Our annual Mental Health Awareness Week officially begins today with another full and varied programme of events scheduled – the theme this year being “This is Us”. There are a series of hikes for all age groups (including the one up Kilmashogue Mountain yesterday), visiting speakers (including Tom Tate from Why Mind and Stuart Wilson […]
This morning in Chapel the Sub-Warden talked about the idea of ‘Factfulness’ as promoted by the Hans Rosling. In this post are some links for pupils who are interested. Rosling’s book Factfulness: ten reasons we’re wrong about the world – and why things are better than you think (co-authors Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Rönnlund) […]
The Warden has written an article on fee-paying schools for the Sunday Independent ‘School League Tables’ supplement. Here is what he wrote: Parents love a school league table, particularly when it shows their child’s school in a good light. However, I am rather confused by the way the school league tables in Ireland are currently […]
The latest edition of the pupil magazine, The Submarine, has just been published, and you can read it here via Issuu (click on the arrows to go through the pages, click again for a closer view, and click the icon bottom right for full-screen). Tania Stokes, Avi Johnston and Edna Johnston put it together. Among […]
This week the College held its final 175th anniversary celebration events of 2018 in Germany. After the many events that marked this important moment in our history in the College itself, it was time to go to Berlin and Bavaria to connect with our extensive community in Germany. A group of staff and former staff […]
Details for parents of the Examination period, which is followed by the November/December Exodus:- Parents can see the examination timetable on the Firefly Parent Portal here (requires log-in; the same place you will receive end-of-term reports). Thursday 22nd November Examinations start for Sixth, Fifth, Fourth and Third Forms (study day for Second and First Forms). […]
The College marked the centenary of the end of the First World War in a variety of ways this weekend. On Saturday, there was a special service in Chapel, which included choral performances, and the calling out of the names of those Columbans who died in the War (these can be seen on the memorial […]
Following a competition run by the College Art Department, we are delighted to introduce a fourth Christmas card to the St. Columba’s Christmas card collection, in aid of the Old Columban Society Bursary Fund. Designed by Fifth Former Tania Stokes the new card is entitled Christmas Carol Service, and it is now available to purchase […]
From the Warden, 6th November 2018 (see below post for photographs of the Tiger Kloof expedition). I have just returned from a week in South Africa, together my wife, Sean Duffy (Head of Geography), and 18 pupils from the 4thand 5th Forms. It was my first return to Tiger Kloof, where we spent four amazing years, […]
Ms Duggan writes: It has been a busy half term for junior and senior debaters at St Columba’s. Thursday night, saw the juniors Caleb Swanepoel, Caroline Hager, Tyrone Shi and Alex Hinde head for UCD with Ms Morley for the second round of the Junior Schools Debating Competition. The next round of the Junior House […]
In almost a year’s time a major educational event will take place at St Columba’s: the College has been chosen as the location for the first-ever researchED meeting in Ireland, which will take place throughout Saturday 5th October 2019. Check out the event page here, which next year will give details of speakers and ticket […]
Last night was the first night of the UCD Junior Schools Debate. Our team consisted of Alex Hinde and Tyrone Shi (Second Form), as well as Caleb Swanepoel and Caroline Hager (Third Form). All did well and Tyrone and Alex were placed second in the debate in their room. Tyrone Shi writes: The first round […]
Last year the first Book Week, to promote reading by everyone at St Columba’s, was a great success, and this year’s equivalent starts on Monday 24th. Mr Jameson introduced the elements of it in a Chapel talk on Wednesday. These include: The Library will be open every day at break and at lunch-time as well […]
We were joined last week by Malebogo Modise, a former pupil of the Warden Mr Boobbyer when he worked at Tiger Kloof School. She assisted in the All-Ireland Head Prefects’ Conference training on Friday, and then on Saturday morning spoke powerfully about her own story. Her address follows below:- “It is such an honour and privilege […]
A very important part of what we do is to continue improving our academic practices. This work is largely unseen by pupils and parents, but is a strong under-current of school life. As well as individual teachers and Departments working on their practice, there is also a formal programme of school-wide training, partly organised by […]
All prospective pupils and their parents are very welcome to our annual Open Day during the morning of Saturday 29th September. No booking is needed: just turn up and you will be guided by pupils to the Lower Argyle reception point, where you can meet staff and current parents. From here, Prefects will take tours […]
Wednesday 5th September 2.00-2.30pm: arrival of new pupils at boarding houses, and unloading of luggage, followed by refreshments in Lower Argyle/Dining Hall. 3.30pm: Welcome and address by Warden in Big Schoolroom to all new pupils and their parents. 4.00-4.45pm: Meetings with House staff (different locations). 5.30pm: Parents and day pupils depart by this time. 6.00pm: […]
For the third time the College is taking part in Culture Night, the great national event which this year is on the evening of Friday 21st September. Again the Sub-Warden, Julian Girdham, will give a 15-minute talk on the history of the College starting at 7pm in the Chapel (visitors are welcome to come from […]
