A weekly snippet of what’s happening ‘behind the hedge’ at Mercedes College.
Over recent weeks, I had the privilege of stepping back from the day-to-day life of leading the College, to engage in a period of renewal, learning and reflection. Through my work with global education leader Lee Crockett, school visits and professional dialogue with other Principals, I have been able to re-examine what truly drives excellence in schools. The message is both simple and powerful: sustainable improvement is not achieved through doing more, but through greater clarity, alignment, trust and intentional practice.
What was particularly exciting, was seeing how these ideas are being lived in other schools in Australia and Japan. Across different contexts, the same pattern emerged — high-performing schools are disciplined in their focus, aligned in their work and committed to building strong cultures where both staff and students thrive. These insights were brought to life through practical examples and case studies, reinforcing that excellence is not aspirational, but achievable through consistent, collective effort.
Our Strategic Plan highlights the importance of helping students navigate complexity by considering different perspectives, balancing competing ideas and understanding the short- and long-term impact of their decisions. Experiencing how other cultures approach these tensions with respect and thoughtful dialogue, rather than conflict on social media, was both refreshing and encouraging.
An equally significant part of my time away was spent in Japan, where I engaged with Zen practice and cultural traditions that emphasise stillness, attentiveness and reflection. This provided a powerful reminder that effective leadership requires space to pause, listen and think clearly — especially in complex environments. Far from being separate from our Catholic identity, this deepened my appreciation of the role of reflection, prayer and discernment in faithful and purposeful leadership.
As I return to Mercedes College, I do so with renewed energy and a sharpened focus on what matters most. Our next phase of work will centre on strengthening a coherent, high-performing learning culture — one that is intellectually rigorous, relationally strong and deeply aligned with our Mercy values. This includes building leadership capacity across the College, ensuring clarity in our expectations and embedding practices that support both wellbeing and accountability.
I want to thank Narelle Sandercock and members of our Senior Leadership Team who stepped up into acting roles during my absence. It was very assuring to know the College was in strong, safe hands whilst I was away.
There is much to be proud of at Mercedes, and even greater potential ahead as we work together with clarity, purpose and a shared commitment to excellence.
I look forward to continuing this journey with you.
Andrew Balkwill
During the mid-year break, we sent three Netball teams over to Waverley for the International Netball Tournament, for a week-long intensive netball campaign.
There were 25 schools represented at the event, from around Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and the Pacific Islands and our three teams played 50 games over four days. It was a highly competitive tournament and a great opportunity for our girls to play against the best teams in the country.
Our Open A Team had a brilliant tournament, with 11 wins and one loss to come 3rd overall. A fantastic achievement.
Our Open B team also did well, finishing in the middle of the rankings, and our Under 15 girls finished 7th out of a field of 16 schools. As a newly formed team of Year 7, 8 and 9 students, they showed great teamwork and growth throughout the week and we look forward to them building on their skills in the years to come.
The tournament highlighted the depth of talent within our netball programme, and was a wonderful team building experience for our younger and older players. Bravo to everyone on such a successful campaign!
On Tuesday evening, renown neuroscientist, Dr Mark Williams, spent the day on our Campus, working alongside our students and staff, before giving a presentation to our families in the evening.
Dr Williams talked with our students from Year 6 to Year 11, about how our brains work, the impact of electronic devices, the importance of sleep, the function of short and long-term memory – all with a view to healthier and more successful learning and knowledge retention.
He spent time with staff talking about ways to improve student learning outcomes, by understanding brain function, before sharing his insights with families as part of our Guest Speaker Programme.
Working with a world-leading expert in this area provides students, staff and families with invaluable learnings about how to get the most out of study, work, growth and overall brain health.
This week, our Reception students had a visit from Gem from the Nature Education Centre, as part of their Unit of Inquiry “Living things have needs in order to grow, change and survive.” They will be looking at plants and animals and the role they play in our environment, as well the role we all play in caring for and protecting our planet.
This was a wonderful hands-on experience for our youngest learners, to not only see many creatures up close, but also to understand the important role they play in our world.
There were squeals of delight as students got to handle bugs of all shapes and sizes, as well as see a sugar glider take flight in their classroom. It was a morning filled with enthusiasm and curiosity, as well as plenty of questions!
Catholic School Parents SA (CSPSA) is pleased to welcome Mercedes College families to the third annual Stronger Families – A Positive Parenting Conference on Saturday 22 August 2026.
This one-day event offers a platform where parenting experts from Australia share invaluable insights on the modern-day challenges affecting children and teenagers.
Dr Justin Coulson, one of Australia’s most trusted parenting experts, will present on “Boys” – where parents will gain valuable insights to better understand and support the boys in their life.
Wayne Holdsworth is the founder of SmackTalk, a charity dedicated to suicide prevention and awareness following the loss of his son Mac to suicide after a sextortion incident. He now works to educate communities about social media reform, the dangers of online exploitation and the warning signs of suicide.
Madhavi Nawana Parker, a respected psychologist and author specialising in emotional intelligence and well-being, will provide practical strategies on bullying and managing friendship difficulties.
