The Hedge
Week 4, Term 3 | Thursday 15 August 2024 A weekly snippet of what’s happening ‘behind the hedge’ at Mercedes College...

Insightful Conversations

A big thank you to more than 30 volunteer Mentors from 16 different industries, who sat with our Year 11 and Year 12 students last Friday morning to discuss career pathways after Mercedes College over a light breakfast.

Our students had some valuable and insightful conversations with Mentors, which complemented the discussions they’ve had in subject counselling and with Senior School Leadership. These interactions and discussions help students as they look towards their futures beyond the hedge.

Don’t Miss Out – Legally Blonde Jr... this weekend only!

You have just a few days to see the inaugural Mercedes College Year 7-12 Musical in our newly refurbished Gleeson Theatre. The Opening performance of Legally Blonde Jr, is on tonight at 7pm.

Visit our photo wall (with your choice of pink-themed props), our beverages bar, possible through the support of our FOTA families, and select a sweet pink treat from the candy bar before you find your seat!

Check out the show in one of three evening shows, or bring the family along to our Saturday matinee… get your tickets now!

Who Will You Nominate?

Since 1991, Mercedes College has bestowed an annual Mercy Award on a member of the College community who demonstrates the lived spirit of the Mercy Keys. This recipient could be a member of staff, an Old Scholar, a student’s family member, or community volunteer – anyone within our College community who is not currently an enrolled student.

Read all about the nomination process and eligibility criteria on our website, and put forward your nominations before 9am, Tuesday 10 September 2024.

Pictured: Andrew Balkwill presents the 2023 Mercy Award to Old Scholar Catherine Edwards (Class of 2015, McAuley)

Living, Learning, Leading

Our families have received information via SEQTA to complete a survey for Living, Learning, Leading (LLL), research undertaken by National School Improvement Partnerships with Catholic Education SA.

This is an important opportunity to tell us about the experiences you and your children have with Mercedes College.

Your anonymous responses will be used in conjunction with similar responses from staff and students, to give our leadership team a holistic picture of how we, as your education provider, are performing.

The survey takes three to five minutes to complete, and your participation will help us to deliver continuous improvement for the future of Mercedes College. We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Click here to complete the questionnaire, entering Access Code MCSLLLP when prompted.

This survey will close on Friday 23 August 2024.

Are You Ready?
Intercol 2024 is Coming!

Next week, we take on St Ignatius’ College in our 20th year of Intercollegiate competition. In our 70th anniversary year, we are delighted to be the host!

Check out the full schedule of events and venues here (any updates will be made online and communicated via SEQTA).

Around the Campus you will start to see some green and gold bunting and banners, created by our Junior School classes and creative Year 6 and 7 students, and we know more work is happening behind the scenes this week to make sure our Camels are well supported at every event.

Keep an eye on our fixtures, pick up your Camels supporter’s scarf from Strathspey ($25 each), and make sure you tag us in your Intercol social media posts with #gocamels

We’ll see you next week at Intercol 24 – let’s make our 70th anniversary competition, in its 20th year, the best one yet!

Braving the Cold

Congratulations to the 40 students who walked an evening in the shoes of the less fortunate last week, braving the winter elements at the Vinnies Winter School Sleepout, last Friday night.

In the dim light of the College Campus, students engaged in a sobering life-scenario activity, that helped make homeless statistics about more than just numbers on a page, and were inspired by guest speaker Kylan Beech, Young Australian of Year Nominee 2024.

Thank you to everyone who supported this endeavour with donations. Our tally has exceeded our goal, with more than $2,600 going towards the Vinnies Winter Appeal.

This is in addition to the van-load of non-perishable foods and warm clothing that our community generously donated through classrooms, which will be distributed to South Australians in need over winter.

Father’s Day Breakfast

Calling all fathers and father-figures… on Thursday 29 August, you are all invited to share a light breakfast with your children at our College Café, ahead of Father’s Day on Sunday 1 September.

