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The Hedge
Week 1, Term 1 | Thursday 29 January 2026 A weekly snippet of what’s happening ‘behind the hedge’ at Mercedes College...

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Welcome Back!

It was lovely to hear the sounds of students and families returning to our College yesterday morning for Day 1 of the school year.

There weren't too many tears, and a special visit from our College Mascot, Cam the Camel, certainly bought lots of smiles to children and adults alike. It was also great to meet so many new families by our College Coffee Cart after all students had made their way to their classrooms.

This will be a steep learning curve for some over the next few days of Week 1, but we are all here to help get laptops set up, organise books and folders, label items and learn the recess and lunch routine at the Cafe.

We have a busy Term 1 planned, with lots of summer sporting carnivals and activities, so please check the link below which has the key College dates listed for you.

Key dates for Term 1 

Make a Splash at our Year 6-12 Swimming Carnival!

Term 1 has a lot of summer sports activities, and our first carnival of the year will be the Middle/Senior School Swimming Carnival next week.

Friday 6 February (Week 2)
Years 6 - 12
SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre

We have a strong commitment to House events at Mercedes, and in Term 1 the House focus is on our sporting endeavours. We have our swimming and athletics carnivals, from Reception through to Year 12 - so everyone can get involved.

Our Year 6-12 Swimming Carnival is a chance to show your House spirit, wear your colours, and swim strong!  This Carnival will collect House points, which will be combined with the results of our other sporting events, and the winner of the House Shield will be announced at the end of this Term. There are competitive races, relays, and novelty events - including Synchronised Swimming - a first for the College!

As this is the last Swimming Carnival for our Year 12 students, they are all invited to dress up and take part in a Parade around the Pool - which is always a highlight.

All Year 6 – 12 families have received an Edsmart Excursion consent form for the Swimming Carnival. This year - you can opt to travel via bus to and from the College, or families can drop and collect students to and from the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre. This must be communicated via Edsmart.

  • 8.00am | 100m Competitors and Student Leaders depart from College by bus
  • 8.35am | All other students using the bus depart from College
  • 8.40am | All students arriving by private transport to sign in with Mr Quirke and Mrs Sandercock at the Centre's foyer.

Let's make a splash at this year's Swimming Carnival!

Our Garden Party is on - and you're all invited!

One of the cornerstones of a Mercedes College education is our strong and connected community. Whether that is current families, Old Scholars, or past parents, there is a great sense of belonging at Mercedes.

To help foster these relationships, we hold a series of community events across the year, and our first one is coming up soon!

Our Garden Party is held in our Rose Garden in front of Strathspey House early in Term 1, to bring everyone together. It is a wonderful chance for continuing families to reconnect after the long break, and importantly, an opportunity to welcome our new families to the College.

We'd love to see you there...

Garden Party
Friday 20 February 2026
4.00pm - 7.00pm
Rose Garden

All families and staff are welcome to join us - there will be street food from Daisy Burger and Greek Street, free Sno Cones, a selection of Small Gully Wines, beer, soft drinks, live music from our students...all in our beautiful Rose Garden.

So book your meal tickets now to make sure you can enjoy delicious food from our food trucks and we'll see you on the day!

Click here for full details and to pre-order your meal selections.

Senior Formal is nearly here...

Tickets are being snapped up by our Year 11 and Year 12 students for their upcoming Senior Formal, which is on Saturday 21 February. One of the highlights of the year for our Senior students, this event is a wonderful way to celebrate the final two years of schooling with a three-course dinner, photo booth, DJ, and of course, a lot of dancing.

The Formal will be held in the Panorama Ballroom at the Adelaide Convention Centre, and is for Mercedes College students only.

So, book your tickets soon to give us time to finalise seating arrangements, and we'll see you on the night!

Get your tickets now!

Bookings close on Friday 13 February.

Co-curricular Options - Get Involved!

Our Term 1 summer Sport nominations have been completed, with team trials and development sessions on the horizon.

Families involved in Sport should make sure they download the Stack Team App, where you will find schedules, updates, and all the information you'll need for the coming season.

Find the Mercedes College Primary, Secondary Girls, and/or Secondary Boys Teams and you're on your way!

Performing Arts, and Clubs and Societies now open for nominations

Families can now nominate for our range of non-Sporting co-curricular opportunities, and there's really something for everyone.

From Drama Company to Dance Troupe, Orchestras and Bands, our Performing Arts offerings start from Year 2, with the Petites Voix Choir giving young voices a place to shine.

In our Clubs and Societies, students can learn the strategies behind Chess, the skills of Debating, join the Oliphant Science Awards, discover Podcasting and more.

To lodge your nominations, head to the CEA portal and enter your email address. A unique link will be emailed to you - which will take you to the options that are available for your year levels.

