Hearts News – Friday 26 September 2025 (Week 10 Term 3)

Marist Day 2025: Today we came together as one Hearts community at Champagnat Campus in celebration of our Marist Spirit.

To our Sacred Heart College community

As Term 3 draws to a close, we pause to acknowledge the energy, commitment, and growth that have shaped these past months. From academic milestones to co-curricular achievements, and sporting highlights, along with the creative excellence of our Arts programs, this has been a term filled with real purpose and celebration. Today this has culminated in one of the most memorable moments, Marist Day 2025, where we gathered as a community to celebrate our Marist identity and the values that guide us.

Today we also announced our 2026 Year 12 Student Leadership team. We congratulate those students and look forward to the leadership, vision, and service they will bring as we step into our 129th year in 2026. We look forward to announcing the rest of our 2026 Student Leadership team across both campuses next term.

For the Year 12 Class of 2025, the final stage of your school journey is now at hand. The coming weeks are both demanding and rewarding – a time to consolidate your learning, prepare with focus, and finish strongly. During the upcoming break, we encourage you to balance rest with study, and to make the most of the support and opportunities available to you. We wish each of you every success as you move into this defining chapter.

We also farewell and send our blessings with the 2025 Solomon Islands Immersion team, who depart this Sunday to the Solomon Islands. This marks not only the first of four immersion journeys to depart this year, but also our College’s very first visit to the Solomon Islands. We look forward to hearing how their experiences will enrich both their own lives and our community upon their return.

To all of our students and families across Years 7–12, may the upcoming holiday period be a time of rest, renewal, and readiness for the final term of the year.

Daniel Lynch
Principal

Celebrating our Marist Spirit: Marist Day 2025

Today we celebrated our Marist Spirit and were present with each other, connecting as one school community at Champagnat Campus for our annual Marist Day for the fifth consecutive year. The joint Homeroom activities were well received and gave students in Years 7-12 an opportunity to engage with each other.

The concept of Marist Day was devised at the annual Marist Student Leaders gathering in 2020, and today, we celebrated its fifth year. The College liturgy centred around the Marist theme for 2025, ‘Pilgrims of Hope; Look Beyond’. Luke’s Gospel (The Walk to Emmaus), reminded us that as Marists, we are called to be pilgrims of hope. Like the disciples, we can discover Christ most clearly when we walk together, share our stories and celebrate the Eucharist together. 

Following the liturgy, students participated in a variety of carnival-like activities, along with fundraising efforts for the 2025 Immersion trips. Marist Day concluded with a whole College Assembly, which included the announcement of the Year 12 Student Leadership team for 2026.

Introducing the 2026 Year 12 Student Leadership Team

This term, the Year 12 Student Leadership team for 2026 was confirmed. A group of 33 students will step into portfolio and House leadership roles, taking on the responsibility of guiding and serving the College community during their final year at Sacred Heart.

We extend our congratulations to the students chosen to lead in 2026, and we also acknowledge with gratitude all those who nominated. Their willingness to put themselves forward reflects both their commitment and pride in our College.

Year 9 Rite Journey Camps

As part of the Rite Journey program, our Year 9 students took part in their Rite Journey outdoor camp across Weeks 8 and 9 at Camp Illawonga, located along the River Murray. The program offered a mix of group and personal challenges, including kayaking, exploring fossils near a cave’s entrance, mountain biking, and preparing their own meals. A standout experience for many was ‘The Abyss,’ where students undertook a solo night of camping beneath the spectacular skies of the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve, a memorable blend of challenge, independence, and awe.

The Rite Journey Camp forms an important stage in the Rites of Passage journey, guiding students through the transition from adolescence toward young adulthood. In the lead-up, students took part in planning activities, strengthening teamwork, building friendships, and developing resilience. They also reflected on their time at Champagnat Campus, looking ahead towards their senior years, and practicing mindfulness and gratitude. One of the most moving aspects of the experience was hearing students openly share their appreciation for their families, peers, and the wider Hearts community.

Year 12s take aim in Archery Attack challenge

The two Year 12 Integrated Learning classes joined together on the Main Oval for an Archery Attack session last Friday. Using bows and arrows across game modes such as Medic and Free-for-All, students refined their shooting technique while applying skills under pressure. The activity promoted teamwork, communication, problem solving and decision making in a fast-paced, competitive environment.

Students were challenged to think tactically and work collaboratively, balancing accuracy with strategy. Beyond skill development, the session encouraged resilience and adaptability in a fun, engaging environment. Many enjoyed the chance to step outside their comfort zones, channelling their inner Hawkeye, Legolas and Olympic gold medallist, Simon Fairweather.