Saturday 22 August 2026
10am to 3pm at the Adelaide Zoo
$25 pp + booking fee (inc light lunch)
Tickets available here
Our annual ski trip is a highlight on the College Calendar, and during the holiday break, 48 Year 11 students and some of our staff, travelled to the South Island of New Zealand for a week of skiing and snowboarding.
Students had just as much fun off the slopes as in the snow, with the Christmas in July talent show and a Quiz Night.
This was one of the largest contingents of students signing up for our Ski trip – a wonderful College memory for them all to share, before they head into their final year of school.
A reminder that our Parent Engagement Group (PEG) meeting for Term 3 will be held on Tuesday 11 August, 8.40am – 9.40am in the Staff Room.
PEG Meetings are a great opportunity to meet other parents and learn about happenings around the College each Term. Everyone is welcome!
Please let us know if you can join us.
Next Tuesday night, we are hosting our Career Expo for our Year 9, 10, 11 and Year 12 students, as they start to plan for their final years in our Senior School.
We have over 50 Exhibitors from universities, professional training organisations, industry associations, teachers and Old Scholars who will be on hand to share their insights and advice to help support our students as they start to make decisions about future subject selections.
A series of informative presentations exploring senior school pathways, subject selection, industry-connected learning opportunities, and university extension programmes will also be held throughout the evening.
Tuesday 28 July 2026
5pm – 8pm
Yitpi Centre and Gleeson Theatre
Families are reminded to RSVP here.
We launched our Vinnies Winter Appeal late last Term, with our Year 12 Sleepout and have had a great start to our donations.
We will be collecting donations until Thursday 6 August – so please continue to drop off non-perishable food items (canned meals, pasta, noodles, rice, tea etc) along with any warm preloved or new winter clothing or blankets.
Every donation counts and will go to Vinnies to support the homeless as part of their Annual Winter Appeal.
As you arrive through our Delamere Avenue entrance, you will be greeted by some delightfully colourful animal installations.
These vibrant giraffes, horses, tigers and elephants were created by our current Year 3 students when they were in Year 1.
As part of a sculpture unit in Visual Art, students designed their own animal before bringing it to life with bold colours, imaginative patterns, paint and Posca markers.
Rather than leaving these brilliant creations in the classroom, we saw an opportunity to celebrate our students’ work in a lasting way.
These joyful installations do more than decorate our grounds, they tell the story of our students’ creativity. They demonstrate the power of art to transform everyday spaces, and create lasting connections within our community.
Next time you visit Delamere, take a moment to enjoy these colourful creatures. They are a wonderful reminder that creativity has the power to inspire, welcome and bring joy to everyone who passes by.
If your child is in the Middle and Senior School, and wants to buy items from our Cafe, their Student ID needs to be linked to their profile in the Flexischools App, which is the new ordering/payment system we are now using.
Please set up a Flexischools account, and enter all your child’s details including their Student ID number, so they can access the funds you load onto the App, when they visit the Cafe.
If your child is in the Junior School, you can use the Flexischools App to pre-order your child’s lunch.
Please check the Flexischools FAQs page, or contact the College.
Flexischools also has a Customer Support Team available on weekdays between 7.30am and 5.30pm who can be contacted on 1300 361 769 if you need extra assistance.
Every year, Mercedes College presents a Mercy Award to a member of our community who demonstrates our six Mercy keys or values. Nominations are now open and we’d love you to consider someone who contributes to study, research, paid work or community service, as part of our Mercedes College community.
The Award recognises effort that is ‘above and beyond’, from someone who demonstrates humility, leadership, warmth and hospitality.
Full details on Mercy Award eligibility and criteria, as well as a list of past recipients, are on our website.
Nominations Close 5pm Monday 24 August 2026.
Pictured: 2025 winner Old Scholar Jenny Brinkworth (Class of 1978)
One of our Year 4 students, Morris, made a commitment to grow his hair, so he could donate it to a wig making company in NSW.
Morris went without a haircut for 869 days – a very impressive effort. Earlier this week, one of our parents came in to cut his hair, which was 25cm long.
More impressive than his commitment to and patience growing his hair, were Morris’s key ‘takeaways’ from the experience:
I raised money for Kids with Cancer Foundation, to help families who have a child being treated for cancer
I learned to stay strong, even when people judged how I looked
I learned that how I look doesn’t define who I am. What matters is what I do and how I treat others
Bravo Morris!
Later this term, Year 12 Business Innovation students will participate in a Mercedes College Shark Tank event as part of their SACE External Assessment and pitch their business idea to a panel of ‘sharks’.
We are looking for two members of our community to join our panel of ‘sharks’!
Our Shark Tanks will take place on Thursday 3 September between 8.30am and 12.45pm.
We’re looking for people with a background in business / entrepreneurship / running their own business, who are happy to share feedback and advice to our Year 12 students.
Please send your ‘shark’ nominations by Friday 31 July to jacqui.mccann@mercedes.catholic.edu.au
Welcome to Term 3 – we have a busy and exciting time ahead– and we don’t want you to miss a minute!
Click here for a list of key events and activities coming up.
More upcoming activities can be found on the College Calendar.
