Vol 31 No 06     03 Oct  2025

Open Evening

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended our Open Evening last week. It was wonderful to welcome so many prospective pupils and their families, and we are excited about the possibility of many of you joining us in September 2026.

The evening was a fantastic opportunity to showcase what makes The High School community so special. From the engaging classroom displays to the interactive presentations, we hope you were able to catch a glimpse of the vibrant learning environment we are so proud of. Our goal was to give you a real sense of what it is like to be a pupil here, and your enthusiasm made the evening even more rewarding.

We should also like to offer our sincere thanks to the dedicated staff at The High School. Without your hard work and creativity, this event would not have been possible. Teachers, support staff, and volunteers spent countless hours preparing informative and visually engaging displays, organising activities, and sharing insights into the wide range of subjects, clubs, and programmes we have to offer. Your commitment to ensuring that incoming pupils feel welcomed and inspired is truly appreciated.

Thank you once again for joining us at Open Evening. We look forward to welcoming many of you into our school community in 2026!

Sustainability Week

From 15 - 19 September The High School celebrated Sustainability Week, organised by our hardworking Green Schools Committee. The aim of the week was to raise awareness and encourage eco-friendly habits throughout the school community.

We were delighted to welcome a range of inspiring guest speakers. Nathan Hutchinson Edgar spoke about environmental campaigning and activism, while Steven Moody shared his experience of cycling the route of the Tour de France to raise funds for cancer research. He also met with our Form 4 pupils to explain his motivation and later helped us launch our new bicycle repair kit.

Throughout the week, pupils took part in activities such as library quizzes and informative assemblies. JoJo O’Connor gave an engaging presentation on sustainable fashion, while Olivia Leonard, Cian Lynch, and Rosalyn Waghorn discussed waste and resource management. Rosalyn also performed Big Yellow Taxi at the Junior Assembly, adding a creative and memorable touch.

To finish off the week, Green Schools members ran sustainability-themed games at the school entrances. It was both a fun and meaningful week, and we are already looking forward to next year’s celebration!
Green School Committee

World Teachers' Day

On 5 October, schools around the world mark World Teachers’ Day - a moment to recognise the incredible dedication, passion, and care that teachers bring to their work every single day.

Here at The High School we want to say a heartfelt thank you to all of our teachers. Your hard work does not go unnoticed, and your impact reaches far beyond the school walls. From preparing engaging lessons and giving up time for extracurricular activities, to offering advice, encouragement, and kindness when it’s needed most — you truly shape our school community.

On behalf of all pupils, parents, and staff: thank you for everything you do.
Happy World Teachers’ Day!

Dancing World Cup

We are delighted to share the fantastic achievement of High School pupil Lucy Walsh, who recently competed at the Dance World Cup. Lucy placed 10th in the world, standing out among over 12,000 young dancers - a phenomenal result! We are so proud of her success and look forward to seeing what she achieves next.
Mr Sullivan

Black History Month

As part of our upcoming Black History Month celebrations, we would love to feature contributions from our pupils in the school newsletter. This is your chance to share your voice, creativity, and perspective.

You might choose to write an article or essay, but we also welcome poems, reflections, personal stories, or even creative pieces inspired by Black history and culture. Whether you’d like to highlight an inspiring figure, reflect on an important event, or celebrate the ongoing influence of Black history in today’s world, your contribution would be a valuable part of our commemoration.

If you are interested, please get in touch with me, Ms Burrowes, in A3 or on MS Teams. We look forward to sharing your work and celebrating Black History Month together.

Dublin City Interfaith Forum

On 15 September, our Religious Education class had the privilege of attending the annual Dublin City Interfaith Forum Conference, with this year’s theme, “Seeds of Peace and Hope.”

The event took place in the historic Oak Room of the Dublin Mansion House and was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Ray McAdam. Looking around the room, we were struck by the diversity of people present, all gathered with one shared purpose: to explore how peace and hope can be fostered in a world so often marked by conflict.

The day-long conference featured a wide range of speakers. It began with Brian Woods, Detective Chief with An Garda Síochána, who, alongside Jonathan Dowling, spoke about the positive and lasting impact of the Gateway Project. This initiative brought young people from Ireland to the Turkish-Cypriot town of Pyla, where a UN outpost is located, to engage in dialogue and peacebuilding.

After a short coffee break, Ms Sophie Maneava delivered an insightful talk on the positive influence that different faith communities and places of worship have on their local areas. The conference concluded with a thought-provoking discussion on how colonialism, capitalism, and nationalism continue to disrupt peace today, and the far-reaching effects this has on both society and climate change.

