2010-2011
CNA Program
Returns to Mercy
August
7 , 2010
Omaha World Herald
RETURN PROGRAM: Last school year, six girls
from Omaha Mercy High School attended classes
and passed the exam to be certified nurse
aides in Nebraska. Mercy plans to offer the
course again during the 2010-11 school year.
Students will receive information about the
program on Aug. 18, during book-buying day.
Driving
For Excellence Golf Fest Raises Funds
for Negotiated Tuition
July
31, 2010
Omaha World Herald
The greens brought in green for Mercy High
School at its annual Driving for Excellence
Golf Fest Monday at the Players Club at Deer
Creek.
The 19th annual outing drew 168 golfers and
raised $51,000. Since the first tournament
in 1992, the event has raised more $500,000
to support negotiated tuition at Mercy.
A Burger 'n Brats lunch and a Ladder Drop
Contest won by Nathan Sprunk preceded the
tournament. Entertainment was provided by
DJ Craig Estudillo.
Flight winners were:
Gold Flight first place — Bob Bertsch,
John Fullenkamp, Bob Gonderinger and Mark
Roseland.
Blue Flight first place — Geoff Hall,
Ed Rider, Gaile Shaffer and Tim Wees.
Women's Flight first place — Mary Beveridge,
Lou Digilio, Ginger Rehmann and Nancy Veys.
A barbecue buffet, raffle drawing and prizes
followed play.
James B. Skinner Baking Co. was title sponsor,
and Larry B. Good was event chairman.
Committee members were Richard Anzalone,
Ron Boner, Brad Mount, Deb Peterson, Katie
Hansen and Ingrid Borghoff.
“I am always humbled by the generosity
of so many who support Mercy's negotiated
tuition,” said Sister Delores Hannon,
Mercy's president. “An enthusiastic
committee created a fun-filled event for golfers,
which supports all the young women at Mercy
High School.”
2009-2010
Birthday Girl
Gives Precious Gift
March
23 , 2010
Omaha World Herald
Turning 16 wasn't just about candles for Ashley
Neary it was also about needles and blood.
The idea to donate blood on her March 16
birthday, when she became old enough to donate,
arose when Neary heard a speaker a few weeks
ago who said that every unit of blood donated
to the American Red Cross saves the lives
of three people.
Neary also was motivated by a friend of the
family who had frequent blood transfusions
before he died of cancer.
“I was really excited about it,”
Neary said. “More excited than nervous.
I'm not a big needle fan, but it wasn't that
bad.”
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In her passion, Neary, a Mercy High School
student, also brought along two friends to
give blood, Ashlee Melies and Emily Garcia.
It turned out Melies couldn't donate because
she was underweight, but Garcia donated alongside
Neary.
Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with
parental permission), weigh at least 110 pounds
and are in generally good health may be eligible
to donate blood, according to the Red Cross.
While it was Neary's first time donating
blood, giving to the Red Cross is nothing
new for her. She's been on the Red Cross Youth
Council since she was 14.
Her mom, Deborah Neary, used to work for
the Red Cross, and suggested her daughter
join the group.
Ashley Neary said she's enjoyed volunteering
with the group, which is involved in activities
such as raising money at Omaha Beef games,
packing bags and sending letters to soldiers
overseas, and dressing up as a mascot for
health and safety events.
So is she ready to give blood again?
“Absolutely,” Neary quickly said.
“May 11.”
That's the next time she's eligible for another
date with the needle.
Mentoring Program
Creates Bond Between Teams
February
19, 2010
Catholic Voice
Mentoring program creates bond between teams
By LISA MAXSON
Catholic Voice
For Michelle Hall, a senior at Mercy High
School in Omaha, playing varsity basketball
at the all-girls school means more than just
participating in the sport she loves.
It's also about being a good role model to
Katie Evans, her "buddy" and a fifth
grade basketball player for Our Lady of Lourdes
School in Omaha.
