mercedes college

M e r c e d e s C o l l e g e

Coming Events 15 September Open Council Meeting 16 September Year 8 Immunisations

Year 11 Learning Review 4:00-6:00pm 17 September Orientation Walk 22-26 September Mercy Week 25 September MYP Personal Project Exhibition 26 September Mercy Day Mass, St Ignatius Church

End Term 3, 12:30pm dismissal 13 October Staff PD Day 14 October Term 4 commences

From the Principal Issue No 14 – 12 September, 2008

Dear Parents, Staff, Students and Friends of the Mercedes College Community We are in!

Last week our Year 8 and 9 students made the exciting move into the new building. It is very pleasing to see our students using the innovative new learning spaces. You may recall that this building has been designed to minimise its environmental impact and maximise conditions for learning. Features such as carpet made from recycled soft drink bottles, a computer controlled heating and cooling system and maximum use of natural lighting combine with flexible space, computer pods and adjacent outdoor learning areas make our building something very special. We are hopeful that the new McAuley Building which houses the Middle and Senior School Offices and Lecture Theatres will be online from early next term. Students of Distinction This week we were delighted to announce that Matthew Crocker 11DR, Robert Grover 11CS, Ella Shanahan 11LD and Madeline Wardleworth 11DR will be our Student Leaders for 2009. These students were appointed after an arduous process which included a written application, formal interview and making a speech at a combined Middle and Senior School assembly. Eighteen students commenced the process and all applicants presented themselves with great distinction. I am always impressed with the leadership qualities of our Mercedes students. They are a credit to themselves, their families and their school. Some extraordinary performances Over the last fortnight I have witnessed our students distinguish themselves in a variety of ways. Our Senior Debating team comprising Holly Ritson 12NH, Amos Gill 12PJ and Ben Reichstein 12LB reached the finals. Unfortunately they were not successful but I was very proud of their efforts.

Later that week I attended the Junior School Music Concert at the Capri Cinema. Year 2 to 5 students played a variety of instruments and sang with great gusto in choirs. It was obvious that the performers had great fun as they displayed their skills and it was a very enjoyable evening of high quality entertainment. Well done to the students and their teachers. Some nights later I was also fortunate to witness the Year 12 SACE Drama production of Alice Dreaming. Mercedes College productions are always well done and I must say this production was very special. It was an immensely entertaining play and the standard of the performance was the equal of a professional company. Thank you to the cast and crew for a job well done and congratulations to Ms Lamb for her preparation of the production. What a wonderfully rich array of talent we have at the College. Mercy Week – Week 10 Term 3 A reminder that the last week of Term 3 is designated as Mercy Week when we make a special effort to celebrate our Mercy heritage. This year we will be visited by three Mercy Sisters who will share their stories and passions with our students and we will hold our normal fund raising activities to support various works of Mercy around the world. On the last day of term we will celebrate Mass at the St Ignatius Church, Norwood. This Mass commences at 9:30am and will be celebrated by Emeritus Archbishop Leonard Faulkner. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at this Mass.

Peter Daw Principal

Mercedes College Newsletter

A Friday thought…

In the midst of political, economic, social and environmental upheaval both in Australia and across the globe, there is a sense of the inevitability of change in every dimension of our lives. In this climate, we can easily believe that the subjectivism in values which sometimes pleads “get with the changes, be modern”, is a necessary concomitant. But today, as much as at any time in history, we are challenged to redefine our core values and, to use an image of which the poet TS Eliot was fond, focus on the ‘still point’ in our ‘turning world’.

From all this change our Church community is not insulated. It is called to confront and respond to needs as they arise and to demonstrate the relevance of the person of Jesus and his Gospel in the midst of contemporary realities. To simultaneously be relevant and at the same time witness to the dynamism of unchanging values. In this context, our local Church of Adelaide is pursuing a journey which, as well as concentrating on the present, is also focussing on being proactive, anticipating the issues which will need effective response tomorrow and pursuing formation programmes which equip its leaders to do this.

At a forum recently involving many leaders across the local Church community, Arch bishop Philip Wilson announced three initiatives which give concrete shape to these responses. He announced that there will be enhanced formation of lay leadership within the Archdiocese and there would be a salary structure for lay leaders. He stated that lay leadership must improve in both size and quality.

Secondly, the Archbishop announced that an applied theology of Ordained Priesthood, recognising the situation within which our priests minister in our world today, will be prepared.

Third, Archbishop Wilson announced the re-energising of pastoral planning within the Archdiocese, a process of reflecting upon the situation in which the Church finds itself as it endeavours to respond to real needs in our world. In amplifying the words of the Archbishop, Monsignor David Cappo spoke of a “leaping ahead” strategy, developing a plan which not only looks at the present but anticipates the future.

