SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS.

Otago Witness, 25 December 1880, Page 12

SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS.

The Otago Girls' High School.

The distribution of prizes in connection with the Otago Girls' High School took place on the 16th. The room, which had been very tastefully decorated, was crowded, the attendance of parents and friends being equal to any former occasion. Amongst the gentlemen present were :— The Hon. W. H. Reynolds, Professor Macgregor, Rev. Dr Stuart, Rev. J. U. Davis, Sir John Bathgate, Professor Shand, Mr A. Brunton and Mr J. Fulton, M.H.R. '

The following is the report submitted by Mrs Burn (the lady principal), and the prize list :— "During the session just closed 176 pupils have been enrolled, five of whom are Provincial scholars. Sixtyone of these have been in the Upper, 115 in the Lower School ; 59 have entered the school for the first time. The attendance for the four quarters has been resnectively 150, 154, 150, 138. F

"As in several preceding years, a number of girl 3 left at the end of the third quarter, ill health or need of rest being in most cases assigned as the reason. Many of these girls were promising pupil m - who had worked well and diligently so far, on whom the year's teaching was beginning to tell, and who seemed likely to take an honourable position in the class lists at the close of the session. The loss of such pupils causes regret and disappointment to teachers. In connection with this fact I would again urge on parents the advisability of making gymnastics an item in the educational course of their girls. From the results of long experience I can testify to the beneficial effect of systematic physical training on the general health and mental vigour of both boys' and girls. No pupils have attended Mr David's classes during the last six months. The five Provincial scholars have given me every satis faction as regards conduct, diligence, and regular attendance.

" I have this year again to thank many friends for their kindness in presenting handsome prizes to the school for special subjects. Mrs Holmes presents one prize for plain needlework and one for diligence ■ Mrs Haynes, one also for needlework ; Miss Holmes two for original drawing and painting ; Miss Dalrymple continues to give her two Victoria prizes for diligence, attention, and punctuality ; Sir Julius Vogel has given 12 volumes of Tennyson's works, and Dr Stuart two prizes for English composition ; Dr Macdonald and Mr A. C. Wilson, of the High School each a prize for Latin; Mr W. D. Stewart, a French prizeMr George M. Thomson, two prizes for botany : Mr Maurice Joel, silver pen for the best writer • Mr Mendershausen and Mr Buchler, each a German prize. Messrs Brown and Ewing have again presented a silver medal for excellence in English, geography, and arithmetic. The Shakespeare Club have given a prize for reading; Mr C. Hogg, late of this school, a prize for English composition ; Mr Thallon has given a prize to be awarded to the girl who stands next in order to the prize-takers in each of the five classes, as an encouragement to study next year ; Mr James Wilkie and Mr A. R. Livingston have again presented prizes to the school.

" In the first quarter 46 pupils took music lessons ■ m the second, 44 ; in the third, 40 ; and in the fourth) 32.

"Miss F. Allan, gold medallist in 1879, has since then gained a senior Provincial scholarship, and still holds the position of head girl in the school. Having already taken the dux medal, she this year takes a special prize for general excellence. I have awarded to her Sir Julius Vogel's special prize. The gold medal passes on to Miss Steel, who has distinguished herself by taking cfertificates in all sections of the class-work Miss Steel also takes the special silver medal for Engl" lish, geography, and arithmetic."

PRIZE LIST.

Class D— (Lowest) dux, Miss J. Moodie ; 2nd Miss Guthne ; 3rd, Miss M. Hepburn ; certificates for 75 per cent, in year's work, Misses J. Dodds, M. Eva M MacNeil, Wales. ' '

Class C ii.— Duxes, Misses Matheson and Joel (equal); 2nd, Miss E. Blyth; 3rd, Miss I. Patersoncertificates for 75 per cent, in year's work— Misses m' Allen, Baxter, Begg, A. Blyth, Fitchett, Moore' Smith. '

Class C I.— Dux, Miss F. Brent (Board of Governors' silver medal) ; 2nd, Miss Beckingsale ; 3rd, Miss Hepburn ; certificates for 75 per cent, in year's workMisses Austin, Moodie, Rainforth. Class B, Division i.— Dux, Miss Duncan; 2nd Miss Ferguson ; 3rd, Miss Reith. Division u.— lst, Miss M Law.

Class A.— Dux of school (Board of Governors' gold medal), Miss Steel ; 2nd, Miss Forbes ; 3rd, Miss J. Allan. Certificates in languages— Misses F. Allan" Forbes, Gillies, Steel ; mathematics — Miss Steel • history and geography— Misses F. Allan, J. Allan Forbes M. Gillies, Macquaid, Mollison, Oliver, Reid E. Salmond, Sonntag, Steel.

