Vol 28 No 16      13 Jan 2023

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone in our school community.  We are looking forward to another busy and successful year together at The High School.  As we begin 2023, let us restate our committment to teaching and learning.  Our mission as an educational community is the pursuit of excellence and the development of the full potential of all.  We emphasize values such as honesty, integrity, kindness, and respect.  Our aim is to enable pupils to take their place in society as responsible, informed, thinking, and tolerant human beings.  

Vinnie Murray Cup

On Tuesday 10 December The High School Dublin played against Catholic University School (CUS) in the first round of the Vinnie Murray Cup.  We came out in high spirits after an inspiring talk from a number of players and the coaches. There was confidence throughout the team after a positive couple weeks of training leading up to the game.  We started off very strongly pinning CUS back and picking up three points from a penalty converted by captain Andrew Farrelly.  CUS replied quickly with a well worked try to bring the score to 5-3.  However, we held our heads high and Andrew Farrelly made an incredible run, gliding past three players to score a try just right of the posts.  Unfortunately, over time the size of the CUS team outweighed our technical ability.  In addition, their experience of winning the Cup last year definitely helped them in the later stages of the game.  The game ended with the score 41-8, a disappointing final cup game for the team, especially the players in Form 6.  On the flip side, we are now looking forward to competing for the Plate.
Jack Barlow 

Carol Service

Staff and pupils gathered at Zion Church to participate in the annual Service of Nine Lessons and Carols on the last day of last term.  There we enjoyed music performed by the school choir and orchestra.  Pupils from various form groups read prayers and poems that shared the spirit of Christmas.  It was the perfect way to end the Autumn term. 

National Youth Orchestra

I've just returned from my last Winter course with the National Youth Orchestra along with three other pupils from The High School: Ena Ní Fhoghlú, Scarlett Xu, and Darryl Ng.  I have one more in the Summer, and then I will have reached the upper age limit of the orchestra.  My first course post-COVID, there are no words to express the week that I had.  It's unconventional, and frankly very strange, but everyone feels it.  "The J", as we dub it, is ours, in all its incredulous beauty.  From the minimum four cartons of Kulana apple juice we down a day, and the way we all sit around doing the Circle K Spin 'n Win hoping to get something from the petrol station across the road, to the ridiculous house cup challenges of drawing staff family portraits, the infamous New Year's Eve section dance off, and the Summer rounders tournament.  From being the youngest member of the orchestra at the age of twelve, with no expectations and a truckload of fear, till now.  The friends we make for life, the passion we share, the mutual understanding and support we give each other.   I hope there is something in your life that gives you as much joy as "the J" gives me.  When we stood on the stage last Wednesday night after performing Mahler's 1st Symphony and the entire audience got on their feet.  When I took in the sheer happiness and pride that was reflected back to me on every single musician's face.  When our conductor Mihhail Gerts presented me with his flowers.  I have never been in love, but I think it would feel just like this.  (Read the full article here)
Daimee Ng

Form 4 Charity Challenge

Congratulations to our Form 4 pupils and their teachers who took part in this year's Helen Kane Memorial Charity Challenge by swimming at the Forty Foot and climbing the Sugar Loaf.  December temperatures did nothing to dampen the swimmers' and hikers' enthusiasm and on the journey home some even declared that they would do it again next year!  All money collected will be donated to St Luke's Hospital.

Christmas Market

Pupils who study Modern Foreign Languages in Form 4 organised a wonderful Christmas Market in December to raise money for charity.  It was a great success.  Pupils raised €800 for St Vincent De Paul.  Well done to everyone involved.

Community Outreach 

In the run up to Christmas, members of The High School Orchestra and Choir, alng with their teachers, visited a local care home to spread some seasonal cheer and entertain the staff and residents.  Well done, everyone!

Form 1 Geography 

HSD Parents' Association

For the last number of years The High School Parents' Asssociation have sponsored pupil access to Studyclix, a website that supplies all the Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate subjects into topics and give you past examination questions, marking schemes, sample answers, notes and videos.  This year pupils in Form 6 have free access to the premium plan courtesy of the HSD PA.  We appreciate their generosity and wish all our pupils every success as they prepare for their mock examinations which begin at the end of the month.

Advent Appeal

This Christmas pupils in 3MC wished to give back to our community and assist those who are less fortunate than ourselves.  We put a great deal of thought into it and decided on a collection of essential items for those who needed them this Christmas.  We were made aware that a member of the catering staff, Nora, who had organised collections for the homeless in past years.  With her guidance, we began our appeal.  Great efforts were made by the entire form to spread the word. We created posters and hung them up throughout the school as well as uploading videos to our school’s Instagram account.  We announced our plans at Assembly and informed the individual classes through knocking on classroom doors.  We gathered boxes and decorated and labelled them to put outside Reception for the collection to begin.  We asked each year group to donate different items such as warm clothes, non-perishable foods and sweets and treats.  Immediately, the response from people was overwhelming.  We were amazed and very grateful for the extraordinary efforts made by people to provide these items.  Each day the boxes were filled with everyone’s generous contributions.  In fact, the boxes that we emptied at the end of each day would be filled again by the next.  All of the generous donations have been given to Nora to administer to those who are in need of them.  We also went carol singing in Rathgar and raised €273 for charity. We are extremely grateful to everyone who assisted us in the organisation of this and especially to those who donated something to our cause.  I’m certain there were many families who appreciated your help this Christmas.
Emily Farrell

French Food Tasting

Pupils in Form 2 enjoyed a delicious French food and cheese tasting recently.  I really enjoyed all the food there. There was a lot of different foods like macaroons, meringues, French toast, madeleines, and my favourite was definitely the crepes with lemon juice and sugar.  At the end Ms Roullet brought in some French cheese and crackers.  We all got to try some.  It was a great experience because we all got to taste some French food and learn about French culture.
Eoghan Lindsay

Form 4 Drama 

In December Mr Milofsky’s Form 4 Drama class took a trip into town.  First we went to The Lir Academy of Dramatic Art where students gave us a tour of the backstage areas and answered all our questions about studying there and choosing the theatre as a career option.  Next we went to the beautiful Bord Gais Theatre.  Then Mr Milofsky brought us on a tour around Trinity College and the Samuel Beckett theatre.  Finally we went for lunch in the city centre to finish off a fantastic module.  We all thoroughly enjoyed the tour and it really enhanced everything we had been learning over the past few months.
Ciara Morton

HS&D PPU Annual Dinner