A range of activities form an important part of the co-curricular life of the College. Students develop skills and interests in many varied fields and the activities contribute to the broad educational experience offered by Mercedes College.
Co-Curricular
Service
An essential part of a student’s life at the College. From Year 7 to Year 12, a student will offer herself in the service of others as part of the Mercy charism established by Catherine McAuley.
Academic
Activities and clubs including Amnesty, Book Clubs, Da Vinci Decathlon, Debating, IT Angels, Mock Law, Opti-Minds and Philosophy offer opportunities for extension and support, and challenge students to be life-long learners who collaborate with others in the pursuit of a common goal.
Cultural
There are many exciting opportunities for students interested in pursuing their passion in the area of The Arts and Culture. Drama, Media, Music, Speech, Visual Arts and Languages are essential components in our College community. Cultural pursuits include the House Arts Festival (Drama/Dance, Choir).
A popular activity for students at Mercedes is to be a part of the House Dance Festival. Using a theme of their choice, Year 12 House leaders, choreograph and audition students from Years 7 to 12, to produce a 15-minute performance incorporating different styles of dance. The winners of the competition receive the coveted House Dance Shield.
The Performing Arts Centre is the focus for drama students to develop their technical skills in all aspects of theatre production. Activities include the school musical held at the Regal Theatre – a highlight of the College calendar showcasing the outstanding talents of our young actors, musical students and those of the technical and support crew. The House Performing Arts Festival held at the Perth Concert Hall allows Year 7 to 11 students to collaborate and produce a 20-minute production, and the Year 12 Drama and Recital Performances showcase senior Arts students’ WACE pieces. Year 11 and 12 Drama students have the opportunity to travel to Sydney for intensive NIDA drama workshops where they can learn skills from professional actors and directors.
Be a part of this exciting environment and learn all there is to know about media, in state-of-the-art facilities. A fully equipped radio station, run by students in the MCfm Radio Club, delivers broadcasts and musical entertainment for students during lunchtime. The AVID industry-standard editing suites allow students to develop and enhance their production skills in the ICUMC film club. The House Film Festival showcases media students and House Films to see who takes out the House Film Awards. For Year 11 and 12 media students a trip to Queensland’s Bond University provides a wonderful opportunity for students to participate in intensive workshops. A photography club enables budding photographers to hone their skills and capture great moments of student life.
Language tours to France and Italy occur every two to three years providing an opportunity for language students from Year 10 to 12 to improve their French or Italian, while immersed in the culture. Senior students have exchange opportunities through the WAATI/Intercultura and NACEL programs that occur during the Christmas holidays. A variety of competitions are open to Language students. These include Alliance Francaise, Dante Alighieri and the Australian Language Certificate.
Each year students in Years 10 to 12 participate in several public speaking competitions including the Lions Youth of the Year Quest, Rostrum Public Speaking Competition, Rotary Four Way Test, the APEX Effective Speaking and the Plain-Speaking Award. Mercedes has an outstanding record of success in this area with many competitors making it through to finals.
The Speech program at Mercedes is one steeped in history and in recent years, a touch of fame, with the award-winning movie ‘The King’s Speech’. The story of speech therapist Lionel Logue who was once an elocution teacher at Mercedes College (formerly known as Our Lady’s College).
Today, Speech remains a popular subject for students wishing to improve their confidence in public speaking. Students gain confident presentation skills, often working through drama, poetry and prose sections. This is reinforced by Trinity College, London and Australian Music Board Examinations held each year.
Students express their creative talents in Visual Arts in a variety of ways through community related projects and innovative College projects to celebrate events throughout the year.
Music
Music plays an important role in the life of Mercedes College. Students from Years 7 to 12 are offered instrumental music tuition in orchestral and concert band instruments, as well as piano, voice, percussion and drum kit.
Students involved in the Instrumental Music program participate in the College’s ensembles including Orchestra, Concert Band, Choral Groups, Percussion, String and Wind Ensembles and a range of other chamber ensembles including duets and trios. Students also participate in festivals, eisteddfods and external examinations to help raise their level of confidence and engender a sense of pride in their playing.
The Annual Music Showcase provides an opportunity to showcase the extraordinary talents of our musicians and voice students, while the House Choir competition is an event for all our young women to shine.
Click here to read our Music Handbook.
Sport
To build on the College’s community spirit, students participate in interschool, intra-school and interstate sporting pursuits challenging them to strive for their personal best. There is a wide range of sports and fitness activities which promote the health and wellbeing of our students. Some of these activities include ACC AFLW, ACC ‘A’ Division Athletics, Rowing, Badminton, Basketball, Cross Country, Hockey, Netball, Soccer, ACC ‘A’ Division Swimming, Triathlon, Volleyball, Year 7 & 8 Lightning Carnivals, and Year 7 Super Series.