the tower!  You can see the kick off video here:  Kick Off

In the kick-off video, Dean Kamen, one of the founders of First Robotics, sees his organization as “more than robots”.  His goal for the competition is to turn students on to science and technology, helping them see that it is fun, accessible and something they can build careers around.  He encourages students to “learn how to learn” as well as “learn how to change”.  He believes that students will need to develop three or four skill sets in their career lifetimes so that they will never become obsolete.

Programming Team

 Woodie Flowers, also a founder of First Robotics, speaks in this video of “gracious professionalism” which is also an emphasis in the FIRST competition.  Students are encouraged to “compete in ways that make their grandmothers proud”.  Our Mercy TechTigers have won awards in the area of “gracious professionalism” as they make efforts to be helpful to other teams they are competing with.  Mr. Flowers also encourages students to be creative in the use of the information they are learning in classes.

Lauren Gasior, one of the Mercy TechTiger team officers, is very excited about this year’s theme and competition.  Lauren is a programmer on the team and believes the TechTigers have developed a good strategy for a successful competition season.  February 23^rd is “Bag and Tag” day where all direct work on the robot must stop so the pressure is on!  They will compete the weekend of March 5th and 6th in Waterbury, CT.

Building Team

The Mercy TechTigers would not be able to accomplish all that they have without the support of faculty moderators, Mr. Tom Oeschger and Mrs. Buff Bachenheimer and numerous mentors who volunteer their time to assist in the building of the Mercy robot.  Many sponsors are also needed to help pay for the materials which go into the robot itself.  Check out the TechTiger website for their “wish list” of items needed!  TechTigers Website

Library Club Skype

On December 4th, members of the Mercy Library Club skyped with students from Mount St. Mary Academy, a Sisters of Mercy sponsored high school in Watchung, NJ, for a book discussion.  Students shared their impressions and insights on the book Me Before You by Jo Jo Moyes  Thank you to Mercy Library Media Specialist, Mrs. Jennifer Crutchfield who arranged for the event.  What a great way to meet other Mercy students!

Upcoming Events:

February 3 – Poetry Out Loud School Finalists competition.                               6:00 pm in the Mercy Auditorium.

February 6 - SAT Prep Course begins: Click her for course 
                        registration:  SAT Prep Registration

February 12 – Sophomore Student/Parent Breakfast – 7:00 a.m.

                        Mercy Cafeteria

February 15 & 16 – President’s Holiday – No School

February 24 – 28 – Astronomy Club trip to Arizona  - Watch 

                        for reports from Arizona as students travel to key 

                        sites and meet with Bro. Guy Consolmagno, SJ of

                        the Vatican Observatory.

Skype Event

This past June, Ms. Gianna Iannucci, Ms. Jean Pepitone and I traveled to the University of Notre Dame in Indiana to participate in a week long seminar offered by the Institute for Church Life entitled “Science and Religion: Strangers, Rivals, or Partners in the Search for Truth?”.  Catholic high school educators from around the country were selected to participate in this seminar which explored the relationship between Science and Religion. “Science teachers will learn how theological insights can be used to inform some of the typical topics in biology and religion teachers will explore how scientific findings can help inform and enhance their appreciation of God’s physics, while creation” (Institute for Church Life)

The experience presented an opportunity to not only enrich our courses, but form relationships and network with educators at the University of Notre Dame and other institutions of higher education.  In particular, we had the pleasure of meeting Br. Guy Consolmagno, SJ, the Director of the Vatican Observatory 

One benefit of the relationships formed was the opportunity to Skype with Br. Guy on Wednesday, October 28.  The Mercy High School stage was set with our large screen and members of our Astronomy club seated to the side.  The auditorium was filled with the entire Mercy High School student body, members of the Xavier High School Astronomy club and grades 5 through 8 at St. John Paull II School in Middletown.  Our technology team facilitated the call which included a camera on students asking the questions, a camera on the auditorium audience and Br. Guy live from the Vatican in Italy.  

Xavier High School Astronomy Club

Mercy High School Astronomy Club

Rev. Erik Lenhart, OFM Cap and Rev. John Gallagher, OFM Cap

from St. Pius X Parish in Middletown

You can watch the event on our You Tube channel at:  Vatican Skype Event    The entire video is approximately 45 minutes in length but well worth the time you take to view it.

Events like this, show the great benefit that technology can bring to our students.  Br. Guy opened the world up to those gathered that day.  We could truly feel his passion for God as seen in our universe and hear his invitation to find ourselves in it.  

We continue to use Skype as a tool to facilitate communication.  On December 4 our Library Club will be “Skyping” with a similar group at Mt. St. Mary Academy, in Watchung, NJ,   a Sisters of Mercy sponsored High School.  They will be discussing Me Before You by JoJo Moyes, a book that both groups have read in common.  

I look forward to seeing the other creative ways that we can use programs such as “Skype” to enrich and broaden our experiences and world view.

Upcoming Events:

·         Thanksgiving Break:  There will be no school November         25 – 29, 2015

·         Mercy/Xavier Drama Production:  

           A Christmas Carol:  will be presented on Thursday, December 3 and Friday, December 4 beginning at 7:00 p.m.  Tickets are $8 and available for purchase online or at the door.

·         Mercy/Xavier Advent Mass and Breakfast will be held on Sunday, December 6.  Please check the website to make your reservation and find information concerning our Christmas Poinsettia sale.

·         Winter Concert:  Come hear our various choirs and musical ensembles perform on Wednesday, December 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the Mercy Auditorium.  It is a great way to ring in the holidays!