Lisa 1st Day at School

Monday September 3rd, Lisa stepped inside Dernakesh National school for the first time. I first went there in 1965, and left in June 1973. So after an absance of 34 years our branch of the Reynolds family has once again a presence in the school.
It's changed a lot since my day, when it was your average, rural 3 room school. It was first extended in the late 70's and only last year, a new refurbishment was completed, costing in the region of 2 million.
Back in the 'good old days', the school with Paul McManus as principal, along with Mrs Currie, and Mrs McQuaid had a great reputation for learning and supplied well prepared pupils to the local secondary schools.
Today with a local man, Aogan Farrell at the helm and with a staff of 5 other teachers and a full time office adminstrator, the school strives onwards and upwards and maintains it's solid reputation for learning. Pupils come from adjacent parishes and from the town of Cootehill.

There is change, and as in most cases, things that haven't changed. You can still look out onto the same relatively un- spoilt landsacpe that we did 40 years ago. The main Cootehill - Bailieborough road is still there and the green of Kilatee, still looks as good as it did then.

So we all accompanied Lisa on her maiden excursion to the school, Roswitha, Emily and Sarah. It's great to be bringing her to the school that I was brought to in my uncle Denis's Morris Minor car in ,65. She was looking foreward to going, and of coarse meeting up once again with her friends from The Gallonray House playschool.

First day back can be traumatic, and there are usually tears, especially from the teachers, who are no doubt, still wishing that they could still be on holidays, now that the weather is at last getting good after a real bad summer!!!!!!.
Mr Foster the junior infants teacher soon had command of the suitation. First act of the day was to gather the new ones around him and with guitar in hand had them all singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. No sign of the old tuning fork that Mrs Currie used in my time for singing classes. And indeed no evidance of bottles filled with tea or milk for lunch time, and to be warmed around the open coal fire. Come to think of it, no sign of that old open coal fire. Well it's only September yet. No doubt they'll have it blazing heartily come the first nippy days of winter!!

I took a few photos for the local papers 1st Day at School feature, and off I went. Lisa seemed quite happy and relaxed to be in school, and looking foreward to some interesting years of learning. I think she'll be a good pupil. After all Paul McManus didn't knickname me Professor Reynolds for nothing you know.