Chris Micsky Named Scholarship Winner

On Saturday, February 27th Mercer senior Chris Micsky was named as one of two recipients of the District 10 Kevin J. Kubalic Memorial Scholarship. He was presented with this award at Sharon High School, home of the District 10 Wrestling Championships.

Four Middle School Wrestlers Successful at Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling Qualifiers

Four members of the Mercer Junior High Wrestling program advanced through the Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling State Qualifiers this past weekend. Congratulations to the following student athletes:

Aidan Bright

• 2nd Place
• 107 lbs.

Logan Conner

• 2nd Place
• 157 lbs.

Carson Filer

• 3rd Place
• 92 lbs.

Alex Chess

• 3rd Place
• 112 lbs.

Athletic Events Week of February 29th

The following Mercer athletic events will take place during the week of February 29th:

Tuesday 3/1:
Middle School Volleyball vs. Reynolds @ Mercer High School Gym (4:00 p.m.)

Thursday 3/3:
Middle School Volleyball @ Sharpsville (4:00 p.m.)

Band Concert To Be Held This Thursday

The Mercer Middle-High School Band Concert will be held this Thursday, March 3rd at 7:00 p.m. in the High School Auditorium. There is no cost to attend.

Speech Results from PHSSL State Qualifier

The Mercer Speech Team made the trip to Pine Richland High School on Saturday, February 27th to compete in the Pennsylvania High School Speech League (PHSSL) State Tournament Qualifier. This competition brought together speakers from Mercer, Butler, Crawford, and Erie counties. Students that placed in either 1st or 2nd place earned a spot in the PHSSL State Tournament, held on April 8th and 9th, at Susquehanna University. Overall, the Mercer Speech Team placed 2nd in overall sweepstakes. Here are the results:

Informative Speaking:
1st- Rachel Bish
2nd- Cole McDuffie

Persuasive Speaking:
1st- Emily Kirila
2nd- Elizabeth Ludwig

Extemporaneous Speaking:
2nd- Mary Hogue

Commentary:
2nd- Rose Gigliotti

Poetry Interpretation:
1st- Evan Daugherty
2nd- Caleb Miklas

Humorous Interpretation:
1st- Andrew Brinker
2nd- Mason Borowicz

Duo Interpretation:
2nd- Ryan Hamilton and Maddie Rowe

Dramatic Interpretation:
2nd- Janalyn Miklas

Middle School Students Show Off Their Talent

On Thursday, February 25th the Theater Arts class presented the Mercer Middle School Talent Show in the Mercer High School Auditorium. Ten middle school students performed their talents during the showcase.

Music- Instrumental
Peyton Miller- piano
Darby Miller- piano

Comedy
Jason Venetta
Caleb Turton

Dancing
Emily Basco
Makayla Allen

Music- Vocal
Isaiah Philips
Peyton Miller- 2nd song piano/vocals
Bailey Grossman

Dramatic Performance
Lilly Roman
Lindsey Klink

We would like to thank the students in Theater Arts for presenting the talent show and to all of those students who shared their talents!

Girls' Basketball Will Play on February 27th

The Girls' Basketball Team will face Cambridge Springs on Saturday, February 27th at Meadville High School. The game will begin at 1:00 p.m. Tickets will be $5.00.

 

The winner of this consolation game will earn the 3rd place spot in District 10 and advance to the PIAA state tournament

 

Mercer Students Headed to Academic Games Competition

Three Mercer students will compete in the Tri-Bowl Academic Games Competition at Grove City College on February 29th and March 7th. The students will be competing in the Presidents event and the Propaganda event.

The following students will be representing Mercer Middle-High School:

Kieran Anderson

Emalee Hostetler

Dalan Ealy

 

Ryan Hoffman Named Varsity Girls' Soccer Coach

Ryan Hoffman has be named as the new Varsity Girls' Soccer Coach for the 2016-17 season. Ryan was most recently an assistant coach for the Mens' Team at Slippery Rock University. Previously, he held a very successful post as the head coach of the Mercer Boys' Soccer Team.

