Newsletter 2nd September 2026
- 10 hours ago
- 7 min read
Fáilte romhaibh ar ais ar scoil!
A warm welcome back to all of our school community! It was really lovely to see all of our girls so happy and rested coming back to school with big smiles, excited to see their friends. We, as a staff, are really looking forward to a great year ahead. Well done girls!
Junior Infants
Our super Junior Infants are settling in really well. They have been spotted on tours of the school, learning where everything is and getting to know everyone. They all visited my office yesterday and we had a lovely meeting! We are delighted to welcome the girls and their families to our great school community.
Please note
From Thursday 10th September Junior Infants will attend for the full school day: 8:40am – 1:20pm.
Independence Day: Monday 7th September
Well done to our Junior Infants who are already coming into school so independently and cheerfully. Monday 7th September marks Independence Day for our Junior Infants when parents 'drop and go'. Their class teacher will be waiting for them.
Admission to Junior Infants September 2027
Applications for Junior Infants 2027 will open on the 28th September 2026. Further details to follow. No applications can be accepted prior to this date. Please keep an eye on the website for more information.
School Calendar / Féilire 2026/2027
The 2026/2027 calendar is available here.
Key Dates: Term One
HSE Vision & Hearing | 8th-11th September | Junior Infants |
PA - Halloween Costume and Jersey -COLLECTION | Friday 11th September | Whole School |
Wellbeing Week | Week beginning Monday 14th September | Whole School |
Sponsored Walk | Wednesday 16th September | Whole School |
School Closure: Staff Training | Friday 18th September | Whole School |
PA - Halloween Costume and Jersey -SALE | Friday 25th September | Whole School |
GOAL Jersey Day | Friday 2nd October | Whole school |
Class Photos- County Photos | 12th October | Whole School |
Hallowe'en Disco | Thursday 22nd October | 3rd - 6th class |
Hallowe'en Dress Up Day | Friday 23rd October | Whole school |
Midterm break | 26th October - 30th October | Whole School |
PT Meetings | Week beginning Monday 23rd November | SI - 6th Class |
No After School Activities for one week to facilitate PT Meetings | Week beginning Monday 23rd November | Whole School |
Last day of Term One (early finish) | Tuesday 22nd December | Whole school |
First day of Term Two | Wednesday 6th January | Whole school |
Start & Finish Times
Start Time | Finish Time | |
Junior Infants until 9th September | 8:40am | 11:30am |
Junior Infants from 10th September | 8:40am | 1:20pm |
Senior Infants | 8:40am | 1:20pm |
1st & 2nd Class | 8:40am | 2:20pm |
3rd- 6th Class | 8:40am | 2:20pm |
FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY REASONS...
NO DOGS ALLOWED ON SCHOOL GROUNDS PLEASE!!
School Uniform
Girls should wear the school tracksuit on PE days only.
For health and safety reasons, girls must wear appropriate sporting footwear in order to avoid injury.
School uniform trousers, as an alternative to the school uniform skirt, are available from our uniform suppliers The Schoolwear House.
For health and safety reasons, stud earrings only are permitted. Dangly earrings (to include hoops) are not permitted.
Nail polish, lip gloss, make-up (including mascara), fake tan, fake eyelashes and fake nails are not allowed. Pupils will be asked to remove make up on arrival in school. Wipes will be supplied.
Hallowe'en Costume and Jersey Collection
The PA will be collecting pre-loved Hallowe'en Costumes and Jerseys on Friday 11th September in advance of GOAL Jersey Day and our Halloween Festivities. Please bring any pre-loved items to the tunnel during drop-off time on Friday 11th September. They will be sold on Friday 25th September.
Smart Phones and Smart Devices
The Hollypark GNS community strives, in line with best practice, to create a calm and safe sanctuary, free from the distractions and potential complications posed by social media and the use of personal smart devices. To this end, Hollypark GNS is a smart device free campus. Children are not permitted to use phones/smartphones or smart watches whilst on school grounds (including the yard and the astro pitch).
We strongly support our PA No Smartphone Voluntary Code.
5th and 6th Class
Children in 5th and 6th class who need to bring a device to school in order to facilitate their journey to and from school must seek written permission from Ms. de Fréin by completing and signing a Phone Request Form. [Please see our school's Acceptable Use Policy, Appendix A (page 16)]. If given permission, children must hand the device to their teacher at the beginning of each day, and they may collect it when they are going home. The school takes no responsibility for these devices during the day.
Homework/ Obair bhaile
Homework should be within the capability of the attentive child, based on work already done. Homework enables parents to follow their daughter’s progress.
Homework should always be checked, and the journal signed daily by parent/guardian.
Homework is assigned for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday evenings and is not assigned for the weekend.
Recommended Times for Homework
Junior/Senior Infants: Class Teacher will advise.
1st/2nd Class: 20 – 30 minutes
3rd/4th Class: 30 – 40 minutes
5th/6th Class: 40 – 60 minutes.
These are suggested times. In practice, the time taken will depend on each child.