For those working with young people – parents, people in schools and other organisations, these initiatives are highly relevant. Today’s Australian children and teenagers are growing up in a society which Pope Benedict has described as one of the most secular societies that exists. The experience of young people in Sydney at World Youth Day of being affirmed in their faith, that it was OK to be openly Catholic, is in stark contrast to their everyday world and that of their peers which often relegates faith to a curious museum piece, making it difficult for these young people to more fully experience the vitality and power that faith can bring to their lives.

Our young people carry within them richness and potential to bring new hope and meaning to our world. In this time of renewal for our local Church, each of us is called to respond in our own milieu to make real the hope of our Church leadership that there will be a new dawn, a more dynamic and energised Church, proudly proclaiming that the Gospel can be a centre of all that makes us truly human and alive.

Peter Williams Director of Mission

School Fee Accounts Term 3 Tax Invoices were forwarded to all families on 1 September 2008 together with notification of 2009 Tuition Fees and Building Fund Levy which were set and ratified by the College Council in July/August. If you have not received your fee account or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact the Finance Office. The Tax Invoice includes 1st instalment tuition fees for 2009, as per our fee policy of invoicing one tuition fee instalment in advance. The due date for payment is 30 September 2008 unless a periodic payment arrangement has been negotiated. Families who have chosen the periodic payment option are asked to ensure that the payments will clear the fee commitment by the end of the calendar year. If you need any assistance with calculations or estimates for 2009 please contact me. Please notify the College in writing as soon as possible if you intend to remove your child from the College at the end of 2008. If written notification is not received all fees invoiced are due and payable. (See separate sheet with the Mercy Vine). Please do not hesitate to contact any of the Finance team if we can be of any assistance or if you have difficulty in meeting your fee responsibility within the terms of our fees policy.

Heather Burns Finance Office, Tel: 8372 3221

[email protected]


From the Junior School

Lunch time Play Programme It’s begun! It has been very exciting to observe our students engage in our new lunch time programme. Year levels are rostered for particular days and choose what activity they would like to do. Seeing the joyful and animated faces of our students this week has been a real treat for us. The opportunity to learn how to play and negotiate co-operatively, role play, use

imagination, draw, paint and construct with peers is not only fun but will support and develop rich learning for our students.

To provide additional learning opportunities we would be most appreciative of donations of the following, all of which need to be clean

and in excellent condition: lego, a cash register and other ‘shop’ items, construction materials, telephones (old style and mobile), or other items you think will engage our students’ imaginations. As the easels have been very popular we envisage that our paper stocks will diminish rapidly. If you have access to paper of at least A4 size, we would love it. If you can help in any way please contact me or Ms Katie Quinn. [email protected] or [email protected] I would like to thank all staff who helped with this initiative, especially Katie Quinn. I would also like to express our gratitude to Karen Shrimpton (Ante and Luka’s mum) who has been instrumental with the planning stages and has generously donated a number of items.

Junior School Concert The Junior School Concert held at the Capri Theatre recently provided a wonderful opportunity for families and staff to experience the musical talents and skills of our Year 2-5 students. The array of performances certainly thrilled the audience as we witnessed instrumental ensembles, bands and beautiful choirs. Individual solos performed by Katrina Cao and Sofia Jenkin were superb.

Our Music staff is to be commended for their dedication and ability to enthuse our students to work as a team and produce such delightful music. I certainly believe all students rose to the occasion and provided their absolute best in every aspect of the night. Thank you to the many parents for your positive feedback in relation to the venue and the night as a whole.

JHSSA Concert Another musical delight was the JHSSA Concert which was held at the Town Hall. Our Year 5 Choir students not only performed to a high level, but were a credit to us all with their impeccable behaviour. Tessa Gaynor commenced the evening as the opening compère and spoke with great poise and eloquence. Thank you to our Music staff for their work, and especially to Ms Adrienne Cullity whose passion for singing and music is clearly evident to us all.

Fun Run The recent Fun Run was certainly ‘fun’ with students really striving to run/walk as many laps as they could to raise money for PE equipment at St Patrick’s Special School. Students felt a real sense of achievement as they surpassed what they had initially thought they were capable of. It was also great to see a number of staff and parents put on their running shoes to participate and encourage our students. Thank you to Jeff Wray and the PE staff for their hard work and enthusiastic support of our students.

