A weekly snippet of what’s happening ‘behind the hedge’ at Mercedes College…
As we start our final term for 2026, there is much to look forward to, from Graduation ceremonies, to art exhibitions and Sport Fun Days.
Term 4 is a time of change and transition for many – from Junior to Middle School, or moving up into the Senior School. And for many, the culmination of a year’s hard work is on display for friends and family to enjoy.
Our Year 12s will graduate tomorrow and then start to study for their final assignments, before they all come back together with families and friends at their Graduation Ball in November – to truly celebrate the end of their schooling years.
Our Year 5 students will be hosting their PYP Exhibition – a highlight on our College Calendar – as groups of students research and present their ideas to families and other students, as part of graduating from the Junior School.
Our Campus will be a sea of colour again in November, for our Sports Fun Day in the Junior School – which is always a day of fun, cheering and House Spirit.
Our ever-popular Christmas Picnic on Sunday 15 November will see Santa visiting the College – as families enjoy a relaxed afternoon in the Rose Garden.
There is a lot to see, do and enjoy this Term – here are all the key dates and events until the end of the year… make sure you don’t miss a minute!
To close Term 3, our community came together for the annual Mercy Day Mass, celebrating the anniversary of the opening of the first House of Mercy by Catherine McAuley, as well as Mary, Mother of Jesus.
Celebrated by Father John Shanahan, it was a joy to see the number of students participating as performers, musicians, chorists, readers, or part of the processions, as well as how our whole College embraced this special event on our annual calendar.
At the conclusion of Mercy Day Mass, we presented two annual awards to members of our Mercedes College community.
Congratulations to our 2026 Mercy Award recipient, Mr Paul Wadsworth – a former long-term staff member of the College and proud parent of Mercedes College alumni – and our 2026 Justice Award recipient, Year 12 student Claudia Paterson.
Both are exemplary examples of ‘the Mercedes Way’.
Towards the end of Term 3, Year 4 SRC members and Junior School Portfolio Leaders were invited to join Catherine Hutchesson MP, local Member for Waite, on a visit to Parliament House.
Gaining an insight into Parliament’s operations, students sat in the House of Assembly, learned about the important role of Hansard in recording parliamentary proceedings, and heard from Speaker of the House of Assembly Nat Cook MP, President of the Legislative Council Reggie Martin MLC, and Parliamentary Librarian Steven Fox.
This was a valuable experience for these young student leaders to broaden their knowledge of democracy, leadership and public service.
Today marks the start of our farewells to the Class of 2026 ahead of their Graduation and final assessments.
Year 12 students were joined by family members in the Rose Garden this morning, for a celebratory breakfast, where parents and students reflected on a 13-year journey coming to a close, and what is next to come.
As a show of our Mercedes College spirit, families formed a Guard of Honour with all staff and students from Reception to Year 11, cheering them on from the Rose Garden up Gleeson Theatre for their final Liturgy.
Our Class of 2026 received cheers, high fives, applause and encouragement, as they made their way across our Campus in a show of acknowledgement and celebration as their final school year comes to an end.
With an afternoon of ‘Camel Carnival’ fun ahead of them, and their official Graduation Ceremony tomorrow morning, it is the perfect time for us to wish the Class of 2026 all the best for the coming weeks, months, and years ‘beyond the hedge’.
Mercedes College students were again proud to participate in the annual Catholic Schools Music Festival, held at the Entertainment Centre in last week of Term 3.
Around 2,000 students from across South Australian Catholic Schools performed at the Festival, including the 27 members of our Festival Choir, from Year 5-7 who were part of the 374-voice combined choir. In addition, musician Hailey (Year 9, McAuley) was invited to join the combined school Strings Ensemble and performed across all four evenings.
This event is a fantastic celebration of music, with students and supporting staff preparing for eight months before the Festival to ensure a standout performance.
This week, our Year 7/8 Cricket Team spent some time at the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) High-Performance Centre at Adelaide Oval.
Our students enjoyed a training session in the indoor nets, with access to an automated bowling machine and all the equipment associated with professional cricket, with specialised instruction of cricket experts.
This immersion in the world of cricket has boosted the team’s confidence and enthusiasm as the cricket season approaches!
Another great experience outside of the classroom and our Camps to learn real-life skills and lessons in a sport they love.
We are delighted to again be heading to Adelaide Oval this November for our Business H-Edge Lunch, supported by our College families and Old Scholars to give our community an opportunity to build new connections and networks.
A key feature of the event, this year’s panel discussion will revolve around Integrity in Leadership, hosted by the Chair of our College Council and current parent – Sam Dighton.
Our panel will feature:
Grant Stevens
Commissioner, SA Police (and incoming Governor of South Australia) – Past Mercedes Parent
Alf Ianniello
CEO, Codan – Past Mercedes Parent and Council Chair
Jamie Briggs
Chair, Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority – Current Mercedes Parent
Arrange a group from within your year level cohort, or buy a table for your business and enjoy this opportunity to network over a delicious lunch with insightful conversations.
All wine served on the day has been provided by one of our Event Sponsors – Small Gully Vineyard – owned and operated by one of our current parents and Old Scholars, Joe Black (Class of 1998, Fitzpatrick).
We are also keen to hear from members of our community who might want to be an Event Sponsor for this lunch. Please get in touch with Jennie Bell in our Marketing Team (jbell@mercedes.catholic.edu.au) and she will send you all the details.
Over the spring holidays, our Performing Arts team confirmed that our 2027 Musical will be… Footloose!
With the audition process already underway, we can’t wait to get our toes tapping next year for this high-energy musical.
During the Spring school holidays, we had the pleasure of hosting a number of Foundation students for Liturgy and Lunch, as part of our annual time with these ‘original’ Old Scholars.
Over lunch in The Parlour, these former students and boarders had a wonderful time reminiscing about their school days in 1954 when the College first opened.
It is always a delight to welcome Old Scholars back to Campus, particularly our very first students who are always happy to share stories of Mercy Nuns, midnight snacks, marching corps and kitchen chores…
Nominations for Term 1 2027 Co-Curricular Nominations will open next week.
This includes Sport, Performing Arts, Clubs and Societies.
Our Sport nominations close in Week 4, so we wanted to share the sports that are available, so you have time to consider what’s on offer.
We will be in touch next week to confirm when Clipboard will be open so you can start your nomination processs.
AFL Academy
Athletics
Basketball Academy
Cricket
Swimming
Table Tennis
Tennis Development
Touch Football
Volleyball
Athletics
Cricket
Tennis
Volleyball
Water Polo
Athletics
Basketball
Tennis
Touch Football
Volleyball
Water Polo
More upcoming activities can be found on the College Calendar.
