School Committee Meeting

Northland Age, Volume XVII, Issue 15, 21 November 1947, Page 2

School Committee Meeting

At the .meeting of the Kaitaia School Committee on Tuesday evening, the Chairman (Mr. J. Cowie) welcomed to the Committee Mr. V. R. Kingdon, who had accepted an invitation to fill the vacancy which had occurred owing to Mr. L. L. Pettit’s resignation. New Bus Run At the request of a deputation, it was agreed to recommend to the Education Board that the school bus run half a mile up Wireless Road to enable several young children to embus at a point adjacent to shelter and in greater safety than is the case at present, with their having to join the bus at the junction of Wireless Road with the Main Highway. It was also decided to ask the bus operator to load and unload other children a few chains up Wireless Road rather than on the Main Highway. Headmaster’s Report The Headmaster, Mr. A. W. Bird, reported that the consolidation of Fairburns school with Kaitaia had been effected. The Primary roll now stood at 428 and the Secondary at 163. The P.W.D. had made a start on a considerable programme of improvements at the Primary school, as pressed for by the Committee and granted by the Education Department. % Adolescent Dental Service It was reported that the Director of Dental Services had expressed his willingness to supply a graduate to operate an adolescent dental service in this district, providing suitable accommodation could be found. It was decided to investigate the possibility of making available the old science laboratory at the Primary school, as this room is at present (and may for some time be) surplus to the school’s requirements. School Uniform Committee members reported that complaints had been made by parents concerning changes having been made in the school uniform at different times in the past. An assurance was received by the Committee that no further changes were contemplated. Now that requirements in this regard have been fixed, the Committee and staff hope for the co-operation of parents in this matter. It was pointed out that with the exception of royal blue rompers and white blouses for girls’ physical culture, no uniform is prescribed for the primary school, although a wish is expressed that the older girls attending primary school will make some attempt to gradually comply with the same requirements as prescribed for the secondary department.

81-YEAR-OLD DAGUERREOTYPE PRESENTED TO COUNTY There hangs at present in the Mangonui County office, a daguerreotype of Kaitaia taken in the year 1866 and recently presented to the county by a resident. The view is taken from the eastern side of the present town, probably from the summit of Bell’s Hill, and is of the comparatively level area at the top of Church Hill. Six or seven buildings are shown, the most prominent among them the first permanent church to be erected in Kaitaia, the mission station and accompanying buildings. It is believed that this view, minus the buildings, is the same as that which presented itself to the Rev. Joseph Matthews on Sunday, November 11th, 1832, when accompanied by his guide Pene Te Wahanga he caught the first glimpse of his new home after trekking across country from what is now Kaingaroa on that memorable morning. The story of the capture of the Minister and his guide by a'party of natives who had been despatched from the war conference which was then taking place on the present A. and P. Showgrounds, then known as Te Ikahunuhunu, is well known among residents of the far North, as is the final result of their speech with the potent chief of the Rarawa, Nopera Ngakuku Panakareao, who sat in judgement upon them. Long after the mission station had been founded and built by the Rev. Matthews and Mr. William Puckey, and many years after Panakareao had accepted the Christian faith, his wife Ereanora lay on her death bed in a village situated some miles from the station in the direction of the Mangamuka Gorge. She passed awa> on March 22nd, 1848, but before she died she sent for the Rev. Josept Matthews. Ereonora, whose evil practices and lack of Christian principles had distressed the missionaries, hac nevertheless acquired a knowledge ol their teachings, and as death ap proached she quoted in the presenci of her husband and the Rev. Mat thews the following lines : “Deatl is swallowed up in victory. O death where is thy sting? O grave, when is thy victory?” Panakareao, prob ably accepting his wife’s words a an admission of the Christian faith declared that the place where sh died and where she was buried shouli be called “Victory.” It is probabl; more than coincidence that that plac is known to this day as Victoria Val ley.