Junior School Dates to Remember 17 September Junior School Musical Matinee 18 September Junior School Musical Performance 7:00pm 19 September Junior School Assembly International Day of Peace Ceremony 22 September Mercy Week Commences 24 September R-2 Movies with Yr 12s Yr 5 Exhibition Parent Meeting 25 September Casual day

Special Person morning / Assembly 26 September Mercy Day Mass End of Term 3, 12:30pm Dismissal

Julie Hann Assistant Principal Head of Junior School

PYP Awards

It was wonderful to see so many students receive PYP awards in so many areas at the Junior School Assembly, on Friday 5 September. Congratulations to the following students:

Risk-Takers – Zac Town, Olivia Coats, Katrina Cao, Ruby Schutz, Amy Whelan, Harry Martin, Isabella Hunter, Matthew Daniell Enthusiasm – James McBride, Catherine Ward, Oliver Plate, Harmony Gordon, Sofia Fabbian, Mollie M, Taylor Nicholas, Annabelle Case, Grace Pihir, Sophie Waters Communicators – Olivia Piper Confidence – Georgina Cronin, Annabelle Law, Isabella Hunter, Harry Mirasgentis, Owen Hodgson, Jeremy Smolicz, Sofia Hunter, Josie Rositano, Kayne Tilbrook Commitment – Bailey Adams, Henry Morrison, Cassius Kawecki, Helena Manavis Reflective – Julian Kirkbride Action – Connor Patterson, John George Co-operation – Elizabeth George, Courtney Cook Principled – Costa Manavis, Shane Dasilva Inquirers – Catherine Lloyd, Anthony Rositano Knowledgeable – Georgia Penglis, Joshua Cecere, Harry Mirasgentis, Marc Subic, Oliver Cheesman, Grace Turci , Hugo Lauder Thinkers – Brianna Carter, Ante Androvic.

Shane Murphy Junior School Coordinator


From the Middle School It has been an incredibly busy time in the Middle School of late. This week’s article is made up of a number of student reports on a few of the events that Middle School students have been lucky enough to be involved in. Whilst reading these accounts you get a sense of the huge variet y of learning experiences provided for our students, as well as a clear indication of the enthusiasm and energy that the students invest in order to make the most of these opportunities. It is also important that we pause and acknowledge the wonderful Middle School staff, for without their organisation, commitment and desire to do the best by their students, we would be unable to run many of these activities. Year 8 Camp During Week 7 the Year 8 students attended a 3 day Aquatics Camp at the Murraylands Aquatic Centre in Murray Bridge. On Monday 1 September, classes 8CS, 8JO and 8SS departed Mercedes at 9:30am, already behind schedule! Throughout the course of the camp, we were involved in a wide variety of challenging and, in some cases, daunting aquatic activities, including canoeing, kayaking, rowing, sailing, knee-boarding and even waterskiing! These activities provided us with a rare and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to step out of our comfort -zone and take risks, working together as a team and building close friendships with our peers and teachers. Our sleeping accommodations were by no means five -star, but enabled us to appreciate nature in its fullest, and receive a first -hand look at the Murray’s current condition. We would like to thank our Home Group teachers Mrs Ormsby, Mr Robinson, Mrs Smith, Mr Smith, and Miss Siakew, as well as Mr Grant, Mr Thornton and Mr Wadsworth for all of their time and hard efforts into organising our camp, it was an experience that will not be long forgotten.

Damiano Fritz 8SS 7MR Da Vinci/Einstein Challenge The time has come… For the ultimate battle… The battle between two great minds… Yes, the time has come for…THE BATTLE OF THE BRAINS (a.k.a. The Da Vinci/Einstein Challenge). The two great minds of Da Vinci and Einstein clash against each other to answer the definitive question: “Who has the greater brain?” Mr Richards has divided our super brainy class into two semi-super-brainy teams. We have to compete in many activities and challenges such as devising a clever team seating arrangement and decorating our team’s display board in a creative and crazy, yet unique and informative way each week. At the start of each week we are handed our team folder, filled with a range of complex and confusing puzzles which we must work together cooperatively to solve. The puzzles, board, and how we work as a team are marked and we are given a team score. We the ‘Da Vincis’ are proud to say that we have come first in both weeks and are currently sitting on a HUGE lead… Okay, well at least 9 points in front – but we had better watch our backs as the ‘Einsteins’ might just creep back up into first place. But for now, we rack our brains, plan our Human Ingenuity assignment and wait. Wait for the final challenge, the official “BATTLE OF THE BRAINS” day, in which we will battle for glory… (And for the official trophy – a jar of brains!)

Here is an example of what our challenging week consists of. This is called “Keep ticking”. Divide the face of a watch into three sections. The sum of the numbers included on each section must equal the sum of the numbers on either of the other two sections. Let’s not waste any time – the clock is ticking! A chocolate frog for the first c orrect answer..

Bella McRae, Matt Cruickshank and Xanthe Harty 7MR Year 9 Retreat 2008 Living in a society controlled so much by the media, we are constantly being sold a lie about what should be expected. Having this as such a prominent issue, our retreat was based on being comfortable in our own skins. Activities that brought this message across were often team building activities showing you don’t have to be the smartest or the most beautiful. By having team or group activities we were able to interact with people whom we wouldn’t normally. The beautiful surroundings of Nunyara made it an optimum place to let go of everyday life and become closer with each other and God. Overall, our Retreat this year was a worthwhile experience, original and well planned.

