The Hedge

Célébrer la France

Last week our Junior School turned tricolor for their annual French Day – celebrating the French language and culture through performance, creativity and the obligatory pain au chocolat!

The day began with a host of performances in Gleeson Theatre, where families enjoyed song, dance and a little French comedy from each of our Junior School Year Levels.

Later in the day, students constructed French monuments, made their own botanical French perfumes, designed classic French art and even stage a ‘Tour de Scooter’.

It was a true celebration of all things French!

The Beauty of Kangaroo Island

Recently, our Year 10 Outdoor Education (ODE) students travelled to Kangaroo Island for a bushwalking camp that took in the breathtaking nature and landscape of this special part of the world.

Carrying their provisions, students and their guides travelled the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Track, weaving through bushland before reaching the rugged, remote and spectacular coastline of the Southern Ocean.

Students’ efforts on the trail rewarded them with some of the most iconic views of KI, including the Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch, as well as spying countless sea lions along the coast, and a humpback whale frolicking in the ocean.

It was the first ODE camp to head to Kangaroo Island but this wonderful experience will likely see KI on the calendar for future ODE adventures.

Performing Arts on Show

Term 2 was a busy time for our Performing Arts students… There were four shows, featuring students from across the Middle and Senior years, sharing their skills in drama, dance, musicianship and singing!

The outstanding drama production of Little Women was followed in quick succession by ‘All that Jazz’ featuring several genres of dance and song, and our Winter Concert which saw more than 90 students take to the stage in bands, ensembles, choirs and orchestras.

‘Versions’, by our Year 8 and 9 students wrapped up the range, with Music and Drama students demonstrating their skills in interpreting monologues and pieces of music to create different versions of each.

A wonderful, creative and busy Term – bravo to everyone involved!

Busting Stereotypes and Building Connections

Last week, some of our Year 9 students went on their Break Free and Being You Camps at Aldinga Beach and Douglas Scrub.

Break Free provides an opportunity for Year 9 girls to spend some time talking about common issues, and sharing challenges at this important stage of their schooling life. They include discussions about social media, norms and trends, influences, and role models.

Being You is designed to help Year 9 boys navigate their journey into manhood; to explore what it is to be a man in today’s society. They discuss stereotypes and issues specific to adolescence, including mateship, leadership, and relationships.

These camps are the culmination of an extra-curricular activity, which offered a variety of activities challenging gender stereotypes throughout the Term.

Other Year 9 students who were not on these two camps, participated in a STEM Challenge on Campus. They worked in small groups to design, create, and deliver an Escape Room experience that utilised elements of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Next Term another group of Year 9 students will participate in Break Free and Being You or undertake another STEM Challenge experience.

Primary Netball News

Our young netballers have had a busy couple of weeks, with a friendly game against Scotch College, a Catholic Primary School Netball Carnival and some students playing in SAPSASA.

Ten of our Year 2 Netballers enjoyed their friendly match against Scotch, enjoying the opportunity to practice the skills and strategies they learned in training.

All of our Year 3 and 4 students took part in the Primary Netball Carnival and enjoyed being part of a large event, picking up skills they can bring back to their PE lessons and netball training.

Finally, Mercedes College was represented by Lily (Year 6, Dalton) recently in SAPSASA, where City South won all but one game and finished second in their division.

Well done to everyone for getting involved in one of our most popular winter sports!

Music Appreciation

Each year, our Year 3 students take part in a Strings Immersion Programme, with each class spending a Semester learning the violin, viola, or cello. On Monday, our students performed for friends and family in Gleeson Theatre.

Through dedicated Music lessons, and with support from specialist Tutors, students learned their way around their string instrument and discovered different techniques for making sound, including plucking at strings or using their bows. This programme is a great introduction to string instruments, as students learn about the differences between the instruments, and how they all work together.

It is a wonderful experience that often uncovers a new passion, and many students continue their instrumental learning through private Music Tuition.