CHRISTMAS VACATION

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8614, 18 December 1896, Page 2

CHRISTMAS VACATION

dHamerhMh sciiool. 4 \ The oreaking-up function in connection with the Thames Boy's arid Girl's High School took-place in the schoolroom yesterday afternoon. There was a fair attendance of scholars and parents. His Worship the-Mayor • (Mr Thos. Radford), Mr Wood, and the Rev. S. J. Neill wera present on behalf of the Board of Governors. The Mayor presided; and after opening the proceedings with a few brief remarks called on Mr-Jas, Adams; 8.A., headmaster of the school, to read his annual report, which was as follows AJfXtJAL REPOHT. '

I have made the annual examination of ■ * ic Thames High School, and I present 'itli this report, tables of the list - of marks litained by each pupil in the various sub:cts. Three pupils were absent from the , xamination, as they are candidates at the latriculacion examination now going on in mckland, and two.'others were away for a la'rt of .it, as they are now: being examined ?: ■ or Senior District Scholarships. To the Jpper Forms I gave as many papers as I ould of the matriculation examination, and n other cases I set papers on the work done luring the year. The following certificttK ire awarded in the several forms■ Form Vl—Vera Adams, English Grammar ' tnd Literature, Latin, French, and Algebra 5 fessie Hctherington, Essay and English iiteraturc. , Form V Fred Moyle, English Grammar •' md Arithmetic ; Jessie hctherington, Latin; ; Henry Adams, Geometry and Chemistry ; Willie Clark, English Composition, English History, and Algebra. Form IVa—Laura Ingerson, English History, English Grammar, Essay, Algebra, ~ Chemistry, Physics, and French; Fred Moyle, Geography, Latin, and Algebra; Grace Tizard, 3eometry; Margaret Purnell, Latin, French, English Grammar, and Arithmetic; Arthur Read, Arithmetieand Geography-; Fred Buckland, English History ; Archibald Steedman, Essay and Geography. " • ' Form IVb - James Beale, English History and Latin; t Maribel Torrens, Essay and French Grammar; James Irwin, Essay and Geometry. NEEDLEWORK AND DRAWING. Mrs S. .T. Neill and Mr G. G. Beale, who examined respectively for needlework and drawing, and received " the hearty thanks of the Governors for their labors . .in this direction, - submitted reports in which the candidates' . *ere referred to by means of numbers instead of names. For the sake'of convenience we have substituted the • names in the report instead of the numbers. Mrs Neill ; v " Having been requested by your ®oardto i ; i report on the needlework, drafting, and cut- i ting out, at the High School, I beg to submit the following as the result of the ex'.amination, made,. ■■■.■ In Division; ly: Grace Tizard and Mary Jluir have each an elaborate ; and well finished piece of work, and all < the more credit is due to these industrious • workers from the fact that all the arrange* • - ? ment and fixing is done entirely, by them- ' ■ selves. The work of Grace Tizard is uniformly excellent, and entitles her to the first place. Mary Jluir is second,'but not far behind. In Division 2, Marital Torrens meriti first certificate for -very neatly done work. In the competitive examination Dm* sion ij the. order of ment is as follows: —F01: • button holes: Ist prize, Grace Tizard; 2nd prize, Mary Muir. Patching: Ist, Grace Tizard; 2nd, Linda Smith. Grafting: Ist, Grace Tizard; 2nd, Mary Muir. Hemming : Grace; Tizard and Maria Ryan ■■ are equal, Division 2: Grafting, Ist, Margaret Purnell;; 2nd; Maribel v Torrens,- Patching: ! Maribel Torrens and Margaret Puraeil aw equal. Button-hole: Margaret Purnell. In the drafting and cutting out of bodice pattern Maribel Torrens stands first; at the same time it is only fair to add that a con- ■ ■■ siderable amount, of aptitude was ehown.br!< the pupils generally in this department,- :■ The. work done by theschool as aiwhole is. i very satisfactory, and reflects great credit on. /: the teacher, Miis Foy." Mr Beale reported-.i',-,. " I have the honour to report that in cony pliance with your request I have examined ■ i the drawings exhibited by the pupils 0 f your school, and I am pleased to state that I find, on the whole, an improvement in the ' work as compired with that of last y'eirj moro particularly in landscape and figure delineation.' - Some subjects : for'instance,;; fruit and flowers, are not so prominent as' on former occasidnsj and should, in my - v : opinion; be more freely re-introduced,'as'' ' they present practice which greatly tends to' the acquisition of a graceful style in freehand drawing. Hereunder I append the'/; awards in order of merit Landscap e: " Margaret Purnell (certificate); Laurie In. gerson, George Hansen, and Hugh Torrens' (commended). Unshaded Freehand: James Irwin and James (certificate) j - Hugh Torrens (commended); Mechanical: Mar-, : ;•v garct Purnell and Grace Tizard (certificate); Mary Muir and Grace Tizard (commended), Figures; - Grace .Tizard and Margaret Purnell. 5 ' ° After the reports had been read, the . * Mayor presented the certificates to each of the successful scholars. On the conclusion of this pleasant operation Mr Radford said ib was a great pity that there was not a better a'tfcen- v dance at the school, for no institution in Auckland could show better talent. At present the attendance did not ex* eeed 31, but nevertheless excellent' { work was being accomplished. He hoped the improvement in business generally would be the forerunner of , an improvement in the school, and he was convinced that with a better and -: finer building there would be more ' L pupils. Great credit was due to the teaching staff of the,school, which" < totalled only two, and nowhere else in the colony were two teachers accomplishing more work than Mr Adams and Miss Foy. . • . • Mr Adams in his address briefly traversed the work of the past year or two, and pointed out that the school had contributed five candidates to .the Junior Civil Service examifiatioDj' one; f : ; to the Senior Civil Service, thrw to .7 Matriculation, two to the University Junior Scholarship, one to tha Seniri* "'' Provincial Scholarship; and one to tha' School of Mines Scholarship," Tha' ; ' honor list showed the work accom* k / plished, which was a continuous good ,1. 1 rccord since 1888, but unless the I material was to hand that work could i not continue. He was proud that the High School had taken the School of Mines scholarship twice in succession. ■ . There wouid be no candidate this year, but he hoped to have a goto! candidate in' the following year. Secondary ■

