GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 September 1916, Page 6

GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL.

THE NEW BUILDING. SCHOLARS AT WORK. Take a ''tuppenny" tram ticket as far as the Old Hospital road; alight, and a three minutes' walk will bring the visitor to the new New Plymouth Girls' High School building. in a declivity from the road (oh the right hand side, is one of the best appointed scholastic institutions to be found anywhere in the dominion.

To the passer-by the building appears "squat" and "stumpy," perhaps by reason of its length, and its declination from a casual view. But once inside the grounds the whoh- aspect changes, and therein is to be found a model institution, framed on modern lines, that seems to be absolutely perfect foi the purpose foi which it was erected. The school is built about two chains from the roadside, on an area of three acre?. This acreage allows for ample playground room and general recreation purposes. The bmkling itself has,a frontage of 135 feet, and goes back as far as 75 feet (the assembly room), and class accommodation has been provided for at least ]SO pupils. It is of the bungalow type, and is built of ferro-eonerete, and the present work redounds to the iredit of Mr. F. Messenger, who designed the building, and tc Messrs. R. L. Roberts and Son, who faithfully carried it out.

The school was first occupied on Monday last, the commencement of the new term, and a representative of this paper was privileged to visit the school recently when he was very courteously received by the Lady Principal, Ml« Parr. "I am sorry," said Miss Barr, "that you have come up so soon, for we are not properly furnished yet, and things are a bit mixed up. But we hope to be finally settled by the end of next week." On entering the porch the first room (l«ft x 12ft) on the left hand side, to be inspected was that of the Lady Principal. Cosy and well-lighted, it is a most adaptable "office"'for the teacher, whose responsibilities will necessarily entail much arduous and thoughtful labor. Almost facing the entrance, ami on the left hand side of a wide corridor (Sft) which runs the entire length of the building is the assembly room. This ioom. which is now occupied by Form 111. (33 in number) is the largest in the institution, and will seat 250 people in comfort, It is exceptionally well lighted. and is admirably suited for the purpose for which it was designed. - A stage, •2ft Sin in height, and 13ft by 7ft, which lias been built in three pieces' so as to allow of easy removal, occupies the northmi end. Next to this is "the Lab.," or laboratory, and this is up-to-date in every particular. Its measurements, 30ft by 20ft. allow of ample accommodation :'t the one time for 24 puv.ils. Each •icholar is provided with her own private locker, and there is a sink for every two" pupils. All the dramage liads'to a septic tank, and all the pipes are of stone-wear. The, apparatus cupboard Is so arranged that it i'- "get-at-able" from

'.otb "the lab." and the corridor. A passage-way leads to the back of •the building, and then are the prefects' room, lift by 13ft, and the games room, where the girls will store their hockey st'eks, dumbells, clubs, etc. Opposite

these rooms, on the? street side and at the Devon street end is the science demonstration room, another very commodious inset, 20ft by 20ft, which will be 1 used for the purposes it was- designed for. It is so arranged, however, that it can be used as a classroom, and if, as it is. hoped, the attendance at the school will greatly increase, thi demonstration room will be found second to none in

„i e school for teaching purposes. The Sixth Form room, 10ft by 22ft, adjoins. This is capable of allowing *ivteen pupils to work in comfort, but

;t present there are only two eompris

'ng the class. The Fiftli Form Voom, •20ft. by 22ft, is next, and this will accommodate 30 scholars. Like all the other classrooms, comfort, ventilation, ond plenty of sunshine have been provided for, and these factors, indeed, seem to have been ever present in the minds of the designers and builders of the school.

Continuing down the corridor, adjoining the Principal's room is the library, which is well fitted with shelves and on which are some hundreds of volumes. Many of these, however, show signs of wear and tear, and before the library is properly classified and catalogued it vonld not be an ungraceful act for sympathisers of the school to send along such suitable books as they can spare. Next to the library is the Fourth Form room, 20ft by 20ft, and this will accomviodate 32 pupils, and at the further end is the Preparatory room, 20 by 20, which will seat 48 pupils. At this, the southern end of the corridor, is the teachers' entrance. Opposite is a cosy looking little room for the mistresses, and then are the lavatories and cloak rooms. The last room inspect-

Ed was the kitchen, 20ft by 30ft, and this is replete in every detai' 1 Tt is veil -.quipped with ranges and sinks, and the lockers and bins are of the very latest type. Fourteen scholars can at one and the same time be instructed in the gastronomic arts that will tend to make them the happy housewives of the future. A commodious pant'-y is attach ed to tht kitchen. The hot-water er-

vice pipes in the room have been lefi uncovered, bo that at any time the instructress will be. able to giv practica demonstrations as for a domestic hoi water service.

