- Mercy High School (San Francisco)
-
Mercy High School 
Address 3250 19th Avenue
San Francisco, California, 94132
United StatesCoordinates 37°43′46″N 122°28′25″W / 37.729419°N 122.473623°WCoordinates: 37°43′46″N 122°28′25″W / 37.729419°N 122.473623°W Information Type Private, All-Female Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic;
Sisters of MercyEstablished 1952 Founder Catherine McAuley Superintendent Maureen Huntington Principal Dr. Dorothy McCrea Vice principal Linda Ambrosini Faculty 64 Grades 9-12 Enrollment 525 (2008-2009) Campus size 6 acres (24,000 m2) Color(s) Red and White Athletics conference West Bay Athletic League Mascot Skipper (Dolphin) Team name Skippers Rival Mercy High School (Burlingame) Accreditation(s) Western Association of Schools and Colleges[1] Publication Legacy (literary magazine) Tuition $12,500 (2008-2009) Dean of Students Julie Ortiz Admissions Director Liz Belonogoff Athletic Director Debbie Mathews Website http://www.mercyhs.org Mercy High School, San Francisco is a Catholic all-girls college-preparatory high school located in San Francisco, California. It is a part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, and is sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland. The campus is located on 19th Ave., near San Francisco State University, and includes a multipurpose Pavilion, which was built and dedicated to Catherine McAuley in 2001.
Contents
History
The Mission of Mercy High School, San Francisco, a Catholic high school, is to educate young women for their expanding roles in society. This education must be formative, not only imparting fundamental skills and knowledge, but also encouraging the development of values that will guide them in all their lives.
Mercy High School strives to provide a Christian environment where the following values can be nurtured: love of God, self-esteem, intellectual integrity, independent thought, respect for human rights, compassion for others, dedication to teach, courage to act, and respect for the goods of the Earth.[2]
In 1855, Mother Baptist Russell and the Sisters of Mercy opened a night school for adults on Vallejo Street, San Francisco. The late auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco James T. O'Dowd, who was then the Archdiocesan Superintendent of Schools, requested that the Sisters of Mercy provide a secondary school for the Catholic girls in the Sunset, Lakeside, and Park Merced districts. As a result, Mercy High School was opened on September 3, 1952 with a class of 199 freshmen in a partially completed building. Nearly two years later, the original building was completed in 1954.
On June 11, 1956, a class of 173 seniors received diplomas and became the first graduating class of Mercy High School. The achievement of Mercy's first graduating class placed the high school on the list of secondary schools accredited by the University of California without delay. In 1958, Mercy High School became a charter member among schools accredited by the Western Catholic Education Association. In 1964, Mercy High School was accredited by the newly formed Secondary Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The school is also a member of the National Catholic Educational Association.[3]
Academics
Mercy offers a four-year college preparatory program, which includes advanced placement and honors courses in English, mathematics, science, foreign language, and history. Religious education classes are mandatory and an important component of the curriculum. The fine arts program is one of the most diverse in the Bay Area, and the athletic and speech programs have received state level recognition. Mercy's student government program has also received the highest award from the California Association of Student Councils.[3]
Student activities
Clubs
- Amnesty International
- Anime
- California Scholarship Federation
- Campus Life Team
- Classic Film Club
- Community Service
- Dance Committee
- Dolce (Chorus/Glee Club)
- Global-Eyes
- Green Team
- Kaleidoscope (Multicultural Club)
- Mercy Athletic Association
- Legacy (Literary Magazine)
- Math Club
- National Honor Society
- Performing Arts Association
- Photo Club
- Science Club
- Talking Heads (Speech)
- Wav Tech (Technology Club)
- Yearbook
Alma mater
- Mercy will keep us ever,
- True to the land we honor and love;
- Mercy lives on forever;
- Honoring the Queen we serve above.
- With hands of hearts together,
- Through the happy years;
- Strong is our chorus!
- All lies before us!
- Our Mercy spirit we cheer;
- Here's to Mercy High,
- Lift our banners to the sky!
- Daring to do or die,
- 'Til all of our glory is won!
- Proudly we sing to you,
- In loyalty cling to you,
- With true hearts we bring to you
- Our tribute of love fore'ev
- Hear our song, loud the call,
- Come along, one and all,
- Join the marching of the Red and the White
- Life will ever be a pledge of loyalty,
- Live on to honor thee,
- Mercy High, All hail to thee!
Notable alumni
- Joanne Hayes-White, San Francisco Fire Chief
- Kimberly Guilfoyle, Fox News personality
- Patricia Ziegler, Founder of Banana Republic
See also
- San Francisco County high schools
External links
Notes and references
- ^ WASC-ACS. "WASC-Accrediting Commission for Schools". http://www.acswasc.org/directory_search.cfm. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
- ^ "Mission Statement". Mercy High School (San Francisco). http://www.mercyhs.org/aboutmercy/missionstatement.htm. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
- ^ a b "History". Mercy High School (San Francisco). http://www.mercyhs.org/aboutmercy/history.htm. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
Categories:- High schools in San Francisco, California
- Roman Catholic secondary schools in California
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco
- Girls' schools in the United States
- Educational institutions established in 1952
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
