Cardijn Connect - a source of news and information for the Cardijn community. The blog will be published every Thursday during the school term with past editions always accessible from the menu.

What an amazing Book Week parade we had at Galilee! The creativity and effort that went into the costumes was incredible. Thank you to all our families and friends for helping bring the magic of books to life. It was wonderful to see such a strong sense of community spirit, with Playgroup joining us in the parade and younger siblings also dressing up to be part of the fun.

From dragons and fairies to pirates, ecological warriors, and even Wally himself, the school was buzzing with adventure! A huge shoutout to our staff for embracing the day with such enthusiasm – we spotted crayons, Alice in Wonderland, the Wizard of Oz, Ms Frizzle and the Magic School Bus students, Sailors from the High Seas, Hush, the Three Bears, Peter Pan with the Lost Boys, and even Captain Hook.

At Marian, Book Week was also celebrated with much creativity and excitement!

Students and staff took part in a costume competition, challenged themselves in the 360 Room escape experience, and enjoyed a variety of activities in the Library, including the fun and interactive “Roll-A-Story” game.

It was fantastic to see everyone getting involved and bringing the joy of reading and storytelling to life. Thank you to everyone who made this celebration of books and imagination such a memorable event.

Experience an unforgettable evening of live music as Cardijn Rocks returns on Monday, 16 September! 

This concert will showcase the amazing talents of our Advanced and Intermediate Rock Ensemble, HOPE, along with student-led bands and soloists.

HOPE has been hard at work – and they’ve just dropped two new tracks from their Semester One repertoire!

Listen to 'All I Wanted' & 'Famous Last Words' by HOPE:

Secure tickets on Humanitix for Cardijn Rocks: From Fire We Rise!

Our Marian Year 10 Advanced Music students were privileged to take part in the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s Compose With the ASO program. This provided an opportunity to collaborate with professional composer and violinist Belinda Gehlert.

Across two sessions held at Cardijn, Belinda guided students through a listening exploration of several orchestral works, encouraging them to reflect on the stories and imagery evoked by the music. From there, students developed their own narrative concept and workshopped musical ideas with Belinda, shaping three distinct sections that follow the arc of their story.

Belinda will now take these collaboratively developed ideas and orchestrate them for the full Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. In December, our students will attend a rehearsal and the premiere performance of their composition - brought to life by the ASO.

We extend our sincere thanks to Belinda Gehlert and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra for making this extraordinary opportunity possible.

This term, our Year 1 Galilee students have been busy enhancing their writing skills!

They use phoneme fingers for spelling, remember to use capital letters, full stops, finger spaces, and heart words.

They are also learning to enrich their sentences with adjectives and to include detailed illustrations that complement their writing.

In this video, our students explain how they're building strong writing habits.

The First Nations and Buddies Group has come together to begin planting along the trail, collaborating with Jeremy Gramp from Green Adelaide.

Among the first native species planted were Muntries, Kangaroo Grass, and Apple Berries, all of which were selected for their cultural and ecological significance. Aunty Susan has also been working with the group to create informational signage for the trail.

This exciting project celebrates the First Nations' connection to Country while nurturing a living space for learning, sharing, and growth. In the near future, the trail will extend into the new stages of Galilee.

Health & Physical Education staff at Marian recently participated in a Professional Development session led by Sam from Q Pickleball.

Pickleball, the fastest-growing sport in the world, is played on a smaller court with lightweight paddles and a wiffle ball. It’s simple to learn, inclusive for all abilities, and a great way to build hand–eye coordination, teamwork, and confidence.

Our staff gained an understanding of the key skills, strategies, and rules of the game and are looking forward to introducing it into their PE classes! Students will soon have the opportunity to experience this global sport and see why it’s growing so quickly around the world.

Coming up next month, we have organised a special presentation for families featuring Clinical Psychologist Dr. Judith Locke, who specialises in modern parenting, family wellbeing, and academic environments. 

Please register to attend the Junior session at Galilee or the Middle/Senior session at Marian.

Families are invited to join a School TV free webinar with two of Australia’s leading experts, Susan McLean and Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, as they share strategies to help young people navigate the online world safely and responsibly.

Webinar Details:

Topic: Digital Media Literacy & Safety (Part III)
Date: Thursday, 4 September 2025
Time: 7:30 pm

Key topics include:

• New Social Media Regulations
• Digital Footprint and Reputation
• Screen Time and Brain Development
• Parental Controls

Important: Participants must register before the webinar to gain access.

Register here:
https://cardijn.catholic.schooltv.me/webinar/sa-nt-digital-media-literacy-safety-part-III

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain practical tips and insights to support your child online!

Each year, families are asked to confirm their intentions for their child/children’s enrolment for the following school year.

A survey will be emailed to all families via Consent2Go, requiring you to respond YES if your child’s enrolment will continue at Cardijn College in 2026. Please also respond with YES if your child is transferring between campuses as their enrolment at the College will continue.

Please respond NO if your child will not be attending any campus of Cardijn College in 2026 and a member of our enrolments team will be in touch for further information.

Thank you in advance for your support.

National Skills Week is a significant initiative celebrated across Australia, highlighting the value of Vocational Education and Training (VET) and the diverse pathways it offers young people. This year’s theme, “Explore ALL the Options,” encourages students to consider the broad opportunities available through VET. 

As a dedicated technical campus, Marcellin is uniquely positioned to support this initiative. Our mission to equip students with job-ready skills and connect learning to real-world industry outcomes aligns seamlessly with the goals of National Skills Week. It presents a valuable opportunity to showcase our training programs, celebrate student achievements, and reinforce the importance of skills-based education. 

Throughout the week, Marcellin Campus is hosting a variety of events, including campus tours, trade exhibition stalls, a VET careers expo, the Training Skills Awards, and, on Friday, a ‘Come and Try a Trade’ experience for our Year 8 students from Cardijn College. The high level of interest from younger students has been particularly encouraging, and we are exploring additional opportunities for immersive experiences later in the year. The future is indeed looking bright. 

A sincere thank you to our dedicated and passionate team of leaders, teachers, trainers and support staff. Your commitment and enthusiasm are the driving forces behind our success, and this week is a celebration of all that you do so well. 

Kate Bawden
Deputy Principal