Mental Health Week 2025

Mental Health Week ran from 6 - 9 May this year. It is always an important week in our school. This year, the Wellbeing Committee highlighted a different theme every day to mark the week.

Tuesday’s theme was Connect. Connecting is an integral part of our wellbeing; it allows us to feel heard and know that we are not alone. At the doors in the morning, we created a ‘hugometer’, with members of the Wellbeing Committee greeting students with hugs, high fives, or even just a smile. Each hug was represented as a bead in our ‘hugometer’ jar. In assembly, Eleanor Donnan spoke about the importance of connectivity and how connecting and talking to others can benefit us hugely. Lauren Collins and Marcelina Rubach performed a beautiful song. During lunch, mindful colouring was set up outside for students to chat and connect in the sun. This was amazing, as students were able to check in on each other and talk about how they were feeling.

The theme on Wednesday was Take Notice. Taking notice of yourself and those around you allows you to recognise if you are feeling down or if your friend is having a bad day. By taking notice, we can understand how to take care of ourselves and look out for others. At the doors, each student was given the name of one of their peers to give a compliment to that day. Lauryn Doyle spoke about the different types of compliments in assembly and how to uplift someone in this way. At break, a ‘Take Notice Board’ was set up where students could express what they were grateful for and what they had noticed made a difference to them. The day finished with an evening of memory and reflection in honour of members of the school community.

Thursday’s theme was Learn. In assembly, Poppy Comerford highlighted different methods of coping with mental health. During break, a table was set up where students could talk about how they cope and vote on the methods that helped them most. As part of this, we had performances at assembly and during junior and senior lunch that allowed students to express themselves through music and see the benefits music brings to wellbeing. Everyone got to enjoy this music while also understanding the importance of looking after themselves and their mental health.

Friday brought the final theme of the week: Give. There was face paint and music at the doors, and Megan Oldrey described the importance of giving in assembly. A huge effort was made by Fifth Year monitors to bake cookies, which were sold at lunch in aid of Pieta House. We would like to thank students for their generous donations. During the last class of the week, we celebrated mental health with Zumba outside, which the whole school took part in. Everyone got out in the sun, danced with their friends, and had a lot of fun! It was a fantastic way to end the week.

The Wellbeing Committee wanted to ensure that students remember their mental health is always important, not just during this week. To reflect this, we created a mural representing our school community. Lauren Collins, Lauryn Doyle, and Veronica Stroie created an extraordinary display of a tree. Every student’s thumbprint now makes up the leaves of this tree, while teachers and staff created cherry blossoms with theirs. This represents the support we offer one another and the community that surrounds us. We hope students see it as a reminder that they can always reach out to others—just as the branches of our tree do.

In aid of Pieta House, teachers agreed to participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge. Students nominated teachers, and in the end, Mr Miller, Mr Prodgers, and Mr O’Sullivan were chosen. They took part during Sports Day and came out soaked! We are very grateful to them for their contribution and support. Through their participation, the cookie sales, and generous student donations, The High School raised over €600 for an incredible charity that supports mental health year-round.

As part of Pieta House’s work, they organise a Darkness Into Light walk every year. This raises awareness for suicide prevention and shows people they are not alone. It serves as a reminder that there is always hope, even in the darkest times. A number of students and staff took part.

The support from students and staff and the enthusiasm of everyone was exceptional this year. All of these contributions make Mental Health Week what it is.

Inside the birdbox - HSD TV

 

A Visit to the Dingle Peninsula

 

Last Thursday, myself and 33 other Form 4 pupils  made our way to Kerry to finish our Bronze Gaisce award. We left the school at 1.30 pm to begin our 5-hour-long bus ride to the hostel below Mt Brandon. We thankfully got a break halfway through the journey at a shopping centre in Limerick to get our shopping for the next few days.

When we had finished, we continued our journey to the hostel, and at this point, the views started becoming picturesque. When we got there, we were welcomed by some friendly puppies, which we all loved. The hostel was small, so we were the only people staying there. We were able to walk out on the rocks to be beside the water and take stunning photos, especially at sunset and sunrise.

