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 a fantastic week we had celebrating Book Week and this year's theme, A Symphony of Stories! From sharing favourite books to discovering new stories, our students embraced the magic of reading with excitement and enthusiasm all week long.

Galilee's whole-school Dress Up Parade on Friday was a highlight, with students and staff standing together on stage with their classes to showcase their impressive costumes. We want to say a huge thank you to all our families for the support, creativity and effort that brought so many favourite characters and stories to life.

At Marian, Library staff hosted a lunchtime costume competition on the Friday, with a group of students and staff parading through Tangka. We had three lucky student winners:

• Dr. Ryland Grace with Rocky from Project Hail Mary
• Friday Barnes from Friday Barnes: Girl Detective
• Monkey D. Luffy from East Blue

Thank you to our community for helping make Book Week such a special celebration. The joy, imagination and love of reading on display throughout the week were truly wonderful, and we're so grateful to be part of a community that values stories and learning so deeply.

Last week, Marcellin came alive with National Skills Week 2026, celebrating this year's theme, "Life Changing", a fitting reminder of the powerful role vocational education plays in shaping futures, creating opportunities and building communities.

The week kicked off with a whole-school assembly launching the celebrations, before our Year 10 students dove into RTO Pathways Information Sessions to explore vocational pathways and start making informed decisions about their futures. Year 11 students heard from SafeWork SA and AustralianSuper on workplace safety, employee rights and building strong financial habits.

Midweek, we welcomed our signed apprentices and their employers to a special Apprentice and Employer Lunch, proudly supported by Burson Autoparts, Makita, Total Tools and Voltex. It was a great chance for students to connect with industry professionals and get hands-on with the latest tools of their trades.

Our Automotive, Engineering and Theory workshop spaces were then transformed for a VET Careers Expo, bringing together employers, training organisations and industry representatives from across a wide range of sectors.

The week closed with two standout events. On Friday morning, we celebrated our Training Skills Excellence Awards, recognising students who have shown outstanding commitment and achievement in vocational education, with guest speaker Luke Davis, a former MTC student and now Director of Davis Quality Constructions, sharing his journey. That afternoon, we welcomed Year 8 students from Marian and Galilee campuses for Experience Marcellin, giving them a taste of hands-on learning in our Automotive, Engineering, Construction and Electrotechnology workshops.

National Skills Week 2026 showcased just how life-changing vocational education and training can be. A huge thank you to our students, staff, families, and industry partners for making it such a success.

For more photos from throughout the week, check out our Facebook page!

The Year 11 Drama students will be performing Bright. Young. Things. by Georgia Christou on Wednesday and Thursday of Week 9 (September 16 and 17) in the Marian Campus Theatre at 6:30pm. Tickets are free and are available to book via Humanitix - we hope to see you there!

"On a reality television show, six remarkable – and remarkably young – geniuses are competing for the coveted Golden Brain trophy and the title ‘Britain’s Brainiest Child’. As the contestants battle it out round after round, the pressure mounts, the spotlight gets harsher, and each is faced with questions they were never expecting. Who will win and who will lose – and what exactly does winning mean anyway?"

To secure tickets, please visit the Key College Events page.

Over the next two weeks, our Football Academy students will be visiting Year 2 students at Galilee to run skills sessions as part of their coaching unit.

Marian's Advanced Rock Ensemble (this year called Formation of Grace) has just finished recording  a song called 'Sans Soleil' (originally performed by Alexisonfire).

Credits:

• Tiara Cox - Vocals
• Ava Walasek - Vocals
• Lewi Millington Williams - Guitar
• Lily Menzies - Bass
• Caylen Craig - Drums
• Braxton Howse - Keyboard
• Mr. Whitworth - Production, Additional guitars,  and Additional Percussion.
• "Sans Soleil" written by Alexisonfire

Spring has officially sprung this week! Galilee's beautiful almond trees are in full blossom, looking colourful and vibrant, and our students have loved playing together underneath them.

Year 8 Galilee students visited Seaford Rangers Football Club for their Reflection Day, where they explored the concept of grace, using Mary as a key example.

In Simplicity, students considered how they could use their strengths and gifts to extend grace to others within the Cardijn community. In Family Spirit, they took part in an act of grace together as a Year 8 cohort. Students also had the opportunity to explore their own faith and reflect on questions about God.

Reflection Day gave students the chance to grow in faith, spirituality, and self-awareness as young people in our school community, while also creating space to deepen their relationships with peers and staff.

• Tickets: $10 each
• Seating: Tables of 10 - grab a group of mates and book a whole table, or snap up individual seats and we'll help match you with others to fill a table.
• Food & Drink: BYO platters welcome! Food and drinks also available to purchase on the night.

Bring cash for the silent auction.

Marist Solidarity

In recent years, Cardijn students and staff have undertaken immersion experiences in Timor-Leste in support of Marist Solidarity projects. The 2026 Immersion Team are keen to continue and grow this experience, which for many of our students is life changing!

Those of us who have travelled to developing nations are readily confronted by the massive differences in lifestyle and basic human services such as education and healthcare, let alone life’s fundamentals of Food, Water and Shelter!

Steve Byrne
Principal