 

We would like to welcome back Coach Hoffman in a new role and wish the best to the Girls' Soccer Team in their upcoming fall season.  

Mercer Students To Participate in Engineering Day

Nine Mercer students will travel with Mr. Chess to Ellwood Crankshaft & Machine to participate in Engineering Day on March 4, 2016. The students will have an opportunity to interact directly with engineers and tour the Hermitage facility.

The students that will be participating are: Will Chess, Ethan Godfrey, Bryanna Fedorchak, Tim Lang, Megan Matscherz, Noah Minarik, Jeremiah Robertson, Kyle Wamboldt, and Brock Watson.

Two Mercer Students Heading to PMEA Region I Band Festival

Congratulations to senior Jordyn Buchanan and junior Abby Grabigel who will travel to the PMEA Region I Band Festival on March 10th-12th. The festival will take place at Valley High School. They will have the opportunity to audition for a place in the PMEA All-State Concert Band or Wind Ensemble.

Band Concert--Thursday, March 3rd

The Mercer Middle-High School academic concert bands will host The British Invasion concert on Thursday, March 3rd in the Auditorium. The concert will begin at 7:00 p.m. The concert is free to the public and will feature music made famous by British composers.

Vote for Bryanna Fedorchak as the Breakout Athlete of the Week

One Mercer student-athlete is up for Breakout Athlete of the Week on GoErie.com.

Bryanna Fedorchak -- Girls' Basketball

• Bryanna made a crucial offensive rebound and the winning basket as time expired in the District 10 Quarterfinal game versus Saegertown to give Mercer the win (30-28).

 Follow the link to cast your vote and support Bryanna!
http://blogs.goerie.com/varsity/

Bobby Gregory Advances to District 10 Wrestling Tournament

The Mercer Wrestling Team competed at the Section 2-AA Wresting Tournament on February 19th and February 20th at Sharon High School.

Mercer sophomore Bobby Gregory placed 3rd overall in his weight class. As a result, he will participate in the District 10 Tournament on February 26th and February 27th at Sharon High School.

Good luck Bobby!

Speech Results from Harbor Creek Invitational

The Mercer High School Speech Team traveled to Harbor Creek High School on Thursday, February 18th to compete in the final event of the Catholic Forensic League of Erie regular season.

Awards were given to individuals that earned at least a share of 1st place in their category. Here are the results:

Dramatic Performance
Andrew Brinker
Janalyn Miklas

Duo Interpretation
Ryan Hamilton and Maddie Rowe
Brianna Jarrett and Abby Grabigel

Speech Results From West Allegheny Invitational

The Mercer Speech Team competed in the 5th Annual West Allegheny High School Invitational on Saturday, February 20th. The Mercer team placed 1st overall in team sweepstakes, making it the third event this season where the Mercer team claimed the top prize. Individually 17 of the 29 Mercer speakers placed medaled in their respective events. Here are the results:

Duo Interpretation
1st- Ryan Hamilton and Maddie Rowe
2nd- Abby Grabigel and Brianna Jarrett
6th- MacKenzie Meyer and Michaela Johnson

Humorous Interpretation
1st- Andrew Brinker
2nd- Mason Borowicz

Poetry Interpretation
1st- Evan Daugherty
3rd- Caleb Miklas

Extemporaneous Speaking
1st- Mary Hogue

Dramatic Interpretation
2nd- Janalyn Miklas
4th- Kate Shaffer

Prose Interpretation
3rd- Sarah Turton

Informative Speaking
3rd- Rachel Bish
5th- Cole McDuffie

Commentary
4th- Rose Gigliotti

Snow Make-Up Day---Monday, March 28th

The Mercer Area School District was closed due to inclement weather on Tuesday, February 16th.

The make up day will be held on Monday, March 28th.

Girls' Basketball Advance to D-10 Semifinals

On Saturday, February 20th the Mercer Lady M's Basketball Team defeated the Saegertown Panthers 30-28 in a matchup held at Farrell High School.

