As part of our celebration of Catholic Education Week, our Junior School students have been writing letters of hope to our new Pontiff, Pope Leo.
Sending their thanks and well-wishes, students expressed their hopes for the coming years.
In addition to their letters, words and pictures of hope were shared in chalk on paving underneath the Junior School marquee, with older students helping our youngest cohort with their messages.
Late last week, our Year 9 students benefited from the experience and expertise of Dr Dan Pronk, a College dad and specialist in building a resilient mindset.
As part of our new RISE Programme, Year 9s heard about Dr Pronk's background in the military, specifically the SAS. He shared insights and stories about growth versus a fixed mindset, and discussed ideas for building happiness in life.
Students were encouraged to explore the things they love and enjoy doing, knowing that failure is a part of their journey. They left the workshop with strategies they can apply immediately, as well as being buoyed for the challenge of their camp in the Flinders Ranges next week.
We thank Dan for giving his time so generously in speaking with our students and sharing such valuable insights with them. This talk forms a key part of the Year 9 RISE programme - introducing our students to experiences and people who can offer learning opportunities for growth and 'life' lessons, beyond the classroom.
On Monday, students looked to the practical side of preparation for their upcoming camp, learning about the priority items for their backpacks, and how to organise themselves before the long walk ahead of them.
Our Term 2 Parent Engagement Group (PEG) Meeting is being held on Monday at 2.20pm.
We'd love to see you there - our Performing Arts Team will be there to introduce you to our new Music staff and share exciting news about our College Musical, wrap up our Generations in Jazz experience, and explain the vision for performing arts for the rest of the year ... and beyond.
Please register your interest here so we can know to expect you!
International Student Programme (ISP) Leaders, Caton (Year 12, McAuley) and Rita (Year 12, Fitzpatrick), arranged a social night last week, inviting international students from Immanuel College to come to our College to spend time together, as students away from their homeland.
There was a classic Aussie sausage sizzle, music, games and table tennis, with students sharing their experiences of studying abroad and making connections that will continue beyond their time in Australia. A great initiative by our ISP student leaders and a wonderful way to building community beyond 'our hedge'.
We are getting very excited for the 2025 College Musical: Grease!
This family favourite will bring the T-Birds and Pink Ladies to life, with the classic songs we all know and love.
With only four evening performances, and limited seating for a single Thursday matinee, you'll want to book your seats quickly before they're all gone!
Last week more than 160 mums came together to celebrate at our annual Mother's Day Lunch at Carrick Hill, hosted by our Deputy Principal, Narelle Sandercock.
On a perfect sunny day, mums from across all year levels shared a delicious lunch and enjoyed each other's company, sharing stories about motherhood and friendships.
It was wonderful to see three tables of Year 12 mums, celebrating their last Mercedes Mother's Day lunch, alongside so many new mums to the College!
Two of our Year 12 Performing Arts students, Theo and Summer, played as mums arrived, and then performed 'Big Jet Plane' and wished all of our mums a Happy Mother's Day.
A big thank you to all our generous raffle prize donors and to everyone who bought tickets and took home the beautiful floral centrepieces.
We love the energy and joy on display at this event and look forward to another great year of community events at the College.
Parents and caregivers are invited to join a free webinar from Dr Moira Junge, CEO of the Sleep Health Foundation, to explore the importance of sleep for the development of children and young people's brains.
A practical session, Dr Junge will discuss memory consolidation, emotional regulation, and cognitive functioning, as well as how sleep can impact physical and mental health, and learning and academic performance.
Our Year 12 students were surprised this week with the delivery of their Class of 2025 Jumpers.
Called to Strathspey House at recess, students were cautiously optimistic that their beloved jumpers had arrived, and broke into squeals of delight when their College Captains appeared in the doorway sporting theirs.
A tradition for Year 12s, this year's jumper includes the addition of students' Houses on the front alongside their first name. The back features a full list of their classmates and their last name, along with a gold embroided key and camel on each of their sleeve cuffs. This is one of the most treasured 'rites of passage' for our Year 12 students, and they all look fabulous in their new kit!
On Tuesday, students from Year 4 to Year 6 competed in the SAPSASA Cross Country Carnival at Belair National Park.
It was a fantastic day on the trail, with most of our Mercedes College team finishing in the top 20 of their division.
Congratulations to all students involved, who demonstrated strong athleticism and sportsmanship across the day, with a special congratulations to those students who placed in the top five of their division, and will now represent their SAPSASA District at the State Championship in week 6 at Oakbank: Zoe (Year 6, McAuley), Jasmine (Year 6, Dalton), Stella (Year 6, McAuley), Malaika (Year 4, Dalton) and Jake (Year 4, Dalton).
The Connections Assessment Task for SACE Spiritualities, Religion and Meaning (SRM) has a focus on community, justice, and diversity. As a part of their studies, a group of Year 12 SRM students have collaborated to explore and better understand the value of volunteer work for communities and individuals.
With a focus on giving back to the people who have helped them succeed in their studies, Isabella (McAuley), Byron (Dalton), and Kelly (Fitzpatrick) set up a student-led car washing service for our staff. The list of people signing up for this initiative was long - driving home in a freshly washed car is the perfect way to end the day!
As families know, we are using a different online platform for our College fee payments, introduced by Catholic Education SA (CESA).
Our 2025 fees were issued on the CESA Community Portal in February this year. We appreciate this process is new, and taking a while for everyone to work out in terms of access.
If you are having difficulty accessing the portal, or haven't paid your 2025 fees yet, please contact our Finance Office on SEQTA Direqt, or accountqueries@mercedes.catholic.edu.au and arrange a payment plan. Payment plans need to be completed by 30 November 2025,
If you'd prefer to speak with someone from our Finance Team, please call the College on 8372 3200 and they would be happy to talk you through the process.
Thank you - we appreciate your support with this new process.
More upcoming activities can be found on the College Calendar.
