GORE.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 420, 23 December 1884, Page 5

GORE.

The annual breaking up of the Gore School took place on Friday last. The examinations, which were unusually close and ri^id, were conducted by

Mr Gazzard (Pukerau) and Mr Beatti< n the junior form, and Messrs Officer, Kilburn, and Rev. Mr Buttle in the senior. Ti.ere were also several members of com niittre present, and a go>e number of . parents and friends, Owing to. .the gr^at pains taken in the examination it. w s nearly six o'clock before it was brought to a clost' and the prizes distributed. Mr Beattie, chairman of coniniitcee, before proceeding to the latter task, read apologies from Hev. Mr Mackay and Mr Fletcher. That from Mr Macka) expressed his regret that a previous engagement prevented his attendance, and that of Mr Fletcher was as follows : — Gore, 18th Dec, 1884. James Beattie, Esq., Chairman Gore School Uominittee, Gore, SIR, — The races being at Invercargill tomorrow, I have to go there to several consultations, and will be unable to appear at the distribution of prizes, and therefore take leave to a-k you to have the goodness to say to the scholars when they are all together that the immediate future of the Gore school is a matter of solicitude to many in and around the town, for not only are existing cii'cu instances viewed with anxiety, but on the school depends whether our locality is to be viewed by intending settlers as having superior educational inducements saperadded. None of the present arrangements are requiring to be interfered with, but if the school is to thrive as Gore thrives, and to make Gore thrive, it is necessary that it ehould soon have other subjects and an additional teacher. To secure this as early as may be, several gentlemen have contulted together, and I am authorised to guarantee several prizes to be distributed immediately after the inspector shall have next reported on the school. These prizes are not an interference with nor on the lines on which the prizes will be distributed to-morrow. They will be on lines attainable by and desirable for everyone, to wit — First— To those children who shall have the fewest absent marks. Secondly — To those children, who, being necessarily absent, shall regularly account by a note from their parents or guardians for such absence ; these KOtes to be rigorously J exacted and preserved for the inspection of' the committee deciding the prize?. In these prizes you will see the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong, but to those who will persevere. Pcrsevereiitia, oninia vincit. ' It is well-known that at present children are absent without their parents' knowledge, and there is no check on this. I notice in the newspaper that in 'the school in Dunedin where my children wore before, and had to account for their absence, the average attendance is 87 per cent. At Gere, where there is at present no telephone batween the teachers and the home, the average is far under 70 per cent. Boya -who play truant may become statesmen, but as a rule they grow to be larrikins. They are like the man without the shadow, a story with which the children are, I fancy, familiar and only require to be reminded. 1 have only to add that the proposed prizes will be substantial, and the man with the one eye, if he is present, can see, that if only responded to, ths advantage even to those who may come short of them will be invaluable as a matter of discipline, while it will raise the. school to a pinnacle of which the district will be justly proud. Scholars ! it all depends on you ! — Your obedient servant, Arch. Fletchbr. Mr Beattie said the success which attended the school was most gratifying to the committee and to the parents. The attendance was about 30 greater than last year. Adverting to the dis - cussion which had been commenced about the need of a high, school, he thought while they were doing so well obey ought to' be content, P e did not thick a high sehool was wanted for a little time. He then