Luke Crocker 9EB Besides being a relaxing day off from school, I found the Retreat was a good chance to reflect on your life and what is really important. Watching the video’s about the woman with no arms and the boy with the lion’s face showed us that we should be happy with ourselves. If a person with no arms can be happy with their life then we should all be happy too. It showed us that we need to be happy with ourselves and live our lives confidently. There will be ups and downs in life and we need to work through them, not avoid them. The games and puzzles helped a lot with enabling everyone to feel comfortable and the lunch provided was delicious. The skipping rope game was great fun and helped the two classes to work as a team. Overall, I thought the Retreat was a huge improvement on last year and was fun and relaxing.

Alexander Praschifka 9EB

Immunisations A reminder that the next set of immunisations for our Year 8 students will take place on Tuesday 16 September (Week 9). Nurses will administer the second dose of the Hepatitis B vaccination to the Year 8 cohort and the Year 8 girls will also receive the third HPV dose. Please remember it is the parental responsibility to advise the vaccinator on the day of immunisation of any ch ange in the information on the consent form, in particular, your child’s medical condition. If vaccination is not to be given please provide a written note in your child’s diary. All students having immunisations should ensure they have a good breakfast and wear PE uniform to school on this day. Timon’s Awesome Team Many of you will be familiar with our student Timon Sideris (6TB), who has been at the College since 2002. This year Timon is entering a team in the City-Bay Fun Run to raise funds for the Cora Barclay Centre. You could support Timon’s courageous effort either by sponsoring him or by running or walking yourself. If you would like further information please contact Ms Tanya Bahnisch via Strathspey Office.

Paul Wadsworth Assistant Principal Head of Middle School


From the Senior School As we move towards our end-of-year examinations, my next few articles will be based on how our students should best use their time with homework and study in order to reach their potential. Homework is a key element in the establishment of an efficient study programme and effective time management schedule. It has four major roles to play, they are:

• Completing unfinished work from the school day. • Doing further subject work to reinforce and

consolidate the concepts in the students’ minds. If they can do it at home on their own, then they know it.

• Studying, applying new knowledge learned to new situations, mentally storing information and revising for exams/tests.

• Summarising and completing notes from class. There must be a continual increase in the number of homework sessions that students complete as they progress through the year levels to cope confidently with the workloads in Years 11 and 12 and beyond. These sessions vary in time and intensity according to the year level and are very much dependent on the students’ concentration spans. The suggested weekly time allocation and duration of study sessions for each year level is in the College diary. Should you have any queries or concerns regarding your son/daughter’s progress please do not hesitate to contact his/her Year Level Coordinator. “It’s great to plan, but more important to then work the plan.” Anon. Most students find it very difficult to just sit down to complete a study session unless it is planned ahead of time. The “spontaneous” approach of just letting it happen doesn’t work, even though our students may disagree. The best way to approach study and homework is to design a structured timetable including all the things which occupy the student’s time, such as:

• Sport training • Part-time jobs • Study and homework • Favourite television shows • Family commitments • Leisure activities

Arranging their time commitments and the required number of study sessions is an exercise that encourages students to take greater ownership of their lives and reflect on their progress; their study timetable is a contract with themselves. To help students stick to their timetables and maintain harmony in the home, it is a good idea to place a copy on the fridge to encourage a team approach. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” Chinese Proverb

Although this series of articles is a more structured approach than I usually take I hope you find it helpful. Next Tuesday 16 September we have the Year 11 Invitation Only Learning Review from 4:00 to 6:00pm. If you have any issues you wish to discuss with a teacher please avail yourself of this time. If you need to contact me at any time please feel free to give me a call on 0439 901 993 or make an appointment through the The Rose Garden Office. Until then, God bless.

Tony O’Doherty Assistant Principal

Head of Senior School International Student Programme Mercedes College offers wonderful opportunities to its students, one being the Mimili Trek. Mimili is a community of 160 people in the Pitjantjatjara Lands in the outback of Australia – just a few hundred metres from Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock). Students visit these communities on a 9 day Trek covering over 4000kms, travelling in seven vehicles. They go to these remote areas to see completely different cultural concepts which provide the students with a better insight into human diversity. This year German student Anna Pfeifer Barbosa (11LD) joined the 62 students from Mercedes who are on the Trek. I am sure it will be an adventure she will never forget – and certainly something very different to anything she has done in Germany! This week also brings the Royal Adelaide Show to town. “The Show” is held at the Wayville Show Grounds for a week and consists of side shows with amusing tests of skill, Horticultural exhibits (including horses, cattle, pigs, sheep etc), amusement rides and ringside entertainment of firework displays, military bands and stunt cars – to name a few! On Tuesday, many of the International students went with Mrs Robyn Halliday to enjoy the spectacle! Students who attended were Leon Ribbat (11CS) and Hannah Reinking (11EL) from Germany, CHOI Oi Ieng Heidi (10MA) and CHIANG Hoi Man Dorothy (10ST) from Macau, HAN Jaehyun (Language Centre) from Korea, LAM Ho Yeung Sam (10KK) from Hong Kong along with Chinese students CHEN Xian (10KK), DENG Qingyuan Tom, JIN Wei Hang, MA Yi Ming, QIAO Pengfei, and SHAO Rui all who are currently studying at the Language Centre.

