A weekly snippet of what’s happening ‘behind the hedge’ at Mercedes College.
Mercedes College is proud to announce that our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) has been formally approved and published, marking an important milestone in our commitment to reconciliation and justice.
A Reconciliation Action Plan is a framework developed through Reconciliation Australia that helps organisations build respectful relationships, create opportunities and strengthen understanding between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.
At its heart, reconciliation is about recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of this land, acknowledging the truths of our shared history and working together towards a future built on respect, equity and partnership.
This week, our Year 2 students went to Adelaide Oval as part of their Unit of Inquiry, ‘Where We Are in Place and Time’. This excursion gave them the chance to explore this iconic South Australian venue, as well as learn more about its historical significance.
The Tour guides were impressed with the level of interest our students showed, as well as the number of questions they asked. It was a wonderful experience to visit the cricket museum, check out the cricket changerooms and the media room, as well as walk through the historic scoreboard to see how it works – a great ‘behind the scenes’ experience.
Of course, no trip to Adelaide Oval would be complete without a wander beneath the Morton Bay Fig Trees and a group photo in front of the oldest and most beautiful scoreboard in the world!
It was an exciting day for our Year 2 students and another fantastic ‘out of classroom’ experience – one they will remember for years to come!
Last week, our Digital Technologies and Visual Arts – Design students in Year 9, 11 and 12, got to spend some time with Thomas Kerff, a Senior 3D Artist from Ghost Ship Games. This was a wonderful opportunity to hear invaluable insights about digital game art and design.
Thomas worked on Ghost Ship Games’ first project, ‘Deep Rock Galactic’, which has sold over 11 million copies worldwide, so was well placed to provide information about the industry and make suggestions about pathways to possible careers in video game development.
This was a great example of bringing external expertise into the classroom to share real-life expertise and experiences about this growing industry.
Each year, our Year 12s sign up to take part in the Vinnies School Sleepout which is happening at the College later this month.
This is an annual fundraising event to help increase awareness of homelessness in Australia. Our students will spend a night sleeping ‘rough’ on our Campus in an effort to gain more of an insight into some of the issues people face, living on the streets.
Thanks to our Social Justice Leaders Beatrix (Year 12, McAuley) and Claudia (Year 12, Fitzpatrick) for encouraging everyone to ‘sign up’ during their lunchtime break.
Yesterday, our Year 3s welcomed Fr John Shanahan for Mass in our Ursula Frayne Chapel in Strathspey House.
In this lovely space, students shared hymns and prayers and listened to Fr John as he shared the Gospel and a Homily. As a group, students explored how they are guided to be kind, generous and welcoming of all people.
These smaller year-level masses and liturgies are a good way to keep all our students connected, and make our whole-of-College masses in our Yitpi Centre much more meaningful.
Year 6 students recently explored the world of electricity through a series of hands-on investigations.
Using a variety of materials, students learned about the components of electric circuits and put their knowledge to the test, building open and closed circuits, parallel circuits and powering lightbulbs and propellers.
Their most interesting challenge came when they were asked to use lemons, zinc and copper electrodes and connecting wires to demonstrate how a chemical reaction could generate electrical energy powerful enough to run small devices.
This experience took students from hypothesis to outcome using their existing knowledge, curiosity, and a little creativity. Sounds like the perfect science lesson!
Our Second-Hand Uniform Shop is a valuable resource for families, to find replacement uniform items at discounted prices.
We are putting a call out for any uniform pieces that no longer fit your child, that you might like to donate.
We are running low on summer and winter uniforms and would love to receive more stock – if you can help, please drop clean items to Jenny in Strathspey House and our volunteers will do the rest!
Our Year 8 Economics students have been exploring a Unit of Inquiry around technology’s impact on how people spend money and how this might impact spending in the future.
As a part of these studies, students took a walk to the Mitcham Shopping Centre, visited two supermarkets and compared the layout of grocery items, made a note of prices and also where products were located, such as at the ends of aisles, top or bottom shelves.
They were investigating the impact of pricing, product placement and store layout on customer behaviour – an eye-opening exercise.
Students loved linking classroom learning to a real-world experience, and of course, buying a treat for the walk back to our Campus was an added bonus!
Last week was World Environment Week, and our Social Justice Leaders Beatrix and Claudia planned five-days of activities to help us remember the importance of doing our part for the environment.
They included going tech-free for a day during lessons, committing to ‘nude food’ lunches and getting hands-on with a Friday afternoon ‘Emu Walk’, collecting rubbish that had strayed into garden beds, fencelines and corridors.
Being aware of and caring for our planet is something our students from Reception through to Year 12 often discuss, so it was great to see everyone from the Junior, Middle and Senior schools getting behind these activities for the week!
Last week, a number of our students braved the rain to participate in the State Cross Country Championship at Oakbank Racecourse. There were several races held across the day, some with more than 200 runners taking part. Our students did a great job, all finishing in the top 25 of their respective divisions – special congratulations to Henriette (Year 7, Dalton) for a 5th place finish for the 13-year-old girls race.
Some of our Junior School students represented SAPSASA’s City South region at this event, with special mention to Jake (Year 5, Dalton), Xavier (Year 5, McAuley) and Walter (Year 5, McAuley) for coming second in the 11-year-old boys’ team category – well done to you all!
Our Year 7s recently combined their creative skills and scientific inquiry together, to design and construct a terrarium as part of their studies into ecosystems and photosynthesis.
Students layered drainage materials and soil before adding suitable plants to build a self-sustaining, mini ecosystem. This was a hands-on exercise in learning about the intricacies of living and non-living factors on ecosystems and the role of photosynthesis on food chains and plant life.
Now the hard work is done, students can enjoy watching their terrariums over the coming weeks to see the changes that occur, in real time.
Don’t forget to secure your tickets for our three mid-year Performing Arts showcases!
You will see dance, drama and music – in all its forms.
A great opportunity to see our students in action, doing what they love in the performing arts.
All That Jazz
Tonight, Thursday 11 June
Winter Concert
Friday 12 June
Versions
Wednesday 17 June
Don’t forget to check out the Winter Vacation Care Programme to keep your children entertained these holidays!
More upcoming activities can be found on the College Calendar.
