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Schools delighted to scoop book prize
OVERJOYED youngsters are celebrating winning thousands-of-pounds worth of books for their schools.
Five primary schools in the city have clinched 1,000-worth of books each in the Echo's Barclays Books for Schools competition.
Twenty-five schools battled it out to collect the most vouchers, but the ones to clinch the prize were St Benet's RC Primary School in Fulwell, Ryhope Junior School, Seaburn Dene Primary School, Biddick Primary and Nursery School and Benedict Biscop CE Primary School.
This was the second time The Echo had teamed up with Barclays Bank to run the competition and both times it has proved very successful.
Ann Blakey, headteacher at St Benet's said she was thrilled her school had come first, having come third last time.
She said: "Everyone will be delighted because they have worked so hard on this.
"It is not just about winning the money for books, which is great, it is the way it has pulled the whole community together. We have all been working for the good of the children."
The headteacher said with the money they won in the competition earlier in the year they got class reading books, but this time she might let the children pick some books they want.
Mrs Blakey said: "I can't thank everyone enough, the children, staff, parents, grandparents, parish, community and even friends of the school who don't have children here, but have sent the vouchers in."
This time there was a slight change to the competition. To make it fairer to smaller schools the vouchers were calculated on the amount raised per child, which paid off for Ryhope Junior School, which has 209 students.
Maxine Purdy, headteacher at Seaburn Dene, said the money will be a massive boost to the school.
She said: "Over the last few years our school budget has not stretched to buying new books, so it is going to be wonderful to supplement the school library.
"I'm sure there are lots of brilliant new books out there the children would love to read.
"It is going to be wonderful to spend this money on books without feeling restricted."
Rob Lawson, Sunderland Echo editor, said: "Once again it is great to see how popular this competition has been and I would like to congratulate the winners.
"All the schools which took part worked really hard to collect the vouchers and I'd like to thank them for joining in."
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Weather for Sunderland
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
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