Heretaunga Boys' School.

Hastings Standard, Issue 504, 17 December 1897, Page 2

Heretaunga Boys' School.

* PRESENTATION OF PRIZES

The annual presentation of prizes in connection with the Heretaunga Boys' School took place on Thursday afternoon in the presence of numerous relatives and friends, including the Bishop of Waiapu, His Worship the Mayor, and other prominent settlers. The schoolroom was nicely decorated for the occasion. The principal of the school (Mr J. A. Fraser), pave an address, in which he welcomed the guests and referred to the assistance given the school by the of friends. He then gave a retrospect of the year's work, which showed 1 excellent progress in every way. The scholarship work was excellent. Thanks were due to Messrs Andrews, Wellwood and Sharpe for their capable assistance as masters. In athletics—especially in football and cricket—great advance had been made, and he drew the attention of friends to the excellent teaching accommodation, the playground, the gymnasium, and facilities for bathing at the Wailcoko Lake, the use of which had been kindly granted by Mr W. Nelson. Carpentry instruction had been added during the year, and they were indebted to Mr Marbrook for his excellent instruction in the class. He was glad to say that the tone of the school as a whole had been thoroughly maintained. Before passing to the reports he referred in feeling terms to the late Arthur Maddison, one of the boys of the school, who had been ever ready to render assistance, in the school. Reference was also made to the departure of Miss Rainbow, which was much regretted. The reports were then read as follows :

A. E. MEEK's REPORT

In reporting upon the annual examination of the Heretaunga school, it gives me the greatest pleasure to be able to stato that I think excellent work has again been done by the boys, and that the standard of the school continues to rise. I have had the advantage this year of a very full and searching examination, and the'boys have come through the ordeal with great credit to themselves and their masters. .

The highest form (matriculation) was examined in August last in seven subjects, and I was then able to report that, with due diligence during the term just concluded, they could enter for the matriculation examination (now in progress) with reasonable hope of success. I trust to hear that my anticipations have been realised. The other forms, viz., IVa and IVb, Remove and lIIa, have just been examined, and it is with their work that I have now to deal. More boys have been presented for examination this year than ever before, and their work is more uniformly creditable. Indeed, the marks gamed are so high in all subjects and all forms that I think it unnecessary to go into details in this report, but prefer to leave the questions, and the marks to tell their own tale. I am sure that my papers were in no way less difficult than in previous years. I daresay the boys thought them harder, and good work was required to get good marks. I M ould, however, make the following observations 011 the results : 1. I have the highest praise to bestow upon the neatness of the papers. It is not too much to say that they are turned out with the scrupulous care and neatness of an engrossing clerk. I see very good work from there of the leading secondary schools m New Zealand every year, but nothing to equal in this respect that of your boys. 2. The boys are taught to write clear, legible, and well-formed hands, and they do actually write well, not only in transcriptions for special prizes, but also in all their papers. 3. Some years ago, when I first examined the school, I thought the spelling was very weak. No fault can now be found in this respect. Ido not mean that no mistakes are made in spelling, but that the proportion of mistakes is not greater than in any of our best schools. 4. The subjects taken include all the branches of ordinary English work, as well as Algebra, Latin, and science. lam informed that book-keeping, short hand, French, Euclid and Scripture are also taught in the school. The range of subjects is, therefore, admirable. 5. The text books are one and all up to date and suitable. I see no reason for recommending any change. I strongly approve of the work done in " English Readers," and think the boys have derived the greatest possible benefit fron} it, 6. Judging by the earnest and spirited way in which the papers were attacked, and by the sentiments expressed in the essays, I should think that an excellent tone prevails in the school, and that boys entrusted to your care have only themselves to blame if they do not acquire under you a store of sound knowledge and true manliness. Rev. J. Hobbs 1 Report. In the Scripture papers the boys have kept up the care of last year, the average marks of the school being 53 per cent., and that of the highest form 68 per cent. Rainbow's (major) is a pattern paper, with 98 per cent, of marks. His brotiier's answers are also very well expressed. 111 Form 111. four papers are of almost uniform merit, except that one boy (Giblin) put himself out of the running by writing what he thought to be a joke, and Bishop was more accurate in the spelling of names. Several papers have wasted space by giving me unasked-for information, sometimes to the exclusion of what was requested.

Misses Habcie a Manning's Report

We are very sorry we cannot send in such a good report of this shorthand examination as of the previous one. The upper division lias done very well, and wo believe Dudley Potts has a special aptitude for phonography. Hansen Fraser has done very well, and if he were able to give as much time to the subject ks Dudley we think he would do nearly as well. Nigel M'Lean's paper was good as far as it 'jyent, but he left two questions' quite unanswered) which considerably lowered his percentage. We are very disappointed with., the papers of the lower division, and cannot think why they have done so badly, unless it is that the pressure _ of work, caused by the other examinations, has prevented them from giving much time to an extra subject like shorthand. What A. Rainbow has done is good, and we think if lie had finished his paper he would have had a fair percentage. His and J. Fleming's papers are the best, and their outlines arc neat and good. After the reports had been read the boys were addressed by Canon St. Hill, who presenter! the prizes, and subsequently by His Worsip the Mayor tbe Bishop of W&iaftf, wto eftCb 6S«

pressed plea-tu-e at Learint? itch favourable reports of the scln ol and its progress. The boys were afiorwan. s e" reised by Servant Mtijor Dewar rnd presented with priz<-3 one for athletics fi'utn Mr Th omas Crosse. Afternoon tea was kindly provided by Mrs Faascr. The proceeding? terminated with the usual cheers. The following are the prize-takers : Form I N. Potts ; a.. Merewether ; remove, Alf. Rainbow. English : l\h., J. Healop; a., J. Nelson. (general Proficiency (prizes presented by !3LJ.. M. Crerar) : A. Rainbow and History and Geography : 111/'.-, N. Potts ; C. Giblin ; remove, V. Dancers ; IV. (Mr E. H. Williams' prize), -J. Heslop. Arithmetic : III«. and i>., C\ Giblin ; remove and IV. form, R. G.llunt. Algebra : IV<;. and /<., I). D. Potts. Mathematics (Mr 11. B. Williams' prize) : H. White. Drawing : 111,/, and L. Tuke. Mapping : IV«. and D. I). IV.-tis. Science (Dr Linuey's prize) ; juniors, Alf. Rainbow. English Composition (Dr de Lisle's prize): Juniors, Philson I. Book-keeping (Mr Beilby's prize) : H. Eraser. Latin: Remove, Philson I. , IV. form, G. Brathwaite. Writing : 111. form, L. Tuke; remove (Mr N. Kettle's prize), Caulton ; IV. form (do.), M'Leod. Scripture: 111. form (Rev. Hobbs' prize), Bishop ; seniors (Canon St. Hill's prize), Arthur R .inbow : juniors, (Mr J. A. Eraser's prize), Geof. Potts. Attendance: Dayboys (Mrs Eraser's prize), C'ullen, M'Lean 11. ; boarders (Miss Rainbow's prize) : 11. Eraser. Gardens (Mrs Eraser's prize) : K." White. Captain Russell's prize : W. B. Hobbs, 1 ; D. Potts. 2. Dux : W. B. Hobbs. Scholar: W. M'Lean.