We’d love to share breakfast and a barista made coffee – all served by our Middle Year students – to say thanks to all the dads in our community.

There will also be a ‘best/worst Dad Joke’ competition – so bring your best jokes with your appetite.

Special "swanky" Mercedes College socks will also be available for sale from Jenny at Strathspey Reception – the perfect gift for a Mercedes College Dad!!

Please let us know if you plan to drop by, so we can cater for everyone.

Junior Tennis Aces

Our Junior School students, from Year 5 right down to Reception, have a great opportunity to learn the basics of tennis, whilst also honing their coordination skills, at our Mercedes College Tennis clinics, run before school on Fridays, 7.30am to 8.15am.

A purely developmental programme, students attend one session per week and can join at any time – no experience is necessary – and junior racquets are available for those participants who don’t have their own.

During Term 4, a summer competition will be available for those students who want to take their tennis game to the next level.

Maybe the Australian Olympic Gold medal in the Men’s Doubles will inspire a few students to take to the courts!

If you have a budding tennis star in your family, contact Matt Smith via SEQTA to register them for a session!

Exploring Species Survival

During National Science Week, our Year 7 students dived into an exploration of the delicate balance of ecosystems, and how humans can protect them.

Combining cutting-edge technology, hands-on experimentation, and engaging group discussions, students discovered that science lessons can be both exciting, and relevant to real-world issues.

The next time you’re having a conversation with a Year 7 student, be sure to ask them about how whale “snot” can act as a non-invasive method of analysing the health of these enormous mammals, and the oceans at large… fascinating!

Good Sports

Across our Primary Sports teams, you might spot some plush camels changing hands each week after competition…

These friendly mascots are given out in acknowledgement of a player’s demonstration of the Mercy Keys – being respectful, compassionate, loyal, and responsible, while showing integrity and justice towards their teammates, opposition, and officials.

This weekly recognition is beloved by students, whose enjoyment of their participation is more highly valued than the results on the scoreboard.

We love seeing their enthusiasm for living the Mercy Keys through sport… Go Camels!

Pictured: Ravi, Year 2, celebrates last weekend after receiving his soccer team’s camel, Dave.

Reading is Magic!

Next week, our Library spaces and Junior School classrooms will be filled with the magic of Book Week 2024.

With book-themed activities, guest storytellers from around the College, and opportunities to get creative with costumes for our Book Week Parade, it is a spectacular highlight on our College calendar!

Check out the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Shortlist here to find you child’s next great read, and maybe a little inspiration for costumes…

The Pain of Fast Fashion

This week, a number of our social justice leaders from Middle and Senior School welcomed Sister of Mercy, Meredith Evans, and Young Mercy Links representatives, Gaby Kinsman and Katelin Lawrie, to discuss the dangers of the fast fashion industry and its link to human trafficking.

Students walked away with a much clearer understanding of the impact of their shopping choices, as well as what is being done by organisations like Young Mercy Links and the Australian Catholic Religious Against the Trafficking of Humans (ACRATH) to protect people around the world.

Coming up…

  • Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 August | Legally Blonde Jr, a musical
  • Friday 16 August | Year 8 ‘Olympics Unleashed’
  • Monday 19 to Friday 23 August | Book Week 2024
  • Monday 19 to Saturday 24 August | Intercol 2024
  • Wednesday 21 August | R-12 College Assembly
  • Thursday 22 August | Year 10 Outdoor Education First Aid excursion
  • Friday 23 August | Year 11 Flinders University visit | Second Hand Uniform Shop NOT OPEN
  • Tuesday 27 August | Year 4 Art Gallery of SA excursion | Year 10 Subject Counselling
  • Wednesday 28 August | Stage 1 Outdoor Education Vertical Reality excursion
  • Thursday 29 August | Father’s Day Breakfast, 7.30am – 8.30am
  • Sunday 1 September | Father’s Day
  • Wednesday 4 September | Stage 1 and 2 PE Volleyball Competition
  • Friday 6 September | Student Free Day