Vol 31 No 22    06 Mar 2026

Plant a Tree

On Weds 25 February the trees arrived for our Plant a Planet Campaign. The initiative an idea of the Irish Schools Sustainability Network has been rolled out for the past few months in the High School, with Form 4 pupils giving classes to fellow pupils across the school, giving them information on the importance of planting native trees for wellbeing, climate mitigation, climate adaptation, and biodiversity. We were very excited to learn that over 400 trees had been ordered by families throughout our school, considerably surpassing our target. When the saplings arrived, we had quite a job labelling, sorting, and then distributing them. A team of dedicated and hardworking Form 4 pupils, led by Eva Lei and Karl Findlay, started work early in the day and were ready with biodegradable bags and labels to get the trees ready for distribution. Hopefully, if you ordered a tree from us it has now been planted in your garden or the garden of a family member or friend. We would be really delighted if you would share any photographs of your tree with us to hhighlight the importance and significance of this project to plant Irish native trees. We are grateful for the support of families and hope that you will enjoy your HSD tree for many years to come.    
Ms Hutchinson Edgar

Form 5 French Excursion

During half term pupils studying French, along with Ms Roullet, Ms Lally, and Mr O’Brien travelled to Paris to enjoy a couple of days experiencing immersion in the language and culture. Upon landing in Paris on Thursday, we visited Parc des Princes and later went on a Seine cruise where we saw many landmarks including the illuminated Eiffel Tower at night. Throughout the weekend, our itinerary included visits to Musée d'Orsay, Notre Dame Cathedral, Sacré-Cœur Basilica, Montmartre district, Père Lachaise Cemetery, and the Palace of Versailles. Each evening we dined at a different restaurant savouring delicious French cuisine. After spending four days exploring the city, we flew back home on Sunday concluding a fantastic trip. Nous nous sommes bien amusés. C’était un excellent voyage!
Imogen McCreery, Sianne McDonnell, and Lily Rankin 

Form 5 Music Tour

Over the half term break, The High School Orchestra pupils embarked on an exciting trip to London. At 5.00 am on Wednesday morning enthusiastic pupils gathered at the school gates ready for the long journey ahead, beginning with a ferry crossing to Holyhead. After a six-hour coach ride, we arrived at our accommodation in London. Our first glimpses of the capital came as we walked through its bustling streets to enjoy dinner on our first evening.

The following day began with a visit to the iconic London Eye, offering spectacular views across the city, before heading to the vibrant Camden Market, where pupils enjoyed lunch and some well-earned shopping time. That evening, the orchestra performed in St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden. The magnificent setting provided the perfect backdrop for a truly memorable concert. The superb acoustics enhanced a rich and varied programme of orchestral pieces and solos, resulting in a performance that was both polished and unforgettable.

The next day, the orchestra delivered another outstanding performance, this time in St George’s Church. Once again, the concert went flawlessly, and the beautiful venue added to the occasion. We were delighted to receive glowing praise from audience members and event organisers alike. To round off a remarkable day, we attended a dazzling performance of Moulin Rouge at the Piccadilly Theatre - a spectacular highlight of the tour.

Our final day was largely spent travelling, as we made the return journey by coach from London to Holyhead, stopping briefly at a shopping outlet en route before boarding our late-night ferry home. All in all, it was a brilliant and memorable trip, filled with music, culture, and shared experiences that will stay with us for years to come.
Cian Lynch

Form 5 Drama Tour

During half term, a group of Drama pupils from The High School Orchestra travelled to London. After an early start and a long day’s journey, we settled into a hostel in Camden, excited about the next three days. Over the four-day tour (or five if we count the small hours of Sunday morning), we visited the London Eye, Camden Market, Picadilly, the central theatre district, and saw two shows: Hercules and Moulin Rouge. While the wonders of the Tube, successful or not so successful haggling in Camden, and the spectacle of the theatre were enjoyed by everyone, the highlight of the trip was encountering Ryan Tubridy just as we left Moulin Rouge. Nothing can prepare a group of pupils for the experience of meeting a celebrity they have seen on screen for most of their lives, and nothing can have prepared Ryan Tubridy for the experience of over 30 teenagers running towards him screaming his name!  We all really enjoyed our time in London, and we are very grateful to the teachers for making the tour a lovely and memorable experience.
Emily McAdam-Kavanagh

Vinnie Murray Plate Final

We are thrilled to announce that our Senior Cup Team emerged victorious in a competitive semi-final match against CBC Monkstown. Their hard work, dedication, and teamwork have paid off as they have secured a spot in the Vinnie Murray Plate final. Congratulations to our talented players athletes for their outstanding performance on the field. Let's continue to show our support and cheer them on as they prepare for the final round.
Mr McDermott

SCT Semi-Final

The best of luck to The High School Girls’ Senior Cup Team, who will face Loreto College, Mullingar in the semi-final of the Leinster Schoolgirls’ Senior Cup next Wednesday, 11 March, at a venue yet to be confirmed. Congratulations to the team and their coaches on reaching this stage of the competition - an excellent achievement that reflects their hard work, commitment, and teamwork throughout the tournament.
Ms Garland

Athletics Success

On Friday 27 March we sent our largest ever contingent to the Leinster Cross Country Championships in Navan. Despite the relentless rain over the last few weeks there was some good running to be had on the course. The course was very hilly making it a challenging run. The Minor Boys team of Luke Jensen, Aaron Gosling, Matthew McGrath, Freddie Hardy, Fionn Gosling, Nicolas Rodriguez, Andrew Micks, and Luke Stenson fought valiantly over the 2,000m course to be placeed 4th overall, just four points from a bronze medal. Luke Jensen ran superbly to qualify individually for the All Ireland competition. Next up was Daniel McGrath who ran a very strong race in the Intermediate Boys’ competition. To round out the day Ewan Kennedy and Aidan O’ Connor took to the field in the Senior Boys competition. The pace of this race was extremely fast with the top three athletes back from international duty in Boston such was the standard. Both Ewan and Aidan ran superbly with Ewan securing an individual qualifying spot in the All Ireland competition. Aidan just missed out on a spot with a hampered start impacting his performance. I would like to congratulate all HSD pupils for reaching a Leinster Final and wish Ewan and Luke the very best of luck in the All Ireland competition this weekend in Belfast.
Ms Fallon

World Book Day

The High School celebrated World Book Day with a whole school Drop Everything and Read (DEAR), where all classes spent 40 minutes reading as a community. Book vouchers were distributed to Form 1 classes and more are available in the Library.

