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.

This week, the College proudly celebrates National Reconciliation Week across all three campuses. The 2025 theme, Bridging Now to Next, highlights the importance of connecting our shared history with the future we’re building together.

We acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of our First Nations students, families, and communities, and remain committed to walking together on the path of reconciliation.

Stay tuned for further details and photos from Reconciliation Week at Cardijn, which will be shared in next week's edition of Cardijn Connect.

14 Cardijn students were selected to represent the College at the Marist Netball Carnival, which took place from Sunday to Wednesday of Week 5 this term. This event was co-hosted by Cardijn College and Sacred Heart College at the St Clair Recreation Centre.

We were fortunate to welcome Aaleya Turner as our guest speaker for the opening night. Aaleya has made significant strides in her netball career, including being named in Netball Australia's inaugural Black Swans First Nations netball invitational team and earning a spot in the Adelaide Thunderbirds Futures Squad.​

A reflection and recap from Year 12 Sports Captain, Dalal:

"Our talented netballers joined competitors from 16 other schools, coming together from all corners of Australia for three days of exciting competition. The carnival began with a special welcome mass at Sacred Heart, followed by a fun-filled scavenger hunt on Sunday evening.

Over the course of the carnival, our girls played an impressive total 16 games! Despite early wake ups and late returns, the team consistently displayed determination, skill, and pride in representing Cardijn College.

Day one saw a fantastic start, with the girls winning 5 out of their 7 matches. Day two presented some tough challenges, but the team persevered, securing 2 wins out of 7 games. On the final day, they finished strong with another win, ultimately placing Cardijn in the top 10. Their efforts resulted in 7th place overall, showcasing their resilience and teamwork.

Throughout the entire carnival, our netballers demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, unity, and commitment. They should be incredibly proud of their achievements and the way they represented our College.

A special congratulations goes to Bella and Immy, who were both awarded Most Valuable Player for their incredible performances throughout the tournament. An extra congratulations to Bella, who also received a Highly Commended award for her efforts, which is an outstanding achievement!

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the 19 helpers, and to all the wonderful coaches, staff, players, families, and supporters for making this event possible. Their dedication not only assisted our team but also supported all the attending schools, ensuring that the event ran smoothly and that everyone felt welcome."

In Week 4, our Year 6 Galilee students stayed at Woodhouse Adventure Camp for three days filled with outdoor activities and team challenges.

The highlights for our students included tube sliding, laser skirmish, and Challenge Hill. They appreciated the opportunity to try new things and collaborate with one another. Here are some reflections from our students:

"Challenge Hill was really fun, especially the rope swing. Many people fell in, but some successfully made it across."

"Laser skirmish was fun in the trees. We split into two teams and had to capture the two boxes located on each side of the hill."

"We enjoyed tube sliding down the big hill on the bendy tracks."

On Wednesday, 21 May, our Year 8–10 Marian Football Academy students had the opportunity to participate in a transformative Culture & Development session led by guest speaker Jon Symonds.

Through engaging activities and thought-provoking discussions, students explored what truly matters both on and off the field, focusing on skills, discipline, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Jon encouraged our players to reflect on their personal values in football, identify key challenges such as injuries and mindset, and strengthen their connection to our Academy's Trademark Values.

We extend our sincere thanks to Jon for his insights and inspiration, as well as for emphasising the powerful role that College football plays in shaping confident, resilient, and values-driven young individuals.

This week, our Year 11 students participated in Tomorrow Woman and Tomorrow Man sessions – powerful programs designed to spark real conversations and self-reflection.

Tomorrow Man encouraged students to explore healthy masculinity, emotional expression, and respectful relationships.

Tomorrow Woman invited students to challenge outdated expectations, build confidence, and find strength in their voices.

These sessions created safe spaces for students to connect, reflect, and grow into emotionally intelligent and respectful young adults. A big thank you to the facilitators for guiding such impactful conversations.

Year 6 Galilee students recently celebrated a special moment as they were presented with their senior rugby tops by Kerri Gould, Head of Campus.

This tradition signifies an important milestone, celebrating their leadership and accomplishments as they get ready for the next stage in their educational journey.

We hope to see them wear their tops with pride and continue to thrive during their final year of primary school.

SchoolTV invites parents, carers, grandparents, educators, and school leaders of the Cardijn community to an exclusive Digital Media Literacy & Safety (Part II) webinar on Thursday, 19 June at 7:30 PM, designed for supporting primary and secondary students.

