At Mercy High School, we are one large family. For about nine months, five days a week young girls eagerly enter the building ready to be filled with knowledge. And each day, these girls rely on our phenomenal group of educators to not only provide that knowledge, but also exhibit a role quite similar to one of a parent. The teachers and staff are guardians to our continuously growing Mercy family for over seven hours a day. Although our community focuses mainly on education of female youth, we are always looking to expand and provide opportunities to keep others involved. With that in mind, our Mercy family is more than delighted to welcome three new members to our community. Heartfelt congratulations are offered to the three teachers bringing life to three more Mercy boys; Ms. Nickels, Ms. Regele, and Ms. McCuen.

Last week we were overjoyed to welcome Bear Nickels, who arrived over the winter, as the first Mercy boy of the 2022-2023 school year. Despite being Ms. Nickels’ third child, Bear is the first of hers to be born during her time at Mercy. Nickels felt blessed with the opportunity to experience our distinctive, overwhelming, abundance of love toward her and Bear during her pregnancy journey. The excitement of her students brought her even closer to the community than before, “Everyone was so supportive and asked me how I’m doing and the baby, and it’s just so sweet to see everybody that cares so much,” said Nickels. Although we are always on the lookout for more Mercy girls, Ms. Nickels was sure she wanted a boy and hoped for one all along. She feels that no matter the gender, having children of her own helps her relate more to the students. Now that she has finally returned after being tremendously missed, Nickels hope is to get back into coaching and continue to bring her kids to events to keep them involved! 

February 3 was Ms. Regele’s last day before maternity leave and she met her baby boy on February 12th. Although she is excited to meet her baby, Ms. Regele expressed her somber mood about leaving, “It’s going to be hard to be away, thinking ahead to maternity leave and being gone from Mercy for so long and just knowing that I was going to be away from my friends and colleagues and all the students,” Regele said. Undeterred by her feelings about being gone, Regele feels she was able to appreciate her time with us more, knowing that she would be gone for the next few months. As she wrapped up her last week at Mercy, she emphasized the ample of support she felt from a specific senior class, “I have one class in particular where my seniors ask me weekly what fruit size [the baby] is growing to, and those same seniors are already saying they’re gonna throw a little baby shower, I thought that was so sweet!” she said. Further down the road Ms. Regele envisions her baby participating in plays and musicals at Mercy and can’t wait to teach him all about our community!

The last baby to be born during our school year will be Ms. McCuen’s boy, soon to arrive March 30th! Unlike Ms. Nickels, Ms. McCuen was rooting for a Mercy girl since she has been surrounded by women her whole life. Regardless of losing the “gender rivalry” with her husband, she is positive she will win the next round, implying that there will hopefully be more mini McCuens. Ms. McCuen already has a to-do list for when she is a mom, “I think it’s going to be really fun. I’m just excited to read him little books, take him on walks in the neighborhood, and just snuggle him and feed him,” she said. McCuen conveyed her gratitude towards her pregnancy experience with Mercy, “It’s things like the students being enthusiastic and asking how things are going, or the teachers having heart to hearts about being a mom and different things to go through, even one of my classes started coming up with a plan in case I went into labor at school!” Although there will most likely not be a labor at school, the students cannot hold in their eagerness to meet her first baby!