As a result, the Lady M's will face Harbor Creek on Wednesday, February 24th at Fairview High School at 6:00 p.m. in the semifinal matchup.

Tickets for the game will be on sale from Monday-Wednesday in the main office from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $5.00

There will be a sign-up sheet in the main office for a student fan bus. We need at least 30 students to sign up by noon on Wednesday, February 24th. The cost is $5.00 for transportation plus the cost of the ticket ($5.00).

EQUUS Winter Edition Premier To Be Held February 22nd

The Winter Edition of Equus is scheduled to premier on Monday, February 22nd in the main hallway, in front of the Mercer Middle-High School Auditorium. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. and last until 8:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided for those who attend.

Equus is a student-driven, Mercer created fine arts publication. A variety of student works are featured in these publications, ranging from original artwork to literary pieces.

There is no cost to attend the event. Equus publications will be available for individual purchase.

Varsity Wrestling Competing in Section 2-AA Tournament

The Mercer High School Varsity Wrestling program will compete in the Section 2-AA Tournament at Sharon High School on Friday, February 19th (starting at 4:00 p.m.) and Saturday, February 20th (starting at 9:00 a.m.).

Middle School Talent Show To Be Held Next Thursday

The Middle School Talent Show will be held on Thursday, February 25th at 6:30 p.m. in the Mercer High School Auditorium. The talent show is being sponsored by the Mercer High School Choir Department.

Girls' Basketball Hosting 1st Round Game TONIGHT

The Mercer Lady M's will host a 1st round basketball game versus Seneca High School on Wednesday, February 17th.

Cost will be $2.00 for students and $5.00 for adults.

The game will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Mercer High School Gymnasium.

Student Fan Bus- Update

As a result of the postponement of the 1st round action of the District 10 Playoffs, the Mercer Boys' Basketball Team will play TONIGHT, February 17th at Cambridge Springs

We are still offering to send a student fan bus to watch the Boys' Basketball team, if there is enough interest. We need at least 30 students to sign up by 12:00 noon on Wednesday, February 17th in order to send a student fan bus to the game.

The cost will be $5.00 plus the cost of the ticket to the game (to be announced).

Sign up in the main office on Wednesday morning to support the Boys' Basketball Team!

Speech Results from Bethel Park Invitational

The Mercer Speech Team competed in the 29th Annual Bethel Park Blackhawk Invitational on February 12th and February 13th. More than 400 students, representing Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, competed in this two-day event. The Mercer Speech Team placed 2nd overall out of 31 schools in speech sweepstakes. Fourteen of the 25 Mercer speakers advanced into the elimination rounds. Here are the results:

Dramatic Interpretation
2nd- Janalyn Miklas

Original Oratory
3rd- Rachel Bish
6th- Emily Kirila
Quarterfinalists-  Elizabeth Ludwig and Cole McDuffie

Duo Interpretation
3rd- Ryan Hamilton and Maddie Rowe
12th- Abby Grabigel and Brianna Jarrett

Extemporaneous Speaking
6th- Mary Hogue

Prose and Poetry Interpretation
8th- Evan Daugherty
Quarterfinalists- Sarah Turton and Hayden Maine

Humorous Interpretation
10th- Andrew Brinker
Quarterfinalist- Mason Borowicz

Students, Are You Interested in a Fan Bus for Playoffs?

On Tuesday, February 16th the Mercer Boys' Basketball Team will compete in the 1st round of the District 10 Playoffs at Cambridge Springs.

We need at least 30 students to sign up by 12:00 noon on Tuesday, February 16th in order to send a student fan bus to the game.

The cost will be $5.00 plus the cost of the ticket to the game (to be announced).

Sign up in the main office on Tuesday morning to support the Boys' Basketball Team!

Sadie Hawkins Dance To Be Held Saturday February 13th

The Mercer High School Student Council is sponsoring a Sadie Hawkins Dance on Saturday, February 13th. The dance will be held from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. Tickets are $5.00 per person and will be sold at the door. Mercer students in grades 9-12 are invited to attend.