Payment, if relevant, is made at the time of selection, unless choosing an Expression of Interest or when an audition is required.

Nominations close 10.00am Monday 16 February.

We can't wait to see our students making the most of these complementary learning opportunities!

Art and Design Students Shine

We are delighted to share that five of our Class of 2025 Visual Arts graduates have been invited to display their work as part of the upcoming SACE Art Show 2026.

Art graduate Layla Timbs (Fitzpatrick) will present "Anatomy of Emotion", whilst four Design graduates will present their brand concepts and mock ups for imagined businesses spanning architecture, fast food restaurants, and cellar doors.

Congratulations Zoe Moulding (Barry) for "Archeva", Ethan Zachos (Fitzpatrick) for "Papou's Spiti", Samuel Mazzone (Fitzpatrick) for "Salty Seal", and Lily Gosnell (Barry) for "Elixir 47".

The breadth of talent in our Arts Department is making a great impact on our students, with these five students representing 19% of our 2025 Year 12 Visual Arts cohort - a fantastic result!

Our community can view the Art Show at Light Square Gallery from Tuesday 17 March to Friday 10 April.

Full details here.

Bringing the Joy

On Christmas morning, three of our Senior School musicians gave their time to entertain guests at a lunch at the Monastery, for those who are often on their own and don't have anyone to share the day with.

Year 12 students Pallas (McAuley), Eleanor (Barry), and Beatrix (McAuley), performed songs for guests, and bought lots of laughter and music to the event.

They are all coincidently Student Leaders at the College - Pallas and Eleanor are our Arts Leaders and Beatrix is one of our Social Justice Leaders.

So wonderful to see our students giving their time, away from their families on Christmas Day, to bring joy to others.

Private Music Tuition and Instrument Hire

The Performing Arts is alive and well at Mercedes College with plenty of opportunities for students to be in choirs, bands and ensembles. Throughout the year, there are many events and activities where students get the chance to perform for families, other students, and guests.

These events range from our College Tours, to Liturgies and Masses, Information Evenings, and at formal concerts.

We believe live music - whether it's singing or instrumental - should be part of every aspect of College life, from Reception right through to Year 12.

Our music programme is growing with the support of a wide range of experienced and passionate of instrumental external tutors, who come to the College each week for one-on-one private lessons with our students.

Last year, we also introduced instrument hire to allow students to try something new without the commitment of purchasing their own instrument.

If you'd like us to put you in touch with a tutor for your child, to complement existing learning, or to give a new instrument a go, please complete this form and our Performing Arts Team will get in touch with you.

Social Media Ban Active

The nationwide social media ban for children under 16 years of age came into effect last month.

To coincide with this initiative, the South Australian government launched Wait Mate - a programme designed to support and encourage parents to unite together to delay the introduction of smart phones for their children.

Wait Mate is supported by resources, presentations, and a pledge system that seeks to connect parents for peer support.

When at least 10 families from the same year level complete the online pledge, to encourage their children to wait before using a smart phone, a local email group will be formed with those families to help them stay connected, support each other, and reduce peer pressure.

More than 15,000 pledges from almost 2,000 schools have already been recorded - click here to take the pledge and find out more about Wait Mate.

College Theatre Production 2026

After two years of outstanding success with our musicals Legally Blonde Jr and Grease, our Performing Arts Team will be switching it up with a drama production this year.

We'd love any students in Year 8 to Year 12 who love acting, performing, working behind the scenes (stage management, wardrobe, props) to come along to an Information Session tomorrow!

Friday 30 January (Week 1)
Gleeson Theatre
Lunchtime

Swimming Star

Over the summer holidays, Isabella (Year 6, Dalton) competed at the South Australian State Multi-Class Long Course Swimming Championships in multiple events.

The youngest competitor at the event, we are proud to celebrate her hard-won bronze medal for her efforts in the 100m Backstroke.

Congratulations Izzy!

Coming up...

  • Friday 30 January | Year 12 Photo Day
  • Monday 2 February | Year 6-11 Photo Day
  • Thursday 5 February | R-12 Welcome Mass
  • Friday 6 February | Year 6-12 Swimming Carnival
  • Monday 9 February | Middle School Parent Information Session
  • Tuesday 10 February | Junior and Senior School Parent Information Sessions
  • Thursday 12 February | Term 1 PEG Meeting
  • Friday 13 February | Class of 2025 Laureate Ceremony
  • Monday 16 to Thursday 19 February | Junior School Swim Safety Lessons
  • Tuesday 17 February | Shrove Tuesday
  • Wednesday 18 February | Ash Wednesday Liturgy
  • Friday 20 February | Mercedes College Garden Party
  • Saturday 21 February | Year 11-12 Formal

More upcoming activities can be found on the College Calendar.