Newsletter: Wednesday 14th May 2025
- hollyparkwebsite
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
Primary Maths Curriculum Inservice
A gentle reminder (as per recent newsletters) that the school will be closed for mandatory Staff Inservice in the new Primary Maths Curriculum on Monday 26th May.
Key Dates Term Three
Santry Sports | Monday 19th May | Athletic Squad |
Standardised Testing | Week beginning Monday 19th May | 1st - 6th Classes |
First Holy Communion | Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th May | 2nd Class |
School Closure for PMC Staff Inservice | Monday 26th May | All classes |
Communion Photo | Tuesday 27th May | 2nd Class |
Visit by Marita Conlon McKenna | Wednesday 28th May | 4th, 5th, 6th Classes |
Choir Concert | Wednesday 28th May | School Choir |
Welcome Day for incoming Junior Infants | Thursday 29th May | Incoming Junior Infants September 2025 |
Ceremony of Light | Thursday 29th May | 6th Class |
PA Cake Sale | Friday 30th May | All classes |
June Break School Closure | Monday 2nd June Tuesday 3rd June Wednesday 4th June | All classes |
Confirmation | Saturday 7th June | 6th Class |
Violin Concerts | Tuesday 10th June | Senior Infants to 2nd Classes |
Confirmation Photo | Tuesday 10th June | 6th Class |
Creative Schools Week | Week beginning Monday 9th June | All classes |
Live Art Exhibition | Thursday 12th June | All classes |
6th Class Graduation | Tuesday 24th June | 6th Class |
Last day Term 3 | Friday 27th June | All classes |
School Tours May/June 2025
Junior Infants | Glenroe Farm | 18th June |
Senior Infants | Festina Lente | 30th May |
1st Class | Lullymore | 20th June |
2nd Class | Tallaght Astro Park | 19th June |
3rd Class | Fort Lucan | 11th June |
4th Class | Clara Lara | 19th June |
5th Class | CP Adventure Russborough House | 13th June |
6th Class | Alive Outside Kilruddery | 13th June |
Class teachers will contact classes, via Aladdin, with all relevant details.
Sports Day
We enjoyed a wonderful Sports Day yesterday in Hollypark.
Photos and videos to follow soon...!
At the risk of leaving anyone out, thank you to all - and there were many - who made this such a special day. However I would like to say a very special thank you to PA Chair Maryrose and the PA for their strong support of this event, to Jacqui Hurley for giving so generously of her time and expertise, to our Active Team and Student Council and to Mrs Marnell who ensured this day was such a success for our girls.
Ní neart go cur le chéile.
Active/Sports Day Fundraiser
Well done everyone on our Sports Day Cyclethon!
Yesterday the parents (& a few siblings and a couple of girls) cycled a total of 450.2 km!!! Overall we had 95 ‘cyclists’ which is an amazing group effort from the HP community. Thank you to all who have supported this fundariser.
And thank you to all who contributed to yesterday's raffle for Eve Higgins' Irish Rugby Jersey. The winner will be announced very shortly.
Wild Outdoor Space
A very, very big thank you to all of the parents and grandparents who were involved in setting up our wild outdoor space behind the school. Many parents gave their time, energy, creativity and expertise and we are delighted that we have this lovely space for the girls to spend time in this term.
We would also like to thank Kevin - he did a great deal of work helping our 6th Class gardeners and we really appreciate this. Thank you Kevin.
The space is essentially wild and is a celebration of biodiversity in our school. The bark pathways provide safe (nettle-free) passage through the space.
We will be applying for our Global Citizenship - Food and Biodiversity Green Flag next year so we hope to develop this space further in the future. If anyone can offer any help please let us know!!
National Children's Choir @ the NCH
Congratulations and well done to the 25 girls who were selected to sing in the National Concert Hall on Sunday 11th May as part of the National Children's Choir.
The concert was a truly wonderful and uplifting event. The girls were thrilled to sing with Ms Eimear Quinn, one of the pre-eminent Irish voices of her generation, former Eurovision winner and herself a NCC chorister in 1985.
Huge thanks to Ms de Frein, Ms O'Connor, Ms Coll & Ms Belton for giving of their Sunday morning and evening to supervise at the dress rehearsal and concert.
