Vol 31 No 12    05 Dec  2025

Form 1 Art

It's that magical time of year when pupils are eagerly anticipating the arrival of Christmas. This week pupils studying Art in Form 1have been decorating the windows in the Art Room with beautiful Christmas-themed designs. Look up and enjoy their work when you are next entering or leaving the school. Well done, everyone!
Ms Rogers

Swimming Gala Success

On 17 November The High School Swimming team competed at a gala at The King's Hospital. There were three teams who competed: The High School, The King's Hospital, and CBS. We came home with 46 first place finishes as well as several second and third place finishes. Despite our amazing score, we did not bring home the cup this year, but we will try again next year. Overall, we had lots of fun!
Caitlin Henderson

Plant a Planet

Plant a Planet is an Irish Schools Sustainability Network (ISSN) initiative which is being rolled out at The High School this term.  We are setting ourselves a Climate and Nature Challenge of getting at least 10% of pupils in our school planting trees at home in their own gardens.  Increasingly, young people are expressing their concern about the climate and ecological crisis.  This project is an example of how we can work together to have a positive impact on Climate and Nature.  

The Plant a Planet Campaign encourages pupils and their families to take action at home by planting native trees. Throughout the campaign, the whole school community will be learning about the importance of planting native trees for wellbeing, climate mitigation, climate adaptation, and biodiversity. We will learn how individual actions can add up to impactful collective action. 

How do you get involved? 
You can order your trees by compiling the order form which will be sent to you through the HSD app. Make sure to order the number and species of tree you want. 

Trees are vital in addressing the climate and sustainability crisis. Every tree absorbs and stores carbon, they are oxygen producing machines, they keep soil healthy, they reduce flooding, they help to transport water inland, they provide homes for lots of organisms, and they make us feel good.  Let this be one of your steps to combat climate change. Please join us in this collective action and plant a tree. 

Plant-Friendly Tip of the Month
Overwatering is the number 1 cause of houseplant demise. Before you water, stick your finger about two inches into the soil. If it feels dry, it is time to hydrate. If it is damp, give it another day or two. Your plants (and their roots) will thank you!  

"One planet, one community, one tree at a time." 
Eva Lei

Form 5 Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE)

On Wednesday 19 November, our Form 5 pupils took part in an engaging and informative Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) workshop as part of their SPHE curriculum. The day aimed to equip pupils with the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills needed to navigate relationships respectfully and responsibly.

Delivered by the Guidance Department, the talk explored a range of important topics, including healthy boundaries, communication, consent, fertility and reproduction, contraception, and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). Pupils were encouraged to reflect on the values that guide their decision making and highlighted the importance of empathy, kindness, and mutual respect in all interactions.

Throughout the workshop, pupils were invited to participate in discussions, ask questions, and challenge common misconceptions. The Guidance Department created a safe and supportive environment, ensuring that pupils felt comfortable engaging with subjects that can sometimes be difficult to talk about openly. Feedback from pupils was overwhelmingly positive. Many commented that the workshop felt relevant to their lives and appreciated the open, honest approach.

The RSE programme remains an important part of The High School's commitment to supporting pupils as they grow into thoughtful, confident, and respectful young adults. 
Ms Lowry

Form 6 Music 

Pupils in Form 6 studying Music thoroughly enjoyed a live performance as part of the Music in the Classroom series for Leaving Certificate at the National Concert Hall. The highlight of the event was a captivating rendition of Berlioz's 'Marche au Supplice' from the 'Symphonie Fantastique' by Berlioz.
Ms Bourke

Senior Film Club 

Alien Earth was a pleasant surprise for me. I'm not that big of an Alien fan despite having seen all the previous films. That didn’t seem to matter all that much in the end because this is only sparsely an Alien show.

Alien Earth is quite similar on a thematic and aesthetic level to that first film but lacks the presence of its namesake. Instead, we have androids (or synths, as the in-universe term goes). The idea is interesting, as a child’s mind in an artificial body isn't overly explored in sci-fi media and allows the show to explore questions of ethics at play here: copying a brain but killing the body, while never letting a child grow up or die. Read more...
Adam Geraghty

Oide Child Protection Training

The High School was closed on Thursday 13 December to allow all staff members to take part in important Child Protection Training provided by OIDE. 

This training is an essential part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining a safe, supportive, and caring environment for every child in our school community. During the training day, all staff reviewed current child protection guidelines, discussed best practices for identifying and responding to concerns, and strengthened our whole-school approach to safeguarding. 

Ensuring the wellbeing of our pupils is always our highest priority. Regular professional development, such as the training delivered by OIDE, helps ensure that all staff are confident, informed, and fully prepared to uphold the standards set out in national child protection procedures. 

Every school has a person in charge of child safeguarding. This person is called the Designated Liaison Person (DLP).  The DLP at The High School is Mr G A Forrest and the Designated Deputy Liaison Person (DDLP) is Mr R B Tobin.  

We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of parents and guardians during the closure. Your support allows us to continue making our school a safe place where every child can learn, grow, and thrive. 
Ms Connolly
Deputy Principal

Drop Everything and Read

This week, staff and pupils at The High School enjoyed a whole-school reading initiative as part of our literacy drive -  Drop Everything and Read. The session gave everyone a well-deserved chance to slow down and rediscover the pleasure of one of life’s most rewarding pastimes.
Ms Wiggle (W B Yeats Librarian) and Ms Scott (Literacy Co-ordinator - temporary)

Geography and Science

Science and Geography Week took place from 11 to 14 November. We had a packed schedule for our four-day event. Some of the traditional activities, like making paper airplanes, investigating insects, and dissecting organs made a return. The competitions featured guessing the number of seeds in a sunflower head, identifying baby photogaphs of the Science teachers, and designing a new HSD honey jar label. On Friday, we held a cross-subject table quiz involving students from Form 5 Chemistry and Agricultural Science in the Demonstration Theatre. Congratulations to all participants and well done to the lucky prize winners.
Mr Langrell

Form 4 Media Studies 

Form 4 pupils in Media Studies have been studying typography and graphic design. They created a collection of posters inspired by Russian Constructivism from the 1930s. The style uses strong lines and bright primary colours, such as red and yellow, to create bold visual statements with geometric shapes and forms. Their brief was to create their own typeface and design a poster in the Constructivist style to promote the SCT League semi-final taking place at The High School this week. Well done to the artists and budding typographers!
Ms Burrowes

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