At first glance, Catherine McAuley and Maria Montessori may not seem like they have much in common—one was an Irish founder of a religious order, the other an Italian doctor and educator. But dig a little deeper, and a shared vision shines through. Both believed in nurturing the potential of every child, especially those on […]

St Aloysius College is proud to unveil plans for a state-of-the-art, multi-level primary school building in the heart of Adelaide. This exciting development was designed in collaboration with students, teachers and leading architects at Grieve Gillett Architects and Hayball, and will provide an innovative and dynamic learning environment tailored to the needs of our youngest […]

Mercy Light: Connecting When Angelique and Sienna, two Year 10 Peer Support Leaders, greet a room of their younger peers before commencing their second Peer Support session, they do so with a presence of ease and warmth that would convince any observer they’ve been doing this for years. What makes for an excellent Peer Support […]

Mercy Light: Connecting Reconciliation is a term most people are familiar with in the context of Australian cultural relations. The Oxford Dictionary states that to reconcile is ‘the restoration of friendly relations’. SAC’s commitment to reconciliation is deeper, reinforced by its decades-long history of supporting First Nations initiatives, and Principals who have demonstrated great support […]

Cast your eyes across any schoolyard in Australia during the first morning of a school year, and you’ll likely notice similar happenings: new students, nervously peering around their environment. Perhaps you’ll observe people with tear-glazed eyes – a swell of nerves, pride and anticipation for the coming year. Excited friends and classmates eagerly reconnect after […]

MERCY LIGHT: LEARNING  “No work of charity can be more productive of good to society than the careful instruction of women.” – Catherine McAuley, Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy.  Tenacity is an attribute that St Aloysius College’s Class of 2024 has demonstrated time and time again. Our most recent graduates have immersed themselves in […]

Mercy Light: Believing Christmas. What images and feelings do this word conjure up for you? Street pageants in the city and suburbs, and crowded stores brimming with brightly dressed Santas? Fairy lights glowing like fireflies in front windows and gardens? Insomniac children, wide-eyed with anticipation on the great night, hoping to at least catch a […]

Mercy Light: Connecting There’s an end-of-year buzz reverberating through campus. The recent Primary Christmas Assembly, well-attended by families and friends of SAC, sparked the spirit of festivity and showcased the College’s youngest students’ talents, skills and pursuits both inside and outside the classroom. Even though much is winding down for 2024, excitement continues to build […]

MERCY LIGHT: LeadingOur College Captains featured alongside other SA schools’ leaders in an online article for The Advertiser. Get to know Darcy Johnston and Revathi Sathurayar, the two wonderful young Mercy leaders who represent SAC’s Class of 2025, and read their reflections in full below, responding to The Advertiser’s questions. What do you see as […]

Mercy Light: Connecting A young Kokatha woman stands proudly before a gathering of parents, current students, staff and special guests on a sunny October morning in SAC’s Mitchell Courtyard. Renowned Ngarrindjeri and Kaurna elder, Uncle Major ‘Moogy’ Sumners AM, is among the special guests. The community has come together for the Wardli Welcome Ceremony, to […]

Mercy Light: Leading   Across Australia, Year 12 students’ countdowns are dwindling to ‘zero’; their long-anticipated final day of school. Though they may not realise, by this point in their lives, they’ve spent roughly 2,500 days learning and growing in formal education settings. If you multiply that number by the 134 Year 12 students graduating from […]

MERCY LIGHT: CONNECTING  If the walls of SAC’s Dunlevie Building could talk, they’d have a lot to say. They’d tell you how, over a hundred years ago, robed Mercy Sisters climbed its stairs to their top-floor bedrooms after long days teaching in the downstairs classrooms. These walls could recount how boarders’ songs and laughter chimed […]

Mercy Light: Learning Recent days have delivered finer skies, crisp air and fresh blooms. With seasonal change upon us, many who’ve spent the winter months tucked up inside the house are enticed back out by drier weather and warmth. For years now, SAC has celebrated this transition with the suitably named Spring Concert at the […]

Mercy Light: Leading Glossophobia: it’s one of the lesser known ‘phobias’, but surprisingly, it’s more common than the fear of spiders, heights, and even death. In fact, it’s estimated that over 75% of the population experiences some form of it. This week, students from 10 Mercy schools will gather in one of our Mercy sister-schools […]

Mercy Light: Learning Have you ever wondered why ‘dark matter’ matters? Or about how marine biologists extract and examine samples from animals?   Science Week is a national occasion promoting engagement with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). This year’s schools’ theme was Species Survival: More than just sustainability, and College Science Coordinator, Ms Linda […]

Mercy Light: Connecting In a progressive learning environment, a moment’s pause to reflect on the past may be hard to come by. However, through the lens of history, we learn valuable stories of people, places and events that influenced the present day. These stories are the bedrock of communal identity.  A city location means that […]

