FREE KINDERGARTENS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 133, 2 December 1937, Page 24

FREE KINDERGARTENS

CERTIFICATES PRESENTED

FROEBEL CENTENARY

St. Francis Hall is used for many purposes and has many plans of decor used, but it has seldom looked better ! than last night when the Kindergarten Graduation ceremony and social evening took piaco. The stage, with its picturesque old English background, was decorated with huge wicker baskets of roses intertwined on one side, and on the other the rose tones were kept with long foxgloves and petunias arranged with delicate greenery. At the back of the stage was a long open basket with roses suspended in trails, while the central table with a lace cloth had some real "prize roses" in crimson tones.

There was a charming group of girl students on the stage, all wearing matching frocks of cream silk. Later they were joined by Mrs. Doctor, the president (wearing gold-tinted satin) and Miss Scott (acting director of the kindergartens in the absence of Miss Enid Wilson). These ladies welcomed the Hon. P. Fraser and Mrs. Fraser (the latter wearing amethyst cloque and a black satin wrap embroidered in pink* flowers). Mrs. Fraser presented the certificates, this being a pretty ceremony, the certificates being in scroll fashion tied with ribbon, and a badge going with them. After Mrs. Fraser had presented both, each girl was given a charming spray of flowers. Those who graduated were Misses Stella Johnson, Sheila Feltham, Constance Smallwood, Leta Wingate, Jean Fleming, and Kathleen Farquhar, Miss Marie StrangeMure, who began a kindergarten at Miramar before the free system came into vogue and who is leaving the association, was given a bouquet of roses with some words of appreciation of her good work. Mrs. Doctor explained that the meeting was intended to honour those students who had completed their two years of work and had graduated successfully. She felt they were to be envied as well as congratulated/ for they had learned at kindergarten how to make an atmosphere of happiness around them, and in doing that they must, of necessity, make themselves happy also. The ideal of kindergarten was happiness, loyalty, and love. These ideals were ■in the hearts of all the workers—the mothers' clubs, the committees, and in fact all workers for the good of little children. She welcomed.the representatives of other movements for the good of the little ones who were present, and mentioned the great value all had received from the recent New Educational Conference which had taken place in Wellington. It was a great honour to the city to have it here, and she had no doubt that a great deal of good would accrue from it. The director, Miss Wilson, had gone to England on purpose to attend further lectures by Dr. Susan Isaacs, and on her return she would generously share her knowledge wherever it could be useful. Mrs. Doctor spoke in appreciation of the work of Miss Scott, who was deputising for Miss Wilson, and of the work of all the staffs, for she considered that one and all had worked splendidly. She alluded to the Froebel Centenary this year, which had been of so much interest to them all and had been suitably, celebrated here.

Mrs, Doctor then spoke of the help and encouragement it was to all concerned with the kindergartens to know that the work had the understanding and sympathy of the Minister of Education (the Hon. P. Fraser), who had so kindly spared time to attend the graduation ceremony, and also of the sympathy of his Department. Miss Scott read a charming letter of encouragement from Miss Wilson, written almost immediately after she arrived in London, and showing that her thoughts were with the Wellington kindergartens. She then presented the annual report which recorded good work and progress everywhere. The Orpheus Sextet, drawn from members of the Mothers' Clubs, and artistically dressed alike in matching mauve frocks, sang several glees and part-songs excellently. These were unaccompanied, and proved most popular. Mrs. Lawson also sang some solos, with sympathetic accompaniment by Miss Ormi Reid, and was. encored enthusiastically. Downstairs supper was set, the tables being very charmingly decorated with bowls and trails of flowers and the effect being excellent. There also, the handwork of both students and children was displayed. The students always excel in this, and year by year they seem to invent some new devices and carry them out with taste and skill, so that there was quite a bewildering selection of delightful toys, toy boxes, a#id gifts for fathers and mothers.- The little ones showed much taste that was interesting as they produced in coloured chalks the things, they saw around them, drawings of men and women, children, ships, cars, and other things.

After supper a dance finished up an enjoyable and interesting evening.