Newsletter 9th September 2026

4 hours ago

9 min read

SEEDS OF SUNSHINE!

Sunflowers- lus na gréine!

All of our girls planted sunflowers in the final term!!

They grew so tall during the summer just like our wonderful girls!

Maith sibh a chailíní!

Admission to Junior Infants September 2027

PLEASE NOTE ALL APPLICATIONS WILL NOW BE ONLINE

Application and Decision Dates for Admission to 2027/2028 school year.

The following are the dates applicable for admission to Junior Infants 2027/2028

The school will commence accepting applications for admission on	28^th September 2026
The school shall cease accepting applications for admission on	23^th October 2026 @ 3:00pm
The date by which applicants will be notified of the decision on their application is	13^th November 2026
The period within which applicants must confirm acceptance of an offer of admission is 27th November 2026	27^th November 2026 @ 3:00pm

Note: the school will consider and issue decisions on late applications in accordance with the school’s Admission Policy.

*Failure to accept an offer within the prescribed period above may result in the offer being withdrawn

The school cannot accept applications for Junior Infants 2027 before this process commences.

Independence Day: Monday 7th September

Well done to our fabulous Junior Infants! They were really super! A big thank you to the 6th class buddies who helped make this day so successful.

They have launched into action and are busy learning their phonics already!

Blackberry Picking

The girls in 4th class have been studying the poem Blackberry Picking

by Seamus Heaney.

Try take the opportunity to collect some blackberries over the coming weeks

as they are in season!

Artist of the month - Yayoi Kusama

We will be learning all about Yoyoi Kusama over the coming weeks. Keep an eye on the newsletter for some beautiful polka-dotted pictures!

Parents Association AGM Monday 14th September at 7.30pm in the school hall. Please come and support our PA.

Parking in the parish centre!

Fr. Philip visited the school on Monday and spoke to all of the girls.

Parents are invited to park in the parish carpark during drop off and collection times. We appreciate the parish facilitating us as we encourage the girls to walk to school.

School Choir

Auditions took place this week for girls who were interested in joining the school choir.

Rehearsals will begin next Tuesday 15th September. Parents/ Guardians will receive information about this in advance of next Tuesday.

National Children's Choir

5th and 6th class girls have started working on the NCC Repertoire. Further news to follow in the coming months but we hope to work alongside Hollypark Boys in preparation for cluster rehearsals later in the term. A super joint initiative between the two schools!

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.

Parents Association - Smart Phone Voluntary Code

All parents/ guardians in Junior Infants received the Smart Phone Voluntary Code this Monday. This is a fantastic initiative run by the Parents Association. Thank you for your support for this worthwhile initiative.

Cybersafe Annual Report

This report was circulated by the PA during the week. It makes for interesting reading. You can read the report here

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.

Therapy Dog- Fundraising Update

Our girls are hard at work fundraising tirelessly for our In-School Therapy Dog.

We are really looking forward to our Sponsored Walk next Wednesday morning 16th September Children will come to school as normal on the day. They will walk to Granada with their teachers and SNAs and participate in the walk. Parents and guardians are invited to cheer us on from the side-lines. NO PHOTOS OR VIDEOS to be taken at the event. NO DOGS AT THIS EVENT PLEASE FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY REASONS. Teachers will take a few photos and these will be shared on the the newsletter.

A big congratulations to the fabulous fundraisers in this photograph! They organised a lemonade and cake stand and raised €123.53!!!

What a super result! Well done!

Wellbeing Week 14th - 17th September featuring our

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 grandparents 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!

Headlice!!

PLEASE KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON YOUR DAUGHTER'S HAIR OVER THE COMING WEEKS.

We have had numerous reports of headlice throughout the school.

A big thank you, buíochas mór, to everyone who participated in the Fantasy Football League!

CONGRATULATIONS to this cailín iontach in Ms. Belton's class - she is the winner of best Fantasy Football League team name de-Fréining Champions!!

Hot Meals for Schools

We are very excited that Nourish + Green will begin delivering hot meals to our girls from Tuesday 15th September. Please ensure that you have activated your Nourish and Green App.

Violin Lessons

Violin lessons for Senior Infants to 3rd Class will commence on Tuesday 21st September. Our 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!

Lá breithe sona daoibh go léir!

Georgia Doyle

Mollie Hudson

Dáire Kate Carnus

Kate Nolan

Faye Irvine

Emma Flattery

Luna Isabelle Matthews

Fiadh O'Hanlon Olive Valchonak

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!