Year 12 Physics students explore quantum science at Flinders University

The Year 12 Physics students attended a Quantum Enrichment Day at Flinders University on Monday to celebrate the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.

Students took part in two practical activities: measuring the quantum constant using laboratory equipment and investigating the transmission of polarised photons. They shone light through polarising materials and observed the changes that occurred when one of the polarisers was rotated.

After completing the laboratory activities, students had the opportunity to hear from two guest presenters who spoke about their physics-related career pathways. This provided valuable insight into the potential opportunities available to them, particularly as they enter their final stages of Year 12.

Opening the doors to the world in Year 9 Japanese

A group of Year 9 Japanese students visited Adelaide University on Wednesday, joining 270 other Japanese students to explore where studying the language could lead them.

The morning began with Consul-General of Japan, Tokuro Furuya, opening the proceedings with some encouraging remarks. His overarching message was to “have a go.” In learning a language, even your own, it’s okay to make mistakes. By “having a go,” you give yourself the chance to learn from mistakes and strengthen your skills.

Several guest speakers shared their experiences of learning Japanese in high school and university. They introduced possibilities such as going on exchange to Japan through organisations like Rotary, studying abroad at university, taking working holidays at ski or beach resorts, or participating in the New Colombo Plan (NCP), an Australian Government initiative that provides opportunities for Australian undergraduate university students to undertake immersive, structured learning and internships in the Indo-Pacific region.

Students also had the chance to practice their language skills in an Amazing Race-style activity, where clues were given in Japanese. Teams had to interpret each clue to find the next location, aiming to solve as many as possible for the chance to win a prize. Working together, our students were successful and shared in one of the prizes. They also joined in a couple of Kahoot quizzes based on the presentations, making the day both interactive and fun.

The experience provided students with a valuable insight into the opportunities that language learning and cultural exchange can offer, while building excitement for next year’s proposed trip to Japan.

A taste of languages for the Stage 1 Italian class

On Wednesday the Stage 1 Italian class went to Flinders University to engage in a day of language learning and activities facilitated by the campus’ Languages Faculty. They heard from staff about language pathways available to them, listened to a mini-lesson in Italian about the dome of Florence’s famous cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore, and then participated in a set of round robin-style activities designed to support their knowledge of the Italian language.

After lunch, there was an “Amazing Race” around the campus, which allowed Sacred Heart students to connect with Italian and French learners from a number of other Catholic secondary schools. Finally, the day closed with testimonies from past Flinders Languages students explaining how continuing their language studies, or indeed having the courage to start a new language, has changed their lives.

Our Stage 1 students had the following comments about the day:

“The mini lecture about Brunelleschi and the duomo was interesting. I’m looking forward to seeing it in person during next year’s study tour in Italy.”

“It was good to learn a lot about all the pathways available to language students.”

“The Amazing Race was a great opportunity to explore the campus and meet students from other schools.”

Future Anything Innovation Summit

Fourteen Year 7 and 8 students attended the Future Anything Innovation Summit at Immanuel College yesterday. The event challenged students through a design task focused on addressing issues connected to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

The day began with activities exploring teamwork and the different roles people play in a group – are you the scissors, the rock, or the paper? Students were then encouraged to step outside their comfort zones by mixing with peers from other schools to form balanced teams. Their first challenge was to design an Olympic-style event based around everyday chores. Creative ideas included the “pooper scooper relay,” a dish-stacking race, and a laundry-folding competition where participants were judged not only on speed but also technique.

Students ideated as many possibilities as they could to address global issues, before narrowing down to one they were most passionate about. They connected their chosen idea to a specific sustainability goal and collaborated with others who shared the same focus. Together, they explored the root causes of the problem, identified the most significant one, and ideated innovative solutions.

This process encouraged students to “think big”. It was inspiring to see them embrace the challenge, working together in teams with students from other schools, showing creativity, critical thinking, and courage as they pitched their solutions “shark tank” style to their peers and a judging panel. We were especially proud to see our students feature in three of the seven teams that made it through to the finals – a great achievement given there were 28 teams in total!

Thanks to Ms Danielle Wilkey, our Gifted and Talented Coordinator, for organising the logistics, Immanuel College for hosting, and Future Anything for facilitating such a valuable day of learning.

Arts News

Year 12s final Drama production – Chamber Music

Last night, our Year 12 Drama students delivered their final performance of Arthur Kopit’s Chamber Music. The audience was engaged by the dark humour, and the striking performances that brought this absurdist work to life.

