Wednesday Letter September 6th 2023 | Saint Patrick’s Boys’ National School

Posted on Monday, 4 September 2023

After School Activities, TERM 1

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Basketball and Multisport Mr. Moloney 3^rd-5^th class Sign up	Basketball and Multisport Mr. Moloney 1^st class Sign Up	Basketball and Multisport Mr. Moloney Senior Infants Sign up	Basketball and Multisport Mr. Moloney 2^nd class Sign up	Golf Mr. Murphy Sign Up
Monday GAA 1st-3rd with Maurice GAA Coach. Pick up 3.15pm Sign Up	LEGO Club Ms. Dunne 3rd class Sign Up	Tennis Mr. Moloney 2^nd- 4^th Class Sign Up	Chess Hector 3rd-6th class. Text 0834527900 to book a place	Chess Hector 1st- 4th class. Text 0834527900 to book a place
Mindfulness and Art Ms. Crowe 5th-6th Sign Up	Chess Hector 3rd-6th class. Text 0834527900 to book	LEGO Club Ms. Dunne 2nd Class Sign Up	Mindfulness and Art Ms. Crowe 3rd-4th Sign up
		Golf Mr. Murphy Sign Up
		Keyboard Creative Keyboard Junior and Senior Infants Sign Up
		Keyboard Creative Keyboard 1^st and 2^nd Class Sign Up
		Keyboard Creative Keyboard 3^rd-6^th Class Sign Up

Lego Club with Ms. Dunne:

Pupils will participate in weekly themed challenges using STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) principles and will enjoy time to make their own creations.

Lego Club will be run by Ms. Dunne in Room 15 and will be limited to 16 boys. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Third Class:

Date: Tuesday 19^th September 2023 – Tuesday 19^th December 2023 (13 weeks)

Time & place: Room 15 @ 2:25-3:25pm (collection at warden)

Fee: €150 (upon confirmation of their place, boys can drop payment to Ms. Dunne, Room 15, on or before 19^th September 2023)

Second Class:

Date: Wednesday 20^th September 2023 – Wednesday 20^th December 2023 (13 weeks)

Time & place: Room 15 @ 2:25-3:25pm (collection at warden)

Fee: €150 (upon confirmation of their place, boys can drop payment to Ms. Dunne, Room 15, on or before 20^th September 2023)

GOLF

Golf will be taking place in Jamestown Pitch and Putt Course in Stepaside at 3pm. Starting dates of Wednesday 13^th and Friday 15^th September. The sessions will go on for 12 weeks for 145 euro. Each boy will need their own pitching wedge (or similar) and a putter. Sign up by filling out the golf link. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served, basis. Click the link attached to book a place.

CREATIVE KEYBOARD

Creative Keyboards are delighted to be offering after-school piano keyboard classes in
St Patrick’s Boys National School, from September 2023.

● Classes run once a week after school from Wednesday 13th September 2023
● Fee €130 for 10 lessons.
● The teacher brings a keyboard for each pupil each week. Music books are
supplied
● A section of each class is dedicated to playing chart hits and favourite tunes.
● Classes are grouped according to age and standard. There is a maximum of 12 per
class
● Keyboard is recognised as a practical instrument for Junior and Leaving cert.
● We are certified by The Victoria College of Music London. Students have the
opportunity to sit a Grade exam at the end of the year.

To book a place please use the appropriate link based on the class that
your child will be in from September.
For more information and contact details please visit creativekeyboards.ie

Mindfulness and Art

Mindfulness and Art Club will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays after school for students in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Class. It is a relaxed space where students who love Art can learn new things and be creative in the company of others of like mind. Each lesson will begin with a mindful activity so that the students can practise being in the moment and gain techniques to aid calmness and relaxation. During the course of the term, students will work on 2D and 3D art projects

WELCOME BACK!

It was lovely to meet our smiling, happy boys at the school gate last week. I hope you all had a lovely, restful summer. The staff in Hollypark BNS are excited to be back after the summer break. Please see below for some reminders.

Class Entrance Areas:
New Building:

5th & 6th classes enter via new building from 8:35a.m.

Grey Gates/Car park Exit Point:
1st & 2nd classes enter via grey gates to Junior yard from 8:40a.m.
4th classes enter via grey gates at 8:40a.m. Staff will be on hand to direct the boys.
3rd classes wait along the wall right of the entrance and enter at 8:40a.m. via ramp door.
Jun. and Sen Infants will enter via the Junior Infant door at 8:40a.m.
School staff will be around to direct the boys.

Exit Points: School Warden:

All classes from 1st-6th will exit via the school warden in this order.

6th& 5th will exit at 2:20p.m.

2:25p.m. (in this order)
1st classes 2:25p.m.
2nd classes
3rd classes
4th classes

Please do not block the area close to the school warden and allow the First Class parents space to collect first. It is understandable that areas are busy initially as pupils and parents get used to the new entrance and exit points. You will find things will settle once the new routines become established.

We really appreciate your cooperation in using the one-way system and not blocking up driveways for our local residents. For our pupils and School Warden’s safety please do not park close to the School Warden crossing point.

GETTING TO SCHOOL
We encourage walking, cycling and scooting to school as much as possible. Foxrock Church have very kindly offered spaces for a park and walk system. If you do have to drive to school, we operate a morning and evening one way system.

Approaching from Newtownpark Avenue

Approaching from Foxrock Avenue

SCHOOL WARDEN

When crossing the road, please cross with the School Wardens.

