GREY MAIN SCHOOL

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 June 1935, Page 5

GREY MAIN SCHOOL

COMMITTEE MEETING. A meeting of the Grey Main School Committee was held last evening, 1 there being present: Messrs R. A. j Barrowman (chairman), R. J. Williams, A. E. Morgan, A. J. Fairmaid, A. V. Oliver, G. Herring, J?I. Herring, and W. G. Scott (secretary). I Accounts amounting to £9/1/5 ' were passed for payment.

i Miss A. E. Cornwall wrote stating that she had forwarded her resignation to the Canterbury Education Board, and thanked the Committee for the consideration and courtesy shown her during her 15 years on the teaching staff.of the school.—The resignation was accepted with regret, and on the motion of Messrs Williams and H. Herring, it was decided to record in the minutes Miss Cornwall’s valuable service to the sclipol. The Greymouth Unemployed Workers’ Movement wrote asking that a deputation be permitted to meet the committee. —It was decided that the chairman and secretary meet the unemployed deputation.

The West Coast Hockey Associa tion wrote asking the committee if i

was prepared to allow the children out of school to see the All India—

West Coast hockey match. It was stated that if arrangements were made for the children to go in a body, in charge of a teacher, they would be allowed in free.—lt was decided that tho school be closed lialf-an-hour prior to the commencement of the game, the headmaster to advise the Hockey Association of the approxi-

mate number of pupils who would be going.

The annual report of the West Coast School Committees’ Association, as previously published in the “Star,”

was read.—lt was decided to congratulate the Association on the creditable manner in which the large amount of work had been accomplished, and also to support a proposal to send a delegate to the next

conference of the Dominion Execu tive at Palmerston North.

REPORTS.

The headmaster (Mi* J. Graham) submitted the following report for the month: Roll number—Main School: Boys 297, gjrls 238, total 535; Blaketown: Boys 46, girls 49, total 95. Average attendance' —Main School:

Boys 281, girls 214, total 495; Blaketpwn: Boys 39, girls 43, total 82. Staff changes: During the month, Miss Walker, rationed assistant, was transferred to Ngahere, Miss McMahon taking her place on the Blaketown staff. On July 29, Miss Cornwall leaves for Wellington, where she has accepted a position on the'lsland Bay School staff. During this week Inspectors McNeill, Bates, Lake, and

Wyn-Irwin visited both Main and Blaketown schools on their annual! visit. Requirements: The completion of the work at present being carried . out in the playground would be greatly appreciated by the staff, as our drill areas are inadequate.—The report was received. For the Visiting Committee, Messrs R. J. Williams and A. V. Oliver, Mr Williams reported that they had been impressed with the general appearance of all the pupils. The school buildings were in good order, the interiors being kept clean and orderly.

At the Main School three windows are required, two having beep broken during painting operations, and one by some of the pupils. The boilerroom wails need attention, as water percolates into' the floor space, making it uncomfortable for the caretaker. Asphalting the surface surrounding the building where required would overcome the trouble. The work of putting the playground in order requires speeding up, as at present the broken asphalt is dangerous to play on. The surface needs grading and top-dressing. The head-

master suggests erecting about 5t inches of wire netting fencing on the south side of the lawn, in order tc beautify the frontage. We recommend that this be done. Rlaketoxvr School: Several windows in the corridor require new cords and one large window is unworkable. As the window and. other fittings in the' school are of iron, and are a constant source of trouble on account of the sea aii rusting the material, we recommend that any fittings to be renewed be renewed in galvanised iron or brass, The playground at Blaketown is sloppy in wet weather, and the growth of grass is meagre, and a topdressing of fertiliser or lime would be beneficial.- Generally speaking, the schools are in fail’ order, with the exception of the playgrounds.” It was decided that the chairman and secretary confer with the Home and School Association regarding the recommendation that a wire netting fence be erected. It was also decided to purchase lime sufficient to top-dress the Blaketown schoolground, and to replace the broken panes in the 'windows.

