St. Paul’s win E8,000 new library

World Book Day brought great news for St. Paul’s Primary School as it was one of only four schools in Ireland to receive a prestigious library award.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Mar 2019, 09:42 BST
Updated 19th Mar 2019, 10:46 BST
LIBRARIES 2019 AWARD FOR ST. PAULâ¬"S! . . . .Mr. Gareth Blackery, Principal, St. Paulâ¬"s Primary School pictured with his staff and pupils this week after receiving the Childrenâ¬"s Book Ireland award from Ms. Elaine Ryan, Director, Childrenâ¬"s Books Ireland. On right is Mrs. Roisin Logue, Literacy Co-Ordinator, who championed the process from the outset.LIBRARIES 2019 AWARD FOR ST. PAULâ¬"S! . . . .Mr. Gareth Blackery, Principal, St. Paulâ¬"s Primary School pictured with his staff and pupils this week after receiving the Childrenâ¬"s Book Ireland award from Ms. Elaine Ryan, Director, Childrenâ¬"s Books Ireland. On right is Mrs. Roisin Logue, Literacy Co-Ordinator, who championed the process from the outset.
LIBRARIES 2019 AWARD FOR ST. PAULâ¬"S! . . . .Mr. Gareth Blackery, Principal, St. Paulâ¬"s Primary School pictured with his staff and pupils this week after receiving the Childrenâ¬"s Book Ireland award from Ms. Elaine Ryan, Director, Childrenâ¬"s Books Ireland. On right is Mrs. Roisin Logue, Literacy Co-Ordinator, who championed the process from the outset.

Launched in 2017 by Children’s Books Ireland (CBI), the Robert Dunbar award is a book giving programme for schools in memory of the organisation’s late patron and friend, a critic, teacher and champion of children’s literature.

St. Paul’s Primary and Nursery School will now receive a library worth almost E8,000 as well as a Patron of Reading, training on use of the library, CBS resources and print material to guide pupils in their future reading.

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Principal of the Galliagh based school, Gareth Blackery, said: “Everyone associated with St. Paul’s is delighted be a part of this fantastic scheme for schools and are honoured to have been selected to receive the award this year.

Pupils from Mr. Huttonâ¬"5 class with some of the new library books. From left, Luke, Jay, Saffron, Millie, Miley-Rose and Noah.Pupils from Mr. Huttonâ¬"5 class with some of the new library books. From left, Luke, Jay, Saffron, Millie, Miley-Rose and Noah.
Pupils from Mr. Huttonâ¬"5 class with some of the new library books. From left, Luke, Jay, Saffron, Millie, Miley-Rose and Noah.

“Our aim over the next two years is to have a fully resourced school library in which all our children can benefit. Only last year we donated thousands of old books to schools in Third World Countries to make room for our new stock, but finding funding to create a fully resourced library has been very difficult due to the financial pressures that all schools now face.

“The boost from the Robert Dunbar Memorial Library Fund will make a massive difference for us and the added bonus of having a Patron of Reading (author Myra Zepf) visit the school will be very exciting for our pupils!”

The school principal also praised the school’s literacy co-ordinator, Mrs. Logue.

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He said she “had championed this process from the outset, she applied for this grant in the first instance and she realises the importance of instilling a love of books in children. This, in turn, can make such a difference to their imaginative young minds!”

Elaina Ryan, Director of Children’s Books Ireland, congratulated the school on their success.

Related topics:Primary school