education* was" of tho highest import-.' anee, Rnd its effect was, proved by the number,.of, High School pupils who v held important posts throughout the , whole co ony. The present wave of prosperity had. taken- a long time to reach the Thames, but it might yet j rise high enough to reach the High School. As regards a handsome school building, ihe would prefer to have a ' large school and a largo staff first, and .v the rest could comeaftorwards. If tho materiali was 1 provided, the results - 'wouldjsopnfollow.• , . Tlie Rev! S. J. Noill said that, as a Governor of the School, it would look out of place to praise the Governors' 1 conduct, but he could say that the 'work' of the school liad always been sound and honest work, and the career : of former scholars proved it. He re* grettcd that so few parents had made .it their trouble to; attend. He also regretted' that the attendance' of scholars was. so small, aud he would advise'all parents who had means to • send their children to the school, and ' send them early.' It would prove an excejlent investment, and ho hoped parents; jvould-take -advantage of it, The: High School was facile pn'nccps as re£Qpas the discipline and order. ■■ Sir .Neill went oti to say that thirty scholars Required as much teaching as " seventy scholars, and he hoped before the'attendance swell, 1 and to see the fceacliihg staff agaiii restored to its former number.-; .: i.: ,

.Mr' Wood' said he always did his • best for the welfare of the school, and had inade. every eftorfc, to get Government monetary assistance. To this end fiej hadinterviewed Mr Cadman, , who had declined to give any, further - - financial ,'aSsistance oii the ground- that it would arouse the/jealousy;of; other districts'. That was a good way of f Voiding stfch a;demand in,the case of a Minister of the Crown. As regards the teaching staff, Mr Wood expressed a lope that tlio finances of the school /would soon allow of another teacher , being added to the staff, . \Dr/p'daJlaj}han spoke a; few words, and the Mayor, in conclusion, referred to the great advantage which the chil dren of this generation po'ssess in the ' . blessings of education as compared with their parents.' He hoped none of , them would miss any opportunity of

bettering his or her intellectual equipment; Vv The gathering concluded with a ■ vote of thanks to Mr Adams and Miss Foy, the Mayor intimating that the re-open, on February Bth. * r§l!iSwsiraoL,: ; The annual breaking-up of the Parawai; School; took place yesterday , afternoon,> Mr. Gillespie,. Chairman of .the, ; School,. Committee, , presiding • -After a few; preliminary remarks he , 'distributed the prizes as 1 follows and PiaZE8 r OiVEN BYTHE HEADMABTER.-First Primer, Lizzie Ourrio and Harry, Bolton; Second Primer, Roy Greenslado and Leslie May'; Standard IV Alex Dunlop; 111, Geo. Brown, 1 Daniel Currie, and Charles "Williams; in;; : Hazel' Dtinlop, Gilbert Gilraour, Olivo Green, 1 and Effie Read; IV., RhodaWilliams; Vj- 'Maggie Currie, "Ivy Miller, and Ernest Greenslade; VI, Lon Peat and Inez Read. Second-class Attendance Certificates '& •Prizes owen by tiie 'Headmaster.—Second • *Primer;Frcd WiHiama; Standard 11, Chas. •Hudson ;;f IV, Fanny Taylor ; V, Harold '• 'Peat: vi : ; ' K "'' •■■■; ■ ,?

V- Psizfis Given by MbMullins.—Efße Read '$d for general improvement.