BY NUALA MCALOON
It was a case of all things novel and new on Monday morning last as the staff and pupils of the new purpose built Kesh Primary School entered the doors for the first time.
The children had enjoyed a week's holidays to facilitate the move, and gathered in anticipation bright and early on Monday morning to view their new surroundings .
The £2.2 million, nine classroom, state-of-the-art school with a multi-purpose main hall will house 221 pupils for the rest of the school year replacing the old school which has a history dating back to 1865.
The project was initiated in February 2003 when the Department of Education announced that it would be investing £2.2m to build a new school for the area, to accommodate increased numbers and demands for a modern day education.
Work began on the building in August last year.
Just a few hours after settling in, Principal Jill Parkinson described the move and the reaction to the new school as 'absolutely brilliant'.
"It's great, we have had absolutely brilliant feedback from parents who said the kids couldn't wait to get in this morning.
"We are thrilled to bits, it is a state-of-the-art school with a lovely entrance that is a rotunda that connects the classrooms with the hall. The new hall is twice as big as the original hall."
Jill said the move would facilitate so much more school activities including indoor athletics or other after school programmes.
"In the other school, we made the best of it but this is so modern, clean, airy and fresh. We are so happy with the architect and his design. The classrooms are located around a courtyard that we can use in our teaching and learning. It is quiet and landscaped."
Weather permitting, this, she says, will accommodate more reading activities outdoors, more physical play and will allow more light into classrooms. Ms Parkinson is particularly looking forward to developing the sporting scope at the school since in previous times, staff and pupils had to travel to the nearby Devenish College for major sporting events. Now however, there is flexibility to participate in sports in their own self-contained school grounds. Teachers are also looking forward to using their new interactive whiteboards, something Jill describes as a 'stimulating tool to help positive and high-quality teaching and learning'.
In essence, the new school 'is a dream come true'.
The school won't officially open until next Spring but parents are welcome at any time to call in and view the fresh surroundings.
And, to mark the transfer from one school to another and indeed, one era to another, a formal celebration was held at the Lough Erne Hotel on the 28th of October to mark 140 years of school life in the original building.
A number of old photographs depicting life in the school throughout the years were displayed on the wall evoking a sense of fond nostalgia. A gift was presented to both the youngest and oldest past pupil of the original school, they being Allistar Duncan, who is in his 23rd year and Jill's mother, Maureen Loane who is 74.
Sharon Seaney painted a picture from a black and white print of the old school, and those drawings are currently on sale from the school for £20.
Meanwhile, the pupils are currently preparing for their annual Christmas extravaganza, an extra special one this year as it will mark their first Christmas in the new school. Pupils in the nursery will be performing 'Baby Jesus', Key Stage One will be conducting 'Ralph the Reindeer' and Key Stage Two will present the 'Little Match Girl'.
The concert normally has to be held over two nights to accommodate the numbers attending but the multi-purpose hall will this year accommodate everyone on one night.
