Newsletter: Wednesday 15th October 2025
- hollyparkwebsite
- Oct 15
- 7 min read
The Admission Process for Junior Infants 2026 is now open and will close on Friday 24th October.
The following are the dates applicable for admission to Junior Infants 2026/2027
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*Failure to accept an offer within the prescribed period above may result in the offer being withdrawn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 2025 before this process commences.
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.
School Calendar 2025/2026
The 2025/2026 calendar is available on www.hollyparkgns.ie
Key Dates: Term One
Please note Hollypark GNS is not a Polling Station
and the school will be open on Friday 24th October.
Dates for First Holy Communion & Confirmation
Cyber Break: Friday 17th October
Well done!
My name is Juliet and I am in 4th class. I won a tennis tournament over the weekend I played 3 double matches and I won two with my team. They added up the scores and we all got a medal and we won a big plate.Hallowe'en Dress Up Day: Friday 24th October
Friday 24th October, the last day of this half term will be Hallowe'en Dress Up Day.
Any girl who does not wish to dress up on the day may wear her school tracksuit.
Some practical points re Hallowe'en Dress Up Day in School:
No accessories, i.e. nothing a child needs to hold in their hand or things that can be put down for others to potentially pick up and handle.
Be mindful of the length of the costume - avoid costumes that are too long and may be a tripping hazard - bear in mind we have lots of staircases in our school!
Costumes - including shoes - should be comfortable and practical for sitting in the classroom for the day, and for going out on yard at break times.
Be mindful that the costume isn’t going to scare a younger pupil. If you think a Junior Infant will be frightened, then tone it down or reconsider.
General Hallowe’en Safety Tips for Our Girls
Don’t assume that motorists can see you: cross at traffic lights or pedestrian crossings.
Put electronic devices down, keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street.
Make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them.
Always walk on foot paths.
Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.
An adult should always accompany children under age 12 for trick-or-treating. (Ensure that each child has a parent’s phone number with them in case they are separated from the group)
Avoid dogs, even if you know them, as fireworks can startle even the friendliest dog
Avoid knocking on the doors of elderly neighbours
Costumes for a Safe Halloween
Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colours.
Ensure that fancy dress costumes are flame-resistant (look for the CE mark)
Beware of any small parts on which a child could choke (look for the CE mark)
Make sure that the costume length will not cause the child to trip
Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision. But if choosing a mask double check to ensure that children can see, hear and breath (look for the CE mark)
Have children carry glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers.
Bonfires and Fireworks
Keep a safe distance from bonfires at all times
Never approach a firework that has failed to go off
Keep pets indoors to avoid them being injured by fireworks or bonfires
Flu Vaccine: Thursday 16th October
Hollypark GNS has teamed up with Hiltons Pharmacy this year to provide students with a FREE Flu nasal vaccine. All the experienced vaccinators are qualified pharmacists who have undertaken specialist training. Children are offered a nasal spray as it is quick, painless and is more effective than an injected vaccine.
If you would like your child to avail of the flu nasal vaccine, you will need to complete a Flu Vaccination consent form for your child ahead of the day. Please see link to fill in your child’s consent form:
PLEASE NOTE: For parents with more than one child in the school, you will need to fill in one consent form for each child. The pharmacy cannot vaccinate any child without the online consent being completed in advance. Vaccination will be scheduled over the school day to suit the operational needs of the school.
For information on the vaccine please read the following:
If you have any questions regarding the vaccine, please contact the pharmacy directly on 012898889.
If you need to withdraw consent, please contact the pharmacy directly by email hiltonspharmacy@gmail.com.
Celebrating 60 Years!
GOAL Jersey Day: Friday 10th October
Thank you and well done to our whole school community - on Friday we raised €1350 for GOAL!
Green Schools
Please find below the October Nature Spotter Sheet, we have also included an Autumn Leaf ID sheet!
Autumn Leaf ID Sheet
STEM Week: 13th- 17th October
This week, we’re thrilled to celebrate STEM Week in Hollypark!
Guess the Jellies Jar
Maths Chat Daily Challenges
Competitions
Maths Trails
Loop Games
Principal's Problems
Queen of the Tables
Trath na gCeist
Workshops
6th Class Science Expo
STEM Quiz
Dream Space Coding
Hollypark PA Updates
Hollypark GNS & BNS are thrilled to co-host two guest speakers for our October event ‘Your Kids online. What’s really going on?’
The well renowned online safety experts:
Eoghan Cleary (GenFree) will discuss the impact of being online for your child’s personal, social and sexual development and the real risk of your child being online now and
Alex Cooney (Cybersafe Kids) on how to keep them safe while they are online.
This talk is suitable for all classes if you have access to smart devices, gaming or even faced with the pressure of buying a smartphone!
Register using the link
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/your-kids-online-whats-really-going-on-tickets-1710510786809?aff=oddtdtcreator or see above flyer.
Hallowe'en Disco: Thursday 23rd October
Outdoor Learning Space
Thank you to our 6th Class girls and parents who spent last Friday afternoon painting the railings surrounding our outdoor learning space!
Traffic and Safety
One Way Traffic System
Traffic Safety
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.
Birthdays this week in Hollypark!
Sarina Allahbachani
Rena Wu
Alice O'Keeffe
Rhea Close
Evie Cahill
Rachel Hyland
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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