Vol 32 No 03    18 Sept 2026

HSD Debutante Ball - Class of 2026

It's a bittersweet feeling attending the annual High School Debutantes' Ball. It is moving to see all those familiar faces, who so recently called us "Miss" or "Sir" and turned to us for knowledge and advice, and who come to us now with stories of new horizons. This is the last goodbye, but they do not know it yet.

Brightly they dance from friend to friend, moving through the room of smiling faces who nod a hello, picking up from where they left off just a few months ago. But so much has happened since then; a summer at eighteen or nineteen can last an age. The coach arrives and a whisper circles the room. So easily they pass into the night, with a last wave to send them on their way.

But this goodbye hits differently. It is the goodbye of debutantes. And so begins the season of commencement, and all the wonderful blessings that lie ahead. They drift away in a blur of excitement, following the paths of the many generations who have passed that way before. With them go our best wishes and high hopes for the Class of 2026.
Ms Burrowes

To ensure continuity and minimise any disruption to teaching and learning, the school is now actively recruiting a replacement teacher. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards for our students during this transition. Please join us in wishing Mr Wilkinson the very best as he takes on this exciting new chapter!

Senior Girls Rugby - A Season to Remember 

It was a real pleasure to celebrate our Senior Girls Rugby team at their end-of-season dinner on Wednesday 15th September and to recognise what has been an outstanding year for the team.

Our girls have shown tremendous commitment, determination, resilience and, above all, team spirit throughout the season. Their achievements on the pitch have been remarkable, but it is the way they have represented our school that makes us particularly proud.

Even more impressively, 12 members of this year's team were also part of the Junior Cup-winning team three years ago.

The support from the HSD community was also extraordinary. More than 400 students travelled to support the team in the final, creating an incredible atmosphere of chanting, excitement and, at times, nail-biting silence as everyone waited for the final whistle! Also, a full Demo of supporters watched the match.

Our sincere thanks to the coaches and staff for their dedication, and to our parents and families for their constant support from the sidelines. Particular thanks to Ms Garland, Mr Malin and Mr Sullivan. 

Most of all, congratulations to our Senior Girls Rugby team. You have been fantastic ambassadors for HSD, demonstrating courage, respect, resilience and genuine teamwork. We are incredibly proud of everything you have achieved. Well done, girls! 
Vanessa Connolly
Acting Principal

The Pastoral Care Committee

The Pastoral Care Committee (PCC), a new sub-committee of the Board of Management held three scheduled meetings during the last school year.  As a formal sub-committee of the Board, the purpose of the committee is to guide and support the school’s Pastoral Care system, to promote associated wellbeing initiatives, and to advise the Board of Management on pastoral educational matters. This brief extends across the whole school community and includes both students and staff. The sub-committee is chaired by the Rev. White, Rector of Zion Parish, member of the Board of Management and school Governor. In attendance and secretary to the sub-committee is Mr Tobin, Deputy Principal (Pastoral Care) and the committee is also assisted by Ms Jamieson, Secretary to the Principal.

Current membership is Ms Victoria Hockings, Ms. Sarah Pyle (Parents' Association), Mr Langrell and Mr. O'Brien (Teacher Representatives) and Ms Ethni Seymour (Governor). The sub-committee liaises directly with key school personnel and structures including the Pastoral Care Team (including the Guidance Team and the Support for Learning department), Ms Gray (Wellbeing Co-ordinator), the Student Council and the recently formed staff wellbeing group. 

As a new committee, the PCC has explored how it can contribute to the wellbeing of all in a positive and meaningful way. In the current school year it has focused on reviewing whole school data in relation to wellbeing and the support of additional educational needs at the High School. The sub-committee has also taken a specific interest in issues relating to access, inclusion and potential ways to improve over time the physical environment of the school. Standing agenda items Inclusion, Access and Built-Environment and Staff Wellbeing have been adopted by the committee members to ensure focus and positive support from the committee in these areas of school life. The last school year concluded with a tour of the school for members during the school day to see first hand some of the challenges and opportunities for positive change into the future. 

The senior leadership team and the Board of Management are deeply appreciative of the commitment and personal time given by members to the work of this committee on behalf of the whole High School family and look forward to further progress in the new school year.
Reverand David White (Chair) and Mr Tobin (Deputy Principal, Pastoral Care) 

Ireland U19 Cricket Selection

We are delighted to learn that our current pupil, Gethin Kelleher, has been selected for the Ireland U19 Cricket squad for their tour to South Africa in October!  The squad will depart from Dublin on Wednesday 7th October and return on Sunday 18th October. We are incredibly proud of Gethin, whose passion for the sport continues to inspire his peers.

Form 2 French

Here are a couple of images of some work my 2nd Year French class has been doing on French comics, known as une bande dessinée. The students really enjoyed creating their own comic strips and putting their French into practice in a creative way.
Ms Lally

Visiting Author

Last Thursday, we had the pleasure of welcoming back past pupil Alice Kelly for the day. Alice graduated in 2022 and, since then, has been up to fantastic things! In the four short years since she left the school, she has completed pastry school and written her own cookbook, which has become a fast bestseller. During her Leaving Cert exams, she built a horsebox bakery and shared her work online, where she gained over 100,000 followers overnight. To date, she has a combined following of over 6 million across her social media platforms, and has a combined viewing of over 1 billion on You Tube, with people from across the globe following her progress.

During her visit, Alice demonstrated how to bake cookies to the 5th Year and 6th Year Home Economics classes. We had plenty of friendly faces peeking in throughout the day, trying to pinch some of the delicious treats! We also had the chance to interview Alice during Junior Lunch, (you can listen to the interview here), where she shared helpful advice for young people. It was lovely having Alice back for the day, and we know she is going to go on to do even more marvellous work!
Jo Jo O'Connor

Click here to listen to the interview on The High School Podcast.

Physics Talk

Last Friday, during 6th Year Physics, past pupil Arthur Feeney visited The High School to speak about his college experience studying Applied Physics abroad. Arthur spoke about his time in the Netherlands, discussing his course, what college life was like at the University of Groningen, and his future plans as he prepares to study for his master’s degree at Oxford. It was an informative and certainly interesting talk. Thanks to Ms Thorpe and Mr Wilkinson for organising this event. 
Fionnán Coyle

Hockey Haiku

The sticks clash, The ball flies

The ball speeds towards the goal

Hockey is so fun!

By Sophie Kenny

Form 1 Art

I give my students small A5 sketchbooks and weekly drawing homework and the first task is to design the cover! I’ve had some fab covers in so far including this one from James Scally in my first year art!
Ms Killane
Art Teacher

Sustainability Week - Creative Writing

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Culinary Skills - Cookie Time!

Pupils in Form 4 Culinary Skills class had a sweet time in the HSD kitchen, testing their baking prowess with their first batch of delicious cookies, with the help of  Ms Power of course! Well done, everyone!

Weekend Wellbeing

"What redeems all of life’s disappointments, what makes all of its heartbreaks bearable, is the ability to see how the dissolution of a dream becomes the fertile compost of possibility.” – Maria Propova