BIGGER ROLL NUMBER

Southland Times, Issue 23693, 16 December 1938, Page 12

BIGGER ROLL NUMBER

GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL’S ANNUAL REPORT An increase in the roll number with a consequent raising of the grade of the school is announced in the annual report of the principal of the Southland Girls’ High School, Miss A. Eastwood. The report, which will be presented at the break-up ceremony, this evening, is as follows: — The total enrolments for die year have been 301 as against 265 for 1937; of these 114 are in the sixth and fifth forms, 93 in the fourth forms and 94 in the third forms. The increase in roll number raised the grade of the school and permitted the appointment of an additional member of the general staff and improved staffing arrangements in other directions. Forty-one pupils left during the year, a larger number than usual. Six transferred to other districts and 24 took up employment, 17 as office assistants, one as library assistant and five, as shop assistants, while 12 remained at home. The number of girls coming from beyond Invercargill is 112. Of these 66 board in town either during the week or for the whole term, and 46 travel daily by train or bus. The last group, m spite of the strain of the daily journey, has shown as in the past commendable diligence and a keen interest in all the outside activities of the school. During the first and third terms attendance was normal, but during the second half of Term II there were so many cases of measles and influenza that it was decided to close a week earlier for the August-September holidays.

STAFF CHANGES At the beginning of Term I, Miss H. Johnson, 8.A., was appointed as relieving mistress to the vacancy caused by the rise in grade. Miss M. B. Campbell, MA, was appointed to this vacancy as permanent assistant, and took up duty at the beginning of Term 11. Promotions resulting from the rise m grade were Miss P. J. Sutton, B.Sc., to the B grade position, and Miss A. J. Page, M.A., to the C grade position. The increased roll number enabled the school to advance in commercial work, what was formerly a part-time commercial position becoming a fulltime one. Mrs A. V. Butt resigned her position as part-time commercial mistress at the end of 1937, and at the beginning of this year Miss J. M. Pack, a former pupil of the school, was appointed as full-time commercial mistl? At the end of Term 11, Miss M. G. Owen left on promotion to take a position on the staff of the Waimate High School, and Mrs Bridgewater has been relieving as home science mistress during Term 111. Miss D. G. McLeod, B H Sc., at present on the staff of Amberley House school for girls, has been appointed to the permanent position, and will take up duty at the beginning of next year. The appointment of a full-time commercial mistress gave us the opportunity to extend the commercial work of the school. Some girls in their third year of commercial work, wishing to specialize, substituted extra shorthand and typing for science; others gave up French as well and substituted commercial correspondence for the foreign language. Such girls are preparing for commercial examinations or for school certificate or both. A grant by the. department of four additional typewriters will add to the efficiency of these classes. An opportunity was this year given to the fourth form home course girls of taking a simplified form of bookkeeping, and to fourth form girls taking the general course of adding handcraft or drawing to their subjects. Another advance has been the setting up of classes in speech-training for two groups of senior girls. These have been taken by Miss I. Cran. The older group of girls, made up for the most part of pupils going on to teaching, has done very good work which will help them greatly in the future. I am particularly grateful to the department and to the board for making it possible for us to have these classes.

