SOUTH TARANAKI NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1929, Page 7

SOUTH TARANAKI NEWS

AUROA SCHOOL FAREWELL. DEPARTURE OF TEACHERS. The Auroa hall was filled on Friday afternoon with parents and children who had gathered to say farewell to Misses Heal and Pitcaithley, two popular teachers who are leaving the district. The floral decorations were carried out in pretty colour schemes, the effect of which was enhanced when little Gracie Kruse and Dulcie Williams presented the departing teachers with beautiful bouquets of roses, sweet peas and maiden hair fern. Mr. Kilpatrick, chairman of the school committee, presided. Son<r and recitations were well rendered by the children. Two boys, Willie Maku and Sam Nuku, were encored four times for their items together on the mandolin and ukelele and for their vocal duets. Other items were: Song, Myra Kirk, “The Ash Grove”; duet, “All Among the Barley,” Flora and Netta Duff; recitation, “Scotland,” Madge Webby; duet, “Lets Grow Old Together,” Myra Kirk and Annie ODea; duets, mandoline and ukelele, S. Nuku and W. Maku; vocal duets, S. Nuku and W. Maku; pianofoi*te solo, Miss O’Dea. Mrs., Evans, headteacher, expressed her ■ regret at losing two such capable ahd highly esteemed teachers. They proved a tower of strength to her on her arrival in a new Owing to the school going down a grade, Miss Pitcaithley had been transferred to Okato. . • On behalf of the school, Flora Duff and Belle Kilpatrick presented to the departing teachers each a pretty silver vase. > Mr. Kilpatrick also expressed. the regret of the district at losing two such capable teachers, and on behalf of . their inaiiy friends presented each with a cheque, , given more as a token of friendship and esteem than for its. intrinsic value.'

< Representing the tennis club, Mr. Kruse referred to the good sporting spirit besides devotion to'.duty possessed by both young ladies. Miss Heal had been actively associated with the tennis club for seven years and had acted as secretary for a number of . years, while Miss Pitcaithley had also i proved a great acquisition to the club. On behalf of the tennis players Miss Heal was presented with a glass jug and set of tumblers to match. Miss Pitcaithley was given a tea set. Mrs. Williams, who had known Miss Heal fdr. 25 years, referred to her many good qualities as a teacher and as a friend. ‘

All \sang “For They Are Excellent Ladies.” Miss Heal was the recipient of a large and varied assortment of kitchen utensils. 'Misses Allen and McGregor have been appointed to the school staff for the New Year. The chairman exhorted all present to send their children regularly to school next term. The onus rested on the parents now to maintain the staff as otherwise one teacher would be transferred.

Mr. Kilpatrick presented medals and cup for calf rearing. J. Davison received Ist and 2nd prizes and the championship cup for best Jersey calf. Walter Kirk gained Ist in group and 3rd place ;for type ofAJersey calf. Alf M.uggeridge won Ist in mangold crop and Eric Brown gained Ist prize in carrot' crops. O.HANGAI SCHOOL CONCERT. PICNIC AND PRIZE PRESENTATION. i . The Ohangai school held a picnic at the school grounds on Wednesday .afternoon, when, despite inclement weather, there was a good attendance of parents and old pupils. The weather was showery in the morning but cleared sufficiently in the afternoon to allow games, to be played on the lawns. ' At about 2.30 the pupils assembled in : one of.the classrooms and gave a very I enjoyable ’concert. Songs by the whole school were “Old Black Joe,” “Massa’s in the Cold, Cold Ground,” “To a Miniature” and “Sea Fever.” A song by the infants, “Climate,” was also much enjoyed. Recitations were given by Miss Gwenda Elmes “I Know Something good About You,? Miss Maisie Lee “A Wind came up Out of the Sea,” Miss Eileen Frahm “Ode to the Nightingale,”. Miss Mavis Patchell “Colours,” and Master Allen Slater “The Snail.” A Maori song “Titi-torea” was given by a company of Maori children, and as an encore “Haere-Mai Te Arawa.” Two small Maori boys delighted the company with a haka. The pupils then gave an exhibition of marching and dancing on the lawn, after which the prizes were presented by Mr. Philpott, who, in the absence of Mr. Sheehan, explained to the children that it was intended to hold a picnic early next year, • the present function being merely to present the prizes. Each of the pupils received a book, after which hearty cheers were given for the teachers. Afternoon tea was served by the ladies. MANGAMINGI SCHOOL. PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONY. The school prize-giving and breakingup ceremony took place in the Mangumingi hall on Friday afternoon. It was a fine day and a large number of parents and friends gathered. Mr. L. C. Barnard, chairman of the school committee, presided, and welcomed the parents and congratulated the children on concluding another successful year of school life. The following programme of items was given by the children: Piano solo, Doris Kirk; song, “Billy Boy,” pupils; recitation, infants; song, Lionel Pennington; pianoforte duet, Doris and Gladys Kirk; recitation, Amy Kirk; song, standard 2 girls; recitation, Joan Pennington; song, Hazel Martin and Eileen Jackson; recitation, Geoffrey- Smith; piano duet, Doris Kirk and Eileen Jackson; song, pupils; dance (Sir Roger), pupils. The dance was very prettily executed and was loudly applauded. Of. the other items the following deserve special mention:' Doris and Gladys Kirk (duet), Lionel Pennington (song), and the recitation by four infants, Gordon Barnard, Alan Chisnail, Alex Rae and Urlin Pennington. Mr. Barnard presented tho school prizes. Each child received a book and Eileen Osborn the special for being dux of the school. The two pupils who gained competency in standard G received ( their certificates, and those pupils who i non lhe :scho,ol calf-rearing and .man-

