Wednesday Letter 29th May 2026
STANDARDISED TESTING MAY 2026
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 give us information to guide our teaching and learning for the next academic year. It also helps 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)
Volunteers Needed - First Holy Communion Sunday 17th May
The Parents’ Association are looking forward to welcoming the 2nd class boys, along with their parents, guardians, and extended families into the Pastoral Centre following 11:30am mass on Sunday 17th May. The boys will enjoy some entertainment while the adults can relax with some well-deserved refreshments. If you are able to contribute finger food, we would greatly appreciate it. Items can be dropped off at the Pastoral Centre between 9:30am - 10:30am on the Sunday morning. We are also seeking some parent volunteers to assist with serving tea and coffee between 12:00 - 1:30pm. It’s always a lovely occasion for the boys and a pleasure to be part of the day. If you’re available to help in any way, we would be very grateful. Please contact Sarah on 087 2842802 or by email to hollyparkboyspa@gmail.com
Tickets Selling Fast - BBQ Friday 8th May!
Don't miss out on a wonderful evening of delicious food, good company and great music. Tickets are selling quickly, so secure yours soon before they're gone! Your ticket includes BBQ and a Hollypark Signature Cocktail on arrival. We look forward to seeing you there! Buy Your Tickets Here
A MESSAGE FROM THE STUDENT COUNCIL
Good morning, the student council is helping to celebrate our school's 60th birthday. We have surveyed all the children in the school from Junior Infants to 6th class. The top celebration choice was An Ice-cream van visit to the school. Mr. O' Donovan has agreed to our request! We also have many other ideas which we will keep a secret for now! On Friday, May 8th, we will hold a non-uniform day. Pupils are asked to bring 2 euro into their class teacher on that day. The monies raised will help with our other celebration ideas! We are looking forward to a great non-uniform day.
Tobias Magee, on behalf of the Student Council.
Sunflowers
A big thank you to Ms. Perera and her team for helping all classes to plant sunflowers once again this year. Planting sunflowers with Ms. Perera has been a treasured tradition in Hollypark BNS for the past 34 years and remains one of our favourite times of the school year.
The boys always look forward to getting their hands dirty, learning about planting and growth, and watching their sunflowers bloom over the coming weeks.
Pictured below are boys from Junior Infants proudly showing off their morning’s work!
JUNIOR A
Well done to our fabulous Junior A team who had another magnificent win in the league yesterday. The boys played with great determination and skill but it is their teamwork that continues to stand out each week. Thank you to their coaches Ms. Cryan & Ms. Reynolds for their work with the team. At the time of writing, I did not have the result for our other Junior teams, which I will include next week!
BOOKLIST & INSURANCE FORMS
Booklist and Insurance forms for 2026-27 will be given out the week. An Aladdin payment link will be available or you can pay by cheque or cash.
SUPER GARDEN
We encourage everyone to keep an eye out for Episode 3 of Super Garden on RTÉ next week, as Emily Moorecroft puts her garden design before the judges. Emily was ably supported by our caretaker Jeff and former pupils Ben Goodwin & Milo Moorecroft. We wish Emily and her team every success as they aim to qualify for Bloom. Emily has also crated a super design for the garden in Hollypark. We hope to see phase 2 of this beginning before the end of the year. This school garden will be accessible for all pupils in Hollypark BNS.
Stars of the Future
Sporting success continues to shine brightly in Hollypark BNS, and we are incredibly proud of the achievements of our pupils both on and off the field.
A huge congratulations to a group of talented rugby players, who were crowned winners of the Wilmslow Cup in Manchester at the weekend. A fantastic achievement and a reward for all their hard work, teamwork and determination.
Well done also to Ethan, Oliver and Caden, who represented Granada in the 4 Nations Football Tournament hosted by Newcastle United, (the best club in England!!) What a brilliant experience and honour for the boys.
Finally, special recognition goes to Ardan, who has made history as the first ever ice hockey player to come out of Hollypark BNS. Ardan travels to Belfast each month for games and training — a remarkable level of dedication and commitment.
We also had a host of pupils participate in the Junior Park Run event in Cabinteely Park last weekend. Some incredible times posted by our students too. Rumour has it, they even beat Mr. O' Donovan!
Impressive work, boys. We are surely the sportiest school in Ireland!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOYS!
This week is a special week for these boys: Rian Kennedy, Samuel Radford, Hugo Doyle, Terry O' Rourke, Salaar Umar, Sam Mc Millian, Jason Wu, Calum Hughes, Freddie Maher, Sam Tierney, Scott Johnston & Joshua Sullivan.
We hope you enjoy the celebrations!
Beir bua agus beannacht,
Principal
29.04.2026