EXAMINATION SUCCESSES We had no candidates last year for the junior university scholarship. Ten girls entered for the Training College entrance examination, eight gaining a full pass and two a partial pass. Twenty-one girls passed the university entrance examination, and the. same number school certificate, four gained a partial pass in school certificate and one completed the' examination. Three girls passed Pitman s shorthand examination at respectively 110, 80 and 50 words a minute. One girl in her third year of commercial work entered recently for the junior Government shorthand-typist’s examination and The results of the Royal Drawing Society’s examination held at the end of 1937 were very satisfactory; 23 girls gained honours awards arid two a second-class pass. Two sixth form girls, Ailsa McLean and Joyce Mackrell, completed the schools’, section by gaining honours in Divisions V and VI, while Joyce Mackrell was awarded a prize, the only one given in New Zealand, for the portrait submitted in Division VI. Outside activities continue to give both mistresses and girls valuable opportunities of making contacts less formal than those that belong to the schoolroom, and to develop new and wider interests among the girls. The Stamp and Correspondence Club is one such activity which rouses keen interest and has a large membership. Enthusiasm for the work of the Young Helpers’ League was stimulated by the announcement from Dominion headquarters that the school was entitled to the Bamardo Shield, presented to schools which have contributed £lOO. So effective has the stimulus been that we have this year won the right to a boss on the shield, this being awarded for a contribution of £35 in one year. We very much regretted the resignation of Lady Anderson as provincial president, though we continue to receive assurance of her kindly and generous interest in the work of the league. The library is a source of great interest and pleasure to all sections of the girls, those of the third forms especially responding to the stimulus of this interest. We are grateful to the High Schools’ Board for a generous grant towards the purchase of new books, also to this year’s prefects for their gift of two books for the senior library. The magazine is of interest to everyone in the school; it forms a useful record of our doings each year and encourages girls with ability in drawing or in writing verse and prose to do some original work.

Each year dramatic work is extended to a larger section of the school and its value in giving poise and confidence is marked. At the recent mothers afternoon a group of senior girls gave the play “The Poetasters of Ispahan remarkably well. Folk-dancing gives many girls pleasure during the winter term. The Garden Circle continues its good work, also the Crusader Union under the guidance of Mrs Murray, the Guide Company with an increased membership continues its practical lessons in service, self-reliance and self-discipline. The sale of new and second-hand books entails a great deal of work for certain members of the t staff, but greatly lessens the expenses of parents in providing books. The usual games, basketball, tennis and cricket continue to play an important part in the life of the school, their value in physical training and in character-building being very great. In the secondary schools’ basketball competition the cup went this year to the Technical School team. Our annual match with Gore High School had unfortunately to be abandoned because of the shortened second . term. Out pressing need of an extension of playing area is recognized by the board and efforts are being made to improve the position. In the Southland Junior Tennis Association’s competition the High School won in both the senior and the junior sections. In the school competitions, Vera Mortimer was junior champion and Dorothy Hunt senior; Vera Mortimer and Ngaire Dixon won the junior doubles, and Maurine Lindsay ana Dorothy Hunt the senior. Girls of Form 111 have this year shown a very lively interest in tennis; a competition among beginners resulted in Esma Hartley winning a trophy presented by Mr M. N. Hyndman. All these activities and others also are managed by mistresses in their free time which they give very generously to this important part of school life. ■ The athletic sports were held at Rugby Park on October 19. Ruth Dowden was senior champion and Ethel Hargest, junior. The Cricket Club, handicapped by a small membership yet, maintains a high degree of enthusiasm. We are grateful to Miss Betty Ingram for coaching the team. On a recent Saturday the cricket eleven went to Mataura to play the local team, an expedition which the High School girls thoroughly enjoyed. I take this opportunity of expressing my appreciation of the kindness shown to the girls by the friends who drove them to Mataura and by the Mataura team which entertained them so pleasantly. At the annual swimming sports, held on December 13, Ngaire Dixon was senior champion and Margaret Ford junior. Strang House won the Webb Cup.

PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION The suggestion made at the parents’ afternoon last year that a Parents’ Association should be formed was followed up by the holding 1 of a general meeting in the first term of this year. Officers were appointed and with characteristic energy they at once set to work. A jumble sale was held early in Term II followed at the end of November by a small sale, the latter organized by mistresses and senior girls in conjunction with the committee of the Parents’ Association. The members of the executive have been most enthusiastic and the formation of the association has given mistresses and parents an opportunity of working together which should have fruitful results. I am most grateful to the Parents’ Association for the help it has given and trust that its work will be extended in the future.

