Frasaí na Seachtaine #4
'Cad is ainm duit? …….. is ainm dom!'
Click below to listen to the girls from Ms Duffy's Rang a hAon
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.
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 decision 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 |
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.
Junior Infants
We are very proud of our Junior Infants’ growing 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.
School Calendar 2023/2024
The 2023/2024 calendar is available here.
Wellbeing & Active Week
Since launching Wellbeing & Active Week last Friday with a visit from the Dublin players and the Brendan Martin cup, the girls have been very busy!
On Mindful Monday….
Ms Lamont guided the girls through calming Yoga Workshops and Ms Shannon introduced some fun basketball. A sense of calm descended on HP as lavender wafted through the corridors as the girls made their face masks (ah….that’s what the socks were for!) for Mindful Monday meditation sessions.
On Thankful Tuesday….
Granada Football Club coaches delivered soccer sessions to Junior and Senior infants. Ms Coll brought a touch of Riverdance to HP when she taught Irish dancing to the 4th class girls. Classes designed Gratitude Mugs.
On Wellbeing Wednesday….
Our girls designed Well-being t-shirts today. Maria from Kilmacud Crokes visited 1st Class. And parent Jacqui Hurley undertook a lively Q&A session with the senior girls in the hall. 3rd and 4th classes had super soccer sessions with Garry from the FAI.
On Thinking Thursday….
We are excited to welcome Christina Hamill, Irish hockey player and past pupil, to visit our school and chat to the senior girls.
On Fitness/Fabulous Friend Friday….
We look forward to celebrating European Active Schools Day. Eight active stations will be set up on the Astro with Mr. Oreo and Fox Cab Gaelic football coach Emma Mc Donagh. Stradbrook rugby coaches will also visit on Friday to do sessions with 1st and 2nd classes.
Active Walkway
Throughout the week, classes have been busy using the Active Walkway for active learning.
HP Active Week PE Survey
As part of this week's Active Homework, please click here to complete our PE Review Survey for pupils and parents.
HP 3K Fun Run
Our 5th & 6th Classes were to travel to Belfield for their 3K Fun Run on Wednesday. However, due to the storm forecast this was brought forward to Tuesday. All other classes are completing their Fun Runs throughout the week on the Astro. Thank you to all our families for their continued support of this fundraising endeavour. To date you have raised €7536.00! All funds will be used to enhance your daughters’ learning environment.
Budding Artists!
Have a look at the artwork completed by our girls for Active Schools 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 tomorrow, 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.
Dates for Sacraments 2023-24: 2nd & 6th Class
It was lovely to see so many parents at the Information Meeting in Foxrock Church last Wednesday evening. Thank you to Fr Gerry and the team for hosting this meeting and to Elaine Mahon for her thoughtful and informative introduction.
Please see below dates for Sacraments/Ceremonies during this school year.
Ceremony | Date | Class | Staff in Attendance |
First Confession | Saturday 10th February 12pm | 2nd Class | GNS |
Ceremony of Light | Wednesday 21st February 7:30pm | 6th Class | GNS |
Ceremony of Light | Wednesday 28th February 7:30pm | 6th Class | BNS |
First Confession | Saturday 9th March 12pm | 2nd Class | BNS |
First Holy Communion | Saturday 20th April 2pm | 2nd Class | BNS |
First Holy Communion | Sunday 21st April 10am | 2nd Class | - |
First Holy Communion | Saturday 27th April 2pm | 2nd Class | GNS |
First Holy Communion | Sunday 28th April 10am | 2nd Class | - |
First Holy Communion | Sunday 5th May 10am | 2nd Class | - |
Confirmation | Friday 17th May | 6th Class | BNS |
Confirmation | Friday 24th Friday | 6th Class | GNS |
Parents may choose to attend the relevant ceremonies on which ever date best suits their families.
Date for Registration for Sacraments through the Parish:
Registration Opens: Wednesday 1st November
Registration Closes: Wednesday 29th November
Foxrock Parish Family Mass Group
Foxrock Parish Family Mass Group (FMG) 2023/24 is back, following our Summer break. Choir practice is on Thursday evenings in Tír na nÓg room, Parish Centre, 7-7:45pm for 10am Mass on Sunday, which we hope to start in October.
We will also encourage children to take part in Prayers of the Faithful and/or acting out the Gospel reading (but only if they would like to participate), which is great for their confidence in public speaking.
Come along to the Parish Centre any Thursday evening to try it out without any commitment or contact davypaula@icloud.com/0868449509 for further information.
Foxrock Parish Pet Blessing
Foxrock Church are having a Pet Blessing on Sunday 8th October at 2pm in the grounds of the church and the Parish Pastoral Council would like to invite the girls and their families to join them with their pets on the day.
Cumann na mBunscol League!
Hard luck to our girls in their Cumann na mBunscol league match last Wednesday against St. Brigid's, Foxrock. The teams were neck and neck throughout the match and showed off some fantastic skills and excellent teamwork. Our third match is against Divine Word, Rathfarnham next week. We are hoping that the sunshine comes back!
GOAL Jersey Day: Friday 13th October
Wear a sports jersey of your choice to school on Friday 13th October and contribute to GOAL via our bucket collection.
Jersey Day is GOAL's flagship annual fundraising campaign held across Ireland and throughout the world. GOAL Jersey Day sees tens of thousands of people across Ireland coming together and wearing their favourite sports jerseys to support GOAL's work with vulnerable communities.
PA: Christmas Card Fundraiser
Templates have arrived in school and will be completed over the coming weeks. Further details to follow on how to order your cards for Christmas. Thank you to our PA for this traditional fundraising endeavour.
Date for your Diary: Parent Talk on Wellbeing
In a joint HPGNS/HPBNS 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.
Nurturing Self-Efficacy & Growth Mindset in Your Child
Fiona Forman (M.Sc. Applied Positive Psychology)
Nurturing your child’s sense of self-efficacy and Growth Mindset can play a powerful role in helping them to feel more resilient, confident and empowered to face challenges and grow towards their potential.
In this talk, Fiona will outline what self-efficacy means, as well as offering several ways to nurture it in your child.
Growth Mindset (Dweck,2012) - the understanding that our talents and abilities are not fixed, but that they can be developed through effort, practice, and persistence – will also be explored.
Fiona Forman is an author, speaker, facilitator and trainer in the area of well-being and Positive Psychology in education and parenting. She holds an M. Sc. in Applied Positive Psychology, the science of well-being, from the University of East London.
Having spent many years as a teacher, Fiona is passionate about placing well-being at the heart of school and family life, and she has seen first-hand the many benefits this brings to both children and adults alike. She is the co-author of Weaving Well-Being, an SPHE programme for children which is now widely used in Ireland and abroad. Fiona is also the author of Wired for Well-Being, a well-being programme for second level schools. Her junior programme, Welcome to Well-Being, has also been released in Ireland and abroad.
Fiona is also the mother of 2 young adults, which has deepened her awareness of the importance of equipping our children with the support and skills they need to thrive and flourish, despite the challenges of life.
Her latest book, BRAVER THAN YOU BELIEVE: A Parent’s Guide to Building Children’s Resilience using Positive Psychology Skills has recently been released.
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken adults”
Frederick Douglass
Post-Primary Open Evenings (5th & 6th Class)
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!
Maya Baviera
Alia Baviera
Charlotte McManus
Sarah Kelly
Zoe Frances Gallagher
Hayley Mae O’Connell
Chloe Hsu
Laoise McCrohan
Isla Sheahan
Mia Poppy Moorcroft
Doireann Collins
Carla McKenna
Robyn Kennedy
Isabel Keenan
Joanne Murray