ARRIVE ALIVE

Unfortunately, we are seeing an increase in the number of parents who are stopping their cars in the middle of the road and letting the boys alight onto the road. Just yesterday, a boy's schoolbag straps got caught in the door as he was closing it and the car attempted to take off. Luckily, the car stopped in time and no-one was hurt on this occasion. It is a reminder to us all, it only takes a split second for a serious accident to occur. Please park safely and with consideration for our neighbours before letting your child out of the car. Please remind the boys to cross the road with Caroline, our fabulous school warden. We 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. In the meantime, if we can use Foxrock Church to park and stride it will reduce a lot of cars on New Grange Road.  

GRANDPARENTS' DAY

It was a pleasure to welcome so many grandparents into Hollypark BNS last Wednesday. We see first hand the pivotal role that grandparents play in the lives of our boys. The smiles on our boys' faces when their grandparents arrived in each room was heart-warming. Thank you to our Student Council boys from 6th class who prepared teas, coffees, scones and treats for our guests. The great news is, we get to do it all again next year! 

A FINAL CALL TO ALL ENGINEERS!

Last year, Engineers Week was a huge success. One of the highlights of the week was the visitors who came in to talk to the boys about their lives as engineers.  

To avoid a clash with Seachtain na Gaeilge in early March, we are going to celebrate Engineers Week at the end of February (26 Feb – 1 March). If you would like to speak to the boys about life as an engineer, we would love to hear from you. Please email Ms. Hynes at stemathollypark@gmail.com outlining the age group you would like to speak to and a little about the topic you would like to talk about. We look forward to welcoming you to enlighten our budding engineers!

If you spoke to the boys last year and would be interested in speaking to another class group, please feel free to email the above email address. 

CAKE SALE

Our Valentines cake sale will take place in the school hall on February 9th. 
 

 

YARD COMMUNICATION BOARDS

As a neuro-affirmative school, we are always looking for ways to support our boys in all aspects of their day. Yard time is very important for children to engage in unstructured play with their peers and develop vital social skills. We want to make sure this is a positive part of the day for all pupils and to ensure accessibility and inclusion for everyone.

Last October, we installed three AAC boards in both of our yards. These were supplied by Finding Charlie’s Voice. AAC stands for Augmentative or Alternative Communication Device. AAC devices support those who may have difficulty communicating and understanding others, through representative pictures and symbols. This could include children with verbal dyspraxia, autism, hearing impairments, or children for whom English is an additional language. Visual supports such as these help with both expressive and receptive communication between pupils and staff. It also allows children without these challenges an opportunity to learn to use the boards to communicate too! We have an inclusive school and we want our boys to understand that inclusion is something everyone needs to work towards. Our staff are already using the boards in the yard with the children, and all classes will be taught how to use the boards as a communication aid this year. The board in the Senior Yard is a bilingual board with both English and Gaeilge! 

Here is a YouTube video, which explains exactly what AAC is all about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmsdLzQW5G0

Finding Charlie’s Voice is a registered charity that make and supply AAC boards to schools, playgrounds, and sports clubs. Check them out on social media or on the link attached. 
https://www.findingcharliesvoice.ie/