Opotiki News

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 408, 17 December 1932, Page 6

Opotiki News

Our Own Correspondent.)

SCHOOL. BREAK-UP PRESENTATION OF PRIZES CLOSES SCHOOL " YEAR

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There was a large attendance of parents at the Regent Theatre on Thursday evening when the prizes and certificates won by the Opotiki High Sehool and Primary School pupils were presented. Mr. E. A. Payne, chairman of the school committee, in opening the proceedings said that it had been the practice in the past to present the prizes at the garden fete held at the headmaster's residence, but this year the committee had decided that the occasion was one which was worthy of its own ceremony and an evening had accordingly been set aside for it. He thanked the headmaster, Mr. Kibblewhite and the teaching staff for the interest and enthusiasm shown in their work both in school and in the sports field — the result of the examinations had been most gratifying there having been approximately 99 per cent. of passes. He urged pupils leaving school not to forget the lessons they had learned within its walls but to retain their assoeiations with it. In this connection he paid a tribute to the good work done by the O.D.H.S. Old Pupils Association, which had donated all the prizes for the secondary department this year. He also thanked those parents who had assisted by donating prizes. The Mayor (Mr. J. T. Thompson) then briefiy recalled his own school days at the High School and afterwards read an essay which had been written at one of the country schools on True Greatness and which he thought was most suitable to the occasion. He concluded by reminding the pupils that if they followed the dictates of their consciences and played the game as they went through lif e ;they would never regret it. Parents' Responsibility The Plon. J. B. Gow, speaking to the parents, reminded them of the responsibility that they had in bringing up and training the character of their children and urged them to assist the teaching staff of the school who were also devoting their life work to the end that when the children went out into the world, they might be of good character, clean living and working in the proper spirit, equipped and anxious to assist their fellow men. Tribute to Teachers He was sure that everyone connected with the school f elt deeply indebted to the teachers for the work they had done. The teaching profess'on was a great one and those who followed it must .have great aims and responsibility. They had young and plastic minds delivered into their cliarge to train and mould. The tiacher could do so much by personal example. It was not their business to crana the child with knowledge but rather to try to teach it in a short space of time to think logically and to take an intelligent interest in life, and thus beeome more useful to the rest of the world. He considered that the Opotiki S.'hool was fortunate in its staff and he trusted that the teachers would cuntinue to work so that in after years they might look back with pride, realising that they had done their best to uphold the highest traditions of their profession. Not tbe Prize Itself The Rev. D. McDiarmid, in congratulating those pupils who had won piizes, reminded them that it was not really the prize which was their laward but the actual work done to attain it and which would return great benefits in after years. He was sorry for those who had vorked hard and not won prizes but they too would reap the reward of that work. To those who had perhaps not worked so hard, thinking that they could not win a prize he would remind them that that was not the spirit in which they should treat their school life, but rather that they should at least do their utmost. He reminded them that they were living to-day through a great crisis i:i the history of the world and that they who were children now, had the fato of the world in the next 40 years in their hands. To those who were leaving, he would say that they 1 ad not finished learning — the wise continued to learn for the whole of their lives. Life itself, was an education and only an education for a still higher teaching. Headmaster's Remarks The headmaster, Mr. F. Kibblewhite, thanked parents for the interest manifested in the large attendance that evening. He felt it was significant and encouraging that the school was referred to as "our school" and not merely "the school." He quoted instances which showed that the O.D.H.S. was holding its own with high schools in the larger eentres, and complimented the teaching staff of both primary and secondary departments on their excellent work. While he regretted the fact that the teachers changed so often he was glad to say that he now had three most valuable assistants in the secondary department. After consideration he was glad to see that the examination standard was being stiffened. This, he thought, would ensure a higher standard of work and inculcate more of the pioneer spirit which overcame difficulties instead of dodging them. In conclusion, he would say to the ' parents that if he failed any child at the end of the term, he did that for that child's own good although personally he would much prefer to pass them all. A pleasing f eature of the ceremony was the combined singing of the children under the baton of Mr. E. Seville and Mr. A. H. Hilford. The numbers given were "Forty Years On," the

"Mermaids' Song," and "Three Merry Travellers." Miss B. Ensoll acted as accompanist. Prize List The presentation of prizes was then carried out. The detailed list is as follows: — Secondary Dept. — Form III: First in Form, N. Edmonds; Mathematics and Science, D. Grant; Science and Agriculture, History and Geography, G. Anderson; Languages, D. Debreceny; Special Prize, 2nd in Form 3, E. Upton. Best set of Science Books put in by Form III won by L. Moody for the whole High School. Form IV: First in the Form and in Mathematics, B. Aidney; Languages and Home Science, D. Moody, Science, R. Sinclair. Form V.: First in the Form, in Language and in Home Science: E. Debreceny; Mathematics, A. Upton; Agriculture, D. Caves. Swimming Certificates: P. Wilkins, E. Edwards, H. Carey, R. Abbot, R. Diclc, A. Mokomoko, H. Pipe, A. Jessop-. Athletic Certificates: M. Snell and M. Berridge (tied), K. Fleming, J. Donner. Attendance Certificates for High School: Those pupils who have missed less than five half days and won attendance certificates were: A. Upton, M.„Crawford, J. Donner, A. Fleming, G. Hartshorne, R. Sinclair, G. Anderson, D. Dawson, K. Fleming, H. Hermanson, J. Mulhern, T. Upton. Tennis Certificates, championships : E. Thompson (intermediate), M. Ber- ! lidge (intermediate), Reginald Dick (primary boys), N. Hickey (senior girls), G. Sloan (senior boys). Best Set of science note books: R. H. Sinclair. Primary Department : Std. IV : Kcn Heald, highest marks proficiency; B. Gaskell, highest Arithmetic; proficiency examination, 997, D. Chambers, F. Parkinson. Standard V: R. Handricks, 1; P. Potts, 2. Standard VI: A. Parkinson 1, D. Breed, 2. Standard III: E. Kalf, 1; J. Pene, 2. Standard II.: M. Kibblewhite 1; D. Hodgson, 2. Standard I: E. Semple 1, M. Kidd, 2. Specials: P. Rennett, I. Murray. Good attendance certificates in the primary department were won by Standard VI: Class I. — D. Julian, V. Burton, S. Fleming, Pr. 4, H. Snell, R. Baird, A. Herring, B. Semple, M. Kidd, D. Snell, M. Toka, R. Wilkinson ; Class 2 : M. Kibblewhite, N. Dicker, J. Baird, G. Pearson, D. Crawford, W. Walker, M. Crawford, N. Kidd; Class III.— R. J. Talbott, D. Breed, L. Abbott; Class IV: H. Crawford, R. Abbott, R. Russell, E. Julian, J. Vanstone, R. Fleming, K. Steptoe, J. Leslie, A. Parkinson, D. Breed. Std. V.; H. Newell, A. Sanders, I. Snell, M. Snell, J. Webb, D. Young, R. Booth, D. Alder.