HELENSVILLE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 6 May 1920, Page 3

HELENSVILLE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the above was held in the schoolroom on Menday last. There were about 15 householders present and Mr C. P. Thomson was voted to the chair. The Secretay, Mr F. R. Eames, read the report and balance sheet of the previous year which showed a credit balance of £34 Os 7d. The report stated inter alia :— Ladies and Gentlemen,—Your Committee has the honour to present to you the following re.^rt of receipts and expenditure for the 14 months ending Feb_J ruary 29th, 1920 :— 'jfr RECEIPTS. i- s. d. Balance in hand Dec. 31, 1918 57 6 2 Grants for ordinary inciden.i-\ tal purposes 90 3 0 £147 9 2 EXPENDITURE. Cleaning School and Outbuildings ... gg 18 6 Fuel for School use ... ... 210 Repairs.. 5 10 10 Improvement of school ground (including £3813s 3d progress payment on Swimming Bath) 44 13 3 Books, Maps and furniture... 2 8 0 School Stationery 11 17 3 First Aid Material ... ... ■3 4 9 Advertising and Printing ... 4 0 0 Bank charges and cheque book ... 015 0 Cr. balance in Bank 34 0 7 £147 9 2 The average attendance for the year ending December 31st, 1919, was 189, which is an improvement on the previous year, which was only 180. The roll i number when the last report was presented was 199; the present roll number is 216. The school is, therefore, on the up-grade once more, and provided nothing j unforseen occurs bids fair to soon regain the position it held previous to the influenza epidemic. In November last 12 pupils in the 6th Standard were presented for examination ; eleven of whom gained proficiency, and one a certificate of competency. mAt the end of 1919 Miss Phillips was appointed to another school, and Mr A. Stewart appointed.to fill the vacancy. This necessitated a readjustment of : the staff, Miss Forrester being ! placed in charge of the Infant I Department, and Mr Stewart in ! charge of Standards IV and 111. j Miss de Montalk, a first year j Pupil Teacher, and Misses For- j rester and Smith, Probationers, ! were also appointed to the school \ at the beginning of the year, but > Miss Smith's engagement ter- ; minated on the 20th inst, and j the Board has been requested to appoint another teacher in her place, as the teaching staff j would be better able to cope with the demands on it if it were strengthened. j Mr G. Pitcaithly inspected the school in November, and the following extracts from his report will be of interest to parents. — " Mr A. Hill is conducting the work of this school with fine success. Although the school has for many years been noted for efficient work, that presented this year is for the most part of exceptional merit. The methods are good and energetically carried out. There is a fine tone throughout the school and the discipline, although not of a military type, is good. " Standards VI and V are doing very good work in most subjects, the writing and drawing being worthy of special praise. " Standards IV and 111. Miss , Forrester presented two good j . classes. While the work of Standardly was good throughout, the arithmetic, composition, 1 spelling, drawing and handwork j ' of Standard IV were of very fine j quality aud deserve special men- j ! W "ytandards II and.l have been ; . most efficiently taught, the work j ; %r the most part ranging from j j very good to excellent. ; \ "Infant Department. Miss i ' Phillips, with the partial aid of a I pupil teacher, has succeeded in j doing good all.round work. Her; . naethods are good and her energy j "iTntiring." i SCHQOL SWIMMING BATH, j 3 Respite the shortage of labour, ! i the ever rising price of material: and difficulties of carriage, and | ; the inevitable delay caused by | ( the innumerable obstacles arising j out of the war and postwar dis- !■ f organisation in every direction, i 1 the Schoq] Swimming Bath lias j < aj; last boon completed to the ! complete satisfaction ol the ; f Committee, and all that is now > c required is that it should have an 1 1 enclosure built round it, and aI c

shelter for bathers at one end.— I am, Ladies and Gentlemen, yours faithfully (Signed) C. P. THOMSON, Chairman. iielensville School Committee. Thirteen nominations were received for the seven vacancies on the new committee and the following gentlemen were duly elected : — F. R. Eames 12 W. F. Coutts . . 12 C. P. Thomson ... 11 R. Smith 11 C. S. West 11 W. W.L. Bradly... 9 F. W. Dwerryhouse 8 Messrs A. J. Hill, F. Eames, and the ECHO representative were appointed scrutineers. A circular was received from the Secretary of the Executive of the N.Z.E.I, which embodied two resolutions and asked the householders to endorse same. " That this meeting of Helensville householders urge upon the Government the great necessity for reform in the national system of education in regard to (1) The extension of the school age and the reduction of the size of classes ; and (2) The securing of more trained teachers, and, to that end, the payment of much better salaries." The resolutions were moved by Mr A. J. Hill, seconded by Mr F. R. Eames and carried. The meeting then terminated with the usual thanks to the chair.