HIGH SCHOOLS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 208, 17 August 1927, Page 9

HIGH SCHOOLS

NAPIER BOARD OF GOVERNORS MONTHLY MEETING. GENERAL BUSINESS. The monthly meeting of the Board of Governors of the Napier High Schools was held last night. Present -—Messrs P. Ashcroft (chairman) J. Vigor Brown, H. Hill, F. K. 'de Castro, J. Clark Thomson, A. Hobson, C. Douglas Wilson, j’. P. Williamson, B. C. Wright, Rev. J. A. Asher and Dr. T. C. Moore. The Education Department acknowledged receipt of the board’s report of the flooding at the boys’ school and commented that when the school was being built a private individual had recommended to them that the old site was the best place to build. —The chairman said the last ‘‘cut little ice” with the board. The matter of replying to the department was left in the hands of the chairman and secretary. The secretary (Mr W. L. Dunn) reported that no tenders had been received for the purchase of the cottages in Coote road.—Messrs C. D. Wilsou, the chairman and secretary were appointed a committee to consider the whole question of the sale of the properties. It was decided to discontinue negotiations with the Harbour Board concerning the damage done to the stop bank in 1925 and immediately to send an aceount for the damage to the board. On the headmaster’s suggestion the second term holidays of the boys’ school are to be curtailed, owing to time lost by the flbod. The holidays will be the same as those of the primary schools. It was decided that 48 new chairs should be purchased for the girls’ school. The board’s architect Was instructed to report on the heating system at the girls’ high school, with a view to making an improvement. Vouchers totalling £2467 2s lOd were passed for payment. HEADMASTER’S REPORT. The headmaster (Mr W. A. Armour) in his monthly report to the board stated:—“The number of pupils on the roll is 304. The average attendance is 273 and-the percentage of attendance is 89.2. The attendance was affected during the month by the prevalence of mumps and measles, but has improved during the past week. ‘ ‘ The metalwork room has been erected, and as soon as the benches are put in and the appartus installed we hope to begin instruction in this subject. On Saturday, July 30; there was a considerable amount of water in the river and on the Awototo block. A little anxiety was felt at the time, as our banks had been stripped and tne work on the embankment was in an incomplete condition. However, there was a good clearance of 2i feet from the top of the banks and hence there was no danger at all of water getting on to our grounds. Work is going on in beautifying the grounds. By the time spring is well advanced, we hope that the precincts of the assembly hall will present a very pleasing appearance. The number of boarders is 72. Mumps have been prevalent, also two cases of measles. But at th'e time of writing there are only-two boarders in isolation. August 2 marked a special occasion with us as on that day the school grounds came within the borough of Napier. We trust that our school and grounds may grow and improve until they become one of the beauty spots of the town.” LADY PRINCIPAL’S REPORT. Miss D. M. Arthur, the lady pricipal, in her report said:— “The total roll for the month was 314, 256 in the senior school and 58 in the junior school. The attendance in the senior school has been very poor, a monthly average of 229, while in the junior school, where the pupils are iiT separate buildings and grounds there has been a much better average, 52. There were fewer candidates for senior free place this year than last, bn£ out of 71, 52 were recommended for a senior free place and nine for an extension of their junior free place. There were 11 candidates for higher leaving certificates. During the winter a keen interest hue been taken In basketball. Matches have been played against the girls of Hastings High School, the A team winning and the B team being defeated; and two matches have been played with Woodford House, the results of the first match being: A team 17-20 to Napier; B team 18-24. to Napier; and of the second mat,ch, played here, A team 38 to 32, to Naper; B ftam, 45 to 12, to Napier. A few days ago the school was deeply shocked to learn of the sudden death of one of our number. Noreen Weathered was a promising young pupil in Form UIA, who, though she had, only been here since February, was universally liked for her gentle unselfish disposition, and her splendid courage and cheerfulness in the face of constant ill-health She was at school on Wednesday, August 3, but contracted mumps, and that, added to her chronic ailment, proved' rapidly fatal and she died on Saturday, August 6. Our deep sympathy is extended to her parents in their great sorrow.”