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The Hedge
Week 7, Term 1 | Thursday 13 March 2025 A weekly snippet of what’s happening ‘behind the hedge’ at Mercedes College...

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Year 7-12 Athletics Carnival Wrap Up

Last week wrapped up with a flurry of colour, competition, and camaraderie at the Year 7-12 Athletics Carnival. Congratulations to everyone who participated and cheered on their Houses.

In the end, it was Dalton who won the Overall Points Cup, and Fitzpatrick secured the Spirit Shield.

It was great to see a field of colour as everyone embraced their Houses. Next on our sporting calendar are the Swimming Carnivals – another highlight of our year.

House Spirit is celebrated across many aspects of College life, with more exciting events to come each Term. Our Athletics and Swimming events are a fantastic way to kick-start the year, and we look forward to more!

State Athletics Champions

After our Athletics Carnival on Friday, several of our students went on to compete in the SA Athletics State Championships over the long weekend. It was a very hot three days, but our students appeared cool under pressure and all achieved great individual success.

Ava (Year 11, Dalton), Max (Year 10, Barry), Maggie (Year 9, Fitzpatrick), Hayley (Year 10, Dalton), Ella (Year 7, Dalton) and Christian (Year 12, McAuley) all came away with medals – Gold, Silver and Bronze – and several Personal Bests, in a brilliant display across running, hurdles, Heptathlon, pole vault, shotput, discus and hammer throw.

The Australian Athletics Nationals will be held in Perth in April, and we wish all of our students the very best… it is wonderful to see the Mercedes College tradition of being strong in athletics continues to thrive.

We look forward to hearing how the Nationals event goes, and to following the achievements of our students – and their athletic success beyond the hedge!

Captivated by Club Amour

Last week, our Year 11 and 12 SACE Dance students experienced the Adelaide Festival at its finest, attending the Australian premiere of Café Amour.

The performance was a restaging of Pina Bausch’s Café Müller (1978). Bausch is one of the great innovators of modern dance, and Café Müller is widely regarded as her masterpiece.

The experience featured two performances on the Festival Theatre stage, where the audience had the rare opportunity to be seated or standing on stage. It was an invaluable experience for our Senior Dance students, who are required to evaluate and analyse live performances as part of their studies.

Maddi Shows Civic Pride

Maddi (Year 11, Fitzpatrick), last week received a Governor’s Civic Award, presented at Government House, for her 2024 Politics, Power and People presentation on the need for a train service to the Adelaide Hills.

Nominated by her teacher Brendan Toohey, Maddi's thorough research, well-framed argument, and polished execution was recognised by South Australia's Govenor as part of this annual award ceremony.

This award was delivered through a partnership with the Department for Education and judged by an independent reference group.

Congratulations, Maddi, on being recognised at the highest level for your insights and excellent work.

Free Parent Webinar
Digital Media Literacy and Safety for Students

SchoolTV is a wellbeing resource available to all Mercedes College families via our website. It offers a range of videos on various topics to help families navigate the different stages of their parenting journey.

SchoolTV is hosting a free webinar on digital media literacy and online safety for primary and secondary students. This webinar features two of Australia’s leading experts in youth wellbeing and cybersafety, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg and Susan McLean. Parents will gain invaluable insights on how to support their children in navigating the online world safely and responsibly."

Thursday 20 March, 7.00pm | Part 1 of a two-part series.

Register here.

Why an IB education benefits students in an ever-changing world

This week, local news publication InDaily shared the thoughts of Principal Andrew Balkwill on why the IB model of learning at Mercedes College is the key to keeping pace with the constant change shaping the future of work and learning.

This is a great article on how the College has embraced the learning practices of the IB and how it benefits our students and prepares them to become better leaders in a constantly changing world.

“At Mercedes, we have a long history of innovating every aspect of learning — our curriculum, teaching methods, assessments and even our learning environments.” said Mr Balkwill.

“The reality is, everything has changed and education must continue to change to equip students with the skills they need to lead tomorrow.”

Read the full article here.

Making a Splash...

Our next big House competitions will be our Junior and Middle/Senior School Swimming Carnivals, and students are guaranteed to make a splash!

