Newsletter: Wednesday 26th March 2025
- hollyparkwebsite
- Mar 26
- 8 min read
Key Dates Term Two
National Children's Choir Performance | Friday 28th March | 5th & 6th Classes |
Music Day | Friday 4th April | All classes |
Hollypark PA Table Quiz | Friday 4th April | All parents |
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 |
May Break School Closure | Monday 5th & Tuesday 6th May | All classes |
Sports Day | Tuesday 13th May | All classes |
Standardised Testing | Week beginning Monday 19th May | 1st - 6th Classes |
First Holy Communion | Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th May | 2nd Class |
School Closure for PMC Staff Inservice | Monday 26th May | All classes |
School Calendar 2024/2025
The 2024/2025 calendar is available on www.hollyparkgns.ie
Voluntary Contribution
Thank you to the 230 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.
Green School: Solar Panels
The school's application to the Department of Education for funding for Solar Panels has been successful. These will be installed during the Easter holidays. As funding is limited, this is only a first step, but we hope the new panels will help, at least in a small way, towards our energy costs and a greener environment.
Frásaí na Seachtaine
"Tá na héiníní ag canadh!" |
Labhair Gaeilge linn!
Special Visitor from Japan
On Wednesday the 19th March, 4th Class had a visit Professor Yukiko Sawano from the University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo.
We shared our projects on Japan and got new insight and an opportunity to ask her lots of questions.
It was a very exciting day which we will never forget.
World Down Syndrome Day: Friday 21st March
€1320.00 raised!!!
On Friday, we celebrated Odd Socks Day.
Odd Socks Day is a day to celebrate everything that makes all of us different, and yet the same. The whole school wore odd socks and brought in €2 to honour this special day.
Altogether, our school raised a total of €1320! This money will be donated to the DS Centre.
by Lucy Kennedy
National Children's Choir - NCC
Our recent cluster rehearsal for NCC featured on New2Day on Monday!
9000 primary school children nationwide are participating in the NCC and we are very proud that our school was the one selected to feature. View the report here.
On Thursday our 5th & 6th Classes will travel to the National Basketball Arena for their NCC Dress Rehearsal and we are very much looking forward to their concert on Friday evening.
Thank you to our 5th & 6th Class teachers for their work in preparing the girls and for giving of their time on Friday evening to attend and supervise at the concert.
Hockey
A Team Report
Hello, we are Aoife Holland and Lucy Kennedy and we are the co-captains of the A hockey team.On Monday, we had our semi-final of our hockey league. We were playing Kill O’ The Grange. It was a very tough match but we played our best and won 2-1.This news is very exciting and means that we are playing in the final next Monday in Three Rock Rovers at 9am.We are so happy that 5th and 6th class get to support us at our match. We have had so much fun playing these matches and are so proud of our team!!By Aoife Holland & Lucy Kennedy
B Team Report
Hello, we are Zoe Broderick and Hannah Kearney, the co-captains of the Hollypark B hockey team. Our team has just won the semi-final against Kill O’ The Grange on the Loreto Foxrock hockey pitch. It was a very tight match, but we all fought through it as a team and came out with a win of 1-0.
We are so proud and excited to announce that we now have the privilege of playing in the final on Monday 31st March against St. Patrick’s Primary School in the Three Rock Rovers hockey club.
Luckily, 5th and 6th class get to come along and support us on this exciting day.Wish us luck! Go Hollypark!
by Zoe Broderick & Hannah KearneyTennis
Last Friday, Hollypark 6th Class Tennis Team played against Carysfort National School at Carraig LTC. All 3 pairs won their match!We are very proud of our team. We will play our last match of the first round this Friday and we are very hopeful for a win! Written by: Sarah Tighe, Alanna Cronin and Emily MahonThe 5th Class Tennis Team played their first match last Tuesday, unfortunately losing to Scoil Chualann in a close finish.
We wish them the very best of luck in their next match on Tuesday 1st April!
