SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 103, 21 June 1911, Page 7

SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

T!io monthly meeting of !!, e Si r;d----01 ■.! School Committee was heUl at the oiitcc of the secretary (Air I. H. ':*enn) last night, there being prs•ort: Alossrs 0. 0. Sole (chair), 11. 1. Cameron, J. Butcher, A Stewart, .V. IviclVialion. J. \V. AlcAiillan, I). ■McMillan, ami G. Smart. Correspondence' was read from the ’education Board iioLiDing that it .as prepared to grant £ lor £ towards shelter shed; also ■.toting Unit a lie.ni ty vote of thanks .ad been passed to the Committee, :o:ul master, and staff for the prompt nannor in which arrangements had >aen made for carrying on the work it the school afterttho live. The Board also wrote that, as it vas desired to present Coronation nodals to the pupils on the 22n I i mie, arrangements had been made to postpone the commencing of die mid-winter holidays from Friday, 2;,ird dune, to Monday, ,‘lrd duly. In connection with a request Iroiu lis Worship the Mayo*. - that the eiiool children attend the Coronation ceremony in Victoria hark, in ■■vdor to partake of the distribution of sweets, it was stated that sum. a .‘ourse was impossible; and that it had been arranged that a supply of lollies, etc., should bo dmtrdmtad at. die school. On the motion of wss ■? Stew;-i t ukl 1). McMillan, the Committee de- , ided unanimously to re-nominato Mr W. Rogers at the forthcoming election of Board members. A somewhat lengthy discussion took place as to the re-building of the school, the chairman explaining that tire matter now rested between the Board and the Department. The Committee really had no further say in connection therewith. The Board, no plight say, was doing all in its power to Jinny the Department on, the necessary plans, etc., having gone to Wellington. Air Stewart considered' it absurd that the Committee should have no further voice in the matter, and ho jclioved the more they shook things up the more they would got. He pointed out that it was very unfair that they should have to wait live or six months before the building was started. He instanced the fact, that ornc of the children wore now being taught in the shelter-shed, which was anything but a pleasant place i-iiis time of.the year. If something vas wanted in the way of relief outside the Dominion, the Government vould quickly subscribe, £IOOO, or even £SOOO, and he considered it would ho much more to the point if r-lief was extended nearer home. Relief was urgently wifuted in connection with the re-building of the school. The Chairman said the Minister for Education would he in Stratford m tho 27tli June, when Mr Stewart would have an opportunity of stating njs case. After a few other mortihcrs had expressed the opinion that all possible was being done, tho subject dropped. .Referring to the attendance oi infants, only ton being absent from ii nooJ that day, as mentioned in the loadmastor’s report, the Committee expressed their opinion that it was most creditable. A sub-committee consisting of Messrs Sole, Smart, and J. W. McMillan, was sot up to make arrangenents with the Borough Council and JJiamber of Commerce for entertaining the Minister for Education after ids address in the Town Hall on the 2/th instant. The Chairman, and Visiting Committee for tae ensuing month (Messrs Jamoron and Smart) were appointed <o enquire and report on the asphalting oi the shelter-shed. A discussion took place on tiie wood-supply contract, it being eventually decided to call tho contractors attention to the specifications. Air Stewart (one of last month’s Visiting Committdo) reported on several works requiiing attention, which wore left to the incoming committee to attend to. It was resolved to procure ton /aids of gravel for tho school grounds. The Headmaster reported as follows: — “The attendance at school has 'cmaincd satisfactory throughout the i darter. Made up to Friday last, J;e attendance was, on an average, Vianirv school, 509; Secondary, lUi ; otal, 010. The good attendance in die infant room, despite tho inclement .>eathor no have nad during the (darter, deserves special comment. July ten children wore absent from dint department to-day. Unfortunately, measles has appear'd in the district. So fur two famines have been attacked. All the children belonging to each family are louarrcd from attending school till langor of infection is over. Since tho lire occurred, two of our ■tandard classes—Hl. and IV.—are icing accommodated in two of the ■coins of the Technical School—an arrangement which made it necessary, for the time, to discontinue Technical hisses in woodwork and cookery. ■•York in these subjects must, however, lie resumed alter the holidays, .ml wo arc faced with the problem of where to locate our children on tho days—two each week—when Technical work is being carried on. If die dairy room in the Technical iebool .wore floored, wo could get on airly well by making use of it. I ::v3 suggested to the Board’s chief .u.spoetor that tiiis work be done, and m hopeful that it will be attended to oring tho holidays. Medals arc to Hand for distribillon to children presold, on Coronaion morning. i should like you to make arrangements for presenting hose- I.he reselltation to take place, y, If oe.oelc. Musi, >!' the Stratford school hoys . a Scontr, as well as Cadets. I •,ve arranged for them alt to apr as Scouts in the Coronation j trade on t nursoay morning. Most <f the senior boys of the High School j thing to oilier’parts of the district, ml those will lie taking part in tho romoaies at theii own homos on oroualion Day.” Accounts were passed for payment, ml I.no meeting adjourned.