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The Hedge
Week 11, Term 1 | Thursday 10 April 2025 A weekly snippet of what’s happening ‘behind the hedge’ at Mercedes College... and our last edition for Term 1, 2025!

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Dalton Takes Term 1 House Glory

A focus area for 2025 is building our House Spirit. Our Junior, Middle and Senior House Leaders had a busy first Term, as all year levels took part in swimming and athletic carnivals, but we're not stopping there...

Our new system of House recognition will highlight a different House activity each Term, so that House spirit continues throughout the year, not just for our Term 1 sporting events!

Term 2 will see our Houses come together for a 'Sing Off', whilst Term 3 will have a House Quiz to test our students' general knowledge. Rounding out the year, Term 4 will be dedicated to House Social Justice projects, and at the end of the year, we will announce the overall 2025 House winner, tallying points earned across all four activity areas.

On Monday, we announced the winner of Term 1 House points, and the winner was... Dalton! It was a very close result across all four Houses, but it was our red teams that took the win.

Well done to all our students for showing such great spirit both on and off the field and in and out of the pool!

It would be fair to say that our House spirit is alive and well... flourishing even...

Drama and Romance in France

Yesterday, our Year 11 French students enhanced their learning of the language by attending the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival for the sweeping epic, Le Comte De Monte Cristo.

Set predominantly in Marseille in the 17th Century, the iconic tale of love and redemption has been given new life in this visually stunning film, which ran for three hours.

Having access to this annual festival is a perfect opportunity for students to explore language in a novel, and entertaining way.

Winter (Sport) is Coming…

This week, we invited families and coaches to our Yitpi Centre for the launch of our Winter Sport Programme.

This was a great opportunity to meet each other and also to hear from our new Director of Co-Curricular Sport, Brodie Atkinson, and meet his new team.

Brodie shared his vision for the season, and spoke about our sporting programmes in general, and working with students at every age and stage of their development.

Old Scholar and 2024 SANFL Magarey Medal Winner, Will Snelling (Class of 2015, Barry) returned to our Campus, to share some insights about his time at Mercedes College, and how it influenced his football career 'beyond the hedge'.

College Calendar on SEQTA

From the start of Term 2, our College Calendar will be hosted on SEQTA Engage, rather than on our website.

It will have all the same features - with events highlighted as relevant to Junior, Middle, and Senior Schools, and also College-wide events such as Mother's Day, Quiz Night, Assemblies and more...

There is a tab on the SEQTA Home Page - that says Calendar - so you simply click on that and all of our important dates will be in the palm of your hand.

We also plan to release a Term Calendar in the first issue of The Hedge in Term 2 so you can see all key activities on one page.

Each event or activity listed on SEQTA will have a bit more detail included, which will help our families with planning their College/life activities.

Welcome to Playgroup

Our College Playgroup will resume in Term 2, and will be held each Thursday morning from 9.00am to 10.30am, here on our beautiful Campus.

Everyone is welcome - families, Old Scholars, and the broader community. Playgroup registrations can be made on our website from Monday 14 April.

We look forward to seeing families and their children enjoying each other's company and getting to know our Mercedes College community.

The first Playgroup session will be on Thursday 8 May.

Uncanny Portraits Taking Shape

Our Senior Visual Arts students taking part in the co-curricular workshops with guest artist Rebecca Hastings have been working dilligently on their portraits for the past six weeks, and the evolution of their pieces is incredible to see.

Using photographs that incorporate an unusual element, students are developing their skills in colour mixing and tonal underpainting to create a self-portrait.

Their workshops will continue in Term 2, and their canvases will be on display in the Baggot Street Walkway in our Dalton Building, so our community can watch them come to life as a 'work-in-progress' showcase.

Tennis Building Momentum

Summer Secondary Tennis saw a boom of new players in Term 1, leaping from four to six teams across the SAAS and CESA competitions, while more than 40 Primary students attended Tennis Development every week to hone their skills.

Congratulations to our competitors on a season of close matches, with a revitalised training programme seeing improvements across the Term.

Special mentions to Drive Team debutants Hugh (Year 8, Dalton, Hat 94), Sam (Year 9, Barry, Hat 95), and Captain Will (Year 12, Dalton, Hat 96).

Tennis will start up again in Term 4 and we look forward to seeing even more of our students taking to the courts.

Staffing Changes in Term 2

Next Term, there will be a few new faces on Campus, as some of our teaching staff are heading off on new adventures.

Josh Wigmore is taking up an exciting international leadership opportunity from next Term in Singapore. The new Year 8 Leader will be Lane Trenorden who will be familiar to many of you. Nia O'Loughlin will be new to the College and taking up Josh's Middle School classes.

James Burdon is also heading overseas at the end of this Term, and we welcome Carli Farmer as our Design Technologies Learning Area Leader and Teacher.

We also farewell Senior English and English Literature Teacher, Stephen Summers.

We know our community will join us in thanking Josh, James and Stephen for their time at Mercedes College, and wish them well as they all journey well beyond our hedge.

Year 9s on the RISE

Earlier this Term, we launched a new Year 9 programme, called RISE.

RISE has been developed especially with out Year 9 students in mind, and is a chance to complement our traditional curriculum learnings with a range of activities and experiences, both in and outside the classroom, to help guide our students through a year of self-discovery, growth, resilience and change.

One of the first undertakings was to explore the idea of identity of self as well as diverse cultural backgrounds.