For the past two years, varsity basketball
players at Mercy have become mentors to members
of the fifth grade girls' basketball team
at Our Lady of Lourdes (OLL).
"Basketball isn't all about the game,"
Hall said. "It's more about having the
heart and the desire to play, and I think
these girls make us want to play better and
they give us the drive to play better. It's
really inspiring to me."
When Julia Brekel, head coach of the OLL
fifth grade team, started coaching three years
ago, she said she was "brand new and
had no idea what I was doing."
Looking for help and guidance, she contacted
Nicole Stromgren, the coach of Mercy's varsity
team.
And something that started as a small mentoring
program between two coaches "grew into
something incredible," Brekel said.
Through the "Basketball Buddy Program"
each varsity player is paired with one of
the fifth-graders. Brekel and her husband,
Jared, assistant coach for the fifth grade
team, take the fifth grade girls to watch
Mercy games and cheer them on, and the Mercy
girls come to some of the OLL practices and
work with their buddies on basketball drills
and fundamentals, Brekel said.
Fifth-grader Julia Manganaro said she likes
hanging out with the older girls and watching
them play.
"We learn how to play the game and dribble
and shoot," she said.
Mercy student Caitlin Boadwee said she's
impressed by the improvement of the younger
girls' playing skills.
"We go watch their games and you can
just tell that by watching us play, the fifth-graders
understand so much more of the game,"
she said. "They know tricks that most
fifth grade players aren't supposed to know
yet."
Once a year the teams, which have made Basketball
Buddy T-shirts, get together to eat pizza
and scrimmage.
"The really neat thing is to see these
high school teenagers showing up at 8 a.m.
games on a Saturday or spending their Friday
nights hanging out with a fifth-grader,"
Brekel said, noting that even seniors who
graduated last year still contact their buddies.
Brekel said she is grateful for the commitment
of the Mercy coaches and players.
"Coach Stromgren has taught her girls
commitment, passion and values that help them
on and off the court," she said. "And
because of that, these high school girls have
spent a lot of free time and energy mentoring
these younger girls."
Boadwee said she's learned through the Basketball
Buddy Program that it's not just about winning
every basketball game, but also about making
a difference in the lives of the younger girls
who want to play.
"It's a great opportunity for us to
realize how much of a role model we are and
to give our best for the girls by being there
for them and helping them out," she said.
"We realize we're making a difference."
Stromgren said she knows her players have
gained a different perspective on basketball
through the Basketball Buddy Program, and
it's because of the effort the younger girls
make to support the Mercy team.
"Their girls don't miss a game of ours,"
she said, noting that many of the girls take
stats for all the Mercy players during their
games. "They don't really care if the
girls win or lose or how good or bad they
played. They're just excited and ready to
high-five their buddies."
A Sports Story
Everyone Will Like to Read
February 19, 2010
Catholic Voice
By DEACON RANDY A. GROSSE
Sports stories seldom make the pages of the
Catholic Voice, and it's been that way for
years.
Your archdiocesan newspaper traditionally
leaves that reporting - even about Catholic
high school sports - to the newspapers across
Northeast Nebraska, as well as other media
outlets that feature sports coverage.
Every so often, however, stories come along
that demand attention in the Catholic Voice.
Typically, these aren't the stories of winning
or losing, team or individual honors, but
about people connected to sports. And sometimes,
the connection to sports is incidental.
That's the case with our story in this issue
on the special mentoring program involving
the Mercy High School varsity basketball team
and the fifth grade girls team at Our Lady
of Lourdes in Omaha.
Lisa Maxson's story (see front page of the
Web site) provides the basics on the "Basketball
Buddy Program," so no need to go into
the details here. While the mentoring program
at Mercy and OLL might not be unique, there
was no doubt it is a story that should be
shared.
Mercy Coach Nicole Stromgren and OLL Coach
Julia Brekel started the program two years
ago, and while both will admit the Mercy players
provide added basketball expertise that makes
for better OLL players with a better understanding
of the game, basketball isn't necessarily
the focus of the program.
