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Newsletter: 18th September

Admission to Junior Infants September 2025

The process for admission to Junior Infants 2025 will open on Monday 30th September and will remain open until Friday 25th October. 


The following are the dates applicable for admission to Junior Infants 2025/2026:

The school will commence accepting applications for admission on 

30th September 2024

 

The school shall cease accepting applications for admission on 

25th October 2024

@ 3:00pm

 

The date by which applicants will be notified of the decision on their application is    

15th November 2024

The period within which applicants must confirm acceptance of an offer of admission is*

29th November 2024

@ 3:00pm

The school cannot accept applications for Junior Infants 2025 before this process commences.


All details including relevant dates/forms/policy etc are now available on www.hollyparkgns.ie.


Once the admissions process is open, applications may be posted to the school or delivered by hand. As original documents supporting the application must be included, applications cannot be made by email.


 

School Calendar 2024/2025

The 2024/2025 calendar is available on www.hollyparkgns.ie


 

Key Dates: Term One

Opening of the School Year Mass

Tuesday 24th September

2nd - 6th Class GNS & BNS

Wellbeing Week: Bí Cineálta!

Week beg Monday 23rd September

Whole School

STEM Week

Week beg Monday 14th October

Whole School

GOAL Jersey Day

Friday 11th October

Whole school

Hallowe'en Dress Up Day

Friday 25th October

Whole school

Midterm break

28th October - 1st November inclusive

Whole School

PT Meetings

Week beginning Monday 18th November

1st - 6th Class

Weaving Wellbeing Fiona Forman: Talk for parents

Monday 18th November

All parents (GNS & BNS) welcome

Christmas Play

Wednesday 11th December

Junior Infants

Christmas Play

Thursday 12th December

Senior Infants

Last day of Term One (early finish)

Friday 20th December

Whole school

First day of Term Two

Monday 6th January

Whole school

 

 

Start & Finish Times


Start Time

Finish Time

Senior Infants

8:30am

1:10pm

1st & 2nd Class

8:30am

2:10pm

3rd- 6th Class

8:40am

2:20pm

 

School Uniform

  • Girls should wear the school tracksuit on PE days only.

  • For health and safety reasons, girls must wear appropriate sporting footwear in order to avoid injury.

  • School uniform trousers, as an alternative to the school uniform skirt, are available from our uniform suppliers The Schoolwear House.

  • For health and safety reasons, stud earrings only are permitted. Dangly earrings (to include hoops) are not permitted.

  • Nail polish, lip gloss, make-up (including mascara), fake tan, fake eyelashes and fake nails are not allowed. Pupils will be asked to remove make up on arrival in school. Wipes will be supplied.


 

Frásaí na Seachtaine


"Conas atá tú?  Tá mé go maith/ Tá mé go híontach."


Labhair Gaeilge linn!

 

Wellbeing Week: Bí Cineálta! 23rd - 27th September


We are looking forward to celebrating Wellbeing Week: Bí Cineálta! in our school, next week, commencing Monday 23rd September.


The theme of the week this year is BÍ CINEÁLTA – BE KIND. The girls will be reminded of our HPGNS school motto United in Friendship, Together We Strive. The girls will perform our Friendship song – You Can Count On Me (Bruno Mars) - at assembly on Friday 27th.


All classes will embrace Morning Meetings throughout the week as well as engaging in key resilience building activities.


The school team is working towards achieving our 3rd Amber flag. Eight girls have been selected from our 6th classes to lead this campaign. The Amber Flag committee will make the morning announcements, highlighting the wellbeing focus for each themed day during the week. 


Wellbeing T-shirts will be designed and worn with pride on Friday 27th.


We will launch Active Homework during Wellbeing Week: Bí Cineálta!.


Friday 27th September is European Active Day and we will round off our week of celebration with a fun fitness day on the astro, planned and delivered by the Daly Brothers.


Please keep an eye on our website for photos and updates as Wellbeing Week progresses. We look forward to a great week! 

 


 

Adam Harris Founder and CEO of ASIAM

To Hollypark GNS Staff, Parents & Community,

I would like to make you aware of an event our school is hosting.  Please feel free to share with your school staff and school community.  Adam Harris, Founder and CEO of Asiam.ie will be joining us again on Monday 30th September, talking about his experience of the education system as an autistic student.  This event is open to everyone to attend. 

 https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/adam-harris-founder-and-ceo-of-asiam-tickets-1015967866237?aff=ebdssbdestsearch


Kind regards,

Emma Dowling

Deputy Principal

Cherrywood Educate Together National School


 

Sacramental Classes: Information Meeting

A gentle reminder for our 2nd & 6th Class parents/guardians:

Dear Parents/Guardians,

You are kindly invited to attend an Information Meeting for Sacramental Preparation on Tuesday 24th September at 7:30 pm in Foxrock Church. The meeting aims to give you information about the Communion and Confirmation year ahead and registering for the Sacraments. 


Kind regards,


The Foxrock Parish Team

 

Hollypark PA Preloved Hallowe'en Costume & Jersey Collection

The PA are happy to announce the first fundraising event on October 4th.

It ties in with upcoming school events - Goal Jersey Day on October 11th and Halloween Dress Up Day on October 25th.


This event not only raises funds for the school but it is sustainable, saves parents time and money and teaches our children about a circular economy.


To facilitate this we will be holding a drop off day on Friday September 20th.


 

Junior Infant Photos

County Photos will be in the school on Thursday 3rd October for Junior Infant Photo Day. Class teachers will send reminders closer to time.


 

Junior Infant Curriculum Meeting

Parents/guardians of Junior Infants are invited to a short talk on the Junior Infant Curriculum on Thursday 3rd October at 12:40pm. This talk will take place in your daughter's Junior Infant Classroom and during this time, your daughter will be in a Senior Infant Class. (We would appreciate if younger siblings did not attend). 


Please enter via the main entrance of the school, where our Student Council will be on hand to escort you to your daughter’s classroom.


Collection time will be 1:10pm as usual, from the school yard. 


We look forward to seeing you then.

 

HSE - MMR, Flu

Immunisations

Junior Infants

24th & 25th September

Flu Vaccine

Whole School

17th October

Consent forms and reminders will issue to classes in advance of above.


 

Traffic Safety

Morning & evening 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 work with our PA to action the Walking Bus initiative as soon as possible

  • 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.

 

Post-Primary Open Evenings

Our 6th Class graduates attend a wide variety of local post-primary schools. Please see below Open Evenings which can be very helpful for parents/guardians of our 5th & 6th Class pupils.

The Teresian School

Thursday 19th September

4:30pm-7:00pm

Loreto College Foxrock

Thursday 19th September

6:00pm-8:00pm

St Joseph of Cluny

Tuesday 24th September

5:00pm-8:00pm

Dominican College Sion Hill

Tuesday 24th September

4:30pm-7:00pm

St Raphaela's Secondary School

Thursday 26th September

5:00pm-7:00pm

Holy Child School, Killiney

Thursday 26th September

4:30pm-7:00pm

Loreto Abbey Dalkey

Monday 30th September

4:00pm-7:00pm

Blackrock ETSS

Thursday 3rd October

6:30pm-8:30pm

 

4th Class News

The girls in 4th class have been busy knitting beautiful butterflies. Look at their fabulous butterfly mural!



They have also busy making functional swings as part of a STEM experiment.




 


Birthdays this week in Hollypark!

Sofia Moran

Emily Farrell

Kate Morrissey

Rachel English

Rosa Conlan

Sophia Cui

Alannah Maunsell

Lily Conlon

India Sheridan


 

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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.


 

HPGNS

United in Friendship, Together We Strive!

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