KAPONGA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LX, Issue LX, 29 December 1910, Page 3

KAPONGA.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] The annual picnic and prize-giving of the Kaponga public school was held on Thursday, December 22, in the school grounds, there being a good attendance of parents and friends, in addition to the scholars. The usual races for toys, etc., interspersed with refreshments, provided amusement for the children during the day, the gathering closing with the prize-giv-ing. The Chairman, Mr W. Swadling, distributed the honors gamed, and in a short speech commended the school for the year's results, and concluded by calling for three cheers for the teaching staff, and also those that had assisted in providing the successful day's outing just concluded. Following is a list of those who carried off prizes : — General Proficiency. — Standard 7 : Roy Grace. Standard 6: Mary Moller 1, Minnie Kime 2, Alice Black 3. Standard 5: Leo Abbot 1, Alma Faull 2, Alva Kasper 3. Standard 4: Henrik Moller 1, Doris Bates 2, Dorothy Hutchinson and Arthur Herbert (equal) 3. Standard 3: Emily Preece 1, Stanley Death 2, Reggie Murphy 3. Standard 2: Eileen Moller 1, Pearl Melville 2, Arthur Sparks 3. Standard 1: Ethel Melville 1, Bob Hutchinson and Muriel Grace 2, Irene Sargeson 3. The 61 children of the three Primer classes received a small book each. Greatest Improvement during year. — Standard 5: Ralph Kime 1, Alma Faull 2. Standard 4: Harry Bashford 1, Allan Kaspar 2. Standard 3: Evelyn Bennie 1, Martha Wells 2. Standard 2 : Pearl Melville 1, Gladys Death 2. • Standard 1: Hughie Melville 1, Ethel Kaspar 2. Attendance. — First-class, i.e., attended every day in year: Myrtle Pitcher, Ethel Signal, Nellie Signal, Leo Abbott, Alma Faull. Second-class, i.e., absent* not more than five half -days: Bert Melville, Edward Gwynne, Stanley Death, Rub/ Signal, Jack Rennie, Charles Adlam. Third-class, i.e., absent not more than five days: Arthur Sparks. Special Prizes. — Neatness and carefulness (presented by Mrs A. J. Adlam) : Upper classes Harold Grace ; lower classes, Pearl Melville. Best arithmetic done as home work (presented by Mr Matheson) : Standard 6, Minnie Kime; Standard 's, Leo Abbot; Standard 4, Jack Bennie; Standard 3, Ralph Death ; Standard 2j George Caughey; Standard 1, Leo McGuire. _ The results of the year's examination in the sixth standard were: — 8 proficiency passes, 1 competency and 1 1 failure, out of ten in the class. Following are names: — Proficiency: Charlie Adlam, Len Black, Ernest Scott, Beatrice Bates, Minnie Kime. Mary Molter, Nellie Signal, Alice Black. Competency, Harold Kaspar. Mr H. G. 'Carman supplied the prizes, etc., and gave every satisfaction. The headmaster is to be congratulated on the results obtained, eeeina: the disadvantages the school labors under, owing to the deficiency of accommodation, and the small staff of teachers. An average yearly attendance of 121 would secure another teacher for the school. At present the roll holds 136 names, and the average attendance is 112. It wants but a reversal of the last two figures in the latter number, to effect this result. Under these circumstances it is to he hoped that during the coming year the parents will come to the teachers' aid in this respect, and By encouraging their children in regular attendance, enable the desired average to be attained, and with it the consequent "better instruction, supervision, and advancement of the children's studies.