RIVERLEA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 10 December 1928, Page 4

RIVERLEA.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) SCHOOL. COMMITTEE. The monthly meeting of the .Riverlea School Committee was held on Tuesday, when there were present Messrs W. H. Songster (chairman), A. C. Josephson, and M. F. Voullaire. Miss M. I. Morecraft, head teacher, was also in attendance. Mr. D. McLeod and Mr. Kenyon were granted leave of absence.

There was little general business, the chief item being the making of arrangements for the annual breakingup ceremony. It was resolved to have a short programme of vocal and musical items, followed by dancing on Tuesday, December 18. Considerable discussion ensued as to whether prizes should be given or whether money should again be collected for expenditure on the library. Mr. Voullaire contended that in his opinion the library was a far better proposition. It meant more value for money expended, and gave the children a wide choice of reading against one book each, which, when read, was afterwards more or less useless. Mr. Sangster strongly advocated reverting to the prize-giving. He considered it far preferable. Personally he had no objection to the library; in fact he considered it quite a good thing, but he liked to see the children get a, prize, and thought they should raise money for that purpose. Mr Josephson disagreed. He had always been opposed to the prize idea, he said, and strongly favoured the library. He thought that as there were now a fair number of books in the library it would be a good thing to make the collection this year in aid of the library and of a piano, allocating the amount received on a fiftyfifty basis.

Miss Morecraft also supported the library. She said it was far preferable, and the large amount of reading it gave the children had been reflected in the great improvement in their work in English and composition. The pupils from the school who had sat for their proficiency examinations at Kaponga had been ahead of others there, and in her opinion their reading had been of great assistance to them in that. She approved of Mr. Joseplison’s suggestion that lists be sent out in aid of both library and piano funds, as a piano was very much needed.

Mr. Sangster suggested sending out two lists, one in aid of the library and piano and one for prizes. Fie strongly favoured the prizes.

Mr. Voullaire considered it would not work; one or other would go flat. Last year some people had opposed the library and favoured the prizes, but no more bad been heard of it, and he thought they had seen that the decision of the committee had been the wiser plan. Mr. Sangster then suggested calling a meeting of householders to discuss tlio question, but other members considered that it was for this meeting to decide what to do Householders had not seen fit to attend the annual meeting, . when they could have perhaps given the committee a lead in the matter, and in any case it was doubtful whether there would be an attendance worth while. After further desultory discussion it was resolved that a list be sent round for subscriptions towards library and piano fund, moneys received to be allocated on a fifty-fifty basis to each.

The matter of having some concrete work done around the school was discussed. and it was resolved to obtain estimates of cost and have the work done either during the summer or next term holidays. Miss Morecraft reported that seven pupils had been presented for their proficiency certificates, two of whom had onlv had a half-vear in the sixth standard, and that all had passed.