PHIL CAMPBELL – Students at Phil Campbell Elementary School are preparing for the end of this school year, but they got one last surprise before they set off to enjoy their summer break.

Alabama’s first lady, Dianne Bentley, visited the elementary school this last week to read the book “Night in the Barn,” by Alabama author Faye Gibbons to the students in pre-K through sixth grade.

The governor’s wife also donated books to the school that children will be able to enjoy when they return to class in August.

“We were so excited to find out Mrs. Bentley had chosen to come to our school to read to the students and to donate books to our library,” PCES Principal Jackie Ergle said. “Having the governor’s wife in our school was such a privilege and the students were very excited to have someone like her here.”

Bentley’s trip was part of a four-school tour where she distributed 500 books donated by Scholastic Publishing Company to schools that were affected by the tornado outbreak last year.

In addition to PCES, Bentley also donated books to Hackleburg Elementary School, Plainview Elementary School in Rainsville and Moody Elementary School in Moody.

PCES librarian Alana Swinney said she was contacted by officials earlier this year and told PCES would be a recipient of the donated books.

“I was very thankful to find out we had been chosen,” Swinney said. “The books she donated to the school are mainly for our third through fifth graders and I know they will get lots of good use out of them.”

To welcome Bentley to the school, Ergle said each grade made her a special gift. Ergle said the gift made by the second grade classes, however, was something that had a personal meaning for Bentley.

“The second grade teachers found out that Mrs. Bentley enjoys quilting, so they had the students make her a paper quilt,” Ergle said. “We hung the paper quilt on the wall inside the gym.”

Second grade student Faith Cook said she enjoyed making a quilt for Bentley.

“It was fun to do,” she said. “We colored all kinds of things and put them all together and it really looks like a quilt.”

“We knew she would like it because our teachers told us she likes quilts,” second grader Katherine Price said. “[Bentley] also told us about what she does as the governor’s wife. That was neat.”

Second grader Anna Tidwell said she was glad Bentley came to their school.

“I really liked the story she read and I’m glad she gave us some books,” Tidwell said. “That was very nice of her to do.”