Mercy Light: Learning While the completion of term is in many ways an ending, for some of our youngest students and their families, it signifies the opposite: the start to a great adventure of learning and personal growth. The College welcomed new students starting Reception mid-year for three transition mornings, offering them a gentle introduction […]

Mercy Light: Connecting A quick internet search of the word ‘hospitality’ will deliver this definition or similar: “The friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors or strangers; the business of providing food, drink and accommodation.” Hospitality, in its context as one of St Aloysius College’s core values, invites us to welcome others with […]

Mercy Light: Learning Outdoor Education, offered to students at Stage 1 and Stage 2 of their secondary studies, enables experiential learning about the natural world and how we interact with it. It enhances students’ understanding of conservation and sustainability and their personal and social growth. Recently Stage 2 Outdoor Education students completed the first of […]

Mercy Light: Learning  As a young child, do you recall using the phrase, “when I grow up, I want to be…” The ellipses – those three dots – symbolise the possibilities for a future yet to be written. “I want to be an astronaut, a doctor, a police officer, a teacher, a tradesperson…”  One of […]

Mercy Light: Connecting Cultural richness and diversity bring many benefits to learning communities like St Aloysius College. Exposure to different customs, traditions, arts and foods helps young people to think and imagine far beyond the classroom walls and develop a sense of curiosity. Study Tour and Cultural Immersion opportunities are offered to students in senior […]

Mercy Light: Learning In 2015, United Nations world leaders announced the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 goals, their ‘roadmap’, to achieving it. One of those goals is to ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education. Today, nearly 10 years on from this declaration, the global community has faced unprecedented challenges. The emergence and […]

Over the last few weeks, it was a pleasure to see staff and students coming together to create a vibrant face for The Village wall.  Launched on Harmony Day, the artwork celebrates the spirit of hospitality, diversity, and inclusion that we are so proud of at SAC. The Community Artwall project wouldn’t have been possible […]

MERCY LIGHT: CONNECTING If you pass by The Cloisters lawns on a Thursday morning, you’ll notice something new and different. The area is transformed into an indoor-outdoor sanctuary of play and learning, with colourful rugs, sensory stations and a range of activities set up, and Early Years teacher, Olivia Spadavecchia, eagerly awaiting the arrival of […]

Mercy Light: Leading Sister of Mercy, Meredith Evans, was recently awarded the title of Senior South Australian of the Year for dedicating her life to helping the vulnerable and inspiring others to do the same. It was most Australians’ first introduction to the lively 75-year-old, but Sister Meredith is no stranger to the St Aloysius […]

MERCY LIGHT: LEARNING Achieving a South Australian Certificate of Education is something to be incredibly proud of. We are thrilled to announce that 100% of our Year 12 cohort, the Class of 2023, have attained their SACE. Thirty-three students placed in the top 10% of Year 12 Leavers nationwide, and we especially congratulate our Class […]

MERCY LIGHT: CONNECTING “How is Sue?” Selinda, a young artist and worker at Ninuku Arts Centre in Kalka, the closest neighbouring community to Pipalyatjara, asked me this question at the end of a long day, when a community barbeque cooked by St Aloysius College staff and students was drawing to a close. Selinda posed this […]

MERCY LIGHT: Leading During the first whole school Mass for 2023, it was announced that the St Aloysius College community would celebrate this as a ‘Year of Blessings’ and reflect on this theme in subsequent liturgical celebrations and events. One way to celebrate blessings is to share them with others through acts of service and […]

Mercy Light: Connecting There wasn’t a cloud in the sky at dawn on Saturday November 4, a promising start to what would turn out to be an extraordinary day at St Aloysius College. Members of the 53 Wakefield St Hub planning group started trickling through the gates at 5:30am. It was hard to imagine that, […]

MERCY LIGHT: Believing The Sisters of Mercy knew a thing or two about ‘going viral’ before the term was used to describe pop culture sensation. In 1974, Adelaide’s own Sister Janet Mead soared to international success with her rock rendition of The Lord’s Prayer, selling 3 million copies worldwide and earning her a Grammy nomination, […]

Mercy light: Leading How do you feel about the fact that an item of clothing is worn just seven times before it is disposed of? A 2015 survey of 2,000 women by UK-based charity, Barnado’s, determined this. It’s a statistic that shocks students and staff within our school community. Considering rapidly changing social media and […]

Mercy Light: Connecting  If you look at a map of Australia and cast your eyes to the corner where the borders of Western Australia and Northern Territory meet South Australia, you are looking at a geographic location that holds significant meaning to the St Aloysius College community. This remote corner of Australia is also known […]

MERCY LIGHT: CONNECTING St Aloysius College has an enduring history of welcoming international students. Over the last 30 years, thousands of young people from foreign shores have spent time learning, growing and sharing their culture with SAC’s staff and students. A highlight of 2023 has been welcoming the return of international students and staff who […]