Players on both teams learn about relationships,
about giving, about sharing. OLL teams members
look up to the Mercy players - and not just
because they are taller. They look up to them
as role models, as "big sisters"
and, most important, as special friends.
The Mercy players learn about the "receiving"
that comes with "giving." They give
up time to be with their OLL friends, they
teach and they support, and they get admiration
and even love in return.
What a great approach to sports in a day
when everything seems focused on being No.
1. News coverage of sports - specifically
high school sports - often measures success
by state championships, winning streaks, all-state
honors and the number of college recruits
produced.
You won't find any of that in the Mercy-OLL
mentoring program. And you won't find a connection
to a national or regional organization. There's
no top-heavy administration, no big budget
and no on-going fund-raising effort.
It's just a simple program - a program about
helping, learning, supporting, caring, giving
and receiving. Sounds almost Christian doesn't
it?
Well, then again, maybe that's what it's
all about.
Circle of Mercy
Madness comes to Omaha
The Catholic Voice
January 8, 2010
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, What a Tourney
Omaha
World Herald
December 23, 2009
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, what a tourney
By Marjie Ducey
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
At this holiday tournament, you can't go wrong
by picking Mercy to win. Again and again and
again.
That's because at 2009 Mercy Madness starting
Monday, there are only Mercy schools. Six,
to be exact.
Omaha Mercy is hosting the third version
of the tournament, which was first held in
2005 in San Francisco and then again in 2007
in Cincinnati.
Teams are arriving Sunday from Mercy High
School in San Francisco, Mercy High School
in Burlingame, Calif., Mother of Mercy in
Cincinnati, Mercy High School in Baltimore
and McGann-Mercy High School from Riverhead,
N.Y. Three days of competition start Monday,
with games scheduled each day at 11 a.m.,
1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
“We're all really excited,'' said Omaha
Mercy post player Janice Riesberg. “It
should be a lot of fun.''
The Omaha team will play each day at 3 p.m.,
with games scheduled against the New York
team on Monday, the Burlingame team on Tuesday
and the Baltimore team on Wednesday.
Teams have been matched up by skill level.
Each will play three games, but the competition
is just half the fun.
The event starts Sunday night with a welcome
mass and dinner. A Mercy Jeopardy game is
planned afterward as an ice breaker, and teams
will exchange socks that have been individually
decorated or have a school logo.
Lunches are scheduled after each game to
give the athletes a chance to mingle. An awards
farewell dinner is planned for Wednesday night.
Each visiting team will have a host, who
is helping them schedule activities such as
visiting the zoo or attending a Creighton
game.
“We've got really good parent support,''
Omaha Mercy Athletic Director Holly McCoy
said. “Our kids are really excited about
meeting kids from other Mercy schools. The
whole concept is that Mercy is worldwide,
and they are experiencing that with other
Mercy kids from across the United States.''
McCoy said snow and the cold weather likely
will be an eye-opener for the players from
California.
Riesberg, who played at the Mercy tournament
in Cincinnati, said the players all have plenty
in common. They play basketball. They attend
a Mercy school. So there's plenty to talk
about.
“It's fun to see how the different
schools work,'' she said. “How it's
different and how it's the same.''
Immigration
Experiment Educates Students
Omaha World Herald Connections
November 28, 2009
Mercy High School junior Tiffany Anzalone
wears a dress that belongs to her great-grandmother
Emelie Jonusas. The dress is a traditional
Lithuanian ethnic garment. Jonusas immigrated
from Lithuania to the United States in 1951
with her two children. The outfit was part
of an immigration simulation for a U.S. history
class in which Mercy students were funneled
through a mock Ellis Island.
Juniors Mentor
with Sisters of Mercy
Omaha World Herald Connections
September 26, 2009
GETTING TO KNOW YOU: Mercy High School was
abuzz with conversation as 67 juniors and
27 Sisters of Mercy gathered recently for
the ninth annual Mercy Mentors program. The
juniors met their Sisters of Mercy mentors.
