PRIZES PRESENTED

Taranaki Daily News, 15 April 1935, Page 12

PRIZES PRESENTED

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS AWARDS. ELTHAM PUPILS SUCCESSFUL. Immediately after the conclusion of the sports programme at the Stratford Technical High School the trophies won during the day were presented by the headmaster, Mr. A. H. R. Amess. A large, number of visitors and pupils gathered at the rear of the school, and a brief address was given by Mr. J. McAllister, chairman of the school board. He was struck with the sportsmanship shown by all competitors during the day, said Mr. McAllister, particularly among those who had lost. The sports day was great training, a great day both for the school and for the parents, and valuable in helping to form a school spirit. He was pleased to see so many parents present, as their attendance quickened the interest of the pupils. “I hope that that school spirit will continue to grow,” said Mr. McAllister, “and that it will be an honour to be an old boy or an old girl of the Stratford High School." Tribute to the work done in organising the sports day by the senior pupils, especially the prefects, was paid by Mr. Amess. It was good for them to learn how to run such a big sports - meeting,' he said. H. Longbottom, secretary of the committee, deserved special commendation for his careful and conscientious attention tp his work. “Here in this district is a school of which you may well be proud,” continued Mr. Amess. The work both in and out of school was progressing very satisfactorily indeed, and the examination results last year compared more titan favourably 1 with those of most other secondary schools in New Zealand. The district • did not have a good school, however, without the support of the parents, and that support he believed it had. An attempt had been made to form a separate schobl at Eltham, but the scheme had so far not succeeded. The Eltham people had complained that their children were not having a fair chance at Stratford. To disprove' this, he instanced the sports day itself, when, the boys’ senior championship and both the senior and junior girls' championship were won by Eltham pupils. If anything, these pupils from outside Stratford received more attention, said Mr. Amess, as the school realised their handicap.