FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
Well done to our 2nd class boys who made their First Holy Communion last Saturday. Thank you to Mr. Murphy, Ms. Costello & Ms. Flannery for preparing our boys for Communion. Thank you to Ms. Morgan, Ms. Brennan & Mr. Mitchell for leading our communion choir. Our 4th and 5th class boys made the occasion extra special. Thank you to Fr. Gerry, Goretti Newell and the Parish Sacramental Team for all their work in preparing the boys. It really was a lovely day.
Thank you to the Parents' Association and the team of volunteers who helped out in the Parish Centre after the ceremony. Thank you to the parents of 1st and 3rd class boys for supplying delicious food. It is great to see teamwork at play in Hollypark.
DUBLIN YOUTH ORCHESTRA
Last Friday, we were treated to an incredible display of musical talent. 40 members of the DYO arrived in Hollypark and entertained us with 5 different musical pieces. Our audience was in disbelief at how talented the musicians were. Oscar Cullen, 4th class, is a cello player in the orchestra. It was lovely to see him play in Hollypark with the youth orchestra.
Thank you to Simon Maguire, a past Hollypark pupil and manager of DYO for bringing it to our school.
Click the link attached to watch Oscar and the DYO in action!
https://youtu.be/XHoLirw84YQ
STEM IN HOLLYPARK
STEM education continues to grow and flourish in HPBNS. Pictured below are Ms. Ní Ghabhann's boys completing a STEM challenge- 'to create an animal with at least two legs that can be freestanding'. Well done to the boys for completing the task successfully.
Thank you to Nimble Fingers, Stillorgan for their generous discount for some of our STEM resources. It is very much appreciated.
Gaeilge le Chéile!
Building on our very successful and enjoyable Seachtain na Gaeilge this year, we are looking forward to our next Gaeilge le Chéile(Irish Together) where classes will get together to use their Gaeilge in a meaningful and fun way to play and communicate.
This is part of our SSE (School Self Evaluation) target for Gaeilge. SSE is a process where we reflect on our practice, evaluating our strengths and areas for development in teaching and learning in our school. We have identified Gaeilge Teanga ó Bhéal(Oral Language) as our area of focus for Gaeilge. In the coming weeks we will be facilitating activities for the pupils to use their Gaeilge in fun and meaningful ways outside the classroom – Gaeilge le Chéile!
STARS OF THE FUTURE
Well done to Cormac and Andrew made it to the All-Ireland finals of Speech & Drama Feis in Talbot Hotel.
Cormac read Time Machine by Richard James
Andrew read Do you know what the sea is able to do? by Pat Ingoldsby.
Rumour has it Andy Farrell is keeping a close eye on the rugby playing population in Hollypark. Pictured below are boys from Junior Infants, Maxie, Max, Dylan and Max and 2nd class boys Archie and Louis who play for Blackrock Rugby Club.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
School Closures -Term 3
| Monday, May 6th – Friday, May 10th (inclusive) | May Break |
| Thursday, May 30th | Staff Inservice: New Maths curriculum |
| Monday, June 3rd & Tuesday, June 4th | June Bank Holiday |
| Friday, June 7th | Local Elections, polling station |
STANDARDISED TESTING MAY 2024
Standardised testing will begin in May for classes 2nd-6th as per the Department of Education’s recent circular to schools. 2nd -6th will have tests in spelling, reading and maths.
1st classes will only have the spelling test, as whole class standardised testing in 1st is not recommended.
These tests are just one method of assessing a pupil’s performance and we know that it is just a snapshot on a particular day that can be affected by numerous circumstances.
Standardised tests will give us information to guide our teaching and learning for the next academic year. It will also help us to identify pupils who may benefit from additional support.
For further information, please check out this link on the NCCA website.
understanding-standardscores_eng.pdf (ncca.ie)
Annette Lynch (Deputy Principal & SEN Coordinator)
SPORTING ROUND UP
Well done to our senior hurling team who got off to a great start in the league last week against our local rivals St. Laurence's. The same team were unlucky to lose to St. Colmcille's, Knocklyon on Monday. They really are a joy to watch. Led in midfield by the powerhouse Matthew Rourke, this team can hopefully go all the way to Croke Park! They will play their final group game against St. Mary's next week. We wish them well.
TRAVELLING WITH AUTISM
For any of our families with an autistic family member, Dublin airport offer additional support and assistance. They will provide you with a wristband or lanyard which can be shown to staff at any areas where you might encounter queues or crowds, such as security or boarding. The lanyards have a sunflower pattern on them for ease of recognition and they say “Important Flyer”.
Additionally on the website there are visual guides provided for both terminals which include photos. This might allow you to prepare your child in advance for the airport environment to provide familiarity.
If you or your child have a diagnosis or a query diagnosis of autism, you are eligible to apply. You will need a supporting letter from your GP along with your application.
You can apply via the following page:
https://www.dublinairport.com/at-the-airport/help-and-support/travelling-with-autism
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOYS!
This week is a special week for these boys;
Chunge Feng, Ben Collins, Abel Luis, Lincoln O' Mahony, Christopher Sullivan, Michael Ennis, Daniel Carey, Seán Lowey, Cillian Deasy & Terry O' Rourke.
We hope you have an amazing day!
Beir bua agus beannacht,
Principal
24.4.2024