The mentoring program began during the 2001-02
school year as a way to provide mentors to
the juniors and to give the young women an
opportunity to experience Mercy through the
eyes of the religious women whose order established
the school. Three group meetings are held
each year: September, January and April. Other
times during the year, they exchange greeting
cards and e-mails, and many sisters attend
Mercy functions to be involved with their
students
Private schools
pass tough test
By Julie Anderson
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
September 24, 2009
Bad economic news over the past year had some
private school administrators wondering whether
the recession, already squeezing many families'
budgets and costing jobs, would reduce enrollment
numbers.
But a sampling of private schools around
the metropolitan area indicates that many
appear to be holding their own, with some
even gaining.
Enrollment numbers indicate that parents
appear committed to keeping their children
in the schools. The area's private schools
educate 18,000 students in Douglas and Sarpy
Counties.
“It doesn't look like there was a huge
adjustment of numbers,” said Monsignor
James Gilg, superintendent of schools for
the Omaha Catholic Archdiocese. “And
the economy is brightening. Hopefully, we
will have weathered the worst.”
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To be sure, some schools have lost students
when parents have lost jobs. Others have had
to increase the amount of financial help they're
providing.
Overall, though, preliminary counts indicate
that the 76 schools within the archdiocese
together gained 193 students this year.
A big piece of that gain came through the
addition of a grade each at St. Peter Claver
Cristo Rey Catholic High School in Omaha and
Archbishop Bergan Catholic School in Fremont.
St. Peter Claver gained nearly 100 students
and Archbishop Bergan about 40.
Omaha Mercy High School added more than 30
students to reach its highest enrollment in
20 years, said Sister Delores Hannon, the
school's president.
Melinda Kreher and her husband, Dale, have
sent three daughters to Mercy, including their
youngest, Elizabeth, a junior. Their son graduated
from Omaha Gross High School.
They chose Catholic schools because they
wanted a good education for their children
and a faculty that supported their values
and faith. Their financial position is stable,
but “if something would happen we would
do whatever we could to continue sending (Elizabeth)
there,” Melinda Kreher said.
All four children have gotten older cars
to drive, knowing that was the trade-off for
their schooling. Elizabeth, 17, drives a 1991
Chevrolet Corsica with more than 100,000 miles.
“It's older than me, but it gets me
where I'm going,” she said.
For other schools, the good news was no news.
Omaha Creighton Prep started the school year
with 1,039 students, down just two from the
same time last year. Enrollment was nearly
20 more than the school budgeted, anticipating
that it might see some losses.
“In the past year, we sweated, from
the standpoint of wondering what the economy
would do,” said the Rev. Tom Merkel,
the school's president. “We have been
pleased and delighted that people in Omaha
and our parents in particular made the choice
to invest in their sons and their futures.”
In Council Bluffs, enrollment also has held
fairly steady at St. Albert Catholic Schools,
said Jenny Van Soelen, a spokeswoman. Slightly
fewer students are enrolled at the high school
this year, but that appears to be a result
of a natural ebb in class size. The school
graduated a large senior class last year and
replaced it with a smaller freshman class
this year.
For others, the story has been mixed. Joyce
Gubbels estimated that St. Pius X-St. Leo
School, where she's in her 28th year as principal,
lost about nine students to financial difficulties.
The school, near 72nd and Blondo Streets,
also took in students, leaving enrollment
essentially the same.
Concordia Lutheran Schools of Omaha enrolled
about two dozen fewer students this year than
last year, said the Rev. Jim Rasmussen, chief
executive officer.
The numbers represent a tale of two schools:
enrollment at the junior-senior high school
was up sharply— an encouraging sign
— while numbers dipped at the elementary
school.
The difference, he said, may trace to economics.
Parents tend to have more resources by the
time their children are older. And while the
junior-senior high school tuition tends to
run a bit less than other area parochial schools,
costs at the elementary school are on the
higher end of the market.
