LET'S GO HOLLYPARK, LET'S GO!
Excitement is building around Hollypark BNS as we prepare for the soccer league final Vs Ballyroan BNS. Early morning and after school training sessions have our lads well prepared. Classes 3rd- 6th will depart Hollypark today at 10am, armed with bodhrans, drums and singing voices well tuned! The very best of luck boys, we know you will do us proud whatever the final result.
Captain Profile
Name: William Kelly
Class: 6th, Mrs. Regan
Position: Centre Back
Favorite soccer team: Manchester United
Dream: To play in the Premier League
Skills and attributes: A great leader and will give 100% to help Hollypark
Pictured below is a William age 5 in Junior Infants and William age 12 in 6th class!
Perhaps the boys will be inspired by past pupil Thomas Downey. Thomas won the Cup Final in 2016 with Hollypark and has gone on to achieve remarkable achievements both on and off the football field. Recently, Thomas was back to winning ways and won the Metropolitian Senior League Division 1 with Blackrock College. Well done Thomas, we are proud of you!
SANTRY ATHLETICS
Well done to our 15 athletes who represented Hollypark so well in the Santry athletics finals yesterday. A huge congratulations to Ronan Lee, 6th class who won a bronze medal in the high jump. Ronan jumped an incredible 1 metre and 35 centimetres, narrowly losing out on gold by 5 centimetres. Well done Ronan on a fabulous achievement. Our relay team came 4th in the final, narrowly pipped on the line.
Santry trials were held before school and the competition was fierce. Well done to all who tried out for the team. The future of Irish athletics looks bright.
Thank you to Ms. Kearns, Ms. Feighan, Ms. Dunne and Mr. Moloney for all their work with the team.
GOLF TEAM
Congratulations to Luke Baviera, Paul Batten, Evan Canny and Benjamin Byrne who played superbly in The Castle Golf Club last Monday. The boys represented Hollypark in the Castle Cup. Thank you to Mr. Murphy for organising.
CONFIRMATION
Last Thursday and Friday were very special days for our 6th class pupils. The boys received the Gift of the Holy Spirit in a lovely Confirmation ceremony performed by Fr. Kieran and Fr. Aquinas. Thank you to our marvellous 5th class choir who sang their hearts out for all three ceremonies. They were truly spectacular and added so much to the special day. Thank you to Ms. Maloney, Goretti Newell, and the 5th class team for all their work with the choir. Of course, a sacrament like Confirmation needs a lot of preparation and the 6th class team, Mrs. Regan, Ms. Murphy, Ms. Crowe, Mrs. Mc Carrick, Ms. Kearns and Mrs. Doyle put in huge time and effort in preparing the boys so well. Well done team, your boys did you proud.
During this Sacrament preparation, the boys learned about the Fruits of the Holy Spirit. Love, Self-control, Goodness, Kindness, Peace, Patience, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Joy,
These are traits, values and Fruits that we see in our 6th class boys everyday in Hollypark. When they graduate in a few weeks time, they will be fondly remembered forever by our staff in Hollypark.
GRADUATION
Graduation for 6th class pupils will be held in school on Tuesday, June 28th. (approximate time of 10am-12.30pm) Now Confirmation is over, teachers are busy making the final graduation preparations. As all events will take place outdoors, 6th class parents are invited to attend. Let's collectively pray for June sunshine on that day!
NEW JUNIOR INFANTS
On June 14th we look forward to welcoming our new Junior Infant classes into our school. The boys will meet their teacher, play some games and enjoy storytime. Parents will mingle and get to know one another with the help of tea and coffee served by our Parents' Association. As one class group gets ready to move to pastures new, we look forward to beginning the cycle again with our new classes.
Check out the poster below for free library books for our new beginners.
ARTISTIC FLAIR
We do have a lot of sports events to report on during this busy time but Hollypark is a school of many talents. Pictured below is just some of the artwork on display in the school halls. Ms. O' Neill's 5th class have been inspired by her own artistic flair and have produced some stunning pieces. We hope to see some of these pictures framed in the school in the near future- watch this space!
PUPIL VOICE COMMITTEE
Thank you to our Pupil Voice Committee who continue to lead our school in a very positive direction. Last January, the boys had an idea that playing chess, Snakes and Ladders and other board games on yard would help with inclusion, social interactions and making yard time a positive experience for all pupils. We bought three benches with games on top. The boys were right, the benches have been a great hit and have had added to a positive school experience for all pupils. The committee are now meeting to discuss futher enhancements for our school.
Pictured above is Austin Santhosh playing Chess on our new benches.
FIONA FORMAN, WEBINAR POWERPOINT SLIDES
On May 10th we were very lucky to have Fiona Forman, MSc in Applied Positive Psychology, talk with our parents. Fiona is also the author of Weaving Wellbeing Programme which we use from Infants to 6th class. If you missed the night, we hope to hold another talk in the new academic year. I have linked the PowerPoint slides below which may help in the interim. Thank you to Ms. Brennan for organising.
Link to slides, Coping Strategies for Children with Anxiety
PROUD OF OUR PUPILS, PROUD OF OUR PARENTS!
Bobby O’Shaughnessy 1st class is very proud of his mummy, Suzanne O’Shaughnessy, pictured here with her teammates, as they played squash for Ireland in the Masters Home Internationals in Cardiff last weekend. They finished as Runners Up.
Well done ladies! We look forward to squash coaching in the future here in Hollypark.
LEAVING CERTIFICATE CLASS '21-22
Best wishes to the Leaving Certificate of '21-22 who begin exams next week. Your 6th class photograph has been removed from the wall, placed in the staffroom with a candle (battery operated!) lighting beside it. We will be praying for you. Remember to 'Be The Best You Can Be'.
I have attached the boys' Junior Infant photograph from 2008 that hangs proudly on our school corridor.
DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know, that in Hollypark we take fine and gross motors skills very seriously? Our excellent penmanship is renowned in many secondary schools in South Dublin as being the best and our PE classes are largely dedicated to fundamental movement skills. To help with our gross motor development, last year we installed a trim trail in our top yard. The boys participate in guided lessons and try to complete the trail using upper and lower body co-ordination and strength. Our 5th class boys, under the watchful eye of Mrs. O' Callaghan have particularly mastered the techniques!
Pictured below are Adam Leahy, Elliott Reck, Finn Jones and Rian Murphy, 4th class, demonstrating some skills
This week is a very special week for these boys: Roman Geyger, Aaron Kennedy, George Morgan, Cormac O' Sullivan, Daniel O' Cearbhaill agus Mudi Ohadike.
Have a lovely week boys and enjoy the celebrations!
NEWTOWNPARK AVENUE SCOUT GROUP
Newtownpark Avenue Scout Group (48th), which had a Beavers group going before the pandemic, is hoping to start up again after the summer.
There is a parents information night next Wednesday, 1st June in Newtownpark Avenue pastoral centre. The purpose is to register names of interested boys and girls and also volunteers. The plan is to have as many groups (Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, etc.) as is possible with the amount of volunteers that commit.
Please see the poster attached for more information.
SCHOOL CLOSURE
A reminder, school will be closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (6th, 7th & 8th of June) Please inform minders, after school care and people who collect. Enjoy your break!
THANK YOU
This newsletter is just a snapshot of another very, very busy week in the lives of the Hollypark boys. I want to extend a huge thank you to all the teachers and staff who go above and beyond, often taking time out of their evenings or weekend to train, organise, help and support our extra curricular activities. These staff members really are giving the boys of Hollypark a positive school experience and must be commended.
Beir bua agus beannacht,
Hollypark go deo,
Principal
1/6/'22