Admission to Junior Infants September 2025
The process for admission to Junior Infants 2025 opened 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
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The school shall cease accepting applications for admission on | 25th October 2024 @ 3:00pm
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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 |
All details including relevant dates/forms/policy etc are now available on www.hollyparkgns.ie.
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.
Key Dates: Term One
STEM Week | Week beg Monday 14th 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 | Senior Infants - 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 |
PT Meetings | Week beginning 27th January 2025 | Junior Infants |
School Calendar 2024/2025
The 2024/2025 calendar is available on www.hollyparkgns.ie
Voluntary Contribution
Sincere thanks to the 43 families who have already made a Voluntary Contribution for 2024/25.
Last year 323 (72%) of our families made Voluntary Contributions to our school. In addition to ensuring that we could pay all of our bills, this enabled us to continue with the refurbishment of our school, enhancing the learning environment for our girls. During the summer, classrooms on the Green Corridor were fitted with new bathrooms, floors were replaced and the classrooms and corridors were painted. New noticeboards are on their way!
Thank you to our presenters Maya & Robyn!
Next summer with your Voluntary Contributions, and with the support of our PA who are working very hard to fundraise, we hope to complete this refurbishment by replacing our pupils' chairs and freshening up our hall and adjacent visitor bathrooms. We would also like to create a Sensory Room for our pupils with additional needs.
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 these improvements (time, skillset, sponsorship) please let us know.
No Smartphone Voluntary Code
Launch of No Smartphone Voluntary Code for St Patrick’s GNS, Hollypark
Of late, there is increased media attention and significant concerns raised about the potential negative consequences of smartphones for children. Schools have responded to this challenge and in recent months we have heard of initiatives such as the “It Takes a Village” in Greystones, Co. Wicklow where students, parents, and schools have come together to say that their child will not have a smartphone at all in primary school. This has been a voluntary, ground-up initiative which has centred on open discussion, education, and wellbeing in its broadest sense.
This is an issue which has often been raised with our PA and so we are delighted that our PA is today launching a No Smartphone Voluntary Code to support and enable parents/guardians in the school who want to delay smartphone ownership for their own daughters of primary school age, to do so collectively. On the principle of strength in numbers, parents, via the PA, will adopt a No Smartphone Voluntary Code to present a united front against daughters’ lobbying for smartphones and in a bid to curb peer pressure.
A parent advocate who has lived experience of the difficulties faced by families when they choose not to buy a smartphone for their primary school children has ensured that this urgent matter has been prioritised by our PA. With this experience and support drawn from the expertise of various communities including Smartphone Free Childhood Ireland and UK and Gen Free: Free to be kids, she has worked with our PA to bring this concept to life in Hollypark. We encourage all parents to become familiar with the range of resources and case studies available from these communities, all of which will support families in making an informed decision.
All information and supporting material has been sent to parents/guardians today, via Aladdin.
Today your daughters will bring home a No Smartphone Voluntary Code Form to you. We respectfully ask that parents/guardians talk to their daughters and explain the No Smartphone Voluntary Code to them. (The supporting information may help in this conversation).
Although this initiative is voluntary in nature, we encourage all parents and guardians to support it, by completing and returning the No Smartphone Voluntary Code Form to your daughter’s class teacher by Wednesday 23rd October.
We recognise that it is not the only solution to the growing problem, but it is potentially one tool which may be helpful to those parents/guardians who wish to avail of it, and we would encourage all families to sign up without delay.
Reminder! CyberBreak: Friday 18th October
For Cyberbreak, we ask families across Ireland to completely ditch their smart devices for 24 hours, from 5pm on Friday 18th October to 5pm on Saturday 19th October. |
Space to be Screen Free
As part of our STEM Week activities, one of our parents, Blathnat Corboy, is visiting our Infant Classes on Thursday to promote an alternative to screen time: Space to be Screen Free.
Hollypark GNS PA Updates
PA Hallowe'en Costume/Jersey Swap
The PA Hallowe'en Costume/Jersey Swap & Sale fundraiser raised €597.00. This money will be used to provide the following fun activities for classes in the run up to Christmas:
The Moon & Sixpence Puppet Show
Niall de Burca: Storyteller
Thank you to our PA!
PA Christmas Card Fundraiser
Our talented artists have completed their designs and the elves are now busy preparing the Hollypark Christmas Cards for us. All details re costs etc will be issued soon.
Thank you to Nicola on our PA for all her work in assisting the elves in their endeavour.
Turas go dtí an Leabharlann: Rang a 6
Inné chuaigh Rang a 6 go dtí an leabharlann. Tháinig Ms. Mulligan agus Ms. Flanagan linn. Chuamar ar an mbus. Bhí an aimsir tirim ach scamallach. Bhí an bus déanach. Nuair a shroicheamar Dúnlaoghaire d’itheamar ár lón agus bhrostaíomar isteach sa leabharlann. Labhair Nicola Pierce linn faoin a leabhar darb ainm “In Between Worlds”. Bhí pictiúirí aici ón nGorta Mór agus bhí sí an-suimiúil. Ghlacamar griangraf den rang os comhair na leabharlainne tar éis an seó. Bhí an-lá againn. |
A Message from our Library Ladies
We wanted to share some updates on our school library. There is a new library team in place following the departure of Emer Cowman and Clare McManus who did so much work over the years.
Berna Mulcahy (Hyland) and Jenny Rogan have taken over the task of running the school library, assisting Ms. de Fréin and Ms. Mulvaney.