Some schools were digging deeper to provide
financial assistance.
The two churches associated with St. Pius
X-St. Leo are launching a campaign to raise
funds to increase financial assistance and
boost teachers' salaries. The school needs
an additional $75,000 a year to meet tuition
assistance needs.
More people need help, Gubbels said. “They'll
call and say, ‘I can only afford this
much,'” she said. “We'll let them
stay, because they're doing their best.”
Rasmussen said Concordia distributed more
need-based financial aid this year. The school
had anticipated the higher need, given its
7 percent tuition increase. A lot of families
also tap the $2 million Children's Scholarship
Fund, a national program with a strong Omaha
affiliate.
Mercy, which pledges to help any girl who
wants to attend, saw an increase in tuition
assistance. Creighton Prep, on the other hand,
held steady. It spreads about $1.5 million
in financial help — grants, scholarships
and work study — among more than 45
percent of its students.
Private-school administrators agreed that
most parents appear committed to giving their
children the kind of education they've chosen
for them.
“One dad said they're going to figure
it out,” said LaVonne Plambeck, who
owns seven Montessori locations in the metropolitan
area. The schools serve children ages 6 weeks
to grade 6.
Plambeck said the schools offered flexible
enrollment schedules where possible to help
parents reduce costs. Summer enrollment wasn't
as high, but they saw an uptick in enrollment
in early to mid-August. Some parents appeared
to have been holding off before making the
commitment.
Gilg said that schools are working hard to
be as frugal as possible while still delivering
a quality education.
“Everybody's giving a great deal of
energy to all of those issues,” he said,
“but nobody's panicking.”
School &
Bowling
By John Keenan
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
« Community
On Tuesday, Mockingbird Lanes
was calling for Mercy -- as in Mercy High
School, where seniors and freshman co-mingled
in a “Big Sister-Little Sister”
bowling party.
Approximately 220 students were at the bowling
alley, including 120 freshmen.
Senior girls always take the freshmen out
to start the school year, said Mercy spokeswoman
Maureen Falcon, and bowling is a good icebreaker.
“It's a good way for them to be able
to intermix while they can still talk,”
Falcon said. “It's not like a movie,
where they're not having dialogue and enjoying
each other's company.”
For most of the students, the Big and Little
Sister match up lasts longer than one outing.
“They'll decorate each others locker,
celebrate birthdays, and we have a lot of
traditions throughout the year they will celebrate
together,” Falcon said.
Senior Abby Deats, 17, has two little sisters,
Gaby Tripp and Jessica Abels, both 14. Deats
can still remember her own big sister from
her freshman year welcoming her into the Mercy
environment.
“I think that's the main goal, to make
them feel more at home, instead of the outsider
who's just starting high school. They just
help you get more acquainted with the school,”
she said.
On the other side of the bowling alley, Brittany
Walker, 17, and her little sisters, Cara Fangman,
14, and Megan McAuliffe, 14, already were
bowling.
“We just help them throughout the year
if they have any questions,” Walker
said. “You're there so they know someone
when they come in.”
Fangman said Walker had already proved invaluable.
“She's helped me find some of my classes,
because I didn't know where they were,”
she said.
Golfers drive
for excellence
August 18, 2009
Omaha World Herald
What: Golf fundraiser for Mercy High School
When: July 27
Where: Tiburon Golf Course
Participants: 133
Money raised: $45,000
Event chairman: Larry B. Good
Golf highlight: Good sank a hole-in-one,
the first time that has happened in the 18-year-old
event. Unfortunately, it wasn't on the prize
hole.
2008-2009
Mercy's 'day
of discovery'
April 27, 2009
Omaha World Herald, Online edition
BY JOHN KEENAN
Omaha World-Herald Staff Writer
Mercy High School students took part in a
"day of discovery" Monday, some
traveling as far away as Chicago to participate
in an event designed to showcase learning
outside the classroom.