Leeanne Moriarty Coordinator International Enrolment and Marketing

STUDENT ABSENCES

Parents are reminded of their responsibility to contact the College if a student will be late to school or absent for the day.

Please ring The Rose Garden Office on 8372 3241 or Reception on 8372 3200 BEFORE 9.30am.

Upon the student’s return, please place a note in the diary regarding the absence for the Home Group/Class Teacher.


Family Matters Child Protection Week – “Children See, Children Do” 7 to 13 September marks National Child Protection Week which this year carries the theme of “Children See, Children Do”. This serves as a timely reminder to all adults, teachers and parents alike, that the way in which we carry out our daily lives has a significant impact on the children in our care. Sometimes we forget this and inadvertently model behaviour we don’t necessarily want children to adopt. Children pick up on all we say and do, how we celebrate the triumphs and joys in life as well as how we manage the disappointments, failures and sadness. They take in a significant amount of what we say and an even more significant amount from our actions. A current television advertising campaign poignantly demonstrates how children learn habits associated with alcohol use, based on the conduct of their parents. We see that this behaviour can be so easily passed on through the generations, without a conscious decision being made by adults, but simply by children observing their parents at social functions. Children learn how to communicate, to problem solve, to manage relationships and conflict as well as their resilience by watching the significant adults in their lives. It is therefore important that we expose children to the celebrations and challenges in life as they grow, to enable them to build a repertoire of skills, abilities and experiences to equip them for their own transition to adulthood.

As we have also celebrated Father’s Day last week, it is especially important to acknowledge the unique role played by Dads in their children’s lives. Dads have a skill set quite different to Mums – the balance of which is important in shaping young lives.

To all Mercedes Dads, I hope you enjoyed a happy and relaxed Father’s Day with your family and to all parents and teachers in our community, remember the significant role models you are for our children. Do not underestimate the importance you have in the life of a child.

Anne Way College Psychologist

Mercedes College Parents & Friends Association (MP&FA)

The Quiz Night held on 16 August was a wonderful night on which w e raised approximately $14,500 for the school. The Quiz Night Committee would like to thank the following people whose support contributed to the evening’s success.

Brendan and Cathy Connell, Suzanne Moorhead, Alecia Cooper, Anne Watson, Helen Scanlon, Bruce Fell and the Grounds Staff, Elaine Grottick, Bernadette Davey, Liz Watson, Tony Adey, Sam Arnold, Julie Hann, Tony O’Doherty, Paul Wadsworth, Peter Ayres, Walter Pavlic, Scott Rackley, Greg Plate, Chris Blunden and Ben Gordon.

Many thanks to all of those families who donated items for the hampers, raffles and prizes.

We would also like to recognise the companies and individuals who generously donated prizes for the night. We hope the

Mercedes Community will support the business in future, as they have supported us.

Business Donations Adelaide 36ers Adelaide Football Club Adelaide Nut All the Mercedes Parent and Friends who kindly donated items for the Quiz Night Angelakis Bros – Sperou Family Armstrong Winery – Royal Family Athletes Foot – Burnside Bakers Delight – Unley Banana Boys – Mitcham Bergaman Swimming School – Plympton Park Book Agencies of Adelaide Bruces’s Meats – Mitcham Campion Campion Books Ceceres Music Chemmart – Unley Chianti Classico – City Cibo – Burnside Claridge Holden – Unley Classic Timber Cocos – Burnside Coles – Unley Colores – Mitcham Corporate Express Dan Murphys Darren Lehmann Delish Gourmet – Mitcham Dymocks – Burnside Edinburgh Hotel Energy Clinic Festival City Photography Flower House – Highgate Footsteps Dance School Greek Pastries Hair Machine – Burnside Highgate Chicken & Seafood Shop Highgate Vogue House & Garden – Unley

IGA – Highgate Jo Whelan Kid Shack – Unley Life Personal Trainers Making Waves Master Butchers Limited McBride Family Mile End Office Furniture Mitcham Cinemas Mooi – Mitcham Mostly Books – Mitcham NAB Noni Ferguson Nova Oasis DVDs Passatempo Café – City Petaluma Wines – Andrew Cheesman Plaster Funhouse – Hyde Park Post Office – Highgate Poultry Options – Mitcham Price Attack – Burnside Rabbit Photo – Unley Rossiters – Unley SA Life Magazine SAFM Scholarest Skycity Smooth Hair – Unley St Georges Books – Stonyfell State Swim – Unley Target – Unley The College Shop Top Notch Hairdresser Toy World – Norwood Trak Cinemas – Burnside Tupperware – Leah Universal Wine Bar – City Whelan Family – Thunderbirds Ball Wild Geese Winery – Martin Family Wood Family

The 2008 Intercollegiate day has gone, with great success for the College. Thanks must go to Heather, Basia, Wendy, Jane and Richard, Pauline, Don and Paul and all the wonderful workers who manned barbeques and tended to the needs of the big crowds at all the venues. I am continually amazed at the generosity of those within the school community.