If parents feel a child is taking an excessive amount of time to complete work, they should discuss this with the Class Teacher.
Please click here for Homework Tips.
Our New Canopy!
A big thank you to our parents. The new canopy, which connects the main building to the purple building, is fabulous and has offered great shelter this past week from those heavy showers. Thank you to the Parents Association for all your fundraising efforts.
Wellbeing Week 14th - 17th September featuring our
Sponsored Walk Wednesday 16th September!
We are looking forward to celebrating Wellbeing Week! We will have a sponsored walk on Wednesday 16th September to raise funds for a very special addition to our school community – an in-school therapy dog. Girls do not need a white t-shirt this year - we have special t-shirts for the walk. Sponsorship Cards, including QR Codes were sent home on Monday! Huge thanks to the PA for their work on this event.
Scan QR CODE to donate!
Please support this very worthy cause!
Green Schools
Hollypark GNS is a Green School. We are so proud to have been awarded our TENTH!!! Green Flag last May for our work on Food and Biodiversity in the context of Global Citizenship.
The Green School Committee will reconvene shortly and plans for the year will be published in the newsletter. We are so proud that our girls are such fantastic advocates for our environment.
OUTDOOR LEARNING!
We would like to thank the parents and grandparents who supported us in the creation of an outdoor learning space last year. Research has shown that outdoor learning can have huge benefits for children in terms of wellbeing and academic performance. The children really enjoyed spending time and learning in this outdoor space during the last term. The PA are busy recruiting parents/ guardians/ grandparents who might be able to help develop this space further so that the children can use it throughout the year. Please contact the PA if this is something you could help us with.
The Green School Committee Reps would also like you, the parents/ guardians and gradparents to take a bit of time at weekends or afternoons to help increase your daughters’ awareness of local biodiversity. To help you with this please look at our September’s Nature Spotter Sheet.
This Spotter Sheet includes photographs of the Hawthorn Tree with haws (berries) the Red Admiral Butterfly, Blackberries and Brambles, the Forest Shieldbug, Ash Tree ‘keys’ (seeds) and Ripe Apples. All of these can be spotted in the local parks and green areas. If parents are too busy they might ask grandparents to help!!! Thank you!
Tesco Community Fund News!!
A big thank you to the Tesco Community Fund! We received €517 this year up from €501 last year! This money will be put to great use!
A big thank you to everyone who participated in the Fantasy Football League!
A big thank you to the Parents Association for their work on the Fantasy Football League! In total €2700 was raised, half of this was used for prizes and the rest €1350 was split equally between HPBNS and HPGNS. Each school received €675. We plan to use this money to support our sport programme in the school! Thank you all.
Hot Meals for Schools
We are very excited that Nourish + Green will begin delivering hot meals to our girls from Tuesday 15th September. There will be an Online Meeting this evening at 7.30pm. Please click on this link.
Violin Lessons
Violin lessons for Senior Infants to 3rd Class will commence later this month. Our new Violin Teacher Ms Eva Paturyan will focus on aural training, music theory and the basics of violin.
The rationale for this initiative is to give every child in the school the opportunity to experience learning a musical instrument and playing the instrument in a group setting. We have found in the past that many of the girls really enjoyed learning the violin and went on to continue with lessons outside of school after their initial introduction.
The girls will have the use of our school violins. All sheet music, necessary to participate, will also be provided.
Class Photos
County Photos will be taking photos of all classes on Monday 12th October. Girls are asked to wear school uniform this day. If the class is timetabled for PE on that day, they may bring their tracksuit and change after the photo.
Class teachers will send reminders closer to time.
HSE: Vision & Hearing
Vision & Hearing | Junior Infants | 8th -11th September |
Consent forms and reminders will issue to classes in advance of above.
Traffic and Safety
One Way Traffic System
Traffic Safety
I am appealing to our parents in the strongest possible terms to put the safety of our children above all else:
Please use the church car park at drop off and collection times and walk the last 6 minutes with your child.
80% of our pupils live within 2 kilometres of our school. Please encourage your older children to walk with their pals to and from school.
Please ensure that younger children are held by the hand when walking with them to and from school.
Please do not block the driveways of local residents when parking. Many of our residents – often elderly - are virtual prisoners in their own homes at drop off and collection times. And when they speak up are often subject to abuse.
Please park legally and with care.
As things stand, in the event of an emergency, it is unlikely that a fire tender or ambulance would be able to access the schools, or any homes in the vicinity, at drop off and collection times.
Maith sibh - well done!
Congratulations to our girls on their recent achievements! After School Activities 2026/27
Please contact providers directly for all update.
Details can be found here
Birthdays this week in Hollypark!
Lauren Collins
Heather Branigan Murphy
Chloe Sofia Martin
Ava O'Brolchain
Juliet Corboy
Angel Luis
Lily Cruise
Isobel Farrell
Advertising on our school newsletter
If you would like to place an ad on our school newsletter, please email Suzanne at the office hollyparkgns@gmail.com for further details and pricing.
HPGNS
United in Friendship, Together We Strive!
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