ALADDIN CONNECT

Please ensure all families are signed up to Aladdin Connect. This is our method of communication. In order to receive text messages, please ensure when signing up for Aladdin Connect that you verify your mobile number when requested to do so.

PLEASE LABEL YOUR BELONGINGS

Please label all your belongings with name and contact number. Clothes and belongings found with no names will be donated to charity at the end of each month.

SUMMER FACELIFT!

A huge thank you to our wonderful new caretaker, Mr. Jones, for all his hard work over the summer holidays. The school is looking better than ever. The bees and the butterflies are also thanking Ms. Quealy and our secretary, Eilish, for all their planting in our new flower beds. We are a pollinator friendly school!

JUNIOR INFANTS

Congratulations to our wonderful new Junior Infant classes who have taken to their new surroundings like ducks to water. They have seriously impressed us with their independence, maturity and cooperation. Ms. Brennan, Ms. Reynolds, Ms. Doyle, Ms. Bowman and SNAs Ms. Murphy and Ms. Walsh are really looking forward to getting to know the boys and their parents over the coming weeks and months. We will have a parents' evening for new infant parents in early October where you will get to meet and greet school staff.

TREES

Please do not let the boys play in the trees before or after school. Thank you.

CONTACT WITH TEACHER

We have two methods of contacting your son’s teacher. Method one, send an email via info@hollyparkbns.ie with FAO: the teacher’s name OR method two, via the contact section of the school website. In the contact section, a drop-down menu will appear with the names of all the teachers.

HEALTHY EATING POLICY

A reminder to parents/guardians, Hollypark operates a Healthy Eating Policy.

The following foods are not allowed: crisps/popcorn, high sugar cereal bars, lollipops, chocolate or chocolate covered foods, biscuits, fizzy drinks.
For health and safety reasons, nuts should not be included in any lunchbox.

Please click the link to ensure your lunches are in compliance with the policy. https://hollyparkbns.ie/our-school/policies/healthy-eating-policy

THE LUNCH BAG

A reminder to parents/guardians, Hollypark BNS uses The Lunch Bag service for ordering freshly prepared lunches to your children. All Lunch Bag orders are in compliance with our Healthy Eating Policy. Click the link attached for more information on how to order.
https://www.thelunchbag.ie/

MOBILE PHONES

Mobile phones and smart devices are getting a lot of media attention at present. A reminder to all that we have a mobile phone policy in place in our Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP) published on our website. https://hollyparkbns.ie/our-school/policies/acceptable-usage-policy-aup

The main points relating to mobile phones and related devices are:

5. Personal Devices

Pupils are not allowed to have their mobile phones / personal devices/smart watch and related devices etc. in class / school.
In exceptional circumstances and only where absolutely necessary, a pupil who requires a phone after school, requires his parents/guardians to put this in writing to the school principal on the specified request form. The phone must remain off in the boy’s school- bag until he leaves the school grounds.
Pupils are not allowed to take photographs / video clips / audio clips in the school grounds.
The school accepts no responsibility for the loss or damage to personal devices.
Any home school communication during school time from a pupil is through the school telephone in the secretary’s office

This week is a special week for these great boys, Ben Casey, Christopher Casey, Jamie Moran, Maximus Mc Ginity, Robbie Hart, Cian Tresson and Logan Webbley. We wish you a very happy birthday boys.

STARS OF THE FUTURE

Thank you to Jack, 3rd class, who recently gifted hand painted rocks for our lovely garden. Jack and his grand aunt Helen collected the rocks from Flaggy Shore in Clare and decorated them in the Hollypark colours with our logo and moto. They are a lovely addition to our school. Thank you Jack.

Keep an eye out for Isaac Mc Ginity, 5th class, who is starring in the Vodafone commercial for Irish Rugby at present. Isaac plays 'Andy Farrell's' best friend in the We Need To Play Like Brothers commercial. We wish Isaac the very best with his budding acting career. We also wish Andy Farrell and the Ireland Rugby Team the very best of luck in the upcoming Rugby World Cup!
You can watch the advert below.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vodafone_connections-you-can-always-rely-on-vodafone-activity-7100399770459885568-CLp_?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios

PARK AND STRIDE

The local residents have once again asked us to appeal to all parents, not to block driveways and exit routes and to park safely in surrounding estates. We again remind you that free parking is available in Foxrock Parish car park. We encourage our older boys to walk, cycle and scoot to school. Everyone's cooperation in this will ensure the safety of our children and the happiness of our local residents.

Please avoid congestion on the footpaths and the entrance gates while waiting for admission each morning.

A MESSAGE FROM DLR

FAO: Principal Barry O’Donovan

Dear Mr. O'Donovan,

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Active Tavel Section are preparing to start construction works on the Deansgrange Road cycle scheme. The contractor is mobilising next week and will be installing a one way traffic management system on Deansgrange Road between St Fintans Villas and Deansgrange cross roads on Monday the 18th of September. It is expected that this will be in place for approximately 6 months and traffic will be restricted from travelling northbound (towards Blackrock)

As part of the works the northern entrance to Deansgrange Cemetery will be closed to vehicular access. I understand that the cemetery is often used as a park and stride location for pupils attending your school. We will be notifying the public via the normal mechanisms but I wanted to contact you so that you have the opportunity to notify parents in advance of the works commencing.

Kind Regards,
Conor Geraghty, Senior Engineer
Active Travel

SCHOOL CALENDAR

Beir bua agus beannacht,

Principal
6/9/2023