Chamber Music is a darkly comic absurdist play set in a 1930s women’s asylum, where eight patients – each claiming to be a famous historical woman – plan to defend themselves from an unseen male threat. Whether their identities are real or imagined, their confinement by male doctors reflects a world where non-conforming women are silenced and disempowered. Each of the actors were believable in their portrayal of these women, ranging from Joan of Arc and Amelia Earhart, to Pearl White and Queen Isabella.

The Year 12 performance focused on the politics of fear and the nature of authority. Written during the Cold War, the play’s paranoia and suspicion speak to any era where leaders sustain power by creating enemies and suppressing dissent. In the claustrophobic world of the asylum, the women cling to their claimed personas as a way to hold onto status and meaning, even as their grip on reality slips. 

The production was the culmination of months of collaboration, creativity, and dedication, with students contributing across acting, design, and technical roles to create a cohesive and memorable theatrical experience. Thank you to all who took the time to support our wonderful Year 12s in their final Drama piece.

Year 9 students experience CATS!

Last night our Year 9 Dance students joined a packed house at Her Majesty’s Theatre for the 40th-anniversary tour of Cats!, an immersive evening where felines slipped through the aisles as the live orchestra purred beneath the action.

Having previously studied the 1998 filmed version, students were struck by how different dance feels in a live theatre with the kinetic lighting, the pit orchestra’s immediacy, and the electric audience energy transforming what they’d seen on screen into a full-body experience.

From Mr Mistoffelees’ sparkle to the Macavity jump scare, the gravitas of Old Deuteronomy’s abduction, and Rumpleteazer/Mungojerrie’s acrobatics, production elements landed with cinematic clarity, exactly the craft they’ve been analysing in class. This theatre visit now feeds directly into their next goal: to inspire their own performance for a live audience at our Hearts Festival on Wednesday 19 November. See you there!

Music News

Golden Hour Music Cabaret a success

The 2025 Golden Hour Music Cabaret was a vibrant celebration of student talent and community spirit at Sacred Heart College last Thursday evening. Families were treated to performances from the Cross-Campus Concert Band, guitar bands, choirs, jazz, rock, and Motown groups. Each act showcased not only musical skill but also teamwork, resilience, and creativity, with repertoire ranging from classical choral pieces to contemporary rock hits.

The variety of ensembles reflected the breadth of the College’s music program, offering opportunities for every student to shine. From the energy of the Rock and Studio Bands to the soulful harmonies of the Senior Vocal Ensemble, the program highlighted both technical growth and the joy of performance.

As mentioned on the night, it takes many hands that work so hard that enable special events like this to take place, including the AV team, Music and Arts staff, ensemble directors, backstage crew, families, and of course, the sensational array of performers. Special recognition was given to the graduating Year 12 Music students, acknowledging their contributions and wishing them well as they carry music into their future. The night concluded with a reminder that music remains a powerful and unifying force within the Sacred Heart community.

Inaugural Newman College Exchange

This week marks the inaugural Newman College Music Exchange, an exciting new opportunity for our students to share in music-making, community, and Marist connection. With the vision to strengthen the Marist bond between Sacred Heart College and Newman College, the program also provided students with an invaluable week of musical growth.

Across five days in Perth, students have taken part in rehearsals, workshops, and performances, collaborating with Newman College staff and students while extending their own skills and confidence as musicians. Highlights of the exchange included combined rehearsals with renowned conductors, community performances, and a showcase concert bringing together the talents of both schools.

More than a musical experience, the Exchange embodied the Marist characteristic of Family Spirit, encouraging students to live, work, and create together while forming friendships and memories that will last well beyond the week.

Sacred Heart College was proud to launch this initiative and looks forward to building a strong, ongoing partnership with Newman College in the years to come.

Music students take centre stage at the Catholic Schools Music Festival

The annual Catholic Schools Music Festival once again showcased the extraordinary talent and dedication of students from across the state, which this year included our Senior Male Singers, who performed each evening as part of the Combined Boys Vocal Ensemble. Their commitment and musicianship brought great pride to our school and added strength to the powerful sound of the choir.

We were also thrilled to celebrate the achievement of Year 7 student, Evie Aldrich (pictured below), who was selected for the highly coveted role of compere on Tuesday evening. With confidence and poise well beyond her years, Evie guided the audience through the program, proudly representing our school.

The festival provided an invaluable opportunity for our students to connect with others, grow as performers, and experience the joy of sharing music on a large stage. We congratulate all involved and thank the Catholic Schools Music Festival team for offering such a rich and inspiring platform for young musicians.

