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Mercy High School (Burlingame, California)

Mercy High School is a diocesan, private, all-girls Catholic high school in Burlingame, California, United States.[2] The school is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, and is run by the Sisters of Mercy, founded by Catherine McAuley. It is housed in Kohl Mansion.

Campus

Mercy High School serves girls ages 14 to 18 years old in grades 9 to 12.[3] The school was opened in 1931.[4] The site of the school is also the Mercy Convent, a preschool, retirement center for religious sisters, as well as a conference room and retreat at the Mercy Center.[4]

Mascot

The prior mascots at the school were the Crusader Rabbit and the Crusaders.[citation needed] "Hip-Hop the Bunny" was the name of the Crusader Rabbit mascot suit used prior to the 2010s, when the mascot suit was abandoned. [citation needed] During the 2023–2024 school year, the school underwent a mascot change, and are now called the Mercy Bears.[citation needed]

Kohl Mansion

Main article: Kohl Mansion

The English Tudor revival mansion was built for Charles Frederick Kohl and his second wife Mary Elisabeth "Bessie" (née Godey), as their country house.[5][6] It was completed in 1914, however two years later the house was unused after the couple separated.[5] In 1924, the mansion was sold to the Sisters of Mercy for $230,000.[6] The main building was exclusively a convent from 1924 to 1931, and it has been the home of Mercy High School since 1931.[6]

Use in film

The grounds of Mercy High School and Kohl Mansion has been filmed in for two movies. In 1921, Kohl Mansion was used by United Artists for the silent film Little Lord Fauntleroy.[7] The estate was used again when Disney filmed the movie Flubber in 1996, starring Robin Williams.[6]

Athletics

Mercy offers 15 sports for students to choose from. Fall sports consist of cross country, golf, flag football, tennis, volleyball, and water polo. Winter sports consist of basketball and soccer. Spring sports consist of gymnastics, lacrosse, softball, swim & dive, and track & field. Year-round sports consist of cheer and dance.

Tri-School

Mercy High School is a part of a program called Tri-School, a partnership with Notre Dame High School, Belmont, an all-girls high school, and Junipero Serra High School, San Mateo, an all-boys high school. The schools host some classes with mixed education and collaborate in other activities, including social gatherings put together by the teachers in the schools' foreign language departments, school dances, fall plays, and spring musicals.

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ^ WASC-ACS. "WASC-Accrediting Commission for Schools". Retrieved June 5, 2009.
  2. ^ Swartz, Angela (February 6, 2014). "Kohl Mansion celebrates 100 years: Mercy High School Burlingame has activities planned throughout year". San Mateo Daily Journal. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  3. ^ The Handbook of Private Schools. P. Sargent. 1983. p. 1392. ISBN 978-0-87558-106-4.
  4. ^ a b Walsh, Austin (August 10, 2020). "Sisters of Mercy imagine next chapter for Burlingame campus". San Mateo Daily Journal. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form". National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. February 3, 1982. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d Richter, Judy (October 15, 1999). "Kohl Mansion has its roots in The Oaks". SFGATE. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  7. ^ https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/kohl-mansion-contains-history----and-mystery/article_42eccbd7-4553-53ff-8abf-bfca81c607c5.html
  8. ^ Oremus, Will (January 29, 2008). "Speier to announce Congress bid". Palo Alto Daily News. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2008. She is a graduate of Burlingame's Mercy High School and served on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors before jumping to the Assembly.
  9. ^ Buchanan, Paul D. (January 16, 2001). "Kohl Mansion contains history -- and mystery". San Mateo Daily Journal. Retrieved October 26, 2020.