HIGH SCHOOL GOVERNORS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3832, 23 August 1927, Page 8

HIGH SCHOOL GOVERNORS.

MEETING OF BOARD. The monthly meeting of the Otago High Schools’ Hoard of Governors was held «m Wednesday afternoon, there being present Dr Thompson (chairman), Mrs S. M. Park, Messrs J. M. Gallaway, J. C. Stephens. J. J. Mallard, W. R. Brugh, and D. T. Fleming. The Chairman welcomed the new member, Mr J. J. Mallard, and stated that the’ board was to be congratulated on the new accession to its numbers by the inclusion of Mr Mallard, who, be. rs having had a long and honourable career, had always taken a great interest in the schools. No appointment could have been made more preferable to the board. Mr Mallard briefly returned thanks. The financial statement .resented included the passing of accounts for the month amounting to £2098 15s 7d.— Passed for payment. The Education Department s .ggested the dates -J terms for 1928, with a request that they might be adopted, as follows: —Secondary schools: First term, Tuesday, February 7, to Friday, May 4; second term, Tuesday, May 22, to Friday, August 17; third term, Tuesday September 11, to Wednesday, December 19.—1 t was decided to leave the matter in the hands of Mr D. T. Fleming, with a view to the dates synchronising with the dates of the primary schools; that the circular "be forwarded to the two principals, and further that if it became necessary the matter be referrred to the Finance Committee with power to act, and that other boards be communicated with as to agreeing to a concrete scheme.

The Education Department wrote authorising the expenditure of £l9 16s 6d for library shelves and blackboards out of

the endowment fund. The department declined an application in respect of notice boards and a gymnastic ladder.—Received.

The lady principal having reported on the provision of hot lunches at the school for suburban pupils the board de ed that it receive the report. The Rector wrote requesting that, with a view to the improvement of school cricket, the board consider the giving of a groundsman’s services for an extra day per week.—Agreed to. Following is the report of the committee set up with regard to teachers’ leave of absence: —Having considered the department’s circular memorandum of June 20 last, and also letters from the rector and lady principal on the subject, we consider that the opinions of the staff of the Boys’ High School, as expressed in the lector's letter, should be approved by the board and forwarded to the department. They are —(1) That when a teacher’ work during a short absence can be provided for by the principal satisfactorily within the school, such absence should not involve any deduction from salary nor from the aggregate amount of leave allowed to the teacher during his period of service ; (2) that the draft conditions now proposed as to grant of special leave with pay under clause 6 of the amended regulations are an undue restriction upon the limited amount of discretion so far allowed to the board in such cases.—Report adopted. Following is substantially the report of the rector of the Boys’ School: —The total number of boys now upon the roll is 668, of whom 200 are seniors, 443 juniors, and 25 paying pupils. The corresponding totals for August, 1922-26, are respectively 563, 569, 585, 636, and 640. During the past fortnight a very, large number of boys from the school have attended the performances of Shakespeare’s plays by the Allan Wilkie Company, more

particularly the “Merchant of Venice,’’ “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “As You Like It,’’ and “Twelfth Night.” The boys have derived both enjoyment and profit from the excellent performances witnessed, which cannot fail to deepen their interest in Shakespeare and make the plays much more real to them. —Adopted. The Lady Principal of the Girls’ School reported that the present roll number of pupils was as follows:—S.F.P., 141; J.F.P., 304; P.P., 7;—total, 452. The corresponding totals for the years 1926, 1925, 1924, 1923, and 1922 were respectively 460, 474, 491, 457, and 447. The report proceeded : —The work of the school proceeds as usual Colds and influenza have abated. On July 22 the Musical and Dramatic Club carried out a spirited programme of scenes from Shakespeare, including the witches’ scene from “Macbeth,” staged by Class Vn, Act 111 of “Midsummer Night’s Dreanr’ by VI, Act IV of the same play by HI a.c. Scenes from “Twelfth Night’ by IVs, from “As You Like It” by IB b.c., and the “Merchant of Venice’’ by 111 ’b.c. An interesting feature of the evening was the singing of songs from “Twelfth Night” by IV a.c. to tunes composed by the girls themselves. Thirtythree girls have gained first-aid certificates from the Red Cross Society classes conducted by Sister Kirkpatrick, and seven (all the sitting candidates) have passed the hygiene examination.. The annual meeting of the Young Helpers’ League was held in the school hall on Friday, July 29, when Sister Kirkpatrick addressed the gathering. A very satisfactory report of the year's work was read by the secretary, Miss N. K. Ballaston .—Adopted.