Vol 26 No 11     27 Nov 2020

Stand Up Awareness Week

We knew Stand Up Awareness Week would be different this year.  Although we could not host Assemblies with large groups of people we still wanted to get as many people involved as possible.  So we came up with a plan: we decided that there would be a different remoteAssembly every day which would cover topics like education and appreciation.  On Monday we heard Amy’s story about coming out and she told us about the support she received.  On Friday I spoke about my own experiences about being openly gay.  Every morning pupils were given gifts as they entered the school.  We also created a ‘Support Board’ where staff and pupils could put up supportive messages for everyone to see.  We had the clever idea of creating an album with music by LGBTQIA+ artists.  Different people in different years performed music by artists like Girl In Red and Elton John. The finished tracks were compiled into a Stand Up album on Soundcloud.  On Friday every form wore a different colour for the last class and we created a rainbow of photographs which was amazing.  It was really nice to see every year get involved in Stand-Up Awareness Week, from pupils in Form 1 who created posters to those in Form 4 who made a large flag mural.  Thanks to everyone in Form 5 who got involved in the committee and to all members of staff who helped out and participated in Stand Up Awareness Week!  
David Flynn

Form 1 Art

In an introduction to card construction Form 1 Art pupils produced a magical aquarium of odd and colourful fish.  They jumped at the task, worked at a rare pace, and created this wonderful exhibit in the foyer of the school.  The process is quite straightforward: card and tape, papier-mâché, air dough, and paint.  The finished pieces are tough but very light so they can be mounted on bamboo sticks.  This means the technique works well for some rather dynamic sculpture. Running, jumping, dancing, flying - the method frees your imagination and makes it possible for the sculpture to appear to defy gravity.  Now you know how it works what will you make?  Here is a video that shows an introduction to the process.
Mr Hanan

Form 6 Study Skills

On Wednesday Form 6 pupils participated in an online study skills refresher course building on previous training.  It reminded pupils how important it is to set achievable goals and gave practical advice around study routines, organisation, and timetabling.  They also looked at examination technique such as preparing for the paper, how to approach the paper, and timing.  It was a very useful activity. 

Christmas Examinations

Pupils from Forms 1, 2, and 5 sat their Christmas examinations this week as part of half-yearly assessment.  They will receive feedback from teachers next week.  Parents and guardians will receive school reports for Forms 1, 2, and 5 before the end of the Autumn term; reports for Form 4 are being completed and will be available online shortly.   It is strongly recommended that parents and guardians take the time to review reports with individual pupils to identify areas for improvement.  Well done to everyone who has worked so hard this term.

Christmas Trees

Many of our current and past pupils are involved with the 31st Rathfarnham Scouts who provide beautiful fresh Christmas trees to many families in the area each year. This year trees will be available to purchase in person or online from 1 December.  Each tree will have photos/videos as well as measurements.  Click and collect will be available with delivery as an option for customers within a certain radius.  All the necessary Covid-19 safety measures will be in place.  The trees are on sale at the War Memorial Hall, Rathfarnham from 9.00 am - 8.00 pm daily.  Trees start at €35 and the price increases by €10 per size all the way up to €70.