Join us for an exclusive session with two of Australia's leading experts in youth wellbeing and cybersafety, Susan McLean and Dr Michael Carr-Gregg.

They will share invaluable insights on how to empower young people to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.

Topics in this webinar include:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Misinformation & Algorithms
• Sexting and Sextortion
• Online Grooming

Please register for this event: Digital Media Literacy & Safety Webinar

Our Year 5 Galilee students recently enjoyed an exciting incursion with Sci-World, where they explored how light works through fun demonstrations and hands-on workshops. They learned about refraction, bioluminescence, and how colours change under different lights.

This interactive experience supported their learning in the Science curriculum this term, where students investigate how light forms part of everyday phenomena and experiment to understand its properties and behaviours.

This week, our Year 12 students were introduced to South Australia’s newest university — Adelaide University! The University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia are merging to form this new institution, which will officially open in January 2026. That means our current Year 12s could be among the first to attend Adelaide University next year!

During the visit, students received information about campus life, study options, and the application process. They were also able to ask specific questions and gather valuable insights as they prepare for the SATAC application period, which opens on Monday, 4 August.

Families and students will have another opportunity to connect with Adelaide University — along with a wide range of tertiary providers — at our upcoming Pathways Expo.

Join us at the Marian Campus on Wednesday, 30 July from 2.45pm – 5.00pm for an afternoon of valuable career and study guidance. The Pathways Expo will feature universities, TAFE providers, training organisations, group training providers, and local industry representatives.

Whether you're considering further study, an apprenticeship, or entering the workforce, this is your chance to ask questions, explore options, and take the next step with confidence.

We are only one week away from opening night of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: the Musical! Our students are incredibly excited to begin bump in to the theatre at Futures South and work in a large scale theatre, adding in costumes, set, lights, projections, and a live band! This production is a great opportunity to see a musical for the first time, and is perfect for anyone who has enjoyed the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books and movies.

"Being a part of the musical is an incredible experience, whether you’re a main character, a dancer, an ensemble member, or a part of the backstage stage crew. Being surrounded by all these passionate, lively and vibrant people is truly inspiring. It’s a great experience for making new friends and breaking out your comfort zone." – Audrey, Year 10

"This has been an amazing experience that I will never forget, I have made new friends, and I will cherish the memories that I have created, and can’t wait to make many more with the cast in the future" – Jessica, Year 10

Purchase your tickets here Cardijn College: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical

We can't wait to see you there! 

Galilee students recently participated in the Year 7/8 SAPSASA Girls Netball Knockout Competition at the Victor Harbor Netball Club. We faced some tough competition from Encounter Lutheran, Goolwa, and Willunga High. Well done to our students for giving it their best effort!

As part of their HaSS studies, our Year 8 students recently visited the South Australian Museum to explore the Galloway Hoard: Vikings exhibit.

This engaging excursion supported their assessment task comparing Viking expansion to Polynesian migration.

Students had the opportunity to examine real artefacts, deepen their understanding of Viking society, and make meaningful connections to their classroom learning.

Last term, the Art Club students participated in the SA Refugee Week Student Poster Exhibition competition. Out of 305 entries, 60 students from 46 schools were selected for the final exhibition, which includes the artwork of Year 7 student Madison.

Madison skillfully uses and combines beautiful colours and symbolism in her work to depict themes of multiculturalism, world peace, and anti-racism, representing how refugees are an integral part of the Australian family.

Ms Robyn Sutherland, Romero Senior House Leader, shared her journey as an Aboriginal Program Coordinator and Department for Education Consultant with the Marian staff at our staff meeting this week. Robyn has worked in this area for over a decade and her reflections and challenges she put to us were as follows:

• Teaching and learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture is everyone’s business!
• Engage and seek guidance from Elders
• Connect with our Indigenous communities
• Create and nurture culturally safe spaces (there is a ‘Nunga Room’ at Marian)
• Ensure Aboriginal culture is visible and celebrated
• Learning ‘on country’ is powerful!
• Create opportunities to meet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander role models – artists, musicians, sports people, politicians and so on. (Michael O’Loughlin is one of my favourites! Check out the GO Foundation www.gofoundation.org.au)
• Support activities that bring Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people together (a special game of AFL between colleges was presented)
• Provide leadership opportunities
• Promote and celebrate success

There are numerous back stories to each of the above, but the key implication is that we will never develop our understanding of First Nations people and culture if we do not, at the very least, take small steps to genuinely engage with our Indigenous sisters and brothers. Surely, this can only make our nation an even better place?

Steve Byrne
Principal