At the MP&FA meeting held 3 September, Liz reported that, after discussions with Julie Hann, it has been decided that this year we will have a “Bring a Special Person for Morning Tea”, on the Thursday morning of Mercy Week. The MP&FA will supply the morning tea.

I have been meeting with Andrew Cheesman and Tony Royal and should soon have the details of the 2008 Wine Fundraiser ready for release. For 2008 we will have for purchase specially labelled, numbered and gift boxed Magnums celebrating the new building as well as a selection of commercially labelled wines. More details of the wines and how to order shortly.

Tony Adey Chair MP&FA

Dear Parents

“Thank You” - from the Registrar

The time is fast approaching when letters will be sent to all current and new students for 2009, welcoming them to take part in our Induction Day on Friday November 7 this year.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all current families and staff who have taken the time when approached by interested families, to recommend our College so highly.

As you are aware we conduct regular Orientation Walks through the College and are delighted by the amount of new families interested in their children one day attending our school, usually approximately 50 to 60 adults with their children at each Orientation Walk.

I also receive numerous calls from prospective applicants who wish to know more about our beautiful school, and many of these calls are due to your generous and honest praise of the Programmes and Staff of Mercedes College.

If, for any reason however, one or all of your children will be transferring from Mercedes College in 2009, I would appreciate you completing and returning the attached slip within the next week. This will be very helpful to our Heads of School who will soon be compiling classes and allocating staff for 2009.

It will also ensure the refund of your final fee account for this year.

Kind regards

Shirley SmithRegistrar

REPLY SLIP – to be returned to Shirley Smith, Strathspey (via Home Group Teacher)

ADVICE RE TRANSFERRING FROM MERCEDES COLLEGE IN 2009

Family Name: __________________________

Student (s) Surname: __________________________

Student (s) Given Name: __________________________

Year Level in 2009: _____

Student (s) current Home Group ________

T + 61 8 8372 3200 F + 61 8 8379 9540 E [email protected] W www.mercedes.adl.catholic.edu.auABN 93 414 320 696 CRICOS Provider 00365D

540 Ful larton Road Springfield South Austral ia 5062

Mercedes College Newsletter Page 9

Music News from Strathspey and Beyond During the last two weeks there have been memorable performances in the Music department with the successful conclusion of the JSHAA Music Festival and the Junior School Concert. Staff would like to thank the JSHAA Year 5 Choir for the wonderful way in which they prepared and sung at this year’s Independent Schools’ Music Festival at the Town Hall. They were all superb ambassadors for Mercedes College and Tessa Gaynor in her role as “opening child compère” delivered her words eloquently and with polish. Congratulations to all of you and a big thank you to Ms Adrienne Cullity. We were also thrilled with the Capri Theatre, the new venue for our annual Music Concert. We saw and heard all students from Years 2-5 perform, along with some additional Year 6 and 7s in some of the ensembles, on a real stage as part of choirs, ensembles and as soloists. A special tribute goes to all the peripatetic staff who were involved and to Adam Hooper for their continued contribution towards our music making. Thank you parents for your support and I know many of you were thrilled to see your own children on stage and in a real performance venue. The students loved it, they told us afterwards, and now can’t wait for the next one! Special mention should go to Sofia Jenkin and Katrina Cao for their outstanding solo spots during this concert. Coming up in Week 10 is the Catholic Schools’ Music Festival with the Year 6 and 7 Choir performing on Monday night and the Senior Guitar boys entertaining in the Foyer on the Tuesday night. We will report on these events early next term. Next term will see the following musical events: ♦ Teddy Bear’s Picnic for Reception – Year 1 students at a date to be

confirmed ♦ Soloist Night – 30 October ♦ Year 3&5 Instrumental Finales – TBA ♦ Flute Concert – 6 November ♦ Music is Fun Band – 14 November

Celine Beaton-Smith Music Coordinator

Australian Girls Choir

Performing Arts Holiday Programme – October 8 & 9

For all girls in Grade 2 and above with an interest in the Performing Arts.

Activities will include workshops in drama, circus skills, modern dance and pop singing sessions

Open Day – Saturday October 25 Open Day offers the opportunity to join in a tryout class or a group assessment, attend an information session and find out

further details about 2009 classes.