MERCY LIGHT: LEADING On any given night in South Australia, approximately 7,000 people are experiencing homelessness. National Homelessness Week, which was this year marked from August 7 to August 13, is an annual event to raise awareness of the issue and advocate for solutions to minimise it. On Friday 11 August, more than 70 students […]

MERCY LIGHT: BELIEVING During the Term 2 school holidays, three Year 11 students represented St Aloysius College at the Young Mercy Leaders Pilgrimage in Melbourne. Anjali, Eleanor and Grace joined students and staff from 17 Mercy schools around Australia for the inaugural two-day gathering. The Pilgrimage was hosted by the Academy of Mary Immaculate in […]

Mercy Light: Connecting Tucked away in a city street, within five minutes’ walk from St Aloysius College, is a vibrant and kind community that has been delivering much-needed care to thousands of vulnerable Adelaide citizens for nearly 40 years. Sister Janet Mead’s Adelaide Day Centre for Homeless is one of the primary Mercy Works supported […]

Mercy Light: Connecting “The arc of moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.” These words were first spoken by the late Dr Martin Luther King Junior, an American pastor and Civil Rights Activist who, in the 1960s, proclaimed his “dream” for racial equity in the United States. His words have not only lived […]

MERCY LIGHT: LEARNING MERCY LIGHT: LEARNING Did you know that the first Australian-made currency was crafted by a convict of Spanish coins? Or that the name ‘Canberra’ means ‘meeting place’ in Ngunnawal language? These are just two interesting facts that some of our Year 7 students have enjoyed discovering during the week visiting Australia’s capital […]

MERCY LIGHT: LEARNING During the month of April, a small group of Year 11 Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award students and four staff members set off to hike the Larapinta Trail. The trail, which starts just outside of Alice Springs, spans 223 kilometres. It has been one of Australia’s most popular hiking trails for nearly 30 […]

MERCY LIGHT: Believing It has been a very busy term at St Aloysius College, and the Easter break was a welcome opportunity to take time to reconnect with loved ones before the final week of term. Easter is the most important event in the Christian calendar, marking the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his resurrection […]

MERCY LIGHT: CONNECTING Did you know that we have students from more than 60 different nationalities? St Aloysius College is a culturally diverse community that embraces people from many backgrounds, and every year during Harmony Week, which is celebrated around Australia between March 20 to March 26, we proudly celebrate the vibrance this brings to […]

International Women’s Day in one of the most important events in our Justice and Mercy calendar at SAC. It’s an opportunity for us to celebrate our school identity and the ways in which we empower girls to become people who lead with courage and compassion. In the weeks leading up to International Women’s Day this […]

“Phenomenal.” This was the word that Ms Jacqui Jury, SAC’s Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning, chose to summarise the achievements of St Aloysius College’s Class of 2022. One hundred per cent of our Year 12 students successfully obtained their SACE, and 21 per cent of the cohort achieved an ATAR score of 95 or […]

There has been much to celebrate already this year. We were fortunate to begin 2023 together on campus, as opposed to some cohorts learning online, which is how the 2022 school year began. The past few years have delivered significant challenges to many communities and ours is no exception. But, in the spirit of courage, […]

If you could choose to learn about any Australian historical figure, who might it be? For Year 12 student, Mia Konopka, the answer is clear: Gough Whitlam, Australia’s 21st Prime Minister, who held Office from 1972 until his infamous dismissal in 1975. Intrigued by Whitlam’s political legacy, Mia saw a golden opportunity to broaden her knowledge […]

Timor-Leste is a country in Southeast Asia, approximately one hour’s flight away from Darwin. The country has a population of 1.3 million people and it has the highest rate of poverty in Southeast Asia. Before the pandemic began, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that, “one in five Timorese households were receiving payments […]

Did you know that, on average, 57 Australians are diagnosed with breast cancer each week? That equates to 20,000 Australians each year, and it makes breast cancer the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia. Many Australians, even if not diagnosed themselves, are likely to know someone who is or will be within their lifetime. […]

Year 10 students Emily, Tilda and Sophie and Year 11 student Imogen were invited to attend the STEM MAD National Showcase in Melbourne to demonstrate their award-winning apps from the recent state finals. The students set up a display and communicated their STEM projects with an audience of Catholic Education staff and students across Australia. […]

On the previous edition of our newsletter, we congratulated Gabriela Coehlo, who has been awarded the Andy Thomas Scholarship at the University of Adelaide. Gabriela was selected for her academic success, as well as her strong commitment to service of her school and community. She graduated from St Aloysius College in 2021, where she was […]

NAA MARNI, HELLO Did you know that our first Reconciliation Action Plan has been approved and is for public viewing on the Narragunnawali website? Narragunnawali – St Aloysius CollegeYou can find one of our whole school actions around Acknowledgement of Country here: Narragunnawali – Acknowledgement of CountryThe Reconciliation Action Plan is about everyone reflecting, learning and taking […]