Overall, it was a truly engaging and eye-opening experience that gave us a deeper appreciation of the importance of collaboration in achieving peace. We would like to sincerely thank Ms Hutchinson Edgar for organising such an inspiring and memorable trip.
Maebh Manning

Form 1 Junk Kouture

We are delighted to announce that Junk Kouture will be running in The High School this year. An enthusiastic group of Form 1 pupils will be proudly representing our school in this exciting competition.

For those unfamiliar, Junk Kouture is a creative fashion competition where pupils design and make outfits entirely from recycled or repurposed materials. The initiative encourages sustainability, innovation, and self-expression while also raising awareness of important environmental issues.

Our team is currently on the lookout for blue denim and blue ties to help bring their designs to life. If you or your family have any of these items at home that are no longer needed, please consider donating them. Donations can be dropped off to B1.

We look forward to seeing the incredible creativity our pupils will showcase through this project – and we thank you in advance for your support!
Ms Campion

Form 4 Dodder Clean-up

Last Tuesday for World Rivers Day (28 September) our class met with Frances and Victoria from Dodder Action Group. We went along the River Dodder to down to Dartry Park where we stood on the river bank and assessed the water quality by doing a kick test. A kick test is where you kick the bottom of a riverbed where the invertebrate live then collect a sample and sift through it to find what's living in the river. Depending on what you find will depend on the quality of the river water, as some invertebrate need cleaner water than others. The invertebrates that we saw that indicate cleaner water were flattened mayfly's, green caddisfly and stonefly. Thankfully we didn't see any leeches and slugs which indicate poor water quality. We found a lot of freshwater shrimp which ate the other invertebrates. After this we did a river bank clean-up using litter pickers and bin bags. We collected four bin bags full of litter for Dublin City Council to collect. It was a very fun and interesting way to learn more about rivers.
Oisin Gabbett-Okelly

Higher Options and World Skills 

On Wednesday 17 September, our Form 6 pupils had the exciting opportunity to attend the Higher Options and World Skills event in Dublin. This event is a highlight of the academic year for pupils to help them to prepare for life after The High School.

The day offered a unique chance for pupils to explore future pathways, meet with universities, colleges, and apprenticeship providers, and gather valuable insights into a wide range of career options. At Higher Options, pupils spoke directly with representatives from Irish and international third-level institutions, learning more about courses, entry requirements, and application processes.

Meanwhile, the World Skills showcase brought careers to life through interactive demonstrations in areas such as engineering, healthcare, digital media, hospitality, and the creative arts. Pupilss got hands-on experience, saw live competitions, and gained a real sense of the practical skills involved in different industries.

The event was both inspiring and informative, sparking ideas for future study and career directions. Our Form 6 pupils returned with a renewed sense of focus as they prepare for their first careers meeting with their Guidance Counsellor.

A huge thank you to the Guidance Department who organised the trip and supported our pupils in making the most of this valuable experience.

Media Studies

Pupils studying graphic design and typography as part of their Form 4 Media Studies course have been exploring a unique and creative way to add labelling and text to their nature study projects – by using typewriters! This hands-on approach not only gives their work a distinctive vintage style but has also proven to be very popular. The pupils have enjoyed the challenge of working with a different medium and discovering how design tools from the past can still inspire creativity today.

If you happen to have an old typewriter tucked away in an attic that is no longer in use, we would be delighted to give it a new home here at The High School. Our pupils would certainly put it to good use in future projects.  
Ms Burrowes

Shoe Box Appeal

A Little Box, A Big Impact

A simple shoe box can deliver a powerful message of hope and community. Let’s work together to ensure that no child is left without one this holiday season. Our annual Shoe Box Appeal is now underway! This is a wonderful opportunity to bring joy to a child in need. Please note that the deadline for dropping off boxes is before midterm (25 October).

How to take part:

1. Find a standard-sized shoe box.

  2. Fill it with the 4 Ws: Write, Wow, Wear, Wash – and include €5 in the envelope          provided to your child.

​​  3. Drop your completed box at Reception.

Alternatively, you can also build a box online at www.teamhope.ie.

Let’s ensure that children around the world experience joy when they open their very own shoe box. Every single donation makes a difference. Thank you for your support in spreading kindness, one box at a time!
Eva Lei

Home Run Cancelled

Dublin Simon Community’s 42nd Annual Home Run will not go ahead this Saturday, 4 October due to status yellow weather warning from Met Eireann. 
Ms Hutchinson Edgar

Rathfarnham Parish

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