What's Happening at The High School!

Vol 29 No 27 03 May 2024

Biodiversity Week

Last week was Biodiversity Week at The High School, filled with activities related to the theme of biodiversity. Members of the Green Schools Committee spoke at assembly on Tuesday and Wednesday about how we can enhance our waste management and recycling efforts in our school.

Amidst the excitement, birdhouses were created, and new wild bee and insect habitats were installed. On Friday during assembly, Orla Farrell from EasyTreezy gave a talk about her passion for planting a tree for every student in Ireland. She has achieved this goal and now aims to plant a million trees within the next 1-2 years. Before that, she performed WB Yeats' 'I went down to the Hazel wood,' followed by students planting a Hazel sapling to commemorate the week.

Colorful images and messages promoting Biodiversity Week (and Earth Day!) adorned some windows. Students made seed bombs containing seeds of native Irish pollinator-friendly flowers, some of which were scattered near beehives to support our active honey bees. A biodiversity picture selfie frame was crafted and painted by students from 3SM for everyone to enjoy taking pictures with during the week. It was an enjoyable experience for all!
Cian Lynch, Lily Rankin and Alena NicLochlainn-Landa

Form 6 Talk

On Tuesday afternoon, Form 6 pupils gathered in the Demonstration Theatre where they received a talk from Joy Neville and Danny Sheridan. Joy, a former Irish rugby international and international rugby referee, has achieved many notable things in her life. One significant achievement was being the first female referee to officiate at a Men’s Rugby World Cup. Danny, a past pupil and award-winning sports photographer, has served as the official Lions Tour photographer on five occasions, covered four Olympic games, and won the Sports Photo of the Year award last year. The talk was very interesting as both speakers focused on mindset, preparation, bravery, and surrounding oneself with a good support group. We would like to express our gratitude to both of them for generously sharing their time with us. We hope to incorporate some of their insights into our preparations for the Leaving Certificate exam.
Mr McNamara

Form 6 French

Le mercredi, 24 avril, les deux classes de 6ème année de français sont allées en ville pour manger dans un restaurant français qui s'appelle Chez Max. Ce fut une expérience très agréable avec ambiance très sympa grâce à la musique d'artistes français comme Édith Piaf. Nous avons pu goûter à des plats typiquement français comme le foie gras et le bœuf bourguignon. Nous avons eu la chance de pouvoir pratiquer notre français avec les serveurs francophones qui étaient très chaleureux. Un très grand merci à Madame Roullet et Madame Lally pour avoir organisé cette sortie.
Thomas Boucher and Emna Hajaji

Form 1 Tennis

Congratulations to the Form 1 pupils who emerged victorious against Drogheda Grammar School in the Leinster Tennis League. To add to their triumph, the sun even made an appearance. Well done to everyone!

Toilet Twinning Project

On Friday 19 April, The High School Dublin Parents Association presented a cheque for €280 to the Student Council, marking the end of several months of fundraising for a charity called Toilet Twinning. Funds have been raised in The High School and by the Parents Association this year for Toilet Twinning, a charity that builds safe, sustainable, and clean toilets for families living in extreme poverty. Working with Toilet Twinning, who are partnered with Tearfund Ireland and Cord, we will now be able to 'toilet twin' eleven toilets in our school with other toilets across the world. This means that our toilets are linked to modern and hygienic latrines across the globe, connecting our school to the global community and opening doors for a new wave of understanding for pupils, staff, and visitors to The High School. Our twinned toilets will now have framed pictures of our international toilet twins outside their doors, along with pictures of our twins and GPS coordinates included so we can locate them on Google Maps! Soon, student and staff toilets at HSD will be twinned with latrines in Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan Malawi Nepal Zimbabwe Zambia Uganda Tanzania Côte d'Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Together as a community we have raised just over €1,000 for Toilet Twinning!

Raising awareness about Toilet Twinning at school these past few months has been a real labour of love for me personally. I discovered this charity during a Model United Nations trip to London in October 2023; I was struck by how original and ultimately fun its concept was. I couldn't shake off the idea and brought it up at a Student Council meeting where many others also liked it. After obtaining permissions from various individuals going through bureaucratic channels presenting an informative video about Toilet Twinning during assembly we organized a non-uniform day on February 9th to raise funds for this cause. Shortly after that generous offer came from Parents Association offering donation too.
I would like to express my gratitude towards every student teacher in school all members of Parents Association who helped spread awareness about Toilet Twinning donated on non-uniform days supported this project. Thanks to our cooperation as community we made significant difference improving lives families worldwide making sanitation safer.
If you are interested in learning more about or making a donation to Toilet Twinning for your own loos as home, please visit www.toilettwinning.org
Leo Shorten

Evening of Memory and Reflection

On Wednesday 8 May we will be holding an Evening of Memory and Reflection at The High School. The event will take place in The Demonstration Theatre at 7:00 pm. Everyone, including pupils, parents, and friends, is more than welcome to attend, and no sign-up is necessary. If you are interested in speaking at the event, please contact the school office.

Mental Health Week

As we approach Mental Health Week, it is essential to recognize the significance of this event. Now more than ever, the spotlight on mental health education and inclusivity is crucial.

This week provides a platform for breaking down stigmas and improving our understanding. By raising awareness and encouraging education, we empower individuals to recognize their mental well-being and support others.

Mental Health Week isn't just about acknowledging the challenges but celebrating resilience, courage, and the journey toward wellness. It's a reminder that mental health is a fundamental aspect of our overall well-being, deserving attention, care, and understanding.

This year, we are excited to focus on four core values: connection, awareness, curiosity, and generosity. Each day of the week will be dedicated to exploring and embodying these values.

Tuesday: Connection

On the first day let's prioritize building connections with ourselves and others. Whether through meaningful conversations or acts of kindness or shared experiences.

Wednesday: Awareness

Day two encourages us to be aware of our thoughts, feelings, surroundings. We will host The Evening of Memory and Reflection which will provide an opportunity to honor those who have passed away.

Thursday: Curiosity

Curiosity fuels growth and learning. Today let's approach our experiences with open minds sense wonder Let's explore new hobbies challenge ourselves try something different embrace joy discovery.

Friday: Generosity

Generosity comes in many forms from offering support those in need practicing self-compassion Today let's express kindness generosity towards ourselves others Small gestures can make big difference someone's day."

Saturday: Darkness Into Light

Pieta is largest suicide bereavement support service Ireland Every year Pieta offers vital long-term support over 600 families This counseling also available person via phone video.
Elisa MacGabhann