proceeded to distribute the prize? according to the following list — BY INSPECTOR'S MARKS. Fifth Standard — 1, Annie L. Fergnson, 760 marks; 2, Georgina Thorn, 710; 3, Rosina Fraser, 720. Fourth Standard— l, R. Fraser, 6SO ;2, W. Sullivan, 660 ; 3, Isabella Chittock, 620 ; 1, Mary Brown, 610 ; 5, Patrick Flanagan, 600. Third Stand aid — To be awarded after the school re-opens. Good attendance — Fifth Standard : Rosina Fraser, who attended 41-i times, the possible number. Fourth Standard : Robert Fraser, 440. Third Standard : Jessie M'Dougall, 436. Second Standard : Alex. King, 424. First Standard : Mary O'Brien, 482. Infant classes : 1, James M'Dougall, 444 ; 2, John Turnbull, 423 ; 3, Venus Rusha, 343. Second Standard (first division) : 1, John Sparks, 510 marks ; 2 ; Jane Hutchinson. 500 ; 3, Joseph Baker, 460. Second division : 1, Catherine Macara, 510 marks ; 2, John Buchanan, 500 ; 3, Thos. Sullivan, 480. First Standard (examined in second standard) : 1, Donald Henderson ; 2, Thomas Robins ; 3, Maria Vale ; 4, Jane Logan ; 5, Victoria Humphrey ; 6, Jane Coutts. First Standarl : 1, Henrietta Fraser; 2, Jane M'Kenzie ; 3, James Gibson ; 4, Nellie Baldwin ; 5, John Jamie ; 6, Lawrence Flanagan. SPECIAL PRIZES. Mapping- -Sixth Standard : A.noie Ferguson. Fifth Standard : 1, W. Calder ; 2, Mary Brown. Fourth Standard : 1, Nelly Gardinei ;2, Annie M'Donell ; 3, Mary Johnston. Recitations — Sixth Standard : 1, Rosina Fraser. Fifth Standard : 1, Robt. Fraser ; 2, Isabella Chittock. Fourth Standard : 1, Isabella M'Kinnon ; 2, Jas. Mulvey; 3, Agnes Fletcher. Third Standard :1, Jane Hutcheson ; 2, Mary Wallis ; 3, Alex. King. Second Standard : 1, Elizabuth Robins ; 2, Victoria Humphrey ; 3, Thos. Robins ; 4, Jane Logan. Arithmetic, speed and accuracy combined — Blfth Standard : 1, Wm. Sullivan ; 2, P. Flanagan. Fourth Standard : 1. Jas. Mulvey ; 2, Fred Rambaum ; 3, Lara Fletcher and Mary Coutts. Fourth Standard (junior) 1. Janet Macara ; 2, Maggie Christie ; 3, Wm Fraser ; 4, Alfred Lakeman. Third. Standard : 1, John Sparks ; 2, Annie Sparks ; 3, Thos. Hood ; 4, Robt. Ferguson. Second Siandard : 1, Thos. Robins ; 2, Jane Logan ; 3, John Gardiner ; 4, Donald Henderson. First Standard : To be awarded after school re-opens. Writing— Sixth Standard : 1, Gcorgiua Thorn. Fifth! Standard ; 1, Wm. Calder ; 2, Cecilia Scott : commended, Isabella Chittock. Fourth Standard : 1, Isabella Gardiner (best in school) ; 2, Jessie Humphrey ; 3, Mary 15. Green. Third Standard : 1 , Catherine j Macara ; 2, Thos. Hood ; 3. Je?sie M'Dougall. Second Standard : 1, Victoria Humphrey ;2, Jane Logan ; 3, Catherine Cook ; 4, Jane Coutts. First Standard : 1, Eliza Scott ; 2, Annie Coutts ; 3, James Neill ; 4, Jane Ryder. Infants : 1, Ellen Gardner ; 2, J. Ballintine ; 3, Maggie Ballintine ; 4, Maggie Black,' Sewing — Special prize by Mr James Beattie — A. L. Ferguson, 1 ; 2 Rosina Fraser. Spelling— Fifth and Sixth Standards, special, prize by Dr MacafEer : Annie L. Ferguson. Popularity prize— Those of the boys rooms being presented by Mr T. Green and those of the girls by Mr Neill — Master's room : W. Calder ; girls, Mary E. Green. Infant room : Boys, Joseph Green ; girls, Maria Vale. In addition to the prices already named. Mr W. B. Ferguson, Gore presented a handsome Japanese writing desk, which fell to Maria Vale as best girl scholar in the masters' room, being awarded in lieu of third prize book in. Standard 111. Miss Buchannan and Miss Ross also gave two special prizes each.

3 At the conclusion of the distributior , Mr Buttle addressed a few words o1 ? encouragement to the children,and con . ciu'led by calling for cheers for the 1 teachers. The call was heartily res- . ponded to, as also was another by Mr i Dolamore on behalf of the examiners ; and chairman, and a third by Mr Neil] • for the School Committee who had given the very handsome prizes , distributed that day. The proceedinge . then, about seven o'clock, terminated, and teachers and scholars dispersed 1 for their four weeks' holidays.