Almost 360 9th- through12th-grade students
took part in events, which began over the
weekend and included a trip to Worlds of Fun
in Kansas City, a visit to Lauritzen Gardens,
a hike through Fontenelle Forest and other
events.
"The goal is for the students to understand
that there is more to learning than just takes
place in the classroom," said Maureen
Falcon, communications director for the school.
"It’s a way for the students to
discover different activities, to show them
that you’re learning every day of your
life. Whatever situation you’re in,
there’s always something to be learned."
The biennual event is held alternately with
a "Day of Sharing."
Among the other options for the Mercy students
on Monday were:
• A tour of the Fort Crook House and
a walking tour of Fort Omaha.
• A trip to Lee G. Simmons Safari Park
and the Strategic Air and Space Museum.
• A citywide tour focusing on Chinese
culture and cuisine.
• A spa day.
• A trip through Whole Foods Market.
"We have them doing all sorts of different
things," Falcon said.
- John Keenan
Girls pair
up to share victories
April
4, 2009
Omaha World Herald
BY JOEL FULTON
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
This season was the best two girls basketball
teams can remember.
The Omaha Mercy High School varsity team
had its best record in 20 years. And the fourth-grade
girls team from Our Lady of Lourdes won the
Catholic Youth Organization championship.
A mentoring program paired girls basketball
players from Mercy High School and Our Lady
of Lourdes Catholic School. Mayor Mike Fahey
attended a scrimmage to honor the players
and coaches involved in Basketball Buddies.But
a lot more than on-the-court success made
the year special.
The teams banded together in a mentoring
program called Basketball Buddies. Each high
school player partnered with a fourth-grader,
and together they shared their love of the
game.
The Mercy athletes taught the youngsters
proper shooting form and layups, and the pairs
practiced plays and passing drills together.
Mercy players also taught their buddies lessons
in sportmanship, character and teamwork.
As the relationship grew, Mercy started announcing
the Our Lady of Lourdes players during high
school games. When Mercy attended one of the
fourth-graders' games, the girls won by a
single basket.
Julia Brekel, who coaches the Our Lady of
Lourdes team with her husband, Jared, said
Mercy's presence motivated her team to play
harder.
"They try to imitate them, show them
what they got," she said.
The Our Lady of Lourdes players were so grateful
that they wrote a letter to Omaha Mayor Mike
Fahey, asking him to recognize the Mercy team.
It read:
"Mr. Mayor . . . We want to know if
you will please come to our end-of-the-year
scrimmage and hand Mercy a plaque and say,
'good job.' . . . We know you are busy trying
to run the city and fix potholes and stuff,
but . . . it would make us happy to be able
to do something for our buddies and the coaches."
Fahey said yes. He attended a March 26 scrimmage,
where he presented awards to Mercy's president,
Sister Johanna Burnell; Mercy's principal,
Carolyn Jaworski; Mercy coach Nicole Stromgren;
the Brekels; and the players on both teams.
"Basketball Buddies is a great idea
that helps build bright futures," Fahey
said. "Mentor groups are a particularly
important aspect of the after-school program.
They create structured relationships that
bring people together."
Mercy players Caitlin Boadwee and Beth Meisinger,
both juniors, were touched when they read
the letter.
"I didn't realize we had that much of
an impact," Meisinger said.
Julia Brekel said many of her players now
want to go on to play for Mercy, including
her daughter, Madilyn, age 10.
Boadwee said basketball allowed the girls
to bond.
"My buddy is so much like me,"
she said. "She has the same number, plays
the same position, the same style."
The Mercy athletes' lessons paid off. At
the scrimmage, Meisinger saw her buddy, Morgan
Hobbs, make a steal on the first play of the
game. The fourth-grader scored on a breakaway
layup.
"It's crazy," Meisinger said. "I
thought we were just hanging out with kids.
Mercy High
School announces new president
April
2 , 2009
WOWT Website
Omaha.Com
April
3, 2009
Omaha World Herald
Mercy High School is pleased to announce
Sister Delores Marie Hannon, RSM as the new
president of the school.