On the Friday morning, we all got up to leave the hostel at 10.00 am, making sure we were well-equipped for the long hike ahead. We met our hiking guide Jimmy, and started up the mountain. Already, the skies were so clear, and you could see everywhere around you. Looking up at the mountain from the hostel, it seemed impossible to climb, but we kept going, and before we realised, we were nearly there.

We took plenty of breaks along the way, allowing amazing opportunities for us to take pictures. When it got to lunch, we stopped near a corrie and found rocks to sit on. After this, we faced the steepest part of the mountain. We were required to keep balance on rocks with sharp drops below, taking care to ensure we safely reached the top.

When we reached the peak, we were rewarded with beautiful views of the Dingle Peninsula, McGillycuddy's Reeks and the Kerry Coastline. Unfortunately, we then had to begin our descent to return to the hostel. Coming down the mountain, the sun came out again as we slowly continued back.

We reached the hostel just after 6.00 pm, and broke off into our groups to prepare for dinner that night. Again, the puppies eagerly welcomed us back. We were worn out, but there was still a buzz of achievement surrounding us. The kitchen was full of pots and pans of various meals, ranging from fajitas to roast chicken to pastas and chips.

The morning of the final day was quieter. The tiredness of the previous day finally caught up with us. Sadly, the bus arrived at 10.00 am to bring us back to Dublin, with a lunch break in the Barack Obama Plaza, before finishing the final stretch back to the High School.

Overall, we can all whole-heartedly say we thoroughly enjoyed the trip, and thank Mr Rankin, Ms Delaney, Dr Budd, Ms Garland and Mr Barry for bringing us!
Rosalyn Waghorn

Gaisce Hike

 

Mr Barnard Leinster Rugby

Congratulations to Mr Barnard on his selection for the Leinster Juniors team last weekend to play Ulster in Gorey RFC. Mr Barnard came of the bench early in the 2nd half with Leinster 22 points down and despite a brave comeback attempt Leinster lost the game 41-49 in the end.

We wish Mr Barnard the best of luck in selection for the upcoming game vs Munster on Saturday in Waterpark RFC.

Environmental Innovators

On Monday 7 April, Doğa Erpolat, JoJo O’Connor, and I had the incredible opportunity to present our project at the annual Environmental Innovators Peer Day.  As one of the eight projects selected nationally, we were incredibly excited to present our work, attend workshops, and see other schools’ projects.  

The Environmental Innovators Transition Year Programme—an initiative by Agri Aware and BiOrbic—asks students to investigate potential solutions to the various challenges our global food system faces.  

Our project centred around the repurposing of waste paper.  We first noticed how much sheets of paper schools in Ireland use (an estimated average of 2,000 sheets per day).  From there, we attempted to refine and adapt existing methods of recycling used paper into new, functional sheets.  While our project includes some issues with large-scale practicality, we believe it could be a tool for highlighting the time, effort, and resources required to produce this seemingly infinite material.  Our process also leaves space for possibilities for further adaptions—such as creating seed paper, plant starters, and more.  

As the only shortlisted school from Dublin, we were delighted to be receive 3rd place overall.   We’re especially grateful to Mr Langrell for his advice, facilitation, and encouragement throughout our project.   Olivia Leonard

Junior Drama Triumph!

This year, Junior Drama took to the stage to perform Matilda The Musical Jr., a charming and high-energy adaptation of the beloved Roald Dahl classic.  With such a strong cast of pupils from Form 1 to 3, it’s no surprise that the one-night-only performance sold out so quickly.  

The production was directed by Ms Forder and Ms Phillips, whose dedication and commitment ensured the play ran seamlessly.  On behalf of the entire Junior Drama cast and crew, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to both of them for their guidance and support.  

What makes Junior Drama special, in my view, is the range of forms which act, plan, and work together to bring the play to fruition.  Having been involved with backstage for the past four years, it has been fascinating and rewarding to see the growth in confidence, aptitude, and talent as pupils move through the years.  It was a pleasure to work alongside all of the stagehands and cast this year while putting the play together.  Transition Year pupils play a key role in the planning and preparation of the performance, and I think I speak for all of us to say it has been a pleasure to (hopefully) be the role models we once looked up to ourselves.  

The talent and quality of performance by this year’s cast in the Junior Drama production of Matilda The Musical Jr.  was phenomenal.  We hope the audience enjoyed watching the play as much as we all enjoyed putting it together!  

Olivia Leonard