At the parents’ afternoon held on Friday, December 9, in spite of boisterous weather there were present about 120 mothers and friends of the girls. A programme was presented of singing, choric verse-speaking and a play. We welcomed and thoroughly enjoy such opportunities of meeting mothers; the function has now been established as an annual one. On behalf of the school I wish to express my sincere thanks to the Old Girls’ Association for the gift of eight books as a memorial to the late Mr Charles Gray, also for the customary gift of the dux medal and the donation to the Special School Fund.

I should like to express my own very sincere thanks and appreciation to all members of the staff for their loyal cooperation and their ready and efficient help in promoting the best interests of the school; also to thank the prefects, house captains and other senior girls for their cheerful readiness to help at all times. I desire also to thank the High 1 Schools’ Board for the interest it has taken in our welfare and the secretary and his clerical staff for their attention to our needs.

Finally I should like to thank the parents for their co-operation throughout the year in upholding authority and for their generous response to our social service appeals and to requests for help in connection with different functions. I feel that the great majority of parents realize that our work is something more important than the mere imparting of information; that, in addition, we are endeavouring to develop in the girls of the school character, self-control and right habits of thought. Realization of these aims brings with it the support of parents to which I have referred and which I appreciate sincerely. THE PRIZE-LIST Following is the prize -list:— GENERAL EXCELLENCE Form 111, Commercial.- Ist, Margaret Grieve; 2nd equal, Myra Hannon and Nalda Walker; 3rd, Alice Buchanan. Form 111 Home.—lst, Mclly Aitken. Form Illb.—lst, Isabel Munro; 2nd, Rona Wilson; 3rd equal. Catherine Greenfield and Jeanette Reid; 4th, Martha Caldwell. Form Illa.—lst, Marie Morris; 2nd, Shirley Mitchell; 3rd equal, Shirley Cameron, Cicely Powell and Maida Sansom. Form IVc (2). —Ist, Ngaire Webb; 2nd, Isabelle Lange; 3rd, Valerie Willcox.

Form IVc (1), Commercial.—lst, Janet Calvert; 2nd, Betty Macßae. Form IVc (1), Home.—lst, Marion Bradley. Form IVb.—lst, Noeline Crowley; 2nd, Avis Carlaw; 3rd, Dorothy Anderson. Form IVa. —Ist, Ngaire Head; 2nd, Mary McMillan; 3rd, Ruth Fogo; 4th, Dorothy Edwards. Form Vc (2).—lst, Peggy Paterson; 2nd equal, Naomi Stirling and June Moir. Form Vb, Non-Mathamatics.—lst, Joyce Hazledine; 2nd, Dorothy Hunt. Form Vb.—lst, Marion Stobo; 2nd, Jeanette Moore; 3rd, Lorna Bradley. Form Va, non-Latin.—lst, Joy Gasparich; 2nd, Elsa Watson. Form Va, Latin.—lst, Ruth Dowden; 2nd, Helen Wyatt; 3rd, Betty Hay. Form Vlb.—lst, Dorothy Cox; 2nd, Enid Browett. Form Via.—lst, Elsie Swinney; 2nd, Edith Bisset. Athenaeum Prizes.—lst year, Rona Wilson; 2nd year, Noeline Crowley. Sports Awards.—Senior athletic sports champion, Ruth Dowen; junior athletic sports champion, Ethel Hargest; senior swimming champion, Ngaire Dixon; junior swimming champion, Margaret Ford; senior tennis champion, Dorothy Hunt; junior tenuis champion, Vera Mortimer; Junior Lawn Tennis Association’s senior' cup, Southland Girls’ High School senior A team (captain, Dorothy Hunt); Junior Lawn Tennis Association’s junior cup, Southland Girls’ High School junior A team (captain, Vera Mortimer); Webb House

Cup for swimming, Strang House (captain, Althea Fredric); Sutherland House Cup for drill, -Gray House (captain, Enid Browett).