Newsletter: Wednesday 21st May 2025
- hollyparkwebsite
- May 21
- 5 min read
School Calendar 2025/26
School will reopen for the new school year on Thursday 28th August 2025. Please see below School Calendar for 2025/26.
Please note that the staggered start/finish times introduced during COVID will conclude at the end of this school year. The school will revert to pre-COVID opening and closing times from Thursday 28th August 2025 as set out below:
Junior & Senior Infants | 8:40am - 1:20pm |
1st- 6th Class | 8:40am - 2:20pm |
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
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
Sports Day Results
Skip/Cyclathon Fundraiser
Over €5600.00 has been raised to date through our Skip/Cyclathon!
Thank you for your ongoing and continous generosity and support.
Santry Athletics: Super Results!
Well done to our Athletics Squad in Santry. They had a splendid day on Monday!
Thanks to teachers/coaches Mrs Marnell, Ms McNulty and Ms Henry.
Tennis Team Update
Over the last few months, we have been representing the Hollypark Tennis team and playing in the Leinster Primary Schools’ Tennis League. We have played some very tough matches during the league. All of our matches were close but in the end we came 3rd in the league and we were delighted.We thoroughly enjoyed being on the Hollypark tennis team and we hope to try out again next year!Aibhlínn Doherty Heaney and Charlotte OliverSchool 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 are now 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 have facilitated 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) are now available.
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, raising over €4000.00 through recent choir events, 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!
Sacramental Celebration: 2nd & 6th Classes
We are looking forward to celebrating First Holy Communion with our 2nd Classes this weekend.
Well done to the girls and the teachers and SNAs Ms Lamont, Ms Duffy, Ms McNulty, Ms Hayden & Ms Clarke for all their work and preparation for this very important event and thank you to our 2nd Class Team for giving of their time at the weekend to celebrate with the girls and their families.
In a long standing tradition we are delighted that our School Choir will be singing at this event and thank you to Ms de Frein and the girls for giving of their time on a Saturday morning to add to this very special day of celebration for our girls.
Our 6th Classes are very much looking forward to next week's Ceremony of Light which will take place for our 6th Classes on Thursday 29th May @ 6:30pm and Confirmation which will take place on Saturday 7th June.
Thank you to our 6th Class team Ms de Frein, Ms O'Connor, Ms Coll & Ms Finlay-Mulligan for their work and preparation with the girls and for giving of their Saturday to celebrate with the girls. And thank you to our 4th & 5th Class Choir girls who will be giving of their Saturday morning to sing at the ceremony
Voluntary Contribution
Thank you to the 257 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.
Well done!
Congratulations to Zoe in 1st Class who was recently awarded a Distinction in her Ballet Exam!
Amelia in 4th Class raised €50.00 for the homeless!
We both play for Meteors Basketball Team. Sophia plays on the U/13 team and Chloe plays on the U/12 team. This season we both won the award for the ‘Most Improved Player’ on our respective teams. Sophia’s team won their league and came 2nd in the ‘Shield Competition’ and Chloe’s team came 2nd in their league. We are looking forward to next season!
by Sophia & Chloe
Congratulations and well done to Eliana, Aisling, Sadhbh & Leah who raised €175.00 for Laura Lynn selling loom band braclets and sweets in their neighbourhood.
Planting Sunflowers with Pat
We are grateful to Pat Perera and her team of parents and grandparent volunteers who ensured that all of our girls planted sunflowers throughout last week.
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!
Summer Art Camp
After School Activities 2025/26
A full schedule of After School Activities for the school year 2025/26 will issue in mid-June.
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.
An Garda Síochána Dun Laoghaire Open Day
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!
Doireann Lehmann
Sophia Anne Rooney
Clare Dockery
Lyla D'Arcy
Sophie Hannon
Sarah Gillen
Lara O'Halloran
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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