Newsletter: Wednesday 4th February 2026

School Calendar 2025/2026

The 2025/2026 calendar is available on www.hollyparkgns.ie

Key Dates: Term Two

CyberSafe Workshops	Thursday 5th & Friday 6th February	3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th Class
Staff Inservice School Closure	Wednesday 11th February	Whole School
PA Ladies Lunch	Friday 13th February	All parents
Midterm Break	School closed Thursday 19th & Friday 20th February	Whole School
6th Class Movie Night	Friday 6th March	6th Class
60th Celebration Day	Thursday 26th March	Whole School
St Patrick's School Closure	Monday 16th March & Tuesday 17th March	Whole School
PA Table Quiz	Friday 20th March	All parents
Staff Inservice School Closure	Wednesday 13th May	Whole School

Knowing if your child is well enough to go to school

Use this page

https://www2.hse.ie/babies-children/parenting-advice/caring-for-a-child/knowing-if-your-child-is-well-enough-to-go-to-school-or-childcare/

to find out:

• When it's OK to send your child to school or childcare

• When to keep your child at home from school or childcare

  
  

Please note these key points to keep our school (and wider) community safe and well:

High temperature

If your child has a high temperature, keep them off school or childcare until their temperature:

• goes back to normal

• stays that way without taking paracetamol and ibuprofen

In children, any temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or above is considered high.

Vomiting and diarrhoea

• Children with diarrhoea or vomiting should stay away from school or childcare until they have not been sick or had diarrhoea for at least 48 hours.

Follow advice from your GP 

If your child has been diagnosed with an infection such as:

• impetigo

• measles

• mumps

• scarlet fever

• slapped cheek syndrome

• chicken pox

---

Grandparents' Day 2026: Friday 30th January

Thank you to all our wonderful grandparents who visited us last Friday. It was a truly special day, and our girls enjoyed every moment.

Sincere thanks to all staff for the warm welcome extended to our grandparents within the classrooms throughout the day.

A very special thank you to our PA, who ensured our grandparents were well looked after with a much-appreciated cup of tea or coffee.

Finally, thank you to our Student Council, who were outstanding ambassadors for our school and helped make the day so memorable.

A landmark occasion that truly reflected the heart of our school.

---

Laudate Festival 2026

Well done to our 4th Classes who performed so beautifully at last week's Laudate celebration in the Church of St Therese in Mount Merrion. We were delighted so many parents and grandparents were also in a position to join us on the evening.

Thank you to Ms Henry, Ms O'Shea, Ms Mannix and Ms de Fréin for preparing the girls so well and for giving of your evening to attend.

---

Safer Internet Day

Safer Internet Day takes place on Tuesday, 10th February 2026. The celebrations will be based around the theme, “AI Aware: Safe, Smart, and in Control”.

CyberSafeKids

CyberSafeKids will be in our school this week to deliver workshops to our 3rd, 4th , 5th & 6th Classes.

CyberSafeKids is a trusted advocate for online safety, empowering children, parents, and educators to navigate the internet safely and confidently.

CyberSafeKids is dedicated to equipping children and young people with the skills they need to thrive in a connected world while staying protected from the challenges and risks it can bring. CyberSafeKids tirelessly promotes digital literacy, resilience, and responsible online behaviour.

These workshops fully support our school's approach to our children's online safety and wellbeing.

---

Well done!

Well done Holly!

Holly won two trophies and 4 medals at an Irish dancing feis on Sunday. She dances with Shauna Mc Gauren school of dancing. Well done Holly!

Sadhbh, Kate, Holly and Sarah all won medals in a gymnastics competition with Bounce gymnastics! Well done girls.

Well done Riley!

Congratulations to Riley in 3rd Class, who won a trophy at a football blitz with Joey’s Football Club on Monday. Well done Riley!

Well done Cora!

Many congratulations to Cora in Senior Infants who took part in a Ballroom Dancing Competition last week. She danced beautiully and won medals for the waltz and samba!

---

Library News

Following on from the success of Marita Conlon McKenna as our guest speaker last year, this year will see Sinead Moriarty visiting 4th, 5th and 6th classes at Hollypark GNS on Friday 6th March.

This will be a lovely lead into our Book Fair which commences 9th March.

We will have more of Sinead Moriarty’s books on the shelves shortly, giving the girls a chance to read more of her books before she visits.

---

Voluntary Contributions 2025- 2026

Sincere thanks to the 150 families (that is 38% of all our families) who have already made a Voluntary Contribution to the school for 2025-26.

It may interest our families to know that you can choose to make frequent small payments to your Voluntary Contribution via Aladdin at any time during the school year, up to and including 31st August 2026.

Any and all contributions are very much appreciated and make a real difference to your daughter's learning environment.

---

PA Update

60th Anniversary Celebrations: Ladies Lunch Raffle!

Link to raffle: https://www.idonate.ie/raffle/HPLadiesLunchRaffle

PA Table Quiz Fundraiser

---

Health & Safety

From time to time, vapes have been found on the school yard.

Please note that under legislation,

Smoking/Vaping is prohibited on school grounds.

---

Traffic Safety

Please note:

It is illegal to park in a way which interferes with traffic flow or obstructs or endangers other road users, for example:

• Opposite a continuous white line.

• On a footpath (either partly or wholly).

• Within 5 metres of a junction.

• Within 15 metres on the approach side or 5 metres on the other side of a pedestrian crossing or traffic lights.

• At a school entrance.

• Obstructing any entrance for vehicles except with the occupier’s consent.

• On a grass margin or median strip.

[Dublin Street Parking Services]

Once again I am reminding our parents/guardians/minders to drive and park with consideration for our children and our neighbours - many of whom are elderly and vulnerable.

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!

Fiadh Plunkett

Lizzy Cunningham

Irish-Kate Elegado

Samira Campeáo

Sophia Hsu

Anna Hyland

Sarah Clancy

Hiu Wai Chau

Alanna O'Sullivan

---

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!