Newsletter: Wednesday 30th April 2025
- hollyparkwebsite
- Apr 30
- 6 min read
Updated: May 1
Welcome back! I hope that everyone enjoyed a great well-deserved Easter break. It is lovely to see the girls look so rested and well, and ready for the busy-ness of Term 3! |
Key Dates Term Three
May Break School Closure | Monday 5th & Tuesday 6th May | All classes |
National Children's Choir @ the NCH | Sunday 11th May | NCH girls |
Sports Day | Tuesday 13th May | All classes |
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 |
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 |
Confirmation Photo | Tuesday 10th June | 6th Class |
Creative Schools Week | Week beginning Monday 9th June | All classes |
6th Class Graduation | Wednesday 25th 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 in due course, via Aladdin, with all relevant details.
School Calendar 2024/2025
The 2024/2025 calendar is available on www.hollyparkgns.ie
Sports Day
We are looking forward to our annual Sports Day which will take place (weather permitting! ) on Tuesday 13th May. How lucky are we that Jacqui Hurley will give of her professional expertise and time to commentate on the day.
We are also delighted to welcome our local clubs and some of our After School Providers who will provide ongoing sports activities throughout our school day.
The spectator events will take place on our pitch - please see timetable below which facilitates the attendance of parents/ families. Please note no dogs are allowed on the school campus. There will be waste bins for coffee cups etc on entry to the astro as we must protect the all-weather membrane of the pitch. (For this reason also, stiletto heels should not be worn).
Class Levels | Pitch Time Slot |
Junior & Senior Infants | 09:00 - 10:00 |
1st & 2nd Class | 10:15 - 11:15 |
3rd & 4th Class | 11:30 - 12:30 |
5th & 6th Class | 13:00 - 14:20 |
Active/Sports Day Fundraiser
Your girls will have the opportunity to cycle/skip the 600km to London to support the Women's Rugby World Cup Final 2025 from 7th - 9th May. We would like to thank MC Sport for allowing us to borrow stationary bikes for this event.
Our PA will be on-site on Sports Day so that parents will have the opportunity to participate in the fundraiser and help us cycle the distance! (No specific training required - just courage and a sense of fun!)
All classes recently received Sponsorship Cards for this fundraiser. All completed Sponsorship Cards will be entered into a draw to win one of 50 Ice Cream Vouchers - kindly donated to the school by Cafolla's! Thank you Paola & Ailbhe!
National Children's Choir @ the NCH
We are delighted that 25 of our girls have been selected to sing in the National Concert Hall as part of the National Children's Choir on Sunday 11th May. This is a wonderful opportunity for our girls and we are very proud of them!
Voluntary Contribution
Thank you to the 246 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.
Curriculum Evaluation: Music
Our girls shone during our recent Curriculum Evaluation in Music. We look forward to receiving our report which will be shared with parents and pupils. It is great to see the wonderful work of our staff and pupils affirmed and acknowledged.
School Choir
The School Choir are back at rehearsals as they prepare for some key school events. The girls will sing for the First Holy Communion on Saturday 24th May, Confirmation on Saturday 7th June and will perform their end of year School Choir Concert on Wednesday 28th May.
Dream Space Ambassadors
On May 15th, 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!
Well done!
Well done to Lauren in Ms O'Shea's 4th Class who won highly commended in all of Ireland for her illustration of a poem (Speech and Drama: Paint a Poem).
Well done to Shauna in 6th Class whose illustration, based on the song 'Thankful', was selected for display during the recent run of nine National Children's Choir concerts in the National Basketball Arena.
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 |
Trócaire Lenten Campaign 2025
Trócaire Boxes may be returned to the school office up to and including Friday 9th May 2025.
Mary's Meals
Well done to all on our recent Mary's Meals Collection! An amazing €1624.52 was donated. Apart from all the girls bringing in their donation some went above and beyond. One pupil held a family collection and some girls made bracelets donating the proceeds to the bucket collection day. What wonderful kindness and generosity!
73 children will be fed for a whole year, huge thanks to everyone who donated!
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.
Support Cabinteely Darkness into Light:
10th May 2025
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 and next in Hollypark!
Julia Mahon
Lucy Walkin
Amaira Nair
Sophia Vivienne Linehan
Edie Lynch
Amélie Defer
Zoe Doyle
Margot Wilson
Blaise Crowe
Kitty Cunningham
Willow Franklin
Victoria Linehan
Fiadh Quinn
Yeva Gudz
Hailey Collins
Emani Meagher
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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