LANSDOWNE SCHOOL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 August 1942, Page 2

LANSDOWNE SCHOOL

MEETING OF COMMITTEE HEADMASTER’S REPORT. WORK UNDER VERY TRYING CONDITIONS. The monthly meeting of the Lansdowne School Committee was held last evening. There weje present: Messrs A. V. Faulknor (chairman), R. E. Baker, J. Donovan, J. McGregor, J. G. Dagg and C. H. Jarvis, and the headmaster, Mr J. W. T. Jones. Accounts amounting to £3 Is 5d were passed. “Since the taking over of the school as a temporary hospital, the work has been carried on under very trying circumstances,” reported the headmaster, Mr Jones. “The very wet weather experienced during the first week after vacating the school made conditions unpleasant, so that all that was possible was the marking of the work of the pupils and the setting of new work. The majority of the pupils responded very well and I should like to express my thanks to those parents who went to a great deal of trouble to see that the work was carried out satisfactorily. Under the now housing arrangements, conditions have improved and the attendance is almost back to normal. If fine weather continues the children should be able to continue their studies under fairly favourable conditions. In all, we have lost twelve pupils but some of these may return when the school building is made available once more. So far no relieving teacher has reported for' duty, so that I am unable to exercise that supervision of the various groups which is absolutely necessary if the work, the discipline, the attendance and the safety of the pupils are to be safeguarded. The pupils are showing a fine spirit of cooperation under present working'conditions, one example being, the cleaning of the various rooms without payment. The girls have expressed the wish to do this work as a token of appreciation of what has been done on their behalf.”