ADMISSIONS BOOKLET
September/October 2011
Dear Parents and Student,
I am happy to provide you with this packet that offers comprehensive information about our unique program and the tremendous educational and career opportunities available at Mercy Vocational High School.
Mercy is the only Catholic vocational high school serving the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and has been nationally recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for American Private Education as a Secondary School of Excellence. Evidence of our success is seen in the variety of positive outcomes provided to our graduates. Those graduate options include:
Admission to two and four-year colleges as well as trade and technical schools.
Acceptance to union apprenticeship training programs.
Full-time entry-level employment.
Mercy Vocational High School remains on the leading edge of career preparation for the 21st century.
New and exciting initiatives continue to happen at Mercy Vocational. Our new Power School Information System is now fully functional, allowing for state-of-the-art electronic communication and information access for administrators, teachers, parents, and students. Also, our partnership with major corporations throughout the Delaware Valley continues to grow, providing wonderful opportunities for our students and graduates.
Mercy Vocational High School’s tuition and fee structure is comparable to the cost at a Diocesan high school. We are also pleased to offer a comprehensive scholarship/tuition grant program providing over $700,000 in grants for the 2008 – 2009 school year. Please know that:
Mercy Vocational High School’s tuition and fee structure is the same as Diocesan high school costs.
More than 70% of Mercy families qualify for one or more grants.
The average grant award level is over $2,500 per family.
Girls from single-parent families who are eligible for a Charles E. Ellis Grant receive almost a full-base tuition grant for all four years ($4,600 each for the 2009-2010 school year).
As a result of our competitive tuition and fee structure and the incredible amount of tuition scholarship and grant money we have to distribute, Mercy Vocational High School is a very affordable Catholic high school opportunity for almost all families.
Students who live in Philadelphia can choose our private transportation option, at an additional cost, for traveling to and from MVHS. For the growing number of students coming from outside the city, many suburban districts will transport to and from MVHS at no cost to parents.
For so many reasons, an increasing number of city and suburban parents and students are considering Mercy Vocational and the number of applicants for a limited number of 9th grade placements is growing annually. Our freshman class for September 2009 will be once again be limited to 100 regular program admissions and 24 academic support program students. At present we are experiencing more than twice the number of applicants for the number of 9th grade available placements, so early application is more critical than ever. I encourage you to read the enclosed information and to consider attending our Fall Open House Program. Please note the following dates:
Open House ........................ Sunday, November 6, Noon to 3:00 P.M
8th Grade Visitation Day .......... Thursday, November 17, 8:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.
Entrance/Placement Test ........... Saturday, November 19, 9:00 A.M. (Sharp).
Questions regarding the testing program or requirements should be directed to Mr. William J. Donahue, Director of Admissions, at 215-226-1225, ext. 115.
I know that many Catholic high schools are providing you with program information. I suggest that you might want to consider some of the following factors as you go through the high school selection process:
1. The quality of the school’s total mission and program.
2. The student’s interest, aptitude, and ability.
3. The student’s educational and career goals.
4. The job market of the future.
5. The knowledge that your investment will provide the student with a variety of positive outcome options upon graduation.
I encourage you to take the time to research and to explore and to share as parent and student the decision-making process. May God bless and guide your efforts in this undertaking.
Students who are planning to take the entrance /placement test must be pre-registered. A pre-registration form and return envelope are enclosed. Candidates for our regular academic program must be present by 8:45 A.M. on Saturday, November 20. Students must bring the following information with them that day:
A copy of their elementary permanent record. Catholic school students can request a copy from their principal. The public school record is known as the Student History Profile and can be requested from the school office.
A twenty-five dollar ($25.00) Testing Program fee in cash, check, or money order made payable to Mercy Vocational High School.
Students who are candidates for our McAuley academic support program must call the Admissions Office to be informed of what other information is required at time of testing.
May God bless you abundantly for your continued commitment to Catholic education.
Sincerely,
William J. Donahue
Director of Admissions
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Admissions Booklet
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Technology at Mercy Vocational High School
Technology Equipment
State-of the art equipment – no computer lab has computers older than three years
Five computer labs (Freshmen – dedicated lab, general – use lab, Business lab, Computer Technology lab, Building Trades lab)
Approximately 180 computers which translate to one computer for every two students
95% of classrooms equipped with a projector and an interactive white board (SmartBoard)
Five of seven shops have a SmartBoard in its theory room
Library equipped with 12 computers, projector and surround sound for movies and presentations
Technology Curriculum
Freshmen technology curriculum prepares them for Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC3) which validates their knowledge of
- Computer Fundamentals
- Key Applications (Word, Excel and PowerPoint)
- Living Online
Technology topics included within science curriculum to 10th and 11th graders.
Every student gets his/her own email account
Web Capabilities
Mercy web page with latest school information
Online test calendar
Teacher pages for announcements and homework assignments
PowerSchool
- 24/7 access to student grades - logons provided to parents and students
Microsoft® Authorized Refurbishment Center
Donated computers are refurbished by MVHS’ Computer Tech students
Computers are sold, at a low cost, to those who do not have computers
Corporate Partner Program
Goals
Engage major businesses in partnering with MVHS to “groom” our students for the business world
Provide opportunity for our students to be introduced to local businesses and business practices as early as 9th grade
Introduce businesses to our students early
Have corporate partners hire our students when they graduate!
Program
Businesses bring their training program to MVHS
- Team Building
- Leadership Skills
- Customer Service
- Diversity
- Work Ethic
- Interviewing Skills
- Application Tips
- Understanding the Compensation Package
All grades participate in this program
- Classroom discussions, activities, role playing, discussion panels
Corporate Partners
Beneficial Bank
Comcast
Commerce Bank
IBM
Independence Blue Cross
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Philadelphia Insurance Companies
Temple Health System
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