Junior School students will don their House colours on Friday 21 March (Week 8) at the Unley Swimming Centre for a variety of swimming and novelty races both in and out of the water. Then it will be our Year 6 - Year 12 students who will hit the water at Marion Aquatic Centre on Friday 28 March (Week 9).

Students should nominate with the Sport Department for competitive races, which earn House points, and our Year 12 cohort need to start thinking about their costumes for the annual House Parade — will we see Barry bananas, Dalton hot peppers, Fitzpatrick police officers, and McAuley pea pods in 2025? 

 Day

Tomorrow marks the annual celebration of mathematical constant, (Pi) – and so is known as Pi Day!

First celebrated in the United States in 1988, the date was chosen for the month (3) and day (14) that match the first three significant figures of Pi: 3.14

So in the spirit of having fun with all things Maths... tomorrow will be about enthusiasts reciting the infinite digits of Pi, talking up maths, and…well, eating pie!

Deadly Lessons

Earlier this week, our Reception students were enthralled as Indigenous educator and guide, Trent Hill, talked to them about respect, honesty, sharing and learning, through Aboriginal storytelling... values that all perfectly align with our Mercy Keys.

They listened to stories, and learnt about cultural tools and musical instruments, such as the boomerang and didigerdoo. It was an engaging and interactive session that taught our youngest learners the importance of the history and heritage of our First Nations people.

Nominate for our Council and Committees

Call for Nominations | College Council and Standing Committees

Mercedes College is calling for nominations for vacant positions on our College Council and two of our Standing Committees:

College Council

The College Council provides strategic leadership and governance ensuring Mercedes College continues to thrive as a leading Catholic school. This is an opportunity to help shape the future of the College by contributing your expertise and sharing your insights.

Faith and Education Standing Committee

We are looking for individuals with a passion for faith formation and education, who can provide strategic guidance to support the College’s Catholic mission and commitment to academic excellence.

People, Culture and Engagement Standing Committee

We are seeking nominations from members of our community with experience and expertise in the key areas of Philanthropy, Fundraising, Marketing and Community Partnerships

This is an exciting opportunity to share your expertise in an exciting area of growth for the College.

 

We’d love to hear from you – if you are interested please send through your nomination, including a brief statement of why you’d like to join a Committee or the Council, and your CV highlighting your relevant experience.

Please send your nomination to Amanda Dyson by Friday 28 March 2025.

We look forward to receiving your nomination and welcoming new members to these important advisory bodies.

The Middle Years Programme… what’s it all about?

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) is completed by students in Year 6 to Year 10, and sets them up for their final push at either the IB Diploma, or South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) in Years 11 and 12.

Parents and caregivers of MYP students are invited to gain a greater understanding of the MYP and its framework, assessment and projects, at an information session with MYP Coordinator, Helen Hopping.

Register your attendance here.

Coming up...

  • Friday 14 March | Year 10 STEP5 RAA maintenance and safety workshop
  • Monday 17 to Friday 21 March | Year 7 Camps
  • Monday 17 March | Year 10 STEP3 RAA maintenance and safety workshop
  • Tuesday 18 March | Year 11 and 12 Dance 'Leaps and Bounds' excursion
  • Wednesday 19 March | Year 12 Outdoor Education Kayaking excursion | Year 11 and 12 Drama 'Take the Stage' excursion | Year 2 Central Market excursion
  • Thursday 20 March | Year 10 STEP1 RAA maintenance and safety workshop | Year 4 Brownhill Creek excursion | Harmony Day
  • Friday 21 March | Junior School Swimming Carnival
  • Monday 24 March | Year 3-6 SACPSSA Swimming | Year 12 Seminar Day
  • Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 March | Junior School Learning Reviews
  • Tuesday 25 March | Year 8 French Film Festival excursion
  • Wednesday 26 March | Year 11 and 12 Art and Design AGSA excursion | Term 1 House Assembly
  • Thursday 27 March | Year 11 P.A.R.T.Y. excursion | Year 10 STEP1 Team Machine excursion | Year 5 French Film Festival excursion
  • Friday 28 March | Year 6-12 Swimming Carnival

More upcoming activities can be found on the College Calendar.