A weekly snippet of what’s happening ‘behind the hedge’ at Mercedes College…
Last Friday, our Year 7 to Year 12 students descended on the SA Athletics Stadium for their annual Athletics Carnival.
It was a day full of colour, energy and House spirit, with Dalton taking home the Winner’s Cup, and Barry recognised with the Spirit Shield.
Dalton – 2,130 points
Barry – 2,023 points
McAuley – 1,869 points
Fitzpatrick – 1,841 points
Amongst the individual personal bests, and Age Group Champions, there were seven records broken!
Congratulations to Isla (Year 7 Javelin), Finn (Year 9 Hurdles), Ava (Open Hurdles), Murphy (Year 8 Discus), and to Jasmine (Year 7) who broke records in three disciplines – Hurdles, the 400m and Triple Jump!
Well done to everyone who got out on the track, flew through the air, passed the baton and joined in the fun!
Tomorrow it will be our Primary Athletes’ turn to battle it out on track and field, with Year 3 to Year 6 students rotating around the Ovals and Rose Garden for their many events.
In the morning, most students in Year 3 and 4 will be competing in field events on Maryvale. Most students in Year 5 and 6 will be competing in track events on the Main Oval.
After Recess, most students in Year 5 and 6 will be competing in field events on Maryvale. Most students in Year 3 and 4 will be competing in track events on the Main Oval.
Families are invited to spectate, with complimentary coffee available from 8.30am – please RSVP here to help with ease of check-in.
This week, students from our Primary and Secondary Chess teams received expert coaching advice and insights from David Koetsier and Hamish Pattison from Chess Life Academy.
Students heard about key chess considerations and factors important for strategic decision making during their games, before practising their new knowledge.
There are still places available in both Chess teams for this season – get in touch with Ben Price (Secondary) or Britta Jureckson (Primary) if you are interested in joining the fun.
Last week, a group of our student leaders represented Mercedes College at the Committee for Adelaide’s International Women’s Day Breakfast.
Under the theme “Balance the Scales”, students heard from keynote speaker Tarang Chawla, who shared a moving story about his sister, and challenged the audience to think harder about the role men play in driving change and progressing gender equality.
Tomorrow, another group of student leaders will attend the Adelaide International Women’s Day Breakfast and hear from guest speaker and 2026 Australian of the Year, Katherine Bennell-Pegg.
This event has become an annual feature on our College calendar and is a great way for our student leaders to hear from leading guest speakers on such relevant and topical issues.
Yesterday, our Stage 1 SACE Outdoor Education students went to Morialta Conservation Park to further their studies in native conservation efforts and practise their skills in abseiling.
Blessed with beautiful weather, students took a leap of faith as they traversed down to the ground, leaning on each other for support and encouragement. Once on the ground, they were also able to observe and learn more about real-world examples of conservation in action which will complement their classroom learning. A great way to leap and learn…
As we enter Week 6 of the Term, we know that the school holidays will be here before we know it!
Our OSHC Director, Kosti and his team have put together a great programme of activities and excursions for our Autumn Vacation Care sessions. Open to Reception to Year 6 students, there is something for everyone to be engaged and occupied during the two-week break.
With baking and crafts and some exciting excursions on offer, you’ll want to get in quick. Bookings are now open – and as some excursions have limited places, we recommend you book your sessions soon!
Review the Programme now, and place your bookings via the Xplor Home app before 3 April.
We have been following our resident Judo star Isaac (Year 10, Barry) and his achievements on the national and international stage of Judo.
Isaac has just returned from competing in the International Judo Open in Canberra and at the Sydney International Judo Open.
In both competitions, Isaac placed third in the Cadet Division (Under 60kg Men) and has since been selected as a member of the Australian Cadet National Team, which will compete in a European tour this month.
Congratulations Isaac!
The MOSA Night of Reunions returns to Adelaide Oval this year, and we’re calling on Old Scholars to mark the date in their calendars now! The five reunion ‘years’ will each celebrate in a private suite, overlooking the hallowed turf!
Saturday 24 October
Adelaide Oval
Classes of 2021, 2016, 2006, 1996, 1986
This is a great night, and we’d love to see as many of you there as possible.
We are looking for Reunion Champions from each year level, to get in touch with your graduating class and encourage them to come along. Please email us mosa@mercedes.catholic.edu.au if you’d like to take on this role – we’d really appreciate it!
The first step is to check all your contact details are correct, so we can keep you connected through our MOSA network.
Complete the form on our website to update your contact details!
See you at Adelaide Oval in October!
Last week, 19 of our Year 4 to Year 6 students competed in the SAPSASA City South District Swimming Carnival.
Each swimmer demonstrated great effort and sportsmanship, with an outstanding 10 of the 19 students placing in the top four of their events – several across different races.
Congratulations to you all!
Recently Jensen (Year 10, Dalton) received his 2025 Young Driver of the Year Award at the Motorsport Australia National Awards Gala in Sydney – an award previously received by Supercar Championship drivers Kai Allen and Broc Feeney.
He was then able to show his racing skills to friends at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, where he raced in the Typo F1 category around the familiar streets of his hometown.
Jensen was also thrilled to meet former British F1 driver David Coulthard and Finnish F1 driver Valtteri Bottas, and was also interviewed by Channel 7’s Sports Reporter, Mark Berretta.
What a great experience!
Join our Performing Arts team as they introduce all the opportunities and experiences on the horizon at the College this year for music, dance and drama activities.
Wednesday 18 March
6.00pm – 8.15pm
Gleeson Theatre
With an inside look into our curricular and co-curricular programmes, they will also share information about the annual trip to Mt Gambier’s Generations in Jazz Festival, and this year’s major drama production, Little Women.
6.00pm – 6.45pm | Instrumental starting points
7.00pm – 8.00pm | Come inside the rehearsal and classrooms and see what’s planned for 2026
8.00pm – 8.15pm | Generations in Jazz information
Cheese platters and drinks on arrival, please RSVP for catering purposes.
Parents and caregivers of students in Years 6-10 are invited to learn more about the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP).
Hear an overview of the MYP and its framework, our approaches to teaching and learning, and MYP assessment practices.
Tuesday 17 March
6.00pm – 7.00pm
Mercy Lecture Theatre
This week, our Spiritualities, Religion and Meaning students welcomed Diane Howarth, founder of Rebuild Schools Ukraine, who shared historical and cultural information about the community’s response to adverse experiences, as well as some of the strongly held traditions of the country.
Diane also relayed updates about the school rebuilding projects, with progress in the village of Ivanivka going particularly well, with teams of community members and Australian allies working together to re-create a safe place for children to access education.
More upcoming activities can be found on the College Calendar.