Contact us for further information Ph: 8271 1622

www.ausgirlschoir.com.au

Mimili Maku Art Exhibition – Mercedes College

Linking the Grass Roots with the Bush Roots On Thursday 18 September we look forward to welcoming a group of artists from the Aboriginal community of Mimili in far northern South Australia. They are Molly Tjami, Betty Pumani, Mary Brown and Teddy Edwards accompanied by Mimi Maku Arts Coordinator Toni Galla. Mercedes students visit the Mimili community each year as part of their Community Service activities. This year the Mimili Maku Arts group will be visiting Mercedes to lead some of our students in workshop activities . On the evening of 18 September an Art Exhibition from the Mimili Maku Artists will be held in Strathspey, with works available for sale. The Exhibition will feature traditional paintings, raffia work, woodwork and punu.

We invite you to call in and visit this unique exhibition, perhaps on your way to the Junior School Musical. The aim is to link, through our young people, the grass roots of the city with the bush roots of the country by developing an ongoing inter-community relationship. Please join us in The Parlour on 18 September from 5:00pm.


Year 11/12 SACE Production Alice Dreaming During the first week of September the Year 11/12 SACE students performed Alice Dreaming. The students performed five times to a public audience, including matinees to Year 9 and 10 Drama students.

Alice Dreaming was written by Ned Manning, an Australian writer, in 2006. The one act play cleverly alludes to the classic tale Alice in Wonderland through a similar use of anthropomorphic creatures, fantasy and political commentary. However, Manning has woven a number of contemporary Australian perspectives to his piece. This modern day Alice in Wonderland is not only a coming of age for Alice, but also explores modern teenage cultural perspectives and concerns. Like Carroll’s original commentary on the Victorian era, Manning also weaves a biting satirical commentary on our Australian political and judicial system with a warning note on our environmental legacy.

Thanks must go to all Year 11 and 12 parents, family and friends. All three nights were sold out, and the Thursday night performance (Moderation night) was a particular highlight. Many staff and parents contributed to the production, however some deserve a particular mention. Thank you to Erica McNicol for her assistance on numerous fronts, Caroline Lamb for creating the Dolphin and Albatross costumes, Ian de Boar for facilitating the publicity, and lastly, Liza Siviour, Coral Winterbourn, Luisa Stocco, Robyn Schutte, Helen Mignone and Trish Gibbs for their assistance in the foyer. I must also thank Sam Arnold who kindly volunteered to tape the final performance and transformed it into a DVD for all to enjoy. A special thank you goes to Elaine Grottick who spent many hours on the performers’ hair and makeup. Some students were unrecognisable! Her skills greatly added to the production’s visual impact. The students demonstrated excellent focus and commitment both on and off stage and they should be very proud of their efforts.

Esther Lamb Year 11/12 SACE Drama Teacher

Dr Peter Vardy – Student Conference It was an honour to welcome Dr Peter Vardy to Mercedes College on Wednesday 3 September 2008. We hosted the Student Conference and welcomed staff and students from Seymour College, Walford, Annesley College, Sacred Heart College, Immanuel College and St Dominic’s Priory College. Dr Vardy is Vice-Principal of Heythrop College, University of London, and is one of the leading British academics concerned with Religious Education in schools. He is the consulting editor to DIALOGUE AUSTRALASIA magazine and works with the co-exist foundation to improve understanding between Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Dr Vardy has been a keynote speaker at various events around the world, including the United Nations Human Rights Commission conference in Kuala Lumpur in 2005. He is the author of ten books translated into nine languages – his latest book, on Kierkegaard, is to be published in October. Dr Vardy was an engaging speaker who alerted us to some of the problems the current world presents, particularly in relation to global issues on science, religion, leadership, ethics and philosophy. One of his particularly challenging questions to philosophy students is: “How do I know I’m not a brain in a vat, with all my sensory experiences being generated by a supercomputer.” Dr Vardy challenged us and gave us much food for thought, and addressed us on the problem of evil and innocent suffering, sexual ethics and the ethics of genetic engineering. We were extremely grateful for his inspirational address to the Year 11 cohort of Mercedes students as well as our guests.

Alessandra Miles Coordinator of Special Projects


Celebrations and Congratulations Old Scholar and Olympic medallist Hannah Davis returned to Mercedes this week amidst much excitement, especially in the Junior School. Her young cousin Georgina Cronin led Hannah down the steps of Strathspey through a guard of honour of green and gold streamers, flags and cheering students and staff up to the Marquee where Junior School leaders welcomed and congratulated Hannah on her achievements in winning a Bronze Medal in her first Olympics in the kayak events. She was interviewed by cousins Lily Davis and Tommy Cronin, the questions were many and varied. Hannah is a gracious and generous winner, the results of many years of hard work and planning. She spent the day visiting classes, sharing her memories and her beautiful medal. Congratulations Hannah, we wish you further success and joy in the future. Thank you for returning to your old school to inspire us all.