Students shared a smorgasbord of culinary treats from all over the globe and exchanged experiences and stories about food and family, and how this varies from culture to culture and family to family.

Each class also selected an area to focus on, that relates to personal challenges, and the result was a series of posters and artworks that will remain up in their classrooms for the year - to remind them of the importance of being yourself, and accepting others for who they are.

Students also took time away from the classroom for a series of regular hikes to prepare for their upcoming bushwalking camps - and the reward? As always.. the view!

Isaac takes Gold!

You might remember seeing Isaac (Year 9, Barry), a passionate Judo participant, moving up the ranks in State and National competitions - and he's done it again!

Last weekend, Isaac took part in the 2025 Melbourne International Judo Open, part of the Australian National Judo Competition, and came away with the Gold Medal in the Under 60kg Senior Kyu Male Division and Bronze in the Under 65kg Caden Division.

Following those achievements, Isaac has been selected to represent Australia as a National team member at the upcoming Mandurah Cadet and Junior Oceania Cup, which will be held in Perth in early May.

We believe that the school year is all about a balance - between home and school, study and play, sport and music - or wherever your passions lead you.

Taking advantage of all the opportunities that present themselves, in whatever endeavour, contributes to a rich and interesting life that develops character, resilience, independence, and a sense of community.

We wish Isaac all the best for his next competition in Perth, representing Australia on the world stage!

Modern Icons – Sculpt and Sip!

Our College community of parents and friends is invited to join our Visual Arts Team to work on a pottery project early in Term 2.

Participants will make two crosses, taking one back to their homes and donating the other to the College to form a community-made artwork piece here on Campus.

Two workshops will take place with the support of three experienced arts facilitators (including our very own ceramist), who will help complete the final pieces for display.

There will be some beverages on offer, to add to the colour and conversation at each workshop. Please note: these workshop experiences are only for adults (sorry no students).

Wednesday 7 May and Wednesday 21 May
4.00pm – 6.00pm
Mercedes College Senior Art Rooms
Cost: $30 per person ($15 per session)
Includes light refreshments

The project is limited to 20 places so book early!
Click here to book your place in this fun community project

Behind the Hedge is live...

The Hedge has become a fantastic way to discover the happenings that go on each week at Mercedes College.

We wanted to invite people to have a peek 'behind the hedge' to see what makes Mercedes College so special... 

Earlier this week, we launched our first 'Behind the Hedge' video, which forms part of a series will be appearing throughout the year on our Instagram and Facebook pages.

The aim is to show the warm and genuine connection between our staff, students, and our families and extended community . The videos show the true side of Mercedes College - authentic and down to earth - we'd love you to watch and share them.

Later today, you'll see one of our Reception students with his Junior School teacher having a chat.

Stay tuned - and enjoy!

Holiday upgrades

The holiday break is a great time for our Grounds and Maintenance Team to attend to all those jobs around the Campus that are difficult to do during Term time... and we thought we'd share them with you!

There will be three new banks of lockers installed in the McAuley Building, as well as outside the John McDonald Performing Arts Building. We will also be getting new furniture and carpet in four classrooms in the Gallivan building (GA301 - GA304), as well as new desks and chairs in the Green Room in the Library.

When our students return to our Campus next Term, they will see a splash of colour and enjoy some new-look rooms.

A reminder for all students who use lockers - please use padlocks to keep books, devices, sports kits safe and secure.

Holiday Shopping

Families needing new uniform items ahead of winter can book an appointment with The College Shop during the school holidays, or stop by the Second Hand Uniform Shop for pre-loved options.

The College Shop
Wednesday 23 April, 8.00am – 2.00pm
Thursday 24 April, 8.00am – 2.00pm
Monday 28 April, 8.00am – 2.00pm

Second Hand Uniform Shop (Strathspey House)
Tuesday 15 April, 9.30am – 1.00pm
Wednesday 23 April, 9.30am – 1.00pm

A reminder of our Winter Uniform Standards can be found here.

Coming up...

  • Friday 11 April | Caritas Day | Last day Term 1 (regular dismissal, 3.20pm)
  • Monday 14 to Monday 28 April | Autumn Vacation Care
     
  • Thursday 17 April | Holy Thursday
  • Friday 18 April | Good Friday
  • Saturday 19 April | Holy Saturday
  • Easter 20 April | Easter Sunday
  • Click here to view an Easter message from Archbishop Patrick O'Regan DD
     
  • Monday 28 April | Pupil Free Day
  • Tuesday 29 April | First day Term 2 | Resurrection Prayer Gathering (8.30am, Terraces) | Year 8 Kaurna Games
  • Wednesday 30 April to Friday 2 May | Year 10 Camps | Year 12 Retreat
  • Friday 2 May | Year 8 Kaurna Games
  • Friday 2 to Sunday 4 May | Generations in Jazz, Mt Gambier
  • Saturday 3 May | Sisters of Mercy SA Foundation Day
  • Monday 5 May | Year 8 Kaurna Games
  • Tuesday 6 May | Year 6-11 Learning Reviews (night 1 - Year 6-11 early dismissal, 1.00pm)
  • Wednesday 7 May | Whole-of-College Mass
  • Friday 9 May | Mother's Day Lunch (only two seats left!)
  • Monday 12 May | Year 6-11 Learning Reviews (night 2)
  • Monday 12 May to Sunday 18 May | Catholic Education Week

More upcoming activities can be found on the College Calendar.