Wednesday, November 29, 2023

HIGHLIGHT

GIFT IDEAS FOR THE GWYNEDD GIRLS ON YOUR LIST

Looking for a unique and special Christmas gift? 

Elevate your gift-giving and support our "A Place to Soar" Capital Campaign by choosing a gift that leaves a lasting legacy. 

• Consider gifting a personalized engraved brick for the new Commons Courtyard. Reserve a 4 x 8 inch brick for $1,000 or an 8 x 8 inch brick for $2,500.
• Ensure your loved ones are part of the new  Monarch Mosaic art installation, celebrating our school mascot. The mosaic will be made of up to 1,000 photos, each measuring 2 x 2 inches, celebrating the members of our community. You or your gift recipient(s) will be able to submit one or more photos of your choosing with a brief caption or story. Using a wall mounted digital tablet, visitors will be able to search for, zoom in, and read about each photo. For $250, reserve a spot for one photo or opt for three photo spots at $500. 

Shop now and receive a gift certificate via email to personalize, wrap, and place under your tree!

Questions? Contact Gift Officer Jeannine Hartz P'14, '20 at jhartz@syria-events.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS

December 6, 2023, 6PM

Virtual Wellness Seminar

Tune into our free virtual presentation, The Maternal Mortality Crisis – Fighting Systemic Barriers in Healthcare, with speakers Lenore Tietjens-Grillo, MD ’80, Alison McGrorty-Crotts, MD, MPH ’04, and Yvette Gbemudu, MD.

Register

December 5, 2023, 6:30-8PM

An Advent Evening of Reflection

Join us for an evening of prayer and reflection as we seek God's presence during this season of Advent.

Register

December 13, 2023, 7-8PM

Candlelight

Continue the Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School tradition of Candlelight with our Christmas tableau and musical performances. The event will take place in the Performing Arts Center. 

December 20, 2023

College-Age Social

Graduates from the Classes of 2020-2023 are invited to return to campus to reconnect with classmates and teachers before Christmas break.

Register

January 15, 2024

Alumnae Day of Service

Gather with fellow alumnae on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for service opportunities. Email the Alumnae Board's Ministry & Service Committee Chair Mary Kate McNulty Gallo '02 at mkmcnulty@gmail.com to get involved.

CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH GWYNEDD

Join Us to Celebrate the Christmas Season

The annual Candlelight ceremony is one of the most beautiful Gwynedd Mercy holiday traditions. This signature event is comprised of a student procession, musical concert, and live tableau, which helps us prepare for the birth of our Savior.

Candlelight will be held on Wednesday, December 13 at 7PM in the Performing Arts Center. All are invited to share in the grandeur of our Christmas celebration.

WELLNESS SEMINAR

Learn About Maternal Health

We are pleased to continue our Parent Wellness Wheel Seminar Series, which provides an opportunity for our community to experience "adult versions" of Gwynedd's Wellness Wheel seminar curricula. 

Did you realize that although the United States spends the most money of any country in the world on healthcare, we have the highest maternal mortality rate of any industrialized country? On Wednesday, December 6 at 6PM, tune into a virtual version of The Maternal Mortality Crisis – Fighting Systemic Barriers in Healthcare. A panel of medical experts including Lenore Tietjens-Grillo, MD ’80, Alison McGrorty-Crotts, MD, MPH ’04, and Yvette Gbemudu, MD, will share why women in the U.S. are at risk, what makes you the most vulnerable and what can be done to keep expectant mothers and their babies safe.

Please feel free to share with other parents, guardians and educators! To kick things off, the first 100 registrants will be entered into a raffle to win some Gwynedd swag.

Save the dates for future events in the series:

• January 24: The Vaping Epidemic and the Devastating Consequences to Teen Health, 6-7:15PM
• March 18: Understanding Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom and Beyond, 6-7:15PM
• April 10: Social Media and the Social Dilemma – Fear, Manipulation, and the Greater Good, 6-7:30PM

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Join Us for the Annual Alumnae Day of Service

Each year, Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School alumnae, students, faculty, and staff celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day by completing a Day of Service. Alumnae across the country spend time serving their local communities, and this year, those in the Philadelphia area and their children are invited to gather at Gwynedd to participate in activities to support the Kelly Anne Dolan Memorial Fund and Caring for Friends.

Please join us on Monday, January 15, 2024 to give back to your local community in honor of our Mercy roots on the third annual Alumnae Day of Service. Gather with fellow alumnae, bring your family and friends, or do any of our service activities yourself. Local alumnae will gather in Gwynedd's gym from 10AM-12PM.

Can't make it in person? Join us remotely by...

• Purchasing items from the GMA Day of Service wishlist and have them shipped directly to GMA. We will be using these to assemble sensory boxes and snack bags during the Day of Service.
• Making a casserole dish at home and dropping off at GMA on January 15 or at one of the many Caring for Friends freezer site locations throughout Philadelphia and the suburbs.
• Donating to Strawberry Market.

Calling on Classes Ending in "1" to Make Gifts to Strawberry Market

In an effort to keep the shelves of Strawberry Market consistently stocked, the Alumnae Association asks for donations from the members of the class years ending in the number that matches the current month. That means during November, we are looking for donations from the classes ending in 1. Please consider supporting this special alumnae-sponsored initiative in one or more of the following ways:

• Purchase items directly from the Strawberry Market's Community Target Registry and automatically ship to Alison McGrorty-Crotts, M.D., M.P.H. '04.
• Drop items off in a bin located inside Gwynedd's front door.
• Purchase a Target gift card and send it to strawberrymarketsmhc@gmail.com.
• Send money via Venmo to @strawberrymarket.
• Make a check out to Alison McGrorty-Crotts and mail to GMAHS.