Hannon is currently president at St. Edmond
Catholic Schools in Fort Dodge, IA.
The Mercy High School Board of Directors
hired Hannon because of her experience in
the educational field. She has worked as a
K-12 school president, principal, and teacher.
Hannon has also been the vice-president of
the Sisters of Mercy in Cedar Rapids, IA.
“We are very fortunate and blessed
to have hired Sr. Delores Hannon, RSM as the
next President of Mercy High School. Not only
is she a Sister of Mercy but also she is a
Sister of Mercy who comes to us with 6 years
of experience as a President of a school.
Her wealth of knowledge and her first hand
understanding of our Charism and mission make
her a perfect fit for this position. We are
grateful to her that she said “yes”
as she is leaving a school that she loves,”
said Sr. Corrine Connelly, RSM, head of the
search committee.
Sr. Delores Hannon says about her new position
at Mercy, "My adult life as a Sister
of Mercy has been focused on two passions:
the mission of Catherine McAuley and education.
Having the opportunity to be part of Mercy
High School will allow me to focus on these
passions--something I am very excited to do."
Hannon will begin her position as co-leader
of the all girls liberal arts high school
with Principal Carolyn Jaworski on August,
1, 2009.
Longtime
administrator says farewell to school
December 19, 2008
The Catholic Voice
Sr. Johanna Burnell, RSM, has announced
her retirement from Mercy High School. Burnell
will remain president until her replacement
is found
Mercy High
School's president since 1988 resigns
December 6, 2008
Omaha World Herald
Sr. Johanna Burnell, RSM, president of
Mercy High School has announced her resignation.
Burnell will remain president until her replacement
is found.
Under the leadership of Burnell and principal
Ms. Carolyn Jaworski the enrollment of Mercy
has grown and the building has been renovated
on the inside and outside. In addiiton, the
negotiated tuition policy was implemented
which pledges that no student will be turned
away because of her family's financial situation.
Spirit Week
Celebrated at Mercy High School
November 29, 2008
Omaha World Herald
Mercy High School students celebrated
Spirit Week with a variety of activities including:
collecting food for the needy, t-shirt day,
dress like a rock star day, a guitar hero
contest, and more. The junior class earned
a half day off for collecting the most food.
Mercy
High School Wins The Best Event
September 16, 2008
Metro Magazine
Metro Magazine sponsored the second annual
awards celebration recognizing and honoring
Omaha's charity events. Fiesta 2008: To Mercy
With Love, won the education division. Thanks
to everyone who helped make this event such
a success!
Mercy
Sophomore Finds Passion for Speech
September 2, 2008
The Omaha World Herald
Columnist Janice Gilmore writes about
Sophomore Briar Watson on the Mercy High School
Speech Team.
New
Mercy High Plaza Blessed
August 15, 2008
The Catholic Voice
August 16, 2008
The Omaha World Herald
Photos from our blessing which took
place on August, 10, 2008.
Mercy
High School Plaza Blessing
August 10, 2008
KETV and KPTM
Both of these stations came to the
blessing of the Eileen Krebs Ryan Plaza. Mercy
served more than 540 dishes of ice cream as
we celebrated this new space.
Mercy
High School to Unveil New Look, Receive Spirit
of Midtown Award
August 5, 2008
Destination Midtown
In recognition of that dedication
and in conjunction with the plaza blessing,
Jamie Grayson-Berglund, Destination Midtown
executive director and Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey
will present Mercy with the quarterly “Spirit
of Midtown” Award. Sr. Johanna Burnell,
president of Mercy High School, said the school
is astounded and flattered.
Driving
for Excellence Golf
Classic
July 29, 2008
Omaha World Herald
Mercy's annual golf tournament held
at Tiburon Golf Course raised $44,000 for
Mercy's negotiated tuition program. There
were 164 golfers that participated in the
tournament. The event was sponsored by James
Skinner Baking Co.
