Waitohi School Recalls Days of 70

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7030, 14 December 1932, Page 11

Waitohi School Recalls Days of 70

CELEBRATIONS TO-DAV Away back in the ’seventies, when settlers of the Mt. Stewart and Sandon districts were carving their homes out. of the virgin bush, there arose the need for education for their young families. Small schools, mostly aided by the set tiers, sprang up here and there. One of these was established at VVaitohion the road between Mt. Stewart and Itongotea, either in 1875 or 1876. - Unfortunately the early records which were kept by the late Mr. Henry Hammond, who donated the land for the school and was its first chairman of committee, have been lost, but the opening of tho institution can bo recalled by those few of the first 20 pupils who are still alive to-day. It, was a red-letter day for tho district, and through the succeeding .years with but one break, tho school has continued to serve the settlers and their descendants right up to tho present day. To-day will witness the distribution of prizes for the year just closed, but in addition the pupils will bo ablo to meet some of those who went to school there over 50 years ago, for it has been arranged to hold a reunion of cx-pupils at the same time. It has been difficult collecting information about tho earliest days of tho school, but the first teacher appears to have been a Miss Matthews, who came from Masterton. Subsequent teachers wore: Miss Stevens, October, 1878, to December, 1878; Miss S. Phillipps, March, 1879, to May, 1880; Mr. H. Bowater, September 23 to September 30, 1895; Miss E. M. Greenaway (now Mrs. 11. Hammond, of Hawera),. October, 1595, to April, 1901; Mis 3 A. Silby (now Mrs. Howell), May, 1901, to February, 1907; Miss A. Everiss, March, 1907, to June, 1908; Miss C. B. Weekes, July, 1907, to June, 1908, Miss J. M. Grant, July, 1908; Miss M. A. Pye, August, 190 S; Miss A. M. Baron, September, 1908, to April, 1913; Miss Z. Bailey, May, 1913, to August, 1915; Miss L. K Bailey, September, 1915, to October, 1915; Miss L. J. Frayne, November, 1915, to January, 1916; Miss A. M. Williams, February, 1916, to January, 1917; Miss F. S. Grant, March 5 to March 31, 1917; Miss U. W.Powle, April, 1917, to February, 1920; Mrs, J. Taylor, March, 1920, to January, 1925; Miss E. T. Roscmergy (afterwards Mrs. Sutton), February, 1925, to October, 1925; Miss E. Purnell, relieving; Miss M. I. Arnold, February, 1926, to January, 1929; Miss B. Y. Howie, February, 1929, to May, 1930; Mr. D. A. Blue, relieving; Miss H. B. Mitchell, August, 1930, to date. While the late Mr. Hammond was first chairman of the school committee, the records of the Education Board do not go further back than 1907, consequently the names of those who filled the position prior to that date and subsequent to Mr. Hammond are not available. The list from 1907 onwards is: 1907-1909, Mr. John Henson; 1909, Air. W. Strode Penny; 1910, Mr. J. Henson; 1911, Mr. T. Gifford; 1912-1914, Mr. J. Henson; 1914-1916, Mr. T. Gifford; 1917-1925, Mr. S. Hammond; 1925-1931, Mr. J. B. Bradley; 1931, Mr. A. G. Dear; 1932, Mr. E. N. Rowe. The first school erected was pulled down in 1902 and replaced by the oneroomed structure which now stands. There also appears to have been no occasion to keep the school open between the years 1880 and 1895, as no teachers wero appointed during those years.