Spread the Mercy Effect

As they gear up for our Annual Character Breakfast on March 23, 2024, Mercy Effect is in need of support. Please consider donating any lightly used or new children's character costumes (ages 2-8). Proceeds from the event will be donated to Mercy Neighborhood Ministries, which is an organization that helps support struggling families under the poverty line in the Philadelphia area. 

Donations can be placed in the red bin inside the school's front doors. Thank you!

ALUMNAE ON CAMPUS

Alumna Teaches Healthy Habits

Natalie Ullmann '14 joined the Senior health classes to talk to students about relationships and the college experience. Natalie is a licensed social worker and has worked as a domestic abuse children’s counselor; mental health clinician for a juvenile detention center; and is currently working as a Therapist for children, teens, and adults. In addition, Natalie has been working for Child Guidance Resource Centers for 3+ years facilitating parent groups, family groups, and high school programs based in positive family relationships and drug and alcohol prevention. 

CLASS NOTES

Submit Your Class Notes!

Did you have a baby? Celebrate a personal or professional milestone? Receive a degree or award? Get married? Fill out the form linked below to notify us!

And if you are preparing to get married or have a baby—let us know! We'd love to send you a GMA flag for your reception or a GMA bib for your little one. And be sure to snap photos, tag @gmahighschool on Instagram, and submit them with the Class Notes form.

Alumna Lauded for Work in Sports

Adweek featured Kelsey Trainor, Esq. '08 on their "Champions of Change: 24 Women Who Are Transforming the Sports World" list—right next to Taylor Swift. Kelsey is Chief Strategy Officer of Rob McElhenney Co. where she is working to broaden McElhenney's business ventures across new sports leagues, including growing the Wrexham AFC women's team alongside the men's club. Her brand, Invest in Women, partnered with the Human Rights Campaign for LGBTQ+ advocacy during Women's History Month.

Recent Graduate Exhibits Artwork

Paige Jalosinski '23 will have her first gallery exhibition “Broken Down in Color,” at No Name Gallery in Philadelphia throughout December. She shares, “This collection is an exploration of portraiture and landscape with an emphasis on color and abstraction. Aiming to deconstruct portraits and environments through the use of line and shape, this series departs from previous realist works. Overall, this collection is an experimental journey in discovering an authentic personal style.”

Stop by on December 1 from 5-8PM for the opening reception. Congratulations, Paige!

Class Gathers to Celebrate Milestone Reunion

TODAY AT GMA

Student Athletes Commit to College Teams

The Athletics Department celebrated National Signing Day by recognizing 11 athletes from the Class of 2024 who have committed to continuing their athletic careers at the collegiate level. Congratulations to:

• Madeline Bogle - Field Hockey, The Ohio State University
• Farren Brooks - Rowing, Monmouth University
• Ava Huntley - Field Hockey, College of the Holy Cross
• Emma Kerr - Field Hockey, Bryant University
• Ella Koschineg - Soccer, Cornell University
• Riley Morris - Soccer, Rutgers University
• Breylan Petka - Rowing, Rutgers University
• Katherine Pluck - Soccer, Lehigh University
• Krista Quinn - Flag Football, Milligan University
• Emily Rossmeisl - Rowing, University of Connecticut
• Alexa Weiss - Softball, Caldwell University

Students Serve Their Community

The spirit of a Mercy Girl is rooted in service. Last week, representatives from The Giving Tree visited Gwynedd and gave students the opportunity to help with a few projects. Students made toiletry bags for women in poverty, activity bags for kids living in poverty, and candy bags for veterans and members of the armed forces.

Monarchs Make it to State Semifinals

Gwynedd played Villa Maria in the PIAA Class 2A field hockey semifinals at Wissahickon High School on November 14, 2023. While the Monarchs lost 2-1, they fought hard until the very end. “Their biggest focus today was that even if they got down, not to give up, and they didn’t,” GMA coach Leah Westerman told The Reporter. “I’m proud of how they all worked together and meshed as a team.”

STEM Students Share Their Tech Skills

Students in the Innovation Scholars Program hosted an innovation showcase called InNov8tion Day. Students had the opportunity to create a 3D-printed model of themselves, design and create a Christmas ornament, test their pop music knowledge against Artificial Intelligence, and work with the Anatomage tablets! Read more about the Innovation Scholars Program below.

GMA Runs for HER

Student Council hosted the Run for HER Fun Run, in memory of our beloved School Store Manager Lynn Lange P'17, '19, who passed away following her battle with breast cancer. Thank you to all who came out and showed their love and support!

All proceeds from the 5k fun run/1 mile walk will benefit UniteforHER, a local organization that aims to enrich the health and well-being of those diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancers, for life, by funding and delivering integrative therapies — a cause near and dear to Mrs. Lange's heart.

Seniors Win Annual Powder Puff Football Game

It was a beautiful day for our annual Powder Puff games! Sponsored by the Health Club, this event brought together students, faculty, and staff for a day of fun and friendly competition. Congratulations to the seniors for their impressive victory!

STAY IN TOUCH

Please send any personal or professional updates, questions about how to get involved with GMA, or other inquiries to the Director of Alumnae Engagement Erin Reimel Clements '12 at eclements@syria-events.com.

© 2023 Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School

1345 Sumneytown Pike  |  Lower Gwynedd, PA 19002

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