Frasaí na Seachtaine #3
“Conas atá tú? Tá mé go maith/Tá mé go hiontach.”
Click here to listen to the girls from Ms O'Shea's Rang a dó
showing us how to pronounce our Frásaí na Seachtaine!
Labhair Gaeilge linn – sa bhaile agus ar scoil!
Admissions for School Year 2024/2025
The process for admission to Junior Infants 2024 will open on Monday 2nd October and will remain open until Friday 27th October.
The school cannot accept applications for Junior Infants 2024 before this process commences.
All details including relevant dates/forms/policy etc are now available here.
Once the admissions process is open, applications may be posted to the school or delivered by hand. As original documents supporting the application must be included, applications cannot be made by email.
The school will commence accepting applications for admission on | Monday 2nd October 2023 |
The school will cease accepting applications for admission on | Friday 27th October 2023 @ 3pm |
The date by which applicants will be notified of the decison on their application is | Friday 17th November 2023 |
The period within which applicants must confirm acceptance of an offer of admission is | Friday 1st December 2023 @ 3pm |
Junior Infants
Our Junior Infants are doing really well and have taken to the full school day like ducks to water. We are very proud of their independence. To further encourage this independence, parents/guardian/minders are asked to drop their girls at the railing.
6th Class girls will be on hand to guide them safely to their lines.
County Photos will be in the school on Monday 2nd October for Junior Infant Photo Day. Class teachers will send reminders closer to the time.
School Calendar 2023/2024
The 2023/2024 calendar is available here.
Wellbeing & Active Week 22nd - 29th September
We are looking forward to Wellbeing & Active Week which will be celebrated in Hollypark GNS from 22nd to 29th September. With the emphasis on wellbeing and physical fitness, we have many athletes visiting the school and a wide variety of activities planned throughout the week. Girls may wear school tracksuits for the duration of Wellbeing & Active Week.
The week will be launched on Friday 22nd with a visit from Fox Cab Dublin Players with the Brendan Martin Cup! If girls have a Dublin jersey they may like to wear it with the school tracksuit on Friday.
On Mindful Monday the girls will participate in relaxation activities as well as Yoga. Please ensure your daughter has brought in a sock to make her lavender face mask! Your daughter will also need a clean, plain white t-shirt (with short sleeves) for a special art class. The week will end with Fitness Friday when the girls will take part in several active, collaborative activities on the astro to celebrate European Active Schools Day.
A focus for the week will be our 3K Fun Run, to raise funds for our school and its continued refurbishment. The 5th and 6th classes will do this run on the track in UCD on Wednesday 27th. All other classes will complete their fun run with their teachers on the Astro. We are appealing to all families to support this school fundraising event by completing the family sponsorship cards and sending the total monies to the school via Aladdin. Huge thanks to those who have already contributed: over €1400.00 has been raised to date! And please show us your moves by sending photos, maps, times to Twitter @Hollypark GNS #hpgnsFUNRUN!
Please keep an eye on our website for further updates. We are working hard to achieve our Active Flag this term.
Pat Perera: Sunflowers
We were very lucky to have a visit from Pat Perera and her giant sunflower! Pat has been visiting Hollypark for many years to inspire our girls with a love for gardening. She brought in sunflower seeds and showed the girls how a little seed can grow into a mighty sunflower! After you nurture your seed, it will begin to blossom into a beautiful flower with enough time and attention. We are reminded that kindness is like a seed, when it is cultivated, it can grow and grow and grow. We are going to plant seeds of kindness all around us!
Budding Artists!
Have a look at the artwork completed by our girls this month in Hollypark!
Lego Workshops for 4th Class
Lego Workshops have commenced in our 4th Classes. This week our girls constructed a working Fun Fair Pirate Ship!
We can’t wait to see what they will build next week!
Opening of the School Year Mass
The Opening of the School Year Mass will take place in the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Foxrock on Thursday 28th September at 10 o’clock. Girls and boys from 2nd to 6th Class will attend and children from both schools will sing in the choir. All parents and families are welcome to attend.
Sacramental Classes: 2nd & 6th Class
Parents/Guardians of 2nd & 6th Class girls (Sacramental Classes) are cordially invited to attend an Information Meeting in the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Foxrock tonight at 8pm.
Cumann na mBunscol League begins!
Well done to our Gaelic football team in their first win of the Cumann na mBunscol league last Wednesday against St. Mary's of Donnybrook. Tús maith, leath na hoibre! Maith sibh a chailiní! They girls will play their next match today against St. Brigid's of Foxrock. Best of luck girls!
Green School Committee
The Green School Meeting had their first meeting of the new school year last Wednesday.
The Green School Committee comprises representatives from 1st to 6th Class. We are very lucky to have a wonderful 6th Class Green Team: Lauren Doherty, Emily Bailie, Annabel McNamara, Katie Kilcommons, Brianne Conlon, Sarah Heeney and Evanna Maloney leading our Green initiatives this year.
We will be applying for our 9th Green Flag in March 2024. This flag focuses on Travel in the context of Global Citizenship. The ultimate aim of the theme is to continue our school’s work on encouraging walking, cycling, scooting, using public transport or carpooling to school. We are all connected throughout the world and the actions we take in Hollypark impact the lives of children all over the world.
Work on this flag also reflects Sustainable Development Goals:
No. 3. Good Health and Wellbeing
No. 10. Reduce Inequality within and among countries
No. 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
No. 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
No. 17 Partnership for the Goals!
We are looking forward to a very busy year on the Green Schools Commmittee. Stay tuned throughout the year for all information regarding green initiatives.
Date for your Diary: Parent Talk on Wellbeing
In a joint initiative, Fiona Forman, expert on wellbeing, has been invited to talk to the parents of Hollypark GNS & BNS on Thursday 19th October @ 7pm. Hollypark BNS are kindly hosting the event in their school hall.
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken adults”
Frederick Douglass
Post-Primary Open Evenings (5th & 6th Class)
St Joseph of Cluny Thursday 21st September 5:00pm
Loreto College, Foxrock Tuesday 26th September 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Loreto Abbey, Dalkey Tuesday 26th September 4:15pm - 7:30pm
Holy Child, Killiney Thursday 28th September 4:30pm - 7:00pm
Blackrock ETSS Wednesday 4th October 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Respect for Our Neighbours
As a Green School we actively encourage our girls to walk, cycle and scoot to school. As 80% of our pupils live within 2km of the school, this is very doable for many.
Walking, cycling and scooting not only provide a wonderful opportunity for chats with friends, improving our physical and mental health and caring for our environment, but these methods also help to reduce traffic, making the area around our school a safer place not just for our pupils but for all our neighbours.
Unfortunately, but quite justifiably, our neighbours frequently complain of inconsiderate parking on the roads close to our school.
Please use the Church car park if it’s on your route to school: parking at the Church is free to all families at drop off and collection times.
Birthdays this Week in Hollypark!
Katie Kearney
Rachel English
Rosa Conlan
Sophia Cui
Lily Conlon
India Sheridan
Sophie Finnegan
Eloise Ó Faoláin
Yasmine Rahmani