2025 Arts & Music dates and events

Champagnat Campus (Term 3 & 4 2025)

Marcellin Campus (Term 4 2025)
No upcoming dates

Click here to view the full College calendar of events.

Sports News

Celebrating our sporting success in 2025

This year, the Boys and Girls Sport Presentation Evening returned as a combined event, held in the Br McAteer Function Centre at Marcellin Campus on Wednesday 17 September, followed by the Boys Football Presentations on Thursday 18 September. Across both nights, the College community came together to celebrate another outstanding year of sport.

Across the two nights we recognised the hard work, commitment, and talent of our senior student athletes. A highlight across both evenings was the presentation of the Marist Award, which recognises students who live out the Marist Spirit and values, and the Best & Fairest Award, celebrating those who consistently performed at their best while being great team players.

Both nights had a wonderful sense of community, with students, staff and coaches enjoying pizza, soft drinks, and plenty of laughs together. It was a great chance to reflect on the year, celebrate our athletes, and appreciate the strong sporting culture we’re lucky to have here at Sacred Heart.

A big congratulations to all of our award winners and nominees – you’ve done yourselves and the College proud. We can’t wait to see what our teams will achieve in the seasons ahead! A further congratulations to the students listed below who were awarded the Perpetual Trophies for their respective sports:

SHC’s Pedal Prix teams power through 24-hour race

Murray Bridge hosted the 24-hour Australian HPV Super Series Pedal Prix competition where more than 150 trikes competed over the weekend of 20 – 21 September. Sacred Heart entered three trikes: HeartBeat, HeartBurn and BraveHeart with students from Year 7 – 12 competing. The Murray Bridge race is a favourite amongst all teams as it sees Sturt Reserve turn into a mini city with camping onsite, a variety of pit setups and the consistent hum of generators powering fridges, timing workstations and screens to view the race from all parts of the track. The race started out in cooler conditions compared to previous years. Thankfully the wind from the previous day did not reappear and the race started on time with a rolling lap.

As technology has improved so has the designs of the trikes and the speed at which they can race. Much faster speeds added a new dimension to the race with the famous Bellotti Corner (AKA Crash Corner) seeing many rollovers. With our numbers down, teams of four riders changed regularly. The aim was to increase rider time in the trike and work on improving each trike’s position in the category. This got harder as legs grew tired. BraveHeart and HeartBeat continued through the night, mostly unscathed by rollovers and with riders finding the cold, late night conditions a challenge. Especially for those who were first timers. 

Final results for Sacred Heart College:
Heartbeat – 24th in S2 Category (middle school) with 382 laps
HeartBurn – 34rd in S2 Category with 281 laps (18 hour race only – not on track from 00:00 – 06:00)
BraveHeart – 16th in S3 Category (senior school) with 487 laps 

The winner of the race was an adult team, GTrikes with 673 laps with a best speed of 55.372 kms per hour and a best lap time of 1:51.176.

Congratulations to all riders who pushed themselves across what was a long 24-hours! A big thank you to the parents/caregivers who supported their children during this event. It’s a big ask to give up a comfy bed at home to camp out in the reserve or organise alternative accommodation, along with getting up in the late/early hours to assist with rider changes and catering. Without your support, the event would be the community success it is today.

Success at SA School Teams Chess Championships

Last Tuesday, 15 Sacred Heart students represented the College in the SA School Teams Chess Championships with outstanding results. In the team standings, SHC Team A secured first place, while SHC Team B achieved fourth place, a fantastic outcome against strong competition.

There were also excellent individual performances on the day. Charith Chandrakani and Evan Davey both finished equal second with six wins each, while Ansh Moramganti and Neville Kostka claimed equal third place with 5.5 wins. Raj Basnet was also commended with the ‘Best Team Player’ award, recognised for his fairness, sportsmanship, and kindness towards all opponents.

Congratulations to all students for their achievements and the way they represented SHC with pride.

CEA Statewide Knockout Sports (Champagnat and Marcellin)

Results from the last fortnight of Statewide Knockout Sports are as follows:

• 7-9 Mixed Knockout Badminton (Round 1) – SHC (12) def Adelaide Botanic (7) / SHC (0) def by St Peter’s (16)
• Open Girls Knockout Basketball (Round 2) – SHC (22) def by Immanuel (37)

Student Sporting Achievements

Congratulations to the following students on their outstanding sporting achievements, listed below.

Please note the images below are in order of names listed in the table above.

2025 Sports dates and events

Champagnat Campus (Term 4 2025)

Marcellin Campus (Term 4 2025)

Click here to view Sports Fixtures and Results.

Click here to view the full College calendar of events.