DUNEDIN NORMAL SCHOOL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20786, 3 August 1929, Page 13

DUNEDIN NORMAL SCHOOL.

REMODELLING COMPLETED* i RECEPTION AND SALE OF WORK. For some time past an energetic committee, aided and guided by the headmaster (Mr- L. F. de Berry), has beea< making strenuous efforts to have the Normal School, in Union, street,, remodelled and brought into line with' 'modern requirements, and. since the latter, part of last year the. school buildings have undergone a, transformation,, both inside and outside, ■ The completion of the work of' renovation was marked yesterday afternoon by a reception held in the school to enable the parents, ex-pupils, and'friends' of the school to inspect the result-of the operations. The building presented an appearance yesterday which was in illuminating contrast with that, of 12 months ago. Not only has it been completely repainted, Tmt many of the old bricks have been replaced' by new ones, and structural alterations have been made in' order to conform to the latest ideas with regard to the supply of fresh air and lighting. The interior of the. school also would hardly be recognised by those who have not seen it since the work was started. All of the classrooms have been redecorated, and new flooring has been laid down. The : pupils, too, have been supplied with individual desks and seats of the latest pattern, with the result that the school is now suitably furnished for the position which rightly belongs to it—that of the show School in Gtago. There was a large attendance at the reception yesterday, and many persons inspected the building and expressed their gratification and approval concerning- the alterations. The chairman of the School Committee W r George Watts), who welcomed the visitors to the school, briefly reviewed the events leading up to the scheme which had just been completed. With the appointment of Mr L. F. de Berry as headmaster, • the school seemed to have embarked upon a period of progressiveness, and a carnival held in June, 1928, had resulted in £3OO being raised, for improvements. This was subsidised by the .Otago Education Board to the extent of £4OO, and the .Education Department had also contributed £2OO. He wished to express the committee’s appreciation of the energetic part ; played by the headmaster, and also of the invaluable assistance rendered by the members of the Education Bor cd. , The chairman of the Otago Education Board (Mr James Wallace) said that’the School Committee and the headmaster had set a very fine example of what could be done in the Way of improvements to a school.' It was a case of self-help coming first, and the board bad. been only too pleased to -contribute its share where there was such a fine spirit of advancement. The' total money spent on the work' was £3050. a sum which few-schools in ■ Otago could claim to have had spent upon them. He was in sympathy with the com- ‘ mittee, and was glad to see the Normal ■ School made .worthy of its position in the educational activities, of the province;: ' The headmaster (Mr L. F, de : Berry) expressed the schools grateful' thanks to all who had helped make the remodelling • possible. He was pleased l to state that while the school had been renovated, they had not lost sight of the fine history which it-possessed, and the entrance hall contained a complete'set of brass, tablets conserving the memory of the previous headmasters, winners of scholarships, and duces of the school. While a tribute was due to those who had actively assisted he would not like them to forget the work • of those who, in previous years, had in-' culcated into the- school the fine spirit which had made co-operatiqh so easy for' those who actually brought about the remodelling. The visitors; were then invited to' inspect the school buildings, where, with’the object of raising further funds, a wide 1 - selection of articles had been laid out in the classrooms by the pupils of-each class. The clean and neat appearance of the , buildings evoked favourable comment from the many persons who were present. '