Underneath the assembly room, which Mas been so designed that it can be added io at any time without interfering with the work of the scholars, are a bicycle shed and a splendid darkroom, with a special window, for the development of photographs. These little" extras" will doubtless be much appreciated by the girls. ~ A regards ventilation and sanitation nothing has been left undone- and in these important matters the school is uniquely and thoroughly equipped. The ;tud of all passages, corridors, and rooms is 13ft in height, while the big overhanging roof is so eonstruc.tcd that it wiP tend to- >■• - 's coolness in summer and warmth '»r. Certfuily one of the features huildiii" is the big corridor, run

.i-oiii end to end. This creates, a permanent .draught, and takes off any vitiated atmosphere. Porches and exits

are in plenty, aril every minute detail appears to have been well considered and carried out.

THE GROUNDS.

As the /isitor enters the front gate to the school, an. l traverses the gravelled pathway to the main entrance, he will immediately perceive to what extent the !■ rounds surrounding the institution can be, and undoubtedly! will be, beautified. On the right an ample croquet lawn has already been laid out, and it is shortly to be grassed. On the declivity from the r, ad to the grounds proper, - woikmen were on Friday busily laying turf, and ethers were engaged in forming the footpaths from the southern gateway to

tho teachers' an J back entrances. A spacious lawn, alieady laid out and tilled fronts the school building, and very probably on this will-be a mimbei of flowerbeds, or flowering shrubs may be planted here and there. Between each end of the building and the main entrance is a space of 4-i foci by fl feet, and these plots the Lady Principal intends\p devote entirely to flowers ' and flowering climbers, which will add considerably to the attractiveness of the exterior of the school. The area behind the school, extending to the Te Henui stream, is at present in its virgin*state, but on this it is proposed to lay out a hockey field and also lawn tennis courts. Therefore the scholars will be -well catered for in the matter of playgrounds. At present the roll of the school numbers nearly !10. At the time of the writer's visit the Lady Principal had not been :ible to make uj. the exact figures. As previously mentioned, is ample accommodation for . nearly double, that number and if. as is hoped and intended, the boarding fau.itics are improved, a few months »hould see the classrooms taxed to the utmost, for, without doubt, the New Plymouth Girls' High School is one of the most modern institutions of its kind in the Dominion. In securing the serviefs of Miss Barr, the Board, parents and pupils are alike to- J be congratulated, and this lady is sure to piove a worthy si.eeessor to the school's former be'.oved Principal, Miss' Hodges. In addition to lur undoubted scholastic attainments, Miss Barr possesses a magnetic personality and-graciousness of manner that have apparent!} alreadyimpressed themselves upon the scholars, and under her regime the Girls' High School enters upon what may be termid "a new lease of life" amidst the brightest auspices. Then, before departing, the reporter put the inevitable question, "And how do you like New Plymouth." Miss Barr laughed. She expected that question. "So far as I've seen !t I like it, and I'm sure I am going to like it. It was such a chav.ge—i.i the climate, I if.iean — to come from Gisborne to here. It's so bracing, and over there we had such hut and muggy weather. What a beauti'ful place it .is, too! I'm going to love this school It is a splendid establishmei.t, splendidly appointed; in fact, I have never seen a better. And the Board has met mi-, in every way. Everything fhat I have asked for lias been done or supplied, and I am looking forward to making this school one of the foremost in the Dominion. Yes, lam well pleased."

MEW BANK NOTES, _ n».. TO BE ISSUED BY BAXK OF XEW ZEALAND. Xot content with issuing the new 105 notes, the Bank of New Zealand is about to issue new one and five-pound notes, which differ very materially from tlfe ones now in circulation. The present pink and black one-pound note, with its framework of "ones" round the border, is familiar to most people. The new note to take its place is a much more elaborate and artistic design, printed in at least half-a-dozen delicate tones (as tliey are too vague to be called colors). The medallions enclosing tiny scenes of native Xew Zealand, with Maoris and,kiwis in the foieground, now appear on each side of a large ova l design, lilled intricately with mosaic work in pale blues, greens and yellows, each section being filled in with a differently designed tessalation. The figure ''l" appear!! in hold relief in each corner, and the ivord ''one' 'is incorporated in the top, bottom and centre of the design. The block of the black print is a halftone, and the whole is a pleasing blend of pinky-grey rainbowing to the palest I of green tints in the centre. The five-pound note is warmer in tone. Its pink-brown tone has a deeper glow. Here again are the familiar scenes of primitive New Zealand, but instead of being over one another (as in the present note) they are on either side at the foot of the note, and there is a big green figure ''.V in the centre, surrounded by r : -- after ring of the finest mosaic pctteni, printed in the lightest and A\o*t delicate tir.ts. This in place of the Words "Five rounds" which now appear lengthways on every five-pound note'. The back of each of the new notes also has a much heavier and more elaborate design and color scheme than, those at present in circulation.