SCHOOL COMMITTEE REPORTS.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8165, 20 April 1895, Page 4

SCHOOL COMMITTEE REPORTS.

patronised by tho children and their friends to tho number of 500 The day was fine, and tho children enjoyed themselves to their hoart's content, and all passed of pleasantly, and wi hout any accidents. Tho thanks of tho Committee are again due to Messrs Fleming and Uedloy and Mr J. S. Holmes, for their annual .gift of medala for tho dux boy and girl of tho school. The Ihauksof the Com mittco are also duo to tho ladies and gentlemen who contributed so liberally to tho prizo fund, to those who gave special prizes, and to tho teachers for their valuable assistance in raising funds to cnablo them to make improvements in tho school grounds. In tho month of Juno, Mr W. Martin resigned, having loft the district. Mr W. James was elected to fill tho vacancy. In December, Messrs Cunningham and Pocklington sent in their resignations for the same reason, having left the district. The resignations were accepted with regret, and the Committee desire to place on record their appreciation of their faithful services. The Rev. Canon Gould and Mr \V. Grumitt were elected to fi 1 tho vacancies, and the Rev. A. B. Todd was elected chairman in place of Mr Cunningham. The Committee have held sixteen meetings during tho year, at which tho attendance has boon as follows : Emslia 16, Harwood 16, Gebbie 15, Rev. A. 15. Todd 13, Irvine 13, Pocklington 8. Mahan 12,jCunningham7, James?|7 Grumitt 4, Rev. Canon Gould 4, tho last two gontlemon being members of tho Committee only for tho last four months. The income of tho Committee for the yoar, including a balance of L 4 2s b'd from last yoar, amounts to L 73 13s 81, and tho expenditure to L 69 6s, leaving a oi edit balance of L 4 7s Bd.

SOUTH .SCHOOL. Your committee have much pleasure in prosonting thoir annual report and balance shoot* After due consideration it wfts decided to givo no ontortainments either for tho pon and ink fund or bho prize fund. An amount was raised by levying contributions from tho parents of tho children to supply school stationery. The sum raised fcr this purpose was L 5 9a 9d. Subscription cards wore placed in tho hands of tho children and membors of the committeo producing tho very creditable amount of Ll2 9a 6d, which w.ib devoted to purchasing prices for tho children. A number of extra prizes for special subjects woro also givon by friends and members of tho committee. Prizes wore awarded on a similar plan to that of lust year, viz ; 1. For good attendance. 2. For full marks at the inspector's examination. 3 For oxcollonco in tho subjects named by tho donors of special prizos. •Six tho monthly medals were won right out last yoar and were replaced by your committee. Tho hoadmnator's vxaminations by instructions of tho inspector aro now hold quarterly, so that tho medals will bo competed for every three months. Tho chairman, Mr A. G. Croagh, was again tho donor of tho dux medals. By tho inspoctor's report on tho examination the school was shown to be keeping up its reputation for efliciency. The pupil teachers aUo passed a crcdita bio examination. The attendance of tho children during our term of oflico was as follows : quarter ending Juno, 1894, 401 ; .September, 185)4, 405 ; December, 1894, 389 ; March, 1895, 422. lr will bo soon from this that the school attoudanoe is again increasing. Your c mimitteo havo got tho Education Boaid to appoint Sergeant O'Grady truant (.nicer for this district, and have no doubt that good results will follow. Several improvements and repairs to the schoul ground were carried ouo during theyoir, thopiincipal being the fencing round tho shrubbery, and re-dressing tho ashpit tit. There has been no alteration in tho teaching stiff during tho yoar. l\veivo|regular and ono special meetings of tho Committeo woro held during tho year. Mr Thomson resigned early in the year owing to his being transferred to Dunedin, and tho Committeo elected Mr S. T. Crook to fill tho vacancy. Tho following lut will show iho attendance of

Your Committoo again wish to pl.ico on record their appreciation of the oxorbionsof tho Head-mastorand teaching stuff during their tonn of oftice. It is a'so gratifying to note that thero havo beon no formal complaints from paren's during tho year.

The following annual reports will be read at the meetings of houso holders in the Middle and South School districts on Monday night :

MIDDLE SCHOOL. Iv presenting their annual report to the householders, the Committee arc pleased to record tho steady progress made l>y tho school duriug tho year, the Inspector's report showing tho o v.uiiin ibion to bo quito up to tho standard of former years, aud this, notwithstanding Iho very serious drawback of a lai'^e amount of sickness during the winter months, the attendance of both teachers and scholars being affected to a very large extent '1 here Ims been no change in tho teaching staff during the year, and tho Committee have nob received a single complaint. The Committee held the customary concert during the year, for tho purpose of raising funds to make much needed improvements in the school grounds. Unfortunately, tho concprb was not so well patronised as the Committee anticipated, and consequently, after paying all expenses, there wa3 only a small balance Ipft. Under the circumstances, the Committee would have been unable to make any improvements, but tho t"achers camo to their assistance, and by holding a sale of work, raised a sum of money which, with the customary £ for £ subsidy allowed by tho Bond, has enabled them to do a con* sider.ible amount of asphalting on tho north side of the school, in front) of the infants' room, tho advantage of which will bo botter appreciated during tho winter months. The teachers and their friends are now hard at work making preparations for holding a baziar, tho object being to raise sufficient) funds to build an additional room to the school buildings, to bo used as a gymnasium and concert hall. Tho Commit oo wish them every success in this mobt laudable undertaking. In tho month of January, (ho Committee appointed tho secretary, Mr 1 1 ar wood, truanb oflicer for the Middle School. During tho threo months ho has hold that oftico, he has been the means of inducing several parents to send their children, who wore previously running about the streets, to school, fortunately, without having any occasion to call in tho aesistance of tho police. The Educa- '< lion Board has recently appointed •St-rgeanb O'Urady truant oflicer for , the whole of North Otago. There has been a very marked improvement in iho attendance during the last threo months. There is, however, a considerable amount of irregular attondance on the part of some of the scholara, and the Committee, in impressing upon parents the duty of seeing that their children attend regularly, would point oub thab if it were not for the irregular attendance, i he avorage attendance would bo much higher, and the school would be entitled to tho services of another teacher. The Railway Department has recently offered special facilities for school children to enjoy the benefit of cheap excursions. On tho 29th of March an excursion to Hampden, organised by the Committee, wa3

{Cgntimd w Iff fag*,)

members : Regular. Special. Total Mr A. G. Greagh ... 7 1 8 Mr J.Reid 11 1 12 MrR Ponfold ... 0 0 !) MrO. H. Pinol ... 10 1 11 MrR. Hamilton ..8 1 9 MrS T. Crook ... 9 0 9 MrH. Mackintosh... 0 1 7 Mr W. Singleton ... 9 1 10 MrU.L. Gronfell ... 9s' 1 10 Mr W. Thomsoo ... 0 1 1