Key Dates Term One & Two
Catholic Schools Week | Week beginning Monday 19th January | All classes |
Laudate | Wednesday 29th January | 4th Class |
Grandparents Day | Friday 31st January | All classes |
St Brigid's Day (School Closure) | Monday 3rd February | All classes |
Cyber Safety Talk & Pre-Loved Uniform Sale | Monday 17th February | Parents |
Staff In-service (Early Closure) | Wednesday 19th February | All classes |
History Day | Wednesday 19th February | All classes |
February Mid-Term | Thursday 20th February & Friday 21st February | All classes |
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 |
Mary's Meals Bucket Collection | Friday 11th April | All classes |
Final Day of Term Two | Friday 11th April | All classes |
Staff In-Service: Bí Cineálta Training
Please note that school will close early on Wednesday 19th February to facilitate staff in-service on the new Bí Cineálta Guidelines.
We will operate a staggered closure as outlined below:
Staggered Closure | |
Junior & Senior Infants & older siblings | 11:30am |
1st & 2nd Class & older siblings | 11:45am |
3rd - 6th Class | 12:00pm |
School Calendar 2024/2025
The 2024/2025 calendar is available on www.hollyparkgns.ie
Grandparents' Day 2025: Friday 31st January
We are very much looking forward to this landmark day on our annual school calendar, which will take place on Friday 31st January.
(If for any reason we have to reschedule our Grandparents Day, we have a contingency date of Friday 7th February).

On this special day Grandparents will visit their grandchildren's classroom and will have the opportunity to share stories of their time in school with the girls. (For the comfort of all, we ask that only one grandparent attends per family). Grandparents will also join the children in the school hall for a short Prayer Service and will then be invited into our staffroom for light refreshments.
To accommodate the expected numbers, we will operate staggered arrival and departure times, as set out below.
Junior & Senior Infants & 1st Class | ||
8:45 – 9:15 | Visit | Classroom |
9:15 – 9:45 | Prayer Service | Hall |
9:45 – 10:15 | Tea/coffee | Staffroom |
2nd, 3rd & 4th Classes | ||
11:00 - 11:30 | Visit | Classroom |
11:30 – 12:00 | Prayer Service | Hall |
12:00 – 12:30 | Tea/coffee | Staffroom |
5th & 6th Classes | ||
12:45 – 1:15 | Visit | Classroom |
1:15 – 1:45 | Prayer Service | Hall |
1:45 – 2:15 | Tea/coffee | Staffroom |
If one of your grandparents is visiting the school for Grandparents' Day, please email your daughter’s class teacher by Friday 24th January and tell her the name of the grandparent who will be attending.
Due to the volume of correspondence on the office email, and to avoid any missed communications, we ask that you email the class teacher directly.
We are looking forward to seeing you all then!
Laudate Festival 2025
4th Class have been working on the 15 song Laudate Repertoire since last September and are very much looking forward to participating in this year’s Laudate Festival which takes place during Catholic Schools Week.

The Laudate Festival will take place on Wednesday 29th January (7:00pm-8:15pm) in the Church of St Therese, Mount Merrion.
All parents and families are welcome to attend.
Junior Infant Parent Teacher Meetings
We are looking forward to meeting our Junior Infant parents at your annual Parent Teacher Meetings which will take place during the week beginning Monday 27th January 2025.
The PT Scheduler has now closed for bookings. Please contact your daughter's Class Teacher directly if you have forgotten to make your booking.
A Message from the HSE
Dear Principal,
As the cold weather continues, the HSE public health division has asked for your help in sharing the following important information with your school community:
Flu is circulating widely in the community, with children being significantly affected.
Please remind families that anyone who is unwell should remain at home to help prevent the spread of infection.
Cough and sneeze etiquette, along with regular hand hygiene, are essential to limiting the spread of illness.
The free nasal flu vaccine for children aged 2–17 is still available through local pharmacies and GPs.
For more information, go to hse.ie/flu.
Thank you for your support in sharing this information with your school community.
Voluntary Contribution
The Board has this week issued letters of acknowledgement to all families who have already made a Voluntary Contribution for 2024/25.
Your Voluntary Contribution makes a real difference to your girls' learning environment. 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
An leatsa an.......? Is liomsa an ......... |
Labhair Gaeilge linn!
History Day in Hollypark
We look forward to celebrating History on Wednesday 19th February 2025 with many fun activities on the day.

The girls in 2nd – 6th class will have the opportunity to dress up as a character based on an era or event they have been working on in class. Alternatively, the girls could pick their favourite character from history. Your daughter’s class teacher will give the girls further details.
‘The more we know about the past, the better prepared we are for the future’.
Swim Team: Report on Leinster Schools Gala
Last weekend, we participated in the Leinster Schools Gala. We had lots of fun!
It was even better when we won the relays! Matylda in 4th Class was placed 3rd in the backstroke and we were very proud.
It was a great experience and we had a great day!
Thank you to our Mums & Dads and Mrs Marnell for their fantastic support!
By Eva & Isabelle
Tennis Trials
School Team Tennis Trials took place earlier today.
Many thanks to Coach Steve and Newpark Tennis Club for facilitating this process. Special thanks to Mrs Marnell, Ms Belton and parent Louise Doolin (Mollie's Mum) for their role in organising the trials.
We look forward to seeing the girls compete over the coming months.
Moana 2
Margot retells the story of Moana 2 to her classmates:
A Mindfulness Moment by Caoimhe

Thank you to Caoimhe in 2nd Class for sharing her Mindfulness Moment.
School Furniture
We are delighted that our recent application for grant funding from the Department of Education was successful, enabling the school to purchase new chairs for all of our girls. These chairs are more comfortable, more colourful and will be much less damaging to our new floors (which were wholly funded by parental voluntary contributions - thank you!)
We are delighted that Orlagh Buckley has organised for our old furniture to be donated and transported to Uganda, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Ukraine and Gaza. Orlagh's good friend Joe Clancy will collect the furniture on Saturday and with the help of Kevin (our caretaker), Orlagh and other volunteers, he will fill his truck for the long journeys ahead.
Hollypark GNS PA Update
Cyber Safety Talk: Monday 17th February
A Parents Talk on Cyber Safety brought to you by CyberSafe Ireland takes place on Monday 17th February @ 7:30pm.
Pre-Loved Uniform Sale
The PA will hold a Pre-Loved Uniform Sale before the Cyber Safety Talk - Monday 17th February @ 7:00pm.
Thank you to our PA who will serve tea and coffee at this event.
Library Update
September to December 2024 were spent reorganising our school library and working out what new books we could add to enhance the overall library experience for the girls.
Thanks to funding from the school and last year’s book fair, 110 brand new books hit the library shelves in the past week.
We’ve prioritised popular authors, especially Irish authors and age-appropriate books that will both appeal to the girls and challenge their reading.
Thanks to the 6th Class Language Committee, a new library notice board has been launched which will highlight initiatives such as the favourite books the girls like to read.
The priorities for this new term are to organise a focused book drive and to host the annual Hollypark GNS book fair March 10th to 14th. We also hope to have local author Marita Conlon-McKenna visit during the term.
If you’ve any feedback or questions, please contact us at: hollyparkgnslibrary@gmail.com.
Berna and Jenny
Traffic Safety
Morning & afternoon one-way system:

Reminders:
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.
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.
Be Winter Ready

Birthdays this week in Hollypark!
Kate Ann Kilroy
Charlotte Prest
Juliet Liuzzi-Kelly
Alice Molloy
Grace Murray
Tess O'Donnell
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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