Shannon firm supports school library

LIBRARY facilities at Newmarket-on-Fergus national school have been improved, thanks to an initiative promoted by a Shannon company.

Shannon Engine Support (SES), through its Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, each year seeks to identify high-impact projects for direct support through time, expertise and funding in the local community. The Newmarket school was selected as one of this year’s beneficiaries.
“Scoil na Maighdine Mhuire in Newmarket-on-Fergus were trying to set up an interactive library system at the school to target the most disadvantaged children in the hope of breaking the cycle of social and economic disadvantage for a large demographic at the school. The school is not designated disadvantaged (DEIS), which means the principal has to battle hard to seek funding,” explained Rosalie Byrne-Muir of SES.
“The proposal was to set up a library with a barcode tracking scanner system, which necessitated the purchase of a junior librarian system, library books and enrol an accelerated reader programme through the local Clare Education Centre. This accelerated reader programme is a literacy/reading programme, which is used worldwide with very successful outcomes internationally.
“The children read their library books and can then log onto an online site, where they are asked questions about the book. As they read, they build up a virtual bookcase of books that they have read and their parents can see this too. The books are pitched at each child’s level and this promotes confidence, as well as competence with reading. The programme is highly recommended, especially for reluctant readers and/or children from homes that are print deprived,” she said.
Rosalie said SES is delighted to be involved in a project with a school so close to the company’s Shannon base.
The school recently took delivery of about one-third of the accelerated reader programme books and the children in fifth and sixth classes have begun the programme. The rest of the books are due within the week.