Friday 27 October 2023 was a special day for us in The Billis.

First of all, we held a special assembly to launch our new library books’ collection. Our invited guests were Diane Wright-Kendrick, Chairperson of The Billis NS Board of Management, and Rev Tim Irvine, rector of our local church, St Salvator’s Church, Glaslough.

 

At the end of the last school year, each of us made a list of suggested books that we would like to see in the school library. Thanks to a Department of Education grant, the teachers were able to buy most of our suggestions as well as many others.

We got lots of new fiction titles from many different authors such as David Walliams, Francesca Simon, Dermot O’Leary, DavPilkey, Roald Dahl and Jamie Smarts, as well as a great selection of non-fiction books. The DK Eyewitness books give us lots of information about the world around us. We also got some football books, a Top Gear bookand the ever-popular Guinness World Book of Records!

 

To begin, we entertained our guest with a song called “We’re so proud of our school”. Even our Junior Infants were able to sing the words of the chorus!

Next, we had our ‘special delivery’ of books. They came by tractor and wheelbarrow, carefully manoeuvred into the classroom by our youngest pupils!

Each of us had chosen a book to read. We wrote a short review of the book which we then relayed to everyone. We did a great job!

 

Later, we invited Diane Wright-Kendrick, toofficially open our new outdoor classroom. She said a few words to us and then cut the ribbon. We love to go outside and do our work under the canopy where we don’t get wet.

The Board of Management used some funding from the Department of Education to buy the recycled plastic picnic tables. A very generous benefactor from the school community enabled us to put  the canopy over the tables. We are very grateful to this benefactor who wishes to remain anonymous.