Vol 30 No 21     14 Feb 2025

Mock Examinations

We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to all our Form 3 and 6 pupils who have successfully completed their mock Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate examinations.  These are important milestones providing pupils with valuable experience ahead of their state examinations in June.

We recognize the hard work, dedication, and perseverance that each pupil has shown throughout this challenging period.  Balancing study, revision, and examination pressure is no easy task, but all have demonstrated great commitment to achieving academic success.  The process offers an opportunity to identify strengths, improve on weaker areas, and gain confidence in examination settings.

A special thank you goes to our teachers and staff who have guided and supported pupils throughout this journey.  Their encouragement and expertise have played a vital role in helping them prepare.  As pupils receive results and feedback, we encourage them to reflect, learn, and stay motivated for the state examinations ahead. Keep up the fantastic effort and remember that your hard work will pay off.  Well done to all - the school community is incredibly proud of you.  Keep striving for excellence!

East Leinster Athletics Championship

On Wednesday 22 January a large team of athletes from The High School competed in the East Leinster Cross Country championships which took place in the Phoenix Park. The school was well represented in almost every race over a challenging and fast course. Each and every team member did themselves and the school proud and we were delighted that Aidan O'Connor was successful in reaching the Leinster Championships in the Senior Boys category.  Our athletes look forward to competing in The High School singlet again for the track and field season to come. Thanks to Mr Irwin, Ms Hutchinson Edgar, and Mr Murphy for their support on the day of the event.

UCD Ad Astra Scholarship

We are thrilled to announce that our recent past pupil, Jake O'Loughlin (HSD, 2018-24) has been awarded the prestigious Ad Astra academic scholarship at UCD.  This achievement is a testament to Jake's hard work and wide range of abilities.  It also reflects the quality of education and support he received at The High School. 

The Ad Astra scholarship recognizes exceptional talent making Jake's success even more impressive.  He serves as an inspiration to current pupils, showing them that with determination they too can achieve great things.  Congratulations to Jake on this well-deserved honour!

International Karate

On 5 February the Ireland karate team including three pupils from The High School set out for Poland to compete in the Cadet, Junior, and U21 European Championships. All three were representing Ireland in various categories: Asha Reen in Juniors -59kg, Alex Heneghan in Cadets, and Eleanor Oldrey in Cadet female -54kg. 

Alex and Ellie competed on Friday and fought brilliantly. Ellie won her first round 6-0 against Hungary but bowed out in the second one with a 0-1 loss. Alex lost his first round but fought very well; he lost 3-0 to Portugal but performed admirably! Then on Saturday Asha competed: she lost 6-0 to France in the first round but bounced back and came in 7th place overall - an amazing achievement in such a competitive competition.

After the competition, participants went out for a team dinner to celebrate. Overall, it was a very good experience with excellent performances from all The High School pupils involved.

Debating Success

The Concern Debates is Concern Worldwide’s flagship education programme for primary and secondary schools.  Since 1984, it has sought to challenge tens of thousands of young people across the island to think critically and engage deeply with the most pressing global justice issues of our time.  The Senior Debating Team at The High School has seen a very successful participation in this year’s Concern Debates programme.  

The topics our team have debated have included: “Feeding the world is increasingly beyond humanity’s reach”; “Big business is indifferent to the Sustainable Development Goals”; and “School strikes are the only effective way for young people to have a voice on Climate Change.” Leading up to the knockout rounds, our team finished twelfth in a league of over 180 schools taking part in the Concern Debates this year, winning every single debate.   

Last Tuesday we debated in favour of the motion “We must only buy from brands that adopt fair trade practices.”  It was an incredibly interesting topic for our team to research and give thought to given the phrasing of the motion, as well as the fact that we were required to challenge many of our preconceived perceptions of fair trade.  The debate was a very tight one but the opposition were an excellent team and unfortunately the motion was defeated. 

In spite of this, it has been a great achievement for us to do so well in the league stages of the programme.  It has also been incredibly satisfying for us all to develop our research, writing, and teamworking skills whilst improving our knowledge of global justice issues through the Concern Debates.  We should like to express our deep appreciation to Ms Hutchinson-Edgar for facilitating our team’s participation in this programme, and for helping us to improve our speeches, practice our delivery, and develop our arguments. 

If you would be interested in joining Senior Debating, we meet in The W B Yeats Library or in A22 at Senior lunch every Monday.  We hope to see you there!   
Olivia Leonard 

Double Basketball Victory!

The Boys' Minor team competed in a three-way tournament on Monday at the Oblates. They started well securing victories against both Collinstown Park and Firhouse Educate Together Secondary School which earned them a place in the quarter-finals. We wish the boys the best of luck and have high hopes for a spot in the final!

The Girls' Minor team faced Alexandra College in an intense match. This game was no exception to the long-standing basketball rivalry between the two schools. Fortunately, our team came out on top this time, securing their place in the quarter-finals. We wish the girls continued success in the competition! 

The Boys' Players of the Match were Jay Shai and Alex O'Sullivan, and the Girls' Player of the Match was Coco Viotti.
Ms Murdoch

Form 1 Home Economics 

Pupils in Form 1 Home Economics enjoyed preparing nutritious, healthy snacks  using fruit and vegetables. They learned about the  importance of eating healthily to foster a wellness culture by empowering pupils to prioritize their wellbeing through informed dietary decisions. 
Ms Toolan

Minor Boys Hockey 

On Friday 7 February the Minor A hockey team won their quarter-final match against Temple Carrig School with a 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from James Duignan. This means we are now through to the semi-final fixture of the league competition against The King’s Hospital. We also secured a 2-1 win against Kilkenny College placing us at the top of the Division 2A League.
Eli Clarke

Form 4 Careers

Last Wednesday Form 4 pupils had an information day about all our Leaving Certificate subjects. We gathered in the Demonstration Theatre and teachers from each subject spoke to us about what it entails at Senior Cycle. We learned about projects, examinations, and future career opportunities related to these subjects. It was a very useful and interesting day that will help all of us choose our subjects for next year.
Zara Deacon

Form 5 Careers

Choosing subjects for the Leaving Certificate can be challenging for both pupils and parents. That is why several supports are available to assist you and your child in making informed decisions.

• Two psychometric assessments, CAT4 and My Future Choice, are conducted annually with Form 4 pupils as part of the Transition Year programme. These assessments help Guidance Counsellors provide support both before and during one-to-one appointments to ensure informed choices.

• One-to-one appointments with assigned Guidance Counsellors.

• A five-week rotating module on Careers delivered by a Guidance Counsellor.

• Subject teachers also give talks on their chosen subjects to give pupils an insight into what is involved.

• For more detailed information, please refer to our comprehensive subject information booklet and website details.

• After submitting your child's options, the pastoral care support team will review each application to ensure positive choices based on future prospects.

• Finally, we look forward to receiving subject choice forms by Friday 14 March 2025.

If you have any questions or suggestions on how we can improve this process please feel free to contact us.

Vanessa Connolly (Deputy Principal), Niamh Lowry, and Dermot O’ Sullivan (Guidance Counsellors)

Ms Burrowes 
Communications Coordinator