Vol 23 No 27   20 April 2018

Leinster Hockey Association Schoolboys Senior Trophy

Congratulations to The High School Senior 1 hockey team which defeated Mount Temple Comprehensive School to qualify for the final of the Leinster Hockey Association Schoolboys Senior Trophy for only the fourth time in the history of the school.  The final round of the competition was played against Newpark Comprehensive School at 4.00 pm on Friday 13 April at Danum.  The final score was 4-1 to The High School who retained the trophy for the third consecutive year.  We warmly congratulate the team on the significance of its achievements in 2017-18 and wish all members of the squad every success in future competitions.
Mr P Fitzpatrick

One Act Drama Festival 2018

On 22 March pupils from Forms 4 and 5 participated in the One Act Drama Festival.  This was The High School’s fourth year in a row to enter the competition made even more special by the fact that the host school was celebrating the 30th anniversary of the festival.  The High School One Act Drama Company entered an original piece entitled "Every Action" inspired by Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion.  This states that ‘For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction’.   The play was a huge success and was extremely well received. In fact the judge, Ms Anna Walker, was so impressed that she said we should tour the piece around schools in Ireland.  We won no fewer than three trophies and four awards overall which was more than any other school on the night.   Mia Murphy was awarded with the trophy for Best Actress.  The play itself was awarded the Runner’s Up trophy and we also won the Adjudicator’s
Trophy for our piece’s original musical score which was composed by Form 5
pupils (Síofra O'Brien, Orianna Davey, Emma Savoldi, Elias Dempsey, and Naoise May).  Ms Walker referred to this soundscape as “quite magical, indeed.”   We also won a special certificate for our production’s creativity, truthfulness, and honesty of performance.  On top of that Luan Rogers was nominated for both Best Actor and Best Rising Star and Mr. Milofsky was nominated for Best Director.  What a night!  Although these achievements are wonderful what made the One Act experience so much more valuable to us as individuals was the strong friendships and close bonds we made along the way.  Drama is about working together as a team and the play was an invaluable experience for the 4th and 5th Form pupils involved.  We will never forget this incredible experience.
Leah Merriman, Caitlin Nickels, and Rebecca O'Farrell 

Form Two Outdoor Education

Last week pupils from Form 2 enjoyed an exciting day in County Wicklow participating in an array of physical activities as part of Outdoor Education.  From archery to kayaking there was something for every pupil to enjoy.  It was a lovely day; the weather was great.  Pupils were encouraged to try new things and to work in teams.  It was good to see pupils helping one another and ensuring that all completed the tasks.  It was a fun-filled day in the great outdoors with plenty of exercise and fresh air.  We loved every minute! 

Focus Ireland

On 21 December pupils from Form 3 supervised by their teachers spent the night in The Reynolds Hall to raise awareness of and funds for Focus Ireland.  The night began with a poery reading and a screening of videos which dealt with the issue of homelessness.  This was followed by a discussion.  When it was time to sleep we lay down on the judo mats.  In the morning we cleaned up the hall and had some cereal for breakfast.  It was a tiring but interesting experience.  We learnt a lot of new things and had fun at the same time.  We know that being homeless is a lot worse that what we experienced that night but now we have a better understanding of the issues.  In conclusion we are grateful to The High School and to Focus Ireland for giving us this opportunity to raise awareness of the problem of homelessness in our society.  We raised a total of €2,000 in sponsorship which was subsequently donated to support the work of Focus Ireland.

Habitat for Humanity - Cambodia Video

During the Easter holidays pupils from The High School visited Cambodia to build houses with the Habitat for Humanity charity.  Here is a short video of their time there made by Form 5 pupil Shona Carey.  

The High School and Diocesan PPU Dinner 

Last week members of The High School and Diocesan Past Pupils' Union attended the annual dinner in Old Wesley RFC.   It was a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones too.   Thanks to everyone involved for a fantastic evening.  We look forward to seeing you again next year.

Calendar Change

Sports Day has been rescheduled to Monday 14 May.