Online Safety:
A message from the Principals of Hollypark Schools
Dear Parents/Guardians,This week, Garda Gavin Fleet is visiting Hollypark Girls' and Boys' Schools to speak with our 5th and 6th classes. During his visit, Garda Gavin will share an important reminder with the students about the potential dangers of social media. He will emphasise the importance of respecting others, the consequences of sharing photos without consent, and the need to avoid harmful behaviours such as racism and homophobic remarks online. He will also explain how even one mean or hurtful post can lead to serious consequences, including criminal investigations, school suspensions, or expulsion.As a school we strongly support our PA's Voluntary Smartphone Code, but as parents, if you decide to give your child a phone, we kindly ask that you be aware of the potential risks that come with it. The online world can be overwhelming and, at times, even dangerous. While phones can be a great tool for communication and learning, they also open doors to environments that may be difficult for younger users to navigate safely.As principals, we are seeing the real impact of online interactions on our students. Apps like Snapchat in particular, can present a challenging and sometimes unsafe space. Messages on Snapchat are designed to disappear after a short time, meaning that, if you check your child’s phone in the evening, many of the posts from that day may already be gone. This can make it difficult to monitor their interactions and ensure their safety. Please note that Snapchat’s terms of service state that users must be at least 13 years old, and younger children may be exposed to content or conversations they are not ready to handle.We encourage parents to consider where and how phones are used in your home. It is important that phones are not taken into bedrooms at night and are instead monitored regularly. Keeping the lines of communication open with your child and checking in on their online activity is vital.As educators, we are committed to supporting our students whenever they experience or share harmful online interactions. However, addressing issues that arise from the misuse of technology often takes time away from teaching and learning. This not only impacts the individual student involved but also reduces the overall learning time for all pupils, hindering their access to the full curriculum and limiting their potential to succeed.In the best interest of your child’s safety and well-being, we cannot stress enough the importance of understanding the risks of the online world — whether it’s social media, phones, or online gaming. We encourage you to stay informed about these risks so that you can help protect your child from potential harm.Thank you for your ongoing support in keeping our students safe, happy, and healthy both online and offline.Kind regards,
Bernadette Gunning, Principal, Hollypark GNS & Barry O'Donovan, Prinicpal, Hollypark BNSKey Dates Term Two
Sacrament of First Penance | Thursday 13th March | 2nd Class |
Seachtain na Gaeilge | 10ú - 14ú Márta | Gach rang |
Book Fair | 10th - 14th March | All classes |
St Patrick's Day (School Closure) | Monday 17th March & Tuesday 18th March | All classes |
National Children's Choir Performance | Friday 28th March | 5th & 6th Classes |
Standardised Testing | Week beginning Monday 7th April | 1st - 6th Classes |
Mary's Meals Bucket Collection | Friday 11th April | All classes |
Final Day of Term Two | Friday 11th April | All classes |
First Day of Term Three | Monday 28th April | All classes |
School Calendar 2024/2025
The 2024/2025 calendar is available on www.hollyparkgns.ie
Voluntary Contribution
Thank you to the 213 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. Thank you! |
If you would like to help in any additional way with our school development,
(time, skillset, sponsorship) please let us know.
Frásaí na Seachtaine
"Beidh Aonach na Leabhar ar siúl sa halla an tseachtain seo chugainn." |
Labhair Gaeilge linn!
Féile na dTeangacha!
We are looking forward to celebrating Feile na dTeangacha/Festival of Languages in Hollypark with lots of fun activities planned!
Book Fair/Aonach na Leabhar
The Hollypark GNS Book Fair will take place from Monday 10th - Friday 14th March in the school hall.
This Book Fair/Aonach na Leabhar (Tara Book Company) will run concurrently with Féile na dTeangacha our Festival of Languages.
Parent Reps will be in touch regarding your daughter’s allocated Book Fair time. Parents/Guardians are also very welcome to attend during the General Admission Times Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8.30-9.00am.
As always thank you for your ongoing support for these worthy initiatives.
Global Goals Week
Some of the senior classes participated in Global Goals Week last week.
They became members of an online classroom which included students from Ireland, Kenya and England. They learned all about the Sustainable Development Goals.
They will be the leaders of the future!
Sacramental Celebration: 2nd & 6th Classes
| Class | Date | Time | Wear |
Sacrament of Reconciliation | 2nd Class | Thursday 13th March | 7:00pm | Uniform |
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 have been distributed throughout the school.
With your support we can help families like Ilma and Julio's build a more secure future.
Ash Wednesday
6th Class attended Mass today for Ash Wednesday and ashes were distributed to all other classes in school.
Hockey
Hello, we are Aoife, Hannah and Lucy. We are the captains of the A and B hockey teams. Over the past few weeks, we have had three hockey matches. In the first one we were playing Monkstown Educate Together. They were tough matches but both teams won. The A team won their match 2-1 and the B team won their match 4-0. In our second match we were playing St. Laurence’s NS; they were hard to beat but both teams still managed to win their matches. The A team won their match 2-0 and the B team won their match 4-0. Our last match was on Monday when we played St. Patrick’s, Bray. They were great teams and made us play our best. The A team won their match 4-0 and the B team won their match 1-0. It is a great experience to be a part of these hockey teams and we have had loads of fun playing with our classmates and friends. We are thrilled to have topped our league and can’t wait for the semi-finals!!By Aoife, Hannah & LucyNational Children's Choir
The National Children's Choir (NCC) has been bringing choral music to primary schools since 1985, and this year NCC is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Four of our senior girls attended the launch of this year's series of NCC celebratory concerts in the National Concert Hall.
Regional concerts will be held in the National Basketball Arena at the end of March. All of our 5th and 6th class girls have been busy learning their songs and we are really looking forward to their performance on Friday 28th March!
School Choir: Córfhéile 2025
Well done to the School Choir on their beautiful performance at Córfhéíle on Monday evening. The Choir received a lovely adjudication from Ms Orla Gillan.
Our Achievements
Well done to our Author-in Residence Alex Byrne (3rd Class) who recently donated the proceeds from the sale of her wonderful book 'I Belong in a Beautiful World' to Laura Lynn.
Well done to Alice in Senior Infants who won three medals at the Bridie Goodman Memorial Feis at the weekend!
Hollypark GNS PA Update
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!
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!
Ellen Flanagan
Olivia Leonard
Blanca Lundy
Emily Bowler
Aislinn Lehmann
Sienna Phelan
Be Winter Ready!
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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