Firstly, on behalf of Dill House, I would like to wish a warm welcome to all the new pupils entering this year, especially those pupils in Year 8. I implore all of you to make the most of the time you have here, to engage in as many of the co-curricular activities that RBAI has to offer. I would also like to thank last year’s Year 14 pupils for their contributions and wish them success in their future pursuits.
To help the Year 8 pupils transition into secondary school, several boys were selected as mentors to assist in welcoming and encouraging them to engage and participate in all the school offers. Additionally, I would like to congratulate the new prefects and mentors and wish them well in carrying out their new responsibilities.
In recognition of their commitment, several Year 13 pupils were awarded House Honours: Aiden Biju Joy, Sam Ewing, Reuben Gibson, Jacob Hamilton-Cambell, Dexter Harris, Shane Kernaghan, Ryan Lee, Alex Leonard, Riley Marney, Callum McAteer, Daniel Shannon, Daniel Officer, Ollie Taylor, Jacob Tener, Alfie Welsh.
House members recorded impressive grades over the summer. At GCSE congratulations go to Reuben Gibson 7A* 3A, Jakub Milota 3A* 6A, Aiden Biju Joy 1A* 7A 2B, Dexter Harris 2A* 6A 1B, Ryan Lee 1A* 6A 3B, and Daniel Officer 8A 2B. At AS-Level, Jacob Smyth 4A, Sam Wallace 3A 1C, Daniel Maguire 3A, Aaron Russell 3A, Charlie Dobson 2A 1B, and Tom Galbraith 2A 1B. At A2-Level, Noah Stafford 4A*, Mark Grant 3A*, Patrick McEvoy 3A*, Luke Gibson 1A* 2A, Willian Allen 2A 1B, and Christopher Chee 2A 1B.
Away from the classroom, there were other notable successes. In Year 8, in hockey, Tom McMurray played for Ulster U13 and was also selected for UK Lions U14 squad; Jack Arnold played for Instonians in the All-Ireland Club Cricket final; and Josh McLees began filming a film production called ‘Far Away Home’. In Year 11, Matthew Watkins, Reuben McCullough and Rocco Steen were all involved in the Ulster U17 rugby squad while James Cacayan achieved a Level 4 Diploma in his piano exam. In Year 12, Daniel Shannon was selected as part of the Ulster and Ireland U16 hockey squad; Riley Marney played hockey for Ireland at U16 level in the 8 Nations Cup in the Netherlands; Ollie Taylor and Reuben Gibson played for the Ulster U18 rugby team; in badminton, Aiden Biju Joy achieved a ranking of sixth in Ireland at U19 level and reached the semi-final of the Irish National competition and competed in the Ulster Grade A competition. In Year 13, Cameron McCracken broke a District record in the 110m Hurdles, which had stood for over forty years. We also congratulate two of last year’s leavers: Callum Soper and Josh Gibson who were both involved with the Ulster ‘A’ team.
In the House Championship, Dill finished in a very respectable 3rd place, in a very closely contested competition with only three points separating the top three positions. Overall, there was a consistent success rate in a wide variety of the competitions throughout the year, including badminton, indoor rowing, basketball and junior rugby competitions.
In closing, I’d like to express our sincere gratitude, on behalf of the House, to Mr Lyttle and all the tutors for their dedication and efforts in leading and supporting us. Their commitment has undoubtedly helped every member feel a sense of belonging and value within the Dill community. This inclusive environment is what underpins the academic and co-curricular achievements of which we are so proud.