T 08 8372 3200 F 08 8379 9540 E [email protected] W www.mercedes.adl.catholic.edu.auABN 93 414 320 696 CRICOS Provider 00365D Catholic Church Endowment Society Inc. operating as Mercedes College

540 Ful larton Road Springfield South Austral ia 5062


From the Sports Desk 8-12 Girls Sport Some girls sport will begin this weekend with all Saturday competitions (Softball, Basketball and Volleyball) starting in Term 3. Training times have been publicised in morning bulletins and if there are any queries please don’t hesitate to contact me. To date the training days are as follows: Softball All teams training Monday after school Basketball Senior Green – Tuesday mornings Senior Gold – Tuesday after school Junior – Wednesday after school Volleyball Senior Gold and Green – Thursday after school Junior Green/Gold/Navy – Wednesday morning Junior Black/White/Silver – Thursday morning Beach Volleyball girls are invited to come to the Thursday after school training session. Beach Volleyball and Water Polo will begin in Term 4 so please keep an eye out for up coming notices for confirmation of training and game times.

Carol Guirguis 8-12 Girls Sport Coordinator

Junior School Sport Walkathon Friday 29 August blessed us with perfect weather for the Reception to Year 7 School Fun Run. The concept this year was altered and gave students the opportunity to walk or run as far as they could in up to 90 minutes. I am sure many students (and their parents) would have been surprised how far they can travel in such a short time. We had a large proportion of students accumulate over 8km, with some students going beyond the 12km marker with ease. With the City-Bay Fun Run coming up later this month we hope some students are thinking of attempting the hike down Anzac Highway. Another pleasing aspect of the Fun Run, apart from all the smiling and red faces of the students, was watching some parents and staff join in the exercise. The event was conducted with a side fundraising attempt for St Patrick’s Special School. The money raised has surpassed our expectations and we thank everybody for their contributions. I am certain St Patrick’s will be more than grateful for everyone’s efforts. A special presentation assembly will be conducted in Gleeson Hall for Reception to Year 7 on Friday 19 September starting at 8:50am (this is normally a Junior School assembly). Junior Sport Winter Sport has come to a close for all sports other than Basketball. We have had some outstanding performances across the board with the Girls Soccer team deserving a special mention for their efforts in making it to the finals in their SAPSASA Knockout Competition. I have been impressed at the level of development in our teams this year

and this cannot occur without fantastic coaching and support. I thank all our coaches for their work and hopefully we may have unearthed a few budding coaches for years to come. Term 4 sport is now in the planning process with cricket, tennis, softball and athletics all on offer. Teams are currently being finalised, but as always, we are looking for coaches. If anyone wants to be involved or knows someone looking to become involved, please contact me. Athletics training will commence Week 2 of Term 4 on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in preparation for the Catholic Schools Carnival on Monday 24 November. We are looking at having big numbers at training so we can select the team and continue our success from the last few years.

Jeff Wray Junior Sport Coordinator

Cross Country Mercedes College again hosted the Independent Schools Relay Championships at Waite Oval. This event was very well run with the valuable and much appreciated help of the Sports Leaders and Captains, coordinated by Mr Bill Gaynor and Mr Matt Smith. 65 teams took part in 6 official categories. Mercedes College and Immanuel College both shared the honours for the day. Results Primary (Yrs 4-7) Girls – 4x2000m 1st Mercedes Gold (L Teicher, T Licciardi, S Reynolds,

K Prideaux) 35:57 DNF Mercedes Green (L Davis, S Crocker, G Hewett,

T Jordan) A great effort by the Gold team, while the Green team was running a strong 4th when Taneesha pulled out injured.

Junior Boys (Yrs 8-10) – 4x3000m 3rd Mercedes No 1 (M Mbanza, L Merrigan, A Offe,

N Davis) 43:05 7th Mercedes No 2 45:32 9th Mercedes No 3 45:46 13th Mercedes No 4 51:57

(Fastest Mercedes Relay legs: L Crocker 10:33; M Mbanza 10:38; N Davis 10:42).

Junior Girls (Yr 8-10) – 4x3000m 2nd Mercedes College (B Symes, G Hughes,

E Wardleworth, N Francis) 49:42 Senior Boys (Open) – 4x3000m 2nd Mercedes No 1 (P Ayers, J Goggin, M O’Flaherty,

D Davis) 39:40 6th Mercedes No 2 (M Crocker, B Tripodi, P Brookes,

C Banks) 42:58 Senior Girls (Open) – 4x3000m 1st Mercedes College (N Hughes, E Rajic,

M Wardleworth, C Venn) 47:25 Mercedes College also won the Intercollegiate Cross Country Challenge 2-0 although St Ignatius is on the improve with good numbers competing and will provide good competition next year. I will report on the Primary Boys St Peter’s Host Day and National Championships in the next Mercy Vine. Training continues on Monday and Friday mornings with Year 6 and 7 students also welcome to join us.

Gary Zeuner

mercedes college

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