Camogie
Hi, we are Rebecca and Holly from the 5th & 6th class camogie team. Our camogie team has been training extremely hard for the Cumann Na mBunscol competition. Our first match is on 09/04/25 and we will be playing against St Brigid’s GNS. We have been training in Granada every Wednesday with our amazing coaches Claire Kelly from Kilmacud Crokes and Kieran, Margaret and Lisa, who have kindly volunteered to help coach us. Of course, none of this would have been possible without Mrs. Marnell to help us get into the league.
by Rebecca & HollySwimming
The swim team are very excited for the upcoming Irish Minors Schools Gala this Sunday. We are participating in many individual races and two relays.
We are so proud to be representing Hollypark and we will try our hardest to come home with a medal or two.
GO HOLLYPARK!!!Santry Athletics Trials
5th Class Santry Trials took place last Friday. All students who had the courage to show up and try out should be very proud of themselves.
This Friday 6th Class get their turn to try-out. All students who wish to try-out must be on the astro pitch at 08.00 a.m.
Sacramental Celebration: 2nd & 6th Classes
| Class | Date | Time | Wear |
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 |
A Message to First Communion Families:
Dear Parents and Guardians, We will host the second of our family Zoom sessions for First Communion preparations next Monday, 31st March at 7:30 pm. Please join the Zoom meeting using the link and passcode details sent earlier this week via Aladdin. The session will last about 45 minutes. Ensure the Zoom app is downloaded and updated on your devices ahead of time. All sessions will be recorded if you cannot attend. We look forward to seeing you and your children on Zoom on Monday 31st March and encourage you to join in and participate in the session. Please note that our final session will be on Monday 28th April. Kind regards The Sacramental Team |
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.
Celebrating Music Day in HP!
We look forward to celebrating Music Day in Hollypark on Friday 4th April! Already classes are creating posters for display in our school.
During Seachtain na Gaeilge, we listened to a variety of Irish Music in our classes and we hope to listen to and compare/contrast different genres of music in our classes in the lead-up to Music Day.
A number of classes will interview a parent, grandparent on their memories of music. On Friday 4th we will also perform, demonstrating a variety of genres of music in contrast to our selection of songs and performances during Seachtain na Gaeilge.
We will focus on the orchestra and the various families, learn about various composers, participate in a class quiz based on music and incorporate art as part of our Music Day.
We hope the girls will enjoy this special day.
Percussion Workshop 2025
Our Percussion (Drumming) Workshops take place on Monday 16th June, Tuesday 17th June and Thursday 19th June. Each workshop will take 45 minutes and will be presented in a fun and enjoyable way.
Irish Dancing Achievements
We are Lily, Ciara and Elize and we competed in the Dublin Championships for Irish dancing. We danced the reel, slip jig, treble reel and the Championship and also team dances. We brought home lots of medals and trophies all thanks to our dancing teacher Shauna and our hard work. We really enjoyed it and had lots of fun at the Dublins!Hollypark GNS PA Update
Looking forward to seeing you at our PA Table Quiz! Friday 4th April
Don't forget!!! 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!
Thank You!
Thanks to our PA fundraising, we have smart, new stage steps in our hall: less steep (and safer) than our old ones, they now have an extra step and hidden storage space within!
Teens online? What's really going on?
Eoghan Cleary's next talk in this area is coming up on 30th April 2025.
Emer Carty (HPGNS mum) will also be on the Q&A panel speaking about her experience in this area as a parent and advocate. An incoming parent into Cluny 2025 is organising this event. This event is aimed at parents of incoming first years to Cluny but all parents of 4th/5th/6th classes in local area are very welcome to attend.
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!
Luna Bennett
Holly Flattery
Alice Casey
Rose Kearney
Erin Mulligan
Ellie Leonard
Skyler Dempsey Walsh
Seren Glynn
Mary-Anne O'Shea
Ailíse O'Reilly
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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