Merion Mercy Academy

Merion Mercy Academy
Mater Misericordiae Academy

Merion Mercy Academy
Address
511 Montgomery Avenue
Merion, Pennsylvania, (Montgomery County) 19066
United States
Coordinates 40°0′34″N 75°15′1″W / 40.00944°N 75.25028°W / 40.00944; -75.25028Coordinates: 40°0′34″N 75°15′1″W / 40.00944°N 75.25028°W / 40.00944; -75.25028
Information
Type Private
Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic
Established 1884
Principal Sr. Barbara Buckley
Faculty 41
Grades 9-12
Gender Girls
Enrollment 485[1] (2008-09)
Student to teacher ratio 12:1
Campus type Suburban
Color(s) Blue and Gold         
Athletics conference PIAA
Mascot Golden Bear
Accreditation Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[2]
Publication Image Explosion (literary magazine)
Newspaper Ricordia
Yearbook Meriannal
Affiliation Sisters of Mercy
Athletic Director Barbara Clarke
Website www.merion-mercy.com

Merion Mercy Academy is a female, private, independent, Catholic, college preparatory school, teaching grades 9 through 12, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy located in Merion, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Known by the Latin name "Mater Misericordiae Academy" prior to 1968, the school curriculum has traditionally emphasized mercy spirituality, global awareness, and social responsibility. A dedication to service of the poor and unfortunate, in the spirit of Catherine McAuley, the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, continues today.

History

Significant changes have taken place from 1987 to the present. Recent events include the merger of the lower school with Waldron Academy for Boys next door in 1987, thereby giving the entire 72,000-square-foot (6,700 m2) Merion Mercy building, built in 1954, to the education of high school girls. The new grade school was named Waldron Mercy Academy. Academically, the school earned a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award in 1996 as recognition from the United States Department of Education.

A 27,000-square-foot (2,500 m2) addition to the MMA building in 2003 added a new chapel, administrative offices, classrooms and meeting rooms, new athletic facilities, and a study center for students. Some other significant renovations took place in the summer of 2004. The school's principal since 2007 is Sister Barbara Buckley, who is also an alumna. Recently, Merion-Mercy won the 92.5 WXTU radio station contest in each of two consecutive years. On December 19, 2007, country artist Kellie Pickler performed for the student body, and on December 2, 2008, Dancing with the Stars' winner Julianna Hough performed on the school's stage.

Mission

Merion Mercy Academy, an independent, Catholic, college preparatory school sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, offers an education which encourages academic and personal excellence. Its curriculum stresses mercy spirituality, global awareness, social responsibility and academics. Within a nurturing community, Merion Mercy Academy educates leaders: young women who live mercy and seek justice (which is part of the mantra the girls chant at all school functions).

Athletics

Merion Mercy joined the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) in 1994 for scholastic athletic competition. The very next year the basketball team won the state PIAA Class AA championship. Continuing their success, the track and field team won the PIAA state championship in 1998 and in 2001, and the volleyball team won the PIAA state championship in 2001 and 2003. The volleyball team earned back-to-back-to-back-to-back state championships in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. The crew team won the Groton Cup at the Henley Regatta in 2011 and both the Freshmen 8 and Varsity 4 won Stotesbury in 2012. The building houses the Patricia Waldron Fitness Center.

Notable Alumnae

Notes and references

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/21/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.