Children excited at move to new school

IT was with great excitement that the boys and girls in Years 5-7 and the Nursery returned to St Patrick's and St Brigid's Primary School, Ballycastle, on the 3rd of November 2009 as this was the day that they were to resume their schooling in the first phase of a brand new, state of the art building, writes school principal, Mr. Eamonn Magee.

The first phase of the main school building includes six classrooms, two resource areas to be used as extensions of the classrooms, a modern, well equipped kitchen, dining area and a large multi-purpose hall with an excellent range of sound and lighting equipment.

Each classroom is bright and airy and has been equipped with new furniture, plus the most recent version of Promethean's Interactive Whiteboard Technology enabling our children to be taught through a highly interactive medium, which is accessible to pupils of all abilities.

The self contained Nursery unit continues with the bright and airy feel and is equipped to the highest standards. The building is further extended with an outdoor play area, part of which can be closed off to the weather on inclement days. Added to this is a large polymeric pitch, planting area and a barked activity area.

The building itself has been designed on a nautical theme, which is exemplified by the large funnel like structures in the roof, the window design in the classrooms and the sail effect visible from the new entrance gates at the Moyle Road.

The second phase of the new build, for Years 1-4 plus the administration area, is now underway. This should be completed towards the end of May 2010.