Admission to Junior Infants September 2025
The process for admission to Junior Infants 2025 has now closed.
All applicants will be notified of the decision on their application by Friday 15th November.
Applicants who are offered a place on the first round will have until Friday 29th November to confirm acceptance of an offer.
Key Dates: Term One & Two
PT Meetings | Week beginning Monday 18th November | Senior Infants - 6th Class |
Weaving Wellbeing Fiona Forman: Talk for parents | Monday 18th November @ 7:30pm in the school hall | All parents (GNS & BNS) welcome |
Graffiti Classics | Friday 22nd November | All classes |
NCC Cluster Rehearsal | Thursday 28th November | 5th & 6th Classes |
Christmas Play | Wednesday 11th December | Junior Infants |
Christmas Play | Thursday 12th December | Senior Infants |
Last day of Term One (early finish) | Friday 20th December | Whole school |
First day of Term Two | Monday 6th January | Whole school |
PT Meetings | Week beginning 27th January 2025 | Junior Infants |
St Brigid's Day closure | Monday 3rd February | Whole school |
Cyber Safety Talk | Monday 17th February | Parents |
Midterm break | Thursday 20th February & Friday 21st February | Whole School |
School Calendar 2024/2025
The 2024/2025 calendar is available on www.hollyparkgns.ie
PT Meetings: Senior Infants to 6th Class
We are looking forward to meeting you at your annual Parent Teacher Meetings which will take place for Senior Infants to 6th Classes during the week beginning Monday 18th November 2024.
The Aladdin PT Scheduler is now open and will remain open for bookings until 9:00am on Monday 11th November. Parents/guardians will not be able to cancel or change their meeting bookings after this date.
We respectfully advise that parents leave a gap between meetings when booking for siblings, to allow for any delays which may inadvertently occur.
Please note, parents who have already met with their daughter’s teacher and support team do not need to schedule a meeting at this time.
PT Meetings for Junior Infants will take place in January/February.
Fiona Forman Parent Talk: Monday 18th November
Thank you to our PA who have kindly organised a team to serve teas/coffees on the evening.
Voluntary Contribution
Sincere thanks to the 105 families who have already made a Voluntary Contribution for 2024/25!
Your Voluntary Contribution makes a real difference to your girls' learning environment. Thank You. |
If you would like to help in any additional way with our school development, (time, skillset, sponsorship) please let us know.
Hollypark GNS PA Update
No Smartphone Voluntary Code
Thank you to all those who participated in our PA's No Smartphone Voluntary Code. As you will see results for our school have exceeded expectations and far surpassed many other schools.
94% of all parents returned a form |
91% of all parents opted in/agreed |
Thank you to our PA and parent advocate for driving this initiative: it is not the only solution to this growing problem, but it is potentially one tool which may help and support our parents in this ongoing and difficult challenge.
Please read the letter from our PA with the full breakdown by class of the results, issued today via Aladdin.
Coin Collection 18th- 22nd November
Hollypark GNS PA is holding a Coin Drop Fundraiser, to take place the week of 18th-22nd of November.
This fundraiser will raise funds for resources to benefit each of the classes from Junior Infants to 6th class as shown below.
What we are asking of you is to empty out your pockets, raid your old coin jars and check behind your sofas for any change you can find around the house (euro only) and drop the coins into the coin jar designated for your class year.
To add a bit of incentive, we have prizes for the year who raises the most money and a few spot prizes through the week. Looking forward to seeing our new equipment throughout the school. Best of luck to everyone and lets get counting!
Visiting Illustrator: Ellen Kane
3rd and 4th Classes had a visit from Ellen Kane, an Irish illustrator. She read from her debut book 'The Salmon of Knowledge' by author Eithne Massey. Ellen is passionate about bringing stories to life and creating pieces that children and adults can enjoy together. The girls were given an insight into the work involved in being an illustrator and had a great Q & A session with Ellen. Alex Byrne, our 3rd Class author gave a fabulous reading of her book 'I Belong in a Beautiful World' to the classes too. Thanks Ellen and Alex.
Frásaí na Seachtaine
"Tá an aimsir fuar!" |
Labhair Gaeilge linn!
STEM Week: And the winners are.....!!
Music Workshops
We are delighted to welcome Graffiti Classics Music Workshop to our school on Friday, 22nd November.
Graffiti Classics are a comedy string quartet and deliver a classical workshop performance lasting one hour. The performance is engaging, interactive and educational, introducing us to a wide range of music and playing styles.
In June 2025 we will welcome Neil Dowling back to our school again for our Drum Nature Percussion Music Workshop. Again this workshop is engaging and interactive and all classes will attend workshops.
The cost for the workshops is €10 per child. Payment for the workshops will be facilitated via Aladdin.
National Children's Choir
Our 5th and 6th Classes have been working hard on the National Children's Choir repertoire. We are now looking forward to our first 'cluster rehearsal' which takes place on Thursday 28th November. We will welcome pupils from Guardian Angels NS to our school to practise the first eight songs of this wide-ranging repertoire.
There will be a further 'cluster rehearsal' in the spring before our school's performance in the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght in April 2025.
Sandford Scholarship Awarded: Sophia Cui
Congratulations to Sophia Cui in 6th Class who has been awarded a full scholarship (based on her musical ability) to Sandford Park School.
I auditioned in the Music Department. A young student guided us to a classroom with a piano. He told us this was a practice room where you can practise your pieces. That day my cello teacher offered to come with us as I was also asked to play my cello. My cello piece needed to be accompanied which means someone needed to play with me. When it was time for me to audition, the boy came once again to guide us to the room. Standing there was a man that I presumed was the music teacher. Sitting in a chair was the principal. She smiled at me and asked me my name. My dad was told he was not allowed in. After sitting at the piano I started playing. I played ‘Nocturne’ and ‘Etude’. Then I played the cello with my teacher. They asked me a few questions about my music and a few questions about myself. Then they told me I was all finished. After a few weeks, my dad received the good news! I want to thank my Mom and Dad who have helped me every step of the way. I want to thank my piano teacher and my cello teacher for helping me to prepare my pieces. Special thanks to Ms Conlon my 3rd Class Teacher and Ms Gunning for letting me play my piano so many times for other classes. Lastly I would like to thank my brother Alan for always supporting me. |
Music is at the heart of the Sandford Park School experience where facilities are world class and include acoustically engineered practice rooms and a state-of-the-art music centre. Students at the school are given many opportunities to perform and to compete, locally, nationally and internationally and most recently music students have travelled to Calgary, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Boston.
We are delighted that Sophia will have the opportunity to continue to thrive in this wonderful educational environment.
Traffic Safety
Morning & evening one-way system:
Reminders:
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 work with our PA to action the Walking Bus initiative as soon as possible
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.
In the event of an emergency, when cars are parked illegally, it is unlikely that a fire tender or ambulance would be able to access the schools, or any homes in the vicinity.
Birthdays this week in Hollypark!
Chloe Collins
Olivia Martin
Nora Dockery
Eibhlin Bates
Lucy O'Mahony
Leylie Farrell
Ava Hofler
Holly Spillane
Avrora Abdullova
Zoe Byrne
ACUYOGA: YOGA MARA STUDIO
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.
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