2007-2008
Mercy High School students bring WWII history
to life in D.C.
June 27, 2008
Suburban Newspapers
Seniors Katie, Aiello, Roz Parr and
Kathryn Wright won the district competition
of the National History Day competition and
were able to compete in Washington D.C. from
June 16-20. They educated their audience on
the roll of women during WWII. The girls were
all in AP History and were required to compete
in the district competition.
Construction
to begin on Mercy High Plaza
May 26, 2008
Omaha World Herald
Construction is set to begin on Tuesday,
May 27 to create the Eileen Krebs Ryan Plaza
at the front of Mercy High School. This renovation
will include a new front entryway, multiple
terraces with seating for students, a new
drop off and pick up site for cars, a back-lit
school sign and new planters and retaining
walls. The construction is scheduled to be
finished by July 22 and the dedication will
be August 10.
Mercy students raise funds, build awareness
March 10, 2008
Omaha World Herald
and
KMTV 3 5:00 News
and
WOWT 4:00 News
and
The Catholic Voice, March 21, 2008
Mercy Meets World became the
theme for the year after 5 Mercy students
went to a leadership conference with 13 other
Mercy High Schools from across the country.
During this conference they learned about
the dire need for school in Cambodia. The
14 schools pledged to raise the $20,000 needed
to build a school with running water. This
week students will have the opportunity to
fast, dance and dress down in order to raise
the funds.
Mercy
High receives largest donation in school's
history
January 25, 2008
Catholic Voice
The donation of Eileen Krebs Ryan, a 1945
graduate of St. Mary high school, will be
used to pay for the renovation to the front
of our building.
Gift
to school sure to make grand entrance
January 3, 2008
Omaha World Herald
Mercy High School announces its largest one-time
donation from an individual. Eileen Krebs
Ryan, a 1945 graduate of St. Mary High School
made the donation which will be used to create
an entrance plaza on 48th Street. Ryan made
the gift because of all the Mercy Sisters
did for her as she was growing up.
Diaper
Derby to Help Refugees
Mercy High School was the subject of a story
in the December 9, 2007 Omaha World Herald.
Students, Faculty and Staff are competing
to see which group can bring in the most diapers
to help the Sudanese refugees in the Omaha
area. The school hopes to collect 6,000 diapers.
Donations are being accepted at the school.
Warm
Hearts on a Cold Night
Mercy High School senior, Heather McLain,
was included in a story in the Omaha World
Herald on December 4, 2007, about the
Salvation Army's Night Watch program. Heather
and her family volunteer to help distribute
food and clothing to the homeless.
MercyHigh
School Senior Featured in Clinton's New Book
Mercy High School Senior, Symone Sanders,
was included in former President Clinton's
book on the importance of volunteering. Symone
met Clinton when he spoke at the Qwest Center
last November. She is also featured in Michael
Kelly's column on October 2, 2007 for her
service work.
MercyHigh
School Honors Sisters of Mercy
The
Catholic Voice October 5, 2007
Action
3 News September 23, 2007
The
Omaha World Herald September 24,
2007
Seniors Shelve Pranks for Good
The
Omaha World Herald August 23, 2007
Mercy Students Travel
to Argentina
The
Catholic Voice August 10, 2007
2006-2007
Day of Discovery
The
Catholic Voice May 18, 2007
Omaha.com
May 2, 2007
Day
of Discovery Press Release
Prayer and Loss
The Omaha World Herald - April 14,
2007
Sportsmetrics Training
Program
The Omaha World Herald - March 5, 2007
Sportsmetrics
Press Release
Robotics Team Heads
to World Tournament
Omaha World Herald - February 25, 2007
Robotics
Press Release
Fiesta Raises Over
$275,000
Omaha World Herald - February 25, 2007
Self Defense Club
KETV Channel 7 Julie's Diary - February 23,
2007
Canned Food Drive
The Catholic Voice - December 4, 2006
Canned
Food Drive Press Release |