SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 435, 24 December 1861, Page 2

SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS.

TOWN SCHOOLS

On Saturday, the 21st December, the children of the Nelson Public Schools assembled in the Provincial Hall, where the prizes which had been awarded were presented to them by his Honor the Superintendent, who was attended on the platform by several numbers of che School Committee and a party of ladies and gentlemen; although the almosUotal absence of the parents of the children was much to be deplored. Captatn Rough, as a member of a sub-com-mitti-e appointed to attend the examinations, in. addressing his Honor, said he had much pleasure in stating tha» the manner in which the public schools had been conducted during the past year was very satisfactory to the Committee, aud he hoped it would be no less so tc the put lie. By the establishment of an Infant School the other schools had been relieved from the pressure of numbers, and the masters and mistresses were able to give their attention to boyß and girls already Bomewhat advanced in the rudiments of education, for at the Infant School the mistress instructed a large number of little children in such a manner as to fit them for entering the other schools with advan-

tage. In the Boys' School the head master, Mr W. Hodgson, had of his own accord given instruction in Latin'to a number of the- elder lads, and they had also opportunities of learning drawing under Mr. T. Hodgson. . His Honor the Superintendent then addressed the assembled children, Baying that it gave him great gratification to learn that they had been progressing satisfactorily. He was glad to see that the names of-several boys and girls from Taranaki were on the lists of those considered worthy of distinction, and he trusted that the Nelson children would be stimulated to friendly rivalry with them, in order that those from other settlements should not outstrip them in their studies. His Honor further expressed his gratification in observing that it had been found necessary to increase the number of ..prizes given this year. The boys and girls to whom prizes had been awarded were then called to tlie platform to receive them, as follows:— -v ; ; BOIS'.SCHOOL. Ist Division. , Ist Class —1. James David Clark. 2. Henry Vincent Gully. 2nd Class.—l. David Gray. 2. Edward Everett. 3rd Class.—l. Frank Arden. 2. George Ware. Arithmetic—Philip S. Gulley. Writing.—-James Da/id Clark. 2nd Division. 4th Class.—l. D. Loby, 2. A. Turner. For Industry,—J. Brent. sth Class.—l. F. Sampson. 2. S. Cooke. 6th Class.—l. H. GullyV "2. cA. Winterburn. ' ' . ■ WittTiNG.4*.lVCidok*U v - . .-. Arithmetic.—G.^aokr , M ~. GIRLS' SCHOOL. Ist Division. Ist Class.—l. Mary Mace. 2. Elizabeth Aiken. 2nd Class.—l. Mary Ann Demaut. -2. Clara Mathewß. 3rd Class,—l. Mary Ellen Johnson. 2.. Ann Aiken. 4th Class.—l. Ann Maria Mathews. 2. Kat Patten. sth Class.—l. Elizabeth Coombcs. 2, Emma Jennings. 6th Class —Ellen Kitchen. Writing.—M. Sampson. Arithmetic.—M. Sampson. 2nd Division. 7th Class.—lsabella Banks. Bth Class.—Jane Mace. 9th Class.—Martha Freeman. 10th Class—Eliza Wells. 11th Class.—Emma Brent, la addition to the above eight prizes will be given to the Infant School. Captain Rough then asked the young people to give him their attention, for a few minutes. He wished very much to impress upon their minds that they ought to value very highly the useful knowledge and instruction they had been receiving from their masters and mistreses at the public schools; but still to remember that they might be very clever and intelligent, and yet wicked and . useless. The knowledge which would, make them ' good and keep their hearts right was to be obtained from the Bible which teaches us our duty to our Creator, and to our ■ fellow-creatures'. Therefore to encourage them in seriously attending to the realing of the sacred scriptures ho had been permitted by the committee to give prizes to those hoys and girls who had. been found best acquainted with their bibles. The Scrip:ure prizes were then presented to J. D. Clark, H. Northcroft, A. Hoby, Mary Ana Ware and Mary Mace, from Captain Rough,- and to F. Cooke from Mr. Drew. ■ < ' A prize for the best latin translation was presented to H. Arden from Mr. W. Hodgson. A prize for drawing was presented to D. Gray, from Mr. T. Hodgson, and a prize for singing to F. Cooke by Mr. Walcot. , Mr. I. M. Hill intimated that as three competitors for drawing were nearly equal, he intended to give two additional prizes. His Honor then said that he hoped those young people who had not obtained prizes this year would " not be discouraged, but stimulated to greater exertion, and probably many of them would be successful next year. The interesting proceedings terminated by the children, led by Mr.\Walcot, singing the National Anthem. /*■ WAIMEA EAST. The annual Christmas examination of the five schools of this district came off during the past week. Each school was first examined separately liy the best examiners procurable by the committee (who particularly had to-thank the Rev.-Mr. Codrington and the Rev. D. Dolamore for their assistance), and afterwards on Friday last the more advanced scho.ars from each school were examined in grammar and'arithmetic. For proficiency in the first-named branch three prizea had been ottered by Mr. Saunders to the three most advanced scholars in the district schools; and in' 1 arithmetic the Local Committee had offered six' prizes—two to each of the three higher classes of ot the five schools in comniun. For these examinations the committee were fortunate in securing the services of the Inspector of Schools by whom' the prizes were awarded, as recorded below. The Richmond band gave its services on the occasion, arid contributed very much towards the enjoyment of the evening. ■ Grammar. ~ 1. Mary Ann Kearns (Hope) 2. Richard Kemp (Appleby) 3. Margaret Malcolm (Richmond). Arithmetic. 1. William Saunders (Richmond) 2; Henry Holdaway (Richmond). (Tlie four other prizes are not yet awarded.) The following prizes which had been awarded for general proficiency at the separate examinations of the schools of the district were distributed on the 'same occasion—the several schools of the East Waimea being brought together for that purpose. richmond. Boys. Ist Class—l. W. Saunders. E. Holdaway. ♦. 2. U. Holdaway. 3.i Jk><G. Harkness. P. Wall is. *. 4. Joseph Shee*.^ , • • . ' 2nd Class;—l. F. bparrotf. 2. W. Barmcoat. 3rd Class—l. Edwin Hart. 2. Geigo Woodcock. 4th Class.—None. sth Class.—l. George French. 2. James Ranger. Girls. Ist Class.—l. Margaret Malcolm. Mary Ann Say well. '♦ Jane Kearns. * 2. Emma Schroder. 2nd Class.—l* Emilia Lankow. 2. Emma Shear. 3rd Class.—l. Mary Castles. 2. Jane Thompson. 3. Emily 3 Cherry. 4th Class.—l. Helen French. 2. Eliza Wallis. sth Class.—l. Helen Harkness. 2. Elizabeth Hart. ' • ' ■■:""- ■^"■'■:■•■'■ •■" j;"-;.: ■- BANZAU. 1. Martha Jessop.-'. 2. Ann Holland. 3. George Holland. 4. John Win. 6. Shadtach CoUmm. 6. John Coleman. 7. Robert Cross. HOPE. Ist Class.—l. Mary Ann Kearns. 2. C. P Kearns. 2nd Class.—Sarah RinzUt. 3rd Class.—Selina Timms. 4th Class.—Amelia Timms. sth Class.—Harry Rufle. 6th Class. —Austin Lines. APPLEBY. 1. Richard Kemp. 2. Thomas Gifford. 3. Jane Palmer. 4. Margaret Wallace. 6, Samuel Gilford. 6. Salome.Palmer. * The above were ineligible for priiet fa eons* quencc of being over U yean of age,