SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 129, 3 June 1920, Page 3

SCHOOL COMMITTEE

At the monthly meeting .of the Blenheim School Committee on Tuesday evening there were present:— Messrs &. Jtt. Penny (chairman),, J. J White, H. Dohson, A. M. B- Mills, F. H. Andrews, W". W. l>lor,, C. F. A. Whiteford, W. W. Itowntree (headmaster), and W. Jordan (secretary). HEADMASTER'S REPORT.

The headmaster's report was .as

'follows,: — . "The' rolls of the schools .are:— Main 443, infants 166, lledwoodtown 55- total, 664. The average attendances since the beginning ot the quarter are:—Main 415, infants 16b, Kedwoodtown. 45; total 096. The avearp-6 roll numbers since the beginning of the quarter are.-^Mam 449 infants 162, itedwoodtown. op; total "The Education Department's Medical Officer, I>r A. Paterson, acoompaniefl by two nurses, visited the school on the 10th and SOth May. She examined thoroughly all the -new infant children, and the teeth and thrdats of all the children hv the school A visit was also paid to Redwoodtown on 23rd May. ; "The taps from which the-children drink are mps* unsatisfactory. . In the first place, there are only _iour taps for over 600 children, and infants and the .standard class children drink at the same taps very often to :tne iniury of the infants. In the second placef there is no proper drainage, and the playground is often m a wet. state owing to these taps. "The heating of the class-rooms .is not very satisfactory in the mam school. The stoves are very difficult to stoke, except in two cases and unless great care is taken the fiies go out. I would suggest that the four unsatisfactory stoves be either replaced by < Oarron ' stoves or converted .to stoves like those m the ln^ CS the cold woatiier h.s commenced, I would suggest that the |"SSS who bring their lunch should 3e the opportunity of procuring'a cup of cocoai . If the committee will -fovide an urn, and the necessary basins,; towels;:«, tho teachers v,ill ■■ attend to ; the; distribution ot the coS-' The children could pay for the cocoa at the rate of 3d a weeiv for a cu^every day or Id for a angle ; CU"i would suggest that during.the ; months of J.une July, and Außust, ' the dinner-time be reduced by fifteen minutes.' This should giv.e those who *go home to lunch time to do so, and i would be better iot those have to\bring their lunches. It would [also be of decided advantage to those. I who play football or basket-ball after h SC"T have moved my office to what, fwas the. headmistress's room, and t propose turning the old office xinto a. class-room. 'To- do this properly some shelving needs removing. 1 shall d© very much obliged if the committee wUI have it done ps soon as possible. , ""The playground is very unsatis- : factory for so' large a school, and I, have applied for ..a subsidy on £10 ot the concert money for .raising and levelling Pi piece big enough to play basket 'ball or tennis on. Mr Had.field/estimated tho cost nt between £20* and £25: As soon as the subsidy is granted, J shall be plenwd it the committee Will put the work in hand and agree to pay any deficiency up to ■ £25 If ''f costs more than that1 the school fund 'Mil bear the extra ""T*'" RESOLUTIONS. ; On flic motion of Mr Dobson, it ' was ' resolved that tho secretary got an" estimate of the cost ot laying i the gns onto the caretaker's cottage, and that the Education Board be I asked to "bear the cost. . ' Messrs White and Tylor, the visrtW ■ committee ' for the month, pre[sented their report and- made a 5 number of recommendations. f It was decided that attention be i given to the drinking fountains, i windmill, gate, 'and swings at the i Redwoodtown ,scliool; and that the ! heaters at the Borough School be converted, as they had not been giving they' necessary amount ot warmth in the EcTioolrooms. - In the matter of levelling the Borbugh School playgrounds it waa resolved that, as Mr Rowntree had' decide to give,£lo towards the cost but of the school tods, and the Education Board would give , a *1« ■ subsidy, -the committee pay £&, it tboi'Work cost £25. With regard to the question jot; supplying cocoa td the children who- ; rewim at school for lunch, several meirfbers" thought that the" scheme-, was a good one; and it was resolved^ that TVI-r Rowntree be authorised^to co cm with it, the ■ committee guaranteeing £5 towards the initial expenses . ~. ~ . ' It was •considered desirable that during ■ tl*e winter months /the children should he allowed out of school earlier in tfhe afternoon, and the committee authorised "the headmaster to curtail the lunch interval to an hour ,and a, quartervfrom 12 noon to ' On Ithe motion of Mr Whiteford it was decided to have a special meeting to be held on Monday next to discuss the resolution and recommendations raado at the housenolders' meeting.