The Sadie Hawkins Dance will be a unique dance experience for the students. Dress is casual with the theme of "twinning with your date". The couple selected as the best twin match will win a prize basket, courtesy of Student Council.

The dance will also be unique because it is more than just a dance. There will be dozens of games on site that can be used by the attendees. Board games will be set up on tables. There will also be a station for video games. Two cornhole sets will be set up in a designated area for all of those students wishing to play. Perhaps one of the crowd favorites will be the giant Jenga set.

The DJ for the evening will be Mercer senior Chris Majonek.

Please visit the link below to see the public service announcement that was created by students in the journalism class:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Uv-k4Sr43g&feature=youtu.be

Athletic Events Week of February 8th

The following Mercer athletic events will take place during the week of February 8th:

Monday:
MS Boys' Basketball @ Lakeview (4:00 p.m. / 5:15 p.m.)

Tuesday:
Boys' Basketball vs. Lakeview @ Mercer High School (6:00 p.m. / 7:30 p.m.)

Wednesday:
None

Thursday:
Girl's Basketball vs. Greenville @ Mercer High School-- SENIOR RECOGNITION (6:00 p.m. / 7:30 p.m.)

Friday:
MS Boys' Basketball @ West Middlesex (4:00 p.m. / 5:15 p.m.)
Boys' Basketball vs. West Middlesex @ Mercer High School-- SENIOR RECOGNITION (6:00 p.m. / 7:30 p.m.)

Saturday:
Middle School Wrestling @ Sharon Tournament

Speech Results from Knoch High School Invitational

The Mercer Speech Team travelled to Saxonburg, PA to compete in the 4th Annual Knoch High School Invitational on Saturday, February 6th. More than 275 speakers from 24 high schools in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia competed in this forensic event. Here are the results:

Original Oratory
2nd- Rachel Bish
5th- Elizabeth Ludwig

Humorous Interpretation
2nd- Andrew Brinker

Poetry Interpretation
3rd- Evan Daugherty

Extemporaneous
4th- Mary Hogue

Prose Interpretation
4th- Sarah Turton

Dramatic Interpretation
4th- Janalyn Miklas
5th- Kate Shaffer

Duo Interpretation
5th- Ryan Hamilton and Maddie Rowe
6th- Abby Grabigel and Brianna Jarrett

Mercer Artists Receive Scholastic Art Awards

Three Mercer High School students have been recognized by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Student work was submitted to the national office in New York City for examination and ranking. The works of Rebecca Simcik, Alyssa English, and Ryan Hamilton each won a Silver Key Award.

 Ryan Hamilton

 

Rebecca Simcik

Alyssa English

The hyperlink below will take you to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards webpage.
http://www.artandwriting.org/

Mercer Students Recognized by MCCC as Students of the Quarter

Two Mercer High School students were recognized by the Mercer County Career Center as Students of the Quarter for their respective areas of study. Alivia Young received the award for her work with the Early Childhood Education program. Chris Thompson received his recognition for his work in the Auto Body program.

What Are Students Building in the Wood Shop?

Mr. Colligan, Industrial Arts teacher for students in grades 7-12, recently shared some photographs with me that depict projects that students have undertaken in Wood Shop.


The step stool and small night stand are projects that are typically completed by first year students.

 



 



 This completed chess board was created entirely by junior Hunter Kaster.

 

The first picture shows the beginning framework and the second shows a nearly completed coffee table. This project was created entirely by junior Nathan Moore.

 

This large stand was created by seniors Garret Kuhn and Nate Cameron.

 



Students of the Month -- January 2016

Each month Mercer Middle-High School recognizes Students of the Month. Students are nominated by members of the faculty and all nominations are reviewed by the administration. There are four distinct qualities that the faculty is looking for when nominating a student: honor, respect, excellence, and determination.

The follow students were recipients of the Student of the Month Award for the month of February: Rachel Mays (9th grade), Jordan Eaton (9th grade), and Kaitlyn Nemeth (12th grade). Congratulations to those students for exemplifying those special qualities.