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26 May 2020
Dear Families,
The time between the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven, which was celebrated last Thursday, and Pentecost, which we will celebrate next Sunday, is a remarkable time. Not only did Jesus rise from the dead on Easter, He was curiously present among His disciples for the next forty days. He visited his disciples in the upper room, and Thomas was not present, but later became a true believer. He became apparent to his followers on the road to Emmaus, only becoming recognizable when they broke bread together. But, finally, the disciples came together, knowing and believing in Jesus. And then, He rose into Heaven, in their full view. There was no disputing this second, unbelievable phenomenon. For me, it is hard to imagine the next ten days, after Jesus left, and became no longer present to His disciples, and before the Holy Spirit descended. What on earth, were they thinking? He had promised them not to leave them as orphans. He had elucidated on principles just within, maybe beyond their understanding. With Jesus gone, all they had was pure belief; all they had was recent memory. All they had was a burning desire and true faith. For the disciples, I think that it is good that this period lasted only ten days. Without the presence of Jesus, and before the Holy Spirit descended, even with their fervor, they may have faltered. For what is the Church without the Spirit?
Yesterday was also Memorial Day, the day during which we remember all those service members who gave their lives for our nation. I hope that, amid the (small) celebrations that everyone had, there was ample time to remember the many Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
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The calendar and schedule for Mercy Online 2.0 has several important changes in practice. We will not have traditional final exams. Rather, each class and each discipline will have a conclusion to the year that will be designed to assess each student’s grasp of the content in a different format. Students whose performance is reflective of the rest of the year, or better, will conclude the semester on June 4.
Any student who has concluded the year with a significant difference from her typical achievement, or who has neglected to turn in fourth quarter assignments, will be assigned to resource time during the scheduled exam period. Resource will take place from June 5 to 10, and girls who are assigned to resource will meet with their teachers during their regular class periods. Resource is a time for extra help, for girls to ask questions and make clarifications, and for their learning to proceed and, ultimately, conclude well. If you have any questions about resource, please don’t hesitate to ask me, the teacher for which she is assigned resource, or her adviser. A student who is assigned to resource will be notified by her teacher, and you and her adviser will also be informed.
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For the last five years, during the spring, representatives from the League of Women Voters have visited Mercy to register Mercy Girls to vote. They were on campus prior to our moving online, and have sent Mercy Girls a reminder about the upcoming elections:
Ballots are being mailed to all registered voters in Maryland to participate in the upcoming primary election.
You may have questions about your registration status, ballot drop off locations, or want more information about who's running for office in your district.
Here are two websites that can answer your questions:
Exercise your right to vote and let your voice be heard!
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Finally . . .
We have two more weeks of Mercy Online 2.0, and then summer vacation. This summer will surely look different than other summers, but, overall, we have a good deal for which to be grateful. We have our Mercy community, our families, and many friends. And we have the Holy Spirit, who gives us the fortitude and grace to proclaim goodness and healing; unity amidst separation. We have the Holy Spirit, who encourages us to reach out to others. We have the Holy Spirit.
May you all have a good week, the week between the Ascension and Pentecost. If the disciples could manage that uncertain time, we certainly can manage this one!
All the best,
Jeanne A. Blakeslee
Principal
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