The library space has been reorganised and there is a book refresh going on. Lots of new books will be appearing over the coming weeks. We are very lucky to have so many parent volunteers from second to sixth class who give their time so generously to facilitate weekly class visits to the school library.
The library team can be contacted at Hollyparkgnslibrary@gmail.com if you would to share any book suggestions; if your child has misplaced a book or for any feedback you may have.
Folens Christmas Annuals
Folens Christmas Annuals will be available to order from tomorrow Thursday. An Aladdin payment link will issue to facilitate order/payment.
Junior & Senior Infants | Súgradh |
1st & 2nd Class | Spraoi |
3rd & 4th Class | Siamsa |
5th & 6th Class | Sonas |
Cost per annual: €4.50
GOAL Jersey Day: Friday 11th October
Our girls wore their sports jerseys to school last Friday and raised a fantastic €1350.00!!
Frásaí na Seachtaine
Cén rang ina bhfuil tú? Tá mé i rang a …….. |
Labhair Gaeilge linn!
Student Voice: Our School Committees 2024/2025
Our School Committees are made up 6th Class pupils who assist the teachers in the delivery of whole school initiatives throughout the school year.
Already our Amber Team has played a key role during Wellbeing Week and our STEAM Team are very busy this week as we celebrate STEM in Hollypark. Our Active Team will play a vital role in the lead up to, and on Sports Day; our Culture Club will ensure we have a terrific Creative Schools Week; our SESE Team will make sure that History Day and all events related to History and Geography are fun and interesting for our girls; our Language Team will look after all of the many festivities during Féile na dTeangacha and our Green Team continue to ensure that we maintain our flags and strong Green Schools ethos. All of our curricular teams embrace digital learning ensuring that this is an element of all activities.
A number of our 6th Class girls will also be elected to the Student Council along with girls from 5th Class later in the year. Our current Student Council is made up of girls who were elected last year while in 5th Class. They are wonderful ambassadors for our school on Welcome Days, Grandparents' Day and other school events.
During the year I will be inviting each of the teams to my office for tea and cake. This gives the girls an opportunity to reflect and review on all that is going on and to provide important feedback to the staff which informs our future planning.
STEM Week: 14th- 18th October
This week, we’re thrilled to celebrate STEM Week in Hollypark!
This event coincides with the launch and development of the new Primary Maths Curriculum by the Department of Education. This curriculum, the first major change since 1999, aims to show our children the importance and practicality of maths in their everyday lives. Over the next two years, schools will participate in Continuous Professional Development (CPD) to prepare for full implementation in September 2025.
Our Junior and Senior Infants have started the new Busy at Maths programme, an engaging and interactive maths curriculum designed to inspire young learners. This programme encourages children to explore maths in a hands-on and stimulating way, making learning both fun and meaningful. Through a variety of activities and resources, students will have the opportunity to develop their mathematical skills while discovering the world of maths around them. We can't wait to see how our youngest learners embrace this new approach to maths!
We are enjoying a week full of exciting activities:
Lego Robotics: We are especially excited to welcome back Arati for engaging Lego Workshops tailored for our 4th Classes. These 10 sessions will provide our students with the opportunity to delve into science and engineering in a fun and interactive environment, moving beyond their regular classroom activities. Each Lego workshop will combine theoretical knowledge with practical application in STEM subjects using K’nex® and Lego® bricks, incorporating stories, experiments, and demonstrations for a multi-sensory learning experience.
Jelly Jar Estimation: All students will use their estimation skills to guess how many jellies are in the jar—a fun way to apply maths to everyday situations!
Daily 'Principal's Problems': Tune in over the intercom for daily challenges from Ms. Gunning that will test our students' problem-solving skills. [Thank you for making my day a little easier girls].
Tables Queen Competition: A friendly competition for our 1st to 6th classes to crown the Tables Queen!
Coding with Microsoft Dream Space: Our 5th class girls will dive into the world of coding with this exciting programme led by our 11 Dream Space Ambassadors.
The Science of Bulbs: Thank you to Pat Perera and her team for visiting our 4th Classes. The girls learnt a great deal about the science of bulbs!
6th Class Science Exhibition: Every class will visit the 6th class Science Exhibition in the hall, showcasing the amazing projects and experiments our students have been working on.
Maths Trails: All classes will be using their MATHS EYES to embark on maths trails around the school grounds, discovering the maths hidden in our environment.
STEM Challenges: Students will have the opportunity to participate in a hands-on STEM challenge that encourages experimentation and creativity. They will be tasked with solving a problem by designing and building a solution using everyday materials. This challenge will foster critical thinking and collaboration as students work in teams to brainstorm ideas, test their designs, and refine their approaches based on trial and error. Through this process, they will learn the importance of resilience and adaptability in problem-solving, all while having fun exploring the principles of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics!
Maths Week Live Quizzes on Maths Week Ireland TV
We would like to extend a big thank you to our students in 6th class on the STEM Committee for all their help in preparing for STEM Week. Your hard work and dedication are greatly appreciated!
Throughout the week, we will engage in lots of MATHS CHAT! We encourage all students to participate actively in this wonderful opportunity to explore and enjoy STEM learning. We are making this STEM Week a memorable and enriching experience for everyone in Hollypark!
HSE - MMR, Flu
Flu Vaccine | Whole School | 17th October |
Links to consent forms have been issued to all classes.
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.
Hallowe'en Soccer Camp @ Hollypark
Booking Link: https://shorturl.at/OFwUp
Birthdays this week in Hollypark
Sarina Allahbachani
Michaela Kavanagh
Rena Wu
Alice O'Keeffe
Rhea Close
Ava Conlan
Evie Cahill
Rachel Hyland
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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