We asked teachers to tell us their favourite books of all time. There was a fabulous mix of nominations from the old classics to Harry Potter, including a scattering of non-fiction.

Pupils are always encouraged to come to the Library before school and during break times – there is plenty of choice available.
Ms Wiggle
W B Yeats Librarian

International Hockey Success

The Ireland Men's Hockey Team has made an impressive start to the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026 campaign in Santiago, securing a thrilling seven-goal match over Canada to claim the first three points in Pool B.  They have topped their group and will now progress to the semi-final of the World Cup Qualifiers. A top-three finish will guarantee qualification for the World Cup, placing the team within touching distance of securing their place on the world stage. We are especially proud to see past pupil Alistair Empey (HSD, 2013-19) representing Ireland on the international stage. We wish Alistair and the entire Irish squad every success in the matches ahead and will be cheering them on as the competition continues.
Mr Fitzpatrick

Football News

Summer term will see the return of soccer to The High School as senior pupils participate in an intraschool soccer tournament. Form 4, 5, and 6 girls will have the opportunity to compete after school on Tuesdays for The Freya Fitzpatrick O'Doherty Cup, while Form 5 and 6 boys will compete on Fridays for The Peter Prendergast Cup. Both Freya and Mr Prendergast left an indelible mark on the sporting and cultural life of The High School, and we are proud to commemorate their incredible contributions in this manner. We look forward to our senior pupils competing against each other for the inaugural cups this year.
Mr Hart

Form 1 Hockey

Congratulations to the Form 1 B girls hockey team on their fantastic victory this week against St Columba's College. It's wonderful to hear that they enjoyed the sunshine and emerged as 4-0 winners. Keep up the great work, girls! 
Ms Jones

Form 3 English

A special place in my heart is only minutes away but rarely visited apart from summer. I go there almost every week. It's a small spot next to the Dodder in a park, with a fallen tree to sit on hanging over a stream that joins the river. It's often flooded from rain, but in summer, it's a delightful place to sit and look onto the fast-flowing river. The river is cold but provides a nice refreshment on hot summer days.

This place is special because of the beauty around it - tall trees creating shaded areas and a clearing that allows the sun to shine brightest on the river, making it glisten and sparkle, enticing you in. Moreover, it holds memories of times when two friends and I stood in the river throwing a rugby ball to each other, finding joy even when one of us dropped it and watched it flow downriver before getting caught in shrubbery. We would then sit on the fallen tree in awe of the beautiful river and light swaying of trees.

It reminds me of the best and most fun times of my life - times without academic pressure or any stress. Despite being only metres from a road, this place feels like the most peaceful spot on Earth. The rustle of leaves on a light breeze masks any noise from traffic as does the gentle flow of water against rocks create just audible splashes into its atmosphere.
Damien Loughman

Art Competition

We are thrilled to announce that our Form 5 pupils are organizing a digital art competition this year! This exciting event is a fantastic opportunity for pupils to showcase their artistic talents and creativity. Details on how to participate can be found in the graphic above. We encourage all pupils to join in and unleash their artistic vision. Let's make this year's art competition the best one yet!
Ms Rogers

Seachtain na Gaeilge Competitions

Excitement is building as we prepare to celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge, a wonderful opportunity to embrace and showcase our Irish language and culture throughout the school community.

This year, a fantastic range of creative and engaging competitions, open to both Junior and Senior pupils, has been organised. There is truly something for everyone - whether you are artistic, analytical, humorous, or simply proud of your Irish identity!

The competitions include:

• Design a comic strip based on a story from Irish folklore

• Create a poster exploring the theme “Our Irish Identity”

• Crossword competition

• ‘Connections’ competition

• Design a meme in Irish relating to life at The High School

These activities offer pupils a chance to use their creativity and sense of fun. We look forward to seeing the imagination and talent of our pupils on full display. We encourage everyone to get involved and take part in the celebrations. Bainigí taitneamh as Seachtain na Gaeilge!
Ms Dietz

Junior Drama

The anticipation is growing as we near the annual showing of the HSD Junior Drama production, featuring 'High School Musical Jr' this year. Mark your calendars for Thursday 26 March. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased from members of the cast and crew at lunchtime outside The Reynolds Hall. Secure yours before they run out! Be sure not to miss it!
Ms Philips

Staff Wellbeing

All smiles from the Staff Padel Group as they took to the court and made the most of the first welcome rays of Spring sunshine. With rackets in hand and spirits high, it was a wonderful opportunity to enjoy some friendly competition, fresh air, and well-earned relaxation together outside the school day.

Form 2 Home Economics

Pupils in Form 2, who are studying Home Economics, recently completed a sewing project that required them to embellish or repurpose an existing item. They had to utilize at least two types of stitches, either embroidery or the sewing machine. Their skills improved over several weeks and they were extremely pleased with the final product.
Ms Toolan