WAITAHUNA DISTRICT SCHOOL EXAMINATION.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 151, 29 December 1870, Page 4

WAITAHUNA DISTRICT SCHOOL EXAMINATION.

By a Visitor.

The annual Christmas examination of the district school was held here on Friday, the 23rd, and having a spare hour or two, I thought I would look in and see how they got along. There was a number of visitors present, a large portion being of the fair sex. Several members of the School Committee were also present. The firct thing that caught the view on entering, was the expectant and earnest looking faces of the children waiting their turn for examination ; the next, on turning round, was the number of samples of needle work of all kinds from plain sewing up to fancy crochet, knitting in its various forms, book marks, antimacassars, and a large variety of coloured ornamental work of which I do not know the names, all arranged most attractively, conveying the idea of a miniature fancy bazaar, and indicating an amount of industry and taste highly creditable to both the pupils and the teacher, Miss Clarke, to whose direction this branch of education is entrusted. The examination was conducted by the master, Mr. Clarke, arid the satisfacfactory manner in which the pupils acquitted themselves in the various branches in which they had studied, must have been gratifying to the parents, as it was most creditable to the teacher. The subjects of examination consisted of reading, spelling, arithmetic, geography, grammar, writing, (of which there were some excellent specimens) mental arithmetic, (in which branch they are well up, answering questions of a complicated nature with surprising facility) bible history, (with which they seem to have a very fair acquaintance, due, no doubt, to the praiseworthy exertions of their Sunday school teachers, Messrs Barr and Dunn.) I cannot s;ive you a list of the prizes, as they were too numerous for insertion, but among them I noticed several of considerable value, and all were well selected and highly appropriate. The prizes were awarded by four gentlemen selected for that purpose, and distributed by Dr. Johnson to each prize-taker with a few words appropriate to the occasion. A prize having to be awarded to the best conducted pupil, it was decided that a vote of the whole school should be taken, which resulted in Miss Tanton obtaining a majority of one over Master J. Edie, both being senior scholars. This closed the prooeedings, and it was gratifying tq note the happy

smiling faces of the fortunate ones to whom prizes had been awarded, bringing to recollection some scenes ef our own youthful experience. The school seems to be steadily progressing, the number of pupils now attending being about 70, 1 was informed, shewing a marked improvement upon previous years, and with every prospect of continued improvement.