gold-growing competition received medals. Ou beha'lf of the pupils Miss Doris Kirk presented Mrs. Sinclair (sewing mistress) with a token of esteem. The ladies provided those present with afternoon tea. ' Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair have left for Dannevirke, where part of their holiday will be spent, after which Mr. Sinclair will attend the teachers' summer school at New Plymouth. PERSONAL AND GENERAL. Mrs, P. L. Hickey, who has been- in indifferent health for the past few weeks, is in a private hospital in Eltham, but expects to be able to return. home for Christmas. Mr. R. Hardwick-Smith is visiting Mangamingi and is the guest of his brother. The first draughts of fat lambs went to the works last week, and although the season is backward compared with last year, a good percentage of lambs has been sent away. WHAREROA SCHOOL BREAK-UP. PRIZE-GIVING AND CONCERT. The annual break-up of the Whareroa School took place on Friday. There was a large gathering of parents and friends of the teachers and children. Books were given as prizes to the following children: — Standard Vll.—Mary Williams (general excellence). Standard VI.' —Mavis Smith (elocution). ■; • . Standard V.—Zoe Tocker . (progress), Mary Hughes (Needlework), Laurie Fearon (composition), Teddy Fearon (writing). Standard IV. —Bill Tocker (arithmetic), Leslie- Pinny (good conduct), Thyrza Aberley. (writing), Gladys Reynolds (needlework), Olive Smith (needlework), Mollie Wells (music). Standard • lll.—Gracie Chapple (music) Ernest Williams (writing). Standard ll.—Jack Nelson (writing), Eric Gibson (arithmetic), Marjory Fearon (arithmetic), Jack Smith (plasticene modelling), Freddy Pinny (nature study). Standard I. —Hilda Holdener (arithmetic), Evelyn Williams (singing), Roscoe George (composition), Victor Chapple (writing), Margaret Tocker (elocution).

Primers. —Jean Fraser (drawing), Bonnie Briggs (drawing), Veta Chapple (reading), Joyce Gibson (needlework), Bobby Hicks (writing). Prizes and certificates of attendance were given to Victor Chapple, Eric Gibson, Mary Hughes, Mollie Wells and Zoe Tocker. Mr. H. G. Dickie, M.P., presented the prizes and addressed the children. After the prizes were awarded surprise Christmas gifts, dainty coat-hangers, were given to the mothers. Margaret Tocker, on behalf of Miss McCormack, and the children of the school, presented Miss Fiveash with a dainty gift in appreciation of her many kind actions to the children during the past year. Miss McCormack, the teacher, was the recipient of several gifts, showing the regard in which she was held by the parents and children. One was a china supper set from all her pupils. . There were also smaller gifts from individual pupils and a Christmas cake from one family. An excellent concert by the pupils was heartily enjoyed by all. The programme was: Pianoforte duet, Mollie Wells and Zoe Tocker; chorus, “Dixie”; recitation, Mavis Smith, “If”; solo, Evelyn Smith, “Massa”; solo, Mollie Wells, “Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes”; chorus, Gladys Reynolds, Mary Hughes, Mary Williams, Thyrza Aberley, Marjorie Fearon, “Eileen Aroon”; solo, Mary Williams, “Will Ye No Come Back Again?” Mr. Dickie presented proficiency certificates to Mavis Smith and Zoo Tocker. These were the only candidates who sat for the examination. Mr. Dickie gave £1 Is as a special donation towards the funds of the school for 1930. Excellent afternoon tea was provided by the ladies of the district. Mr. Smith took charge of the lollie and nut scramble and seemed to enjoy it as much as the children did. Miss. McCormack is going to. spend her holiday at Rona Bay, Wellington.