SPECIAL PRIZES.

Sir Julius Vogel's prize for general excellence— Miss F. Allan.

Messrs Brown and Ewing's silver medal for English — Miss M. Steel. Mr Wilkie's prize for English— Miss A. Forbes Dr Macdonald's prize for Latin— Miss F. Allan Mr A. C. Wilson's prize for Latin— Miss E. Duncan Mr W. D. Stewart's prize for French — Miss A. Forbes.

Mr Mendershausen's prize for German— Miss A J Allan (A class).

Mr Buchler's prize for German— Miss F. Rehberg (B class). v

Mr G. M. Thomson's prizes for botany— Messes A J Allan and K. Oliver, equal (A class); Miss L. Salmond (B class). Mr A. H. Ross' prize— Miss E. Moodie (C clasß) Dr Stuart's prize for composition— Miss I. Burton Mr Hogg's prize for composition— Miss F. Allan Dr Stuart's prize for mapping— Miss E. W. M Law 1 ; Miss I. Warren, 2. '

Mr A. R. Livingston's prize for historical chartMiss V. Warren, 1 ; Miss Sewell, 2 Mr M. Joel's prize for writing— Miss Sonntag, Upper School ; Miss Rutherford, Lower School. Sirs Holmes' prize for plain needlework— Miss L Lawson.

Mrs Hayne's prize for plain needlework— Miss C. Johnstone. Mrs Holmes' prize for diligence—Miss M. Reid. Miss Dalrymple's Victoria prizes— Miss E. Mollison, Upper School ; Miss Eva Bathgate, Lower School. Miss Holmes' prizes for original drawing or paintine —Miss V. Warren, 1 ; Miss J. Scott, 2. Shakespeare Club's prize for reading— Miss E. Macquaid.

Mr Thallon s prize " as an encouragement to study next year"— Miss F, Gillies, A class ; Miss E. Spooner B class ; Miss A. Truman, C 1 class ; Miss H Baxter C 2 class ; Miss M. Eva, D class. ' Miss Halliwell's diligence prize— Miss Rainforth. Miss Gillies' diligence prize — Miss A. Blyth. Miss Douglas' diligence prize— Miss j' Dodds, Miss E Main.

Music. -Mrs White's prizes: Misses F. Allan, Hepburn, Reith, Sonntag (equal). Mrs Spooner's prizesUpper .class— Miss y. Warren, 1; Miss J. Allah 2 Lower class— Miss M. MacNeil, 1 • Miss J Wales 2 Mrs Wilmot's prizes : Misses M'Gill, Hepburn, Russell M Burns. ' ' In presenting Miss F. Brent with the medal, the Chairman said : AUcw me to congratulate you as the winner of the Board of Governors' medal, and I understand that this ia the third time you have been successful.— (Dr Stuart: My word, you will have jewels now.)

To Miss Duncan the Chairman said : As a Provincial scholar you have given a good account of your studies during the past year, and as a reward allow me to hand you this very handsome workbox, with your name engraved upon it, as dux of the B class.

To Miss Steel he said : This gold medal is the head prize from the Board of Governors, and I hope that you will be long spared to use and wear it. To gajn the first prize in the school must haye involved a considerable amount of study, and I am glad you have made such satisfactory progress. With respect to this prize, Mrs Bbes made the following explanation :— Miss Flora Allen was medallist last year, and having taken it she is precluded from taking it this year, and it passes, provided the next girl qualifies herself, and Miss Steel has done so : but Miss Allen still holds the place at the head of the Girls' School by a good many marks on the whole work, and I have therefore awarded to her the special prize given by Sir Julius Vogel. Mr E. S. Hat, in presenting the prize for elocution given by the Shakespeare Club, said he was very proud and delighted at being the medium to present the

prize of the Shakespeare Club for elocution It was always gratifying to make a presentation, and in this case the pleasure was still further enhanced by the fact that the prize had been richly merited. The Committee of the Club had had the greatest difficulty in deciding between three of the competitors, but it was a relief to find that upon the whole they were unanimous that Miss E. Macquaid was entitled to it The prize was " The Poets of the Nineteenth Century " and he thought they would agree with him that it was a very appropriate one, for he held that no one could appreciate the refinements of Tennyson, Shelley, and Shakespeare who had not cultivated the art of elocution, and was not alive, not only to the beauty of the sense, but to the beauty of the sound. In one of the schoolrooms there was an exhibition of work done by the scholars. The needlework, both plain and fancy, was exceedingly creditable, and there were some splendidly-executed maps. Many of the specimens of writing were admirable, and altogether the school work was such as was very pleasing to the parents and friends of the scholars.