PUPILS at a village school near Potters Bar have been thanked for their participation in Hertsmere Borough Council’s 2009 Christmas card competition.

Children at St Giles’ Primary School in Blanche Lane, South Mimms, were visited by Hertsmere mayor Rosemary Gilligan, who rewarded them with a certificate for taking part in the annual event.

Cllr Gilligan told the Potters Bar Edition: “The pupils told me how much they enjoyed entering our Christmas card competition and were pleased with the certificate I presented them.

“I was also invited to sit in on a school council meeting which was very interesting. Pupils discussed what they needed in classrooms and said that they would like some games to play inside when it’s too wet to go outside.”

She added: “They told me that in the past they had got an interactive whiteboard but I didn’t know what this was so they showed me.

“I am amazed at how things have advanced since I went to school as in my day we just had blackboards!”

Around 300 under-11s from across Hertsmere took part in this year’s Christmas card competition, which was won by Katelyn Barnes, nine, from Borehamwood.