TELEPHONE FOR SCHOOL. Mr Morgan raised the question of the re-installation of a telephone in the school, stating that the taking of messages to 'the school must be a source of annoyance to neighbours, as there were so many calls. The chairman said he had no ob-

jection to the ’phone being re-installed as long as it was placed in an accessible position. He would not have it back on the same conditions as before, because he had become sick and tired of ’phoning the school and getting no answer. The ’phone was then in the headmaster’s office, and if he were not there, the office was locked, and no one could answer the ’phone. Members agreed on the necessity of a ’phone for the school, but Mr H. Herring said it might be better to wait .until the financial position was further improved.

Mr Williams moved and Mr Morgan seconded that the telephone be reinstalled, the chairman and secretary to select the location in one of the lobbies.

Mr H. Herring moved an amendment that the re-installation of the 'phone be held over for three months, to give the finances a chance to improve further. The amendment was seconded by the chairman.

ff he secretary said the finances would be no better in three months than now, and. in any case, the ’phone could be paid for at a monthly rate On a vote being taken, the amendment was lost, only the sponsors supporting it, and the motion was carried. Mr Williams asked what chance there was of putting a couple of electric points in the Blaketown school. In the present weather, the cai etaker had to provide her own •ight to clean the school..

Mr H. Herring asked if a lamp would not do at Blaketown. He said it had to suffice at the Main School

The chairman said it was unsatisactory.

It was decided to approach the Blaketown Ratepayers’ Association to ask what assistance might be given towards the installation of three points in the Blaketown School. Mr H. Herring dissented. The secretary stated that some twelve or fourteen children arrived at school about' 8.15 every morning, and had nowhere to go but to a room where there was no fire, while waiting until about 9 a.m.

It was decided to repair the fireplace in the room at a cost of 10/- or 15/-.

HOME AND SCHOOL ASSN.

Messrs H. J. Aldridge (president) A. H. Paterson, H. Smith, and C. V. Black, a deputation from the Home and School Association, waited on the committee. Mr Aldridge explained that the purpose of the deputation was to finalise tlie matter of the Association’s a.ccount —whether it should be controlled by the Association or should be placed to the School Committee’s account. The account was at present in the Post Office and trustees had been appointed. It had been suggested that the money should be placed in the committee’s No. 2 account, but the association would like to control their own funds, being at the same time willing to do all they could to assit the committee and the Dental' Clinic financially. It was purely a question of controlling the funds.

Mr Paterson said the association had been advised that, in the North Island, Home and School Association controlled their own funds, and there seemed no reason why the local association should not do so. They were capable of controlling the money, and it was not a question of distrust of the committee. The association was constituted to assist the committee, and they could work harmoniously with a separate account controlled by the association.

Messrs Black and Smith also spoke in support of the deputation’s request.

Mr Morgan said it seemed the Canterbury Education Board wanted to stick hard and fast to the rules. Mr Williams said he did not see there was any power to make the association give up its funds, but the chairman of the Education Board, on a recent visit had said that the assor

I ciation could not use ths school or school rooms, to raise money, unless that money was handed over to the committee. The chairman said the Canterbury Education Board had been written to in the matter, and their reply would be tabled at the next meeting. He did not care, personally, who handled the money as long as the school received the benefit. The committee wanted to retain the co-operation of the association. In reply to the chairman, Mr Aldridge said it was simply a matter of

the association banking the money until it was required by the committee.

Mr Williams suggested that the money be handed over, as the commitee could handle it wisely. Mr Aldridge said they knew the committee could handle the money wisely, and it would be at their disposal whenever Required'. It was only a question of a separate account.

-On the motion of Messrs Williams, and Scott, it was decided to support the association, in its endeavours to have control of its own banking account.

Matters affecting the school and the dental clinic, especially in regard to finance, were discussed at length.