Vol 25 No 25     22 May 2020

Innovation at The High School

The High School is now able to offer first time pupils a tour of its grounds and property via virtual reality as part of the Form 1 induction programme at HSD - probably the only school in Ireland to do so.  This initiative was made possible by the astounding talent of Form 5 pupil Roger Sun who has created a virtual replica of the school using Minecraft.  The video will be especially helpful for incoming Form 1 pupils who can use it to familiarise themselves with the layout of the building before the new term begins.  We encourage all of you to take the virtual video tour of The High School.  It has already registered over 100 hours of viewing time online and has had over 2100 views: it is hugely popular with current and past pupils on social media.  Soon pupils who have Minecaft Java edition will be able to visit Minecraft HSD and use this resource to play mini-games and host competitions together.  In a time of remote learning and social distancing pupils will now be able to play together on the sports fields and enjoy the social interaction that they are missing.  Roger has already upgraded the game's graphics by adding some new modifications, as can be seen in the stunning images below.  For the curious amongst you, he used Google Earth and Google Maps to recreate the exterior of the school, while relying on his memory, and that of his good friend and current pupil Aidan McNeill, to map the interior.  Images from the Erasmian and Diocesan Times and Instagram account were also used to add detail.  It realistically captures the 1970s architecture of the building and is the perfect tribute to our school in its 150th anniversary year.  We should like to congratulate Roger on his achievement and thank him for creating such a useful resource for The High School community.

Form 6 Invitation

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic our Form 6 pupils were unable to graduate as planned this week. We understand how disappointed they and their families must be feeling.  To lift their spirits we have created a special video featuring their much younger selves. The video will be launched tonight, Friday 22 May at 7.30 pm and you are invited!  We hope that you will join us as we gather to mark what should have been the last week for Form 6 and we look forward to the final Assembly on 29 May.   We should like to thank all of the parents and guardians who doggedly searched through old family photograph albums to make this project possible.  To accept your invitation to the premiere simply click the button!

Activity Week

Activity Week at The High School. begins on 25 May  Teachers and pupils have put a lot of effort into making the final week of the academic year a really special one.  Is your family getting involved?  We hope that every family can find the time to participate in at least one thing.  There is something for everyone - from Latin dance classes to Kahoot quizzes.  Events have been organised to give pupils an opportunity to be part of The High School community and join in activities together.   Pupils have been given an extensive list of activities on offer and we encourage all to participate in as many activities as possible.  Below is an outline of the activities that will be launched during HSD Activity Week.  A more detailed list of activities is available here.  These activities can be completed individually, with friends in pairs and groups, or with your family.  You could even do some of these activities outdoors, still staying appropriately physically distant, with your friends and family!

Form 6 Art Portfolio

Each year pupils at The High School produce Art portfolios of an exceptionally high standard.  We should like to offer our congratulations to Adam Maguire, Thomas Myles, and Thomas Kelly who have been offered places in the National College of Art and Design (NCAD), and to Eva Mahon and Joey Chong who have been offered places the Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT).  The best of luck to all our pupils as they await news of their college applications.
Ms Rogers

Teaching and Learning

The weeks leading up to the end of the academic year are traditionally very busy  
for pupils and teachers and this year has been no different.  While pupils have not physically been in the classroom, the learning has continued.  Being out of the classroom can have its advantages: Form 1 pupils took tree selfies as part of their Geography coursework (see below).  This activity helped them to compile a list of trees commonly found in Ireland.  High School teachers have shared other samples of pupil work in this short video - including a successful rocket launch and a Fairtrade tictoc.  Perhaps it features a project created by someone in your family?  Well done to all our pupils and teachers who have eagerly engaged with remote teaching and learning over the last two months in difficult circumstances.