School Choir Concert Wednesday 28th May
Our annual School Choir Concert will take place in Foxrock Church on Wednesday 28th May@ 7:00pm.
Tickets for the concert will be available through the school. There is no limit to the number of tickets you may order – and so parents, grandparents are all very welcome to attend. We will facilitate payment via Aladdin and your tickets will be sent home with your child. Two payments links – one for adult tickets (€10 each) and one for child tickets (€5 each) will issue shortly.
Money raised at this concert will be used to cover ongoing operational costs incurred by the choir. We have built a strong relationship with Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice and all remaining funds raised will be donated to this worthy charity.
Our final after school rehearsal for this year will take place on Tuesday 27th May.
School Choir Rehearsals will recommence in September 2025 and will continue on Tuesdays for the school year 2025/26. Auditions for girls who are currently in 3rd, 4th & 5th Classes will take place in June. (Girls in 4th & 5th Class who are currently in the School Choir and who wish to stay on for next year do not need to re-audition). |
Violin Concerts
We are looking forward to our Violin Concerts which will take place during the day on Tuesday 10th June for Senior Infants to 2nd Class. Class Teachers will send on times for their individual classes via Aladdin.
We are delighted that Ms Isabelle Riordan, who has been teaching with us since January, will be returning in September and we will be in a position to extend Violin Lessons into 3rd Class.
Junior Infant Welcome Day
Our Junior Infant Welcome Day will take place on Thursday 29th May. A Junior Infant Welcome Pack will issue shortly to all our new parents.
We are very much looking forward to meeting our newest Hollyparkers and hoping they will enjoy a fun afternoon in 'big' school!
Dream Space Ambassadors
On 15th May, our Microsoft Dream Space Ambassadors will attend their Graduation Ceremony at One Microsoft Place, Sandyford.
The girls have completed their Dream Space Training Program and have been teaching other classes about what they have been learning. The Graduation Day is all about celebrating the achievements of the Dream Space Ambassadors and there will be activities for the ambassadors to take part in throughout the day.
We are so proud of our Ambassadors and we hope they have a wonderful time at their Graduation!
Sacramental Celebration: 2nd & 6th Classes
| Class | Date | Time | Wear |
First Holy Communion | 2nd Class [Parents have already registered to attend one of the Masses as outlined.] | Saturday 24th May Sunday 25th May Sunday 25th May | 10:00am 10:00am 11:30am |
As per tradition |
Class | Date | Time | Wear | |
Ceremony of Light | 6th Class | Thursday 29th May | 6:30pm | Uniform |
Confirmation | 6th Class | Saturday 7th June | 12:00pm | Uniform |
Voluntary Contribution
Thank you to the 254 families who have already given a Voluntary Contribution to the school for 2024/25. Each and every contribution is very much appreciated and will be used to enhance your daughters' learning environment.
Your Voluntary Contribution makes a real difference. |
If you would like to help in any additional way with our school development,
(time, skillset, sponsorship) please let us know.
Don't forget!!! Tesco Community Fund
Our PA have secured a spot for our school on Tesco's Community Fund initiative!
If you are shopping in Tesco Stillorgan, please support our school by putting a Blue Token in our drop box!
DE Recommendation: Wear a Wide Brimmed Sun Hat!
Parents and guardians, please read the letter below from the Department of Education regarding the recommendation that wide-brimmed sunhats be worn by all primary school children.
During the summer months, please ensure all children are wearing sun cream to school.
Traffic Safety
Morning & afternoon one-way system:
Reminders:
The school has received many complaints of dangerous driving and parking in the vicinity of the school. Children and local residents are being put at risk.
Please use Foxrock Church car park at drop off and collection times and walk the last 6 minutes with your child.
Deansgrange Cemetery has requested that our parent body do not park and stride from the Cemetery carpark.
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.
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.
Hollypark GNS & BNS understand and appreciate how busy the roads are each morning. We continue to engage with DLR & An Taisce, Safe Routes to School, for a safer school zone.
Birthdays this week in Hollypark!
Aoife Holland
Esme O'Donohue
Robyn Lennon
Chloe Daly
Caoimhe Lanigan Ryan
Rachel Dalton
Laoise Cox
Ellie Brougham
Amy Hughes
Esme Fitzpatrick
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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