Vol 28 No 08     21 Oct 2022

Leaving Certificate High Achievers

Here is a selection of The High School's high-achieving Leaving Certificate candidates from 2022.  We wish our pupils the very best as they begin their courses in Medicine, Forensics and Criminology, Pharmacy, and Actuary and Finance.   Congratulations to all our pupils on their excellent results. 

Left to right: Hugh Geraghty, Patricia Zhang, Zoe Dunne, Emily Pryce, Katie Dunne, Michael Courtney, and Kayla Kennedy.

Form 4 Cultural Excursion

Early in October Form 4 pupils went on a cultural excursion around Dublin.  They were tasked with finding and taking pictures of twenty four separate landmarks around the city.   Highlights included Dublin Castle, Trinity College, Christ Church Cathedral, and many more.  What followed was a day of navigating the city to see everything in as short a time as possible.  We rocketed through the city at a rate of knots.  By the end of the day some groups had finished the task and some had not - but good friendships were made by all.  
Luca Farrelly

Leinster Schools Golf Competition

On 7 October The High School Senior Golf team set out to Woodbrook Golf Club to play in the Leinster Schools competition.  Our team was full of keen golfers such as David Lawley playing off 0 (scratch) handicap.  Other representatives of the team include Evan Loftus, Luke Fitzpatrick, Ryan Boyd, and Alex Lynch and substitute Sam Shepherd.  There was great excitement but also nervousness as we set off after our first tee shot onto the course.  We played some great golf as Ryan, Evan, and David recorded three birdies and Luke and Alex both eagled the 4th hole which was a short par 5 reachable in two.  Unfortunately, the wind picked up on the back nine leading to a few players on team having triple and double bogies which hurt our scorecards badly.  Sadly, the golf we played was not good enough as only 3 out of the 50 schools qualified leading to us being knocked out of the competition.  However, the experience our golfers gained and the feeling of representing The High School was a win in itself.  The team is very grateful to the school for allowing us to represent our talent in golf.  We also owe a debt of gratitude to Ms Deacon who entered us into the competition and also coached and helped us throughout our round.
Ryan Boyd

Religious Education Guest Speaker

After school on 10 October the Leaving Certificate Religious Education class welcomed Dr Andrew Pierce Lecturer in Ecumenical Theology at Trinity College, Dublin.  He gave a detailed and interesting talk about many different topics from the rich history of Christianity in Ireland and the reasons why we are considered the “Island of Saints and Scholars” to the differences between Darwin’s theories and religion as well as the beliefs that stemmed from it.  We were all captivated while he spoke with passion as he shared his knowledge on the subject and kindly answered our questions.  We would like to thank Ms Hutchinson Edgar for arranging this meeting with Dr Pierce and asking necessary and thought-provoking questions during the class. We also thank Dr Pierce as he truly helped Form 6 pupils with their upcoming projects and gave the Form 5 pupils an experience to remember.  
Hannah Hearne

Form 6 French Production

Le 14 Octobre, les classes de français de Mme Roullet et Mme Concannon sont allées voir une prédiction du roman classique Français, Le Petit Prince, par le célèbre auteur et pilote de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, Antoine de Saint Exupéry, au lycée St. Andrew’s.  En préparation de notre voyage, nous avons appris en classe la veille la signification de l'histoire et l'effet qu'elle a eu sur la culture et la société françaises.  Le Petit Prince est en fait le deuxième livre le plus traduit au monde, juste derrière la Bible et a été adapté en film, en série télévisée, en opéra et en pièces de théâtre et productions théâtrales.
Après un rapide trajet en bus jusqu'au site, nous nous sommes assis pour regarder la pièce. Sans trop dévoiler l'histoire, Le Petit Prince est une histoire de solitude, d'amitié, de la mort, et d'amour.  Le prince est un petit garçon d'une petite planète, qui parcourt l'univers, de planète en planète, cherchant à comprendre comment les choses fonctionnent.  Au cours de son voyage, il découvre la nature imprévisible des habitants de la terre.  Il est facile de comprendre pourquoi l'histoire est si populaire, avec des thèmes universels et relatables et une histoire simple à suivre, dont n'importe qui, d'un jeune enfant à un adulte, pourrait tirer quelque chose.  C'était une façon agréable et différente de passer un vendredi matin et cela nous a certainement aidés à nous préparer pour nos prochaines mocks de la nouvelle année. (See translation here)
Luke Murphy

