MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8398, 12 April 1907, Page 7

MASTERTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

MONTHLY MEETING. ! The monthly meeting of the Maaterton School Committee was held last evening. There were presentMessrs R. Brown (chairman), W. A. Fendall, J. Carpenter, G. Townsend and C. Perry. The Treasurer produced a-state-ment for the year ended March 31st showing a credit balance of £3 Sa lOd. Since then uovernment subsidy amounting to £72 8s had been received, and there was now a credit balance of £75 16s lOd in the Bank. The Headmaster reported as follows:—Main School: Roll, 605; average attendance, 522; percentage of attendance, 86. i Side School:, ."Roll, 169; average attendance, 148; percentage of attendance, 88. Secondary Classes: Roll, 74 f average attendance, 78; percentage of attendance, 98. On the 18th and 19th kjultimo the attendance was very much deduced through the bad weather. T)n the 18th nearly half the scholars on the roll were absent. With these / exceptions, the attendance for the month has been good, especially so at the Side School and in the Secondary Department. Omitting the attendance of the two bad days, the percentage of attendance for the month was 89. The attendance at the Side School has now fully recovered. There is no sickness prevalent and a good attendance is being maintained. The dividing fences in the front grounds are out of repair. One of them should be replaced by new clobeboard fence of the same character as the other portions of the dividing fences. There is a bad leak in the spouting on the north side,of the school building, and the down'pipe on the eastern side of the building ha 3 not yet been attended to. The •cookery class will re-commence this month at the School, under the instruction of the Board's teacher of cookery, Miss Talbot. Four classes of about twenty scholars in each will receive training in this subject. These will comprise the girls of the Secondary Classes, Standard VI, and • the older girls of Standard V. The numerous leaks in the roof of the main school have, for the present, f been stopped. The whole of the roof, yhowever, is in an unsatisfactory State, and many leaks are liable to occur, especially so if the felt under the iron is not secure. I find the iron in the roof of the older portion of the building is put on with solid lead- «►" headed nails. These, in the driving, and also through roof vibrations, have caused depressions in the iron under the nails. Through these small funnels the water finda its way. When the leaks become very numer■ous it will become necessary to strip the roof and reverse the iron, using lead-headed nails of modern pattern. The application made to the Board to allow Syverston's Senior Board Scholarship to be tenable at Victoria College for 1908-0 has, I understand, been referred to the Chairman of the Education Board and the Inspectors, I sincerely hope a decision will be tfllfven in the boy's favour. I should %e glad if the Committee will make arrangements for a \ inter supply of'firewood as early as, possible. It was decided to a...c the Education Board to send the Clerk of Works to Masterton '.to report on the

state of the roof at the Main School. The matter of attending to the fence at the Side School and the leak in the roof at the same school was referred to the visiting members. The visiting members for the month were also instructed to deal with the question of providing a supply of firewood at the school. It was decided to recommend the incoming committee to take into consideration the question of establishing sewing classes at the District High School. The Chairman and Messrs Fendall and Perry were appointed a sub-com-mittee to draft the annual report to be submitted to the annual meeting of householders on Monday, April 22nd. Messrs Gillespie, O'Leary and Perry were appointed visiting members for the month. Accounts amounting to £24 18s 9d were passed for payment.