Form 4 Music Tour

Last week Form 4 pupils studying Music, Rock Pop, and Orchestra went on a tour to Windmill Lane Recording Studios in Dublin's Docklands.  It is the largest recording studio in Ireland and one of the most famous in Europe.   Artists ranging from U2 and Hozier, to Kate Bush and Van Morrison have all recorded music there.  On the tour we got to see was the demo recording space.  A few of us were lucky enough to have a go at mixing some tracks on the desks there and our guide showed us how to use a programme called Logic to mix music.  Then we went into the main studio in the building and watched a video about the history of Windmill Lane.  The headphones we used gave us 360 degrees of sound which was used in the video to make it seem like voices were coming at us from all directions.  We were able to play the piano in the studio which had been played by the likes of David Bowie and many other famous musicians that had recorded there.  Overall, I learned a lot about the process of making music from the visit -  it was amazing to walk in the footsteps of so many great musicians.  
Finn Ó Fóghlú

Black History Month

African music is highly rhythmic music with complex beats and sounds. It has influenced many genres in music and still does to this day.  Besides vocalisations, a wide array of musical instruments including wind, strings, and percussion are also used.  Given the vastness of the African continent, its music is diverse with regions and nations having many distinct musical traditions.  African music includes the genres Amapiano, Jùjú, Fuji, Afrobeat, Highlife, Makossa, Kizomba, and many others.  The two main genres that were played at The High School for Black History Month were Afrobeats and Amapiano.  Amapiano is a South African music genre which traces its roots back to Kwaito which was an Afro pop genre blending musical beats from Zulu folklore. It became widely popular in 2016 following the massive success of Gqom (another branching South African music genre) in recent years.  The continuous piano keys in the music, deep bass, a touch of jazz and percussion from Zulu music, clearly define Amapiano.  The word ‘Ama’ is a Zulu word signifying it’s ‘roots’, where they come from and what they are, the piano, thus the name Amapiano.  Many popular Amapiano artists are Kabza de Small, Dj Maphorisa, Mr JazziQ, Focalistic, Sha Sha, and many more.  Afrobeats is a Nigerian music genre that was pioneered in the 1960s by Nigerian artist Fela Kuti, who is responsible for popularising the style both within and outside Nigeria.  The genre is a combination of West African musical styles like Yoruba music, American funk jazz and soul, with chanted vocals, complex rhythms, and percussion.  The genre has evolved over time through the influences of Hip-Hop, Juju, Ndombolo, Soca, and RnB to become the creative and popular sound that we now know.  Many popular Afrobeats artists are Burna Boy, Wizkid, Oxlade, Rema, Davido, and many more. 
Tynashe Chichindua
Illustrations by Leah McGrath

Crimson Leaves

Bright night air 
Sharp against my face 
Carries a familiar fall smell. 
I shiver  
And pull my coat closer. 
A melodious clinking sound
Twirling earthy and crimson leaves 
Highlighted by city lights 
Carry me on unyielding pavements 
To an imposing drawbridge. 
My hand reaches out 
And presses a still warm buzzer.  
Gates grind and whir mechanically  
Allow me entry.   
Another door 
With muffled conversation  
And throbbing lights. 
The door  
is flung 
Open 
Jack McGinn

Senior Drama

Tickets for this year's Senior Play are on sale at break and lunch times.  They are selling fast, so buy soon to avoid disappointment!

Winter Sports Timetable Amendment

HSD Parents' Association AGM

The High School Parents' Association Committee has scheduled its Annual General Meeting for Thursday 27 October from 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm followed by refreshments.  An email from the Committee with further details has been sent to all parents and guardians so please check your inboxes.  The meeting will be held in person at The High School and we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible there.
The HSD PA Committee