TIMARU HIGH SCHOOL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13464, 10 December 1907, Page 7

TIMARU HIGH SCHOOL.

The Timaru High School Board of Governors met yesterday morning. Present: Mtssrs W. B. Howell (chairman), C. Bowker, J. McCakon, F. A. Raymond, B. R. Macdonald, R. Gillingham. Mr Jackson sent an apology. CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT.

The chairman stated that the attendance at the school had! fatten off considerably dming the year. If the attendance did not increase* next! term, the head-master suggested some reduction of the staff. The leases of reserves; held by Mr Boyd had been sold at the reserve of 14s per acre. The ground at the new site had been well worked and 4 acres sown down, to «.o ai.i one football giound as soon as possible The architect must be instructed tc piepare plans and. specifications for die necessary outhouses.. Some olose fencinc; was needed in front of the house, and the adjoining owners were. now »\'iL i*ig to share the cost—about £5 per chain. Tut Town Committee and architect had vi.-U ;"■! the house, with the headmaster, and the latter drew attention to some slight'alterations in the "sick-room" and a.division ,n the passage to separate the master's rooms from the boys'. It was then seen thd.:. there was a very large attic 24 x 24, and 9 or 10 feet high, which, would be very useful as a lumber room jf floored and lighted, by a sky-light or a doimer window, i •

Resolutions were passed, authorising the committee and architect to arrange for flooring and lighting the attic, and for the fencing of the east side. correspondence:

The Education Department forwarded a copy of the Education Act Amendment Act of last session.-; a copy of the Dominion Day proclamation for each room in the school; and £7 7s Bd, half cost of a sewing . machine and microscope for the dressmaking and botany classes resp ictivelv.

The secretary stated that the amending Act affected the High School in im* direction only. Previously one Senior National Scholarship had been offered to each education district.. Now, twenty . scholarships were offered, all open to the whole colons, so that all might be won by o w district. The Department have also forwarded a copy of tlhe Proclamation v of the Education Board for each school-room in the district. J.

An application by the janitor for a bath and washing tubs in the outhouse, was referred to the chairman, with power to act.

An offer of Mr Irwin to pay for gracing cows on the groundte at the back of tha, boys' school during the holidays was declined. HEAD MASTER'S REPORT. The headmaster reported on the boys' school that the number enrolled this quarter was 66. Two had. left to enter offices, , the demand for boys being keener than ever. Thirty-one pupils had entered for different examinations, three less than last year. The numbers at each examination for 1907 and 1906 were: Matriculation and medical preliminary, 8—10; University. Junior Scholarship, 4—4; Civil Service

Senior, 1—0; do Junior, 4—7; Senior free place, 16—18 ; Education Board Senior, s—7;' totals, 38—46. Of the four candidates for University Scholarship two. had missed the whole examination, and a third missed a part of it, through illness. One of the Senior free place candidates had been ill also : and would be unable to sit the examination.- There had been a great deal of sickness during the term, and in fact during the whole year. Fifty of 'tlhe cadets (took part in a sham, fight at Rangitata on the 26th uit. One of the boys, bergt. Malthus, had the misfortune to "discharge a cartridge into his foot, causing a very painful and troublesome wound. He is stall laid up. A number of small repairs needed to windows were enumated, and the heating-stovee . aiso v required: irepairing. As tihei* v-as a' possibility that the boarding house would not be ready by the regular date for opening the scnooi, Mr Simmers asked permission to postpone tdie opening of the Boys' School for a. week if' it is tnoughfc necessary. The chairman said the stoves became more expensive ' year for repairs. Mr Simmtrs went to Oarnaru and Dunedin to see the method's of heating, by hot water, in use at the high schools there, and he reported that there was likely to be some improvement made in those, systems, and he therefore recommended tnat the Board -wait a, while, 'and make the stoves serve another year. Mr Howell supported this recommendation. He thought the stoves would last another year and! then they must be put. on the, scrap heap. The stoves cost £8 each, Mid had. been in use about. ten years. The repairs required were in the linings. Fire bricks broke up and iron plateG softened and buckled.—it was agreed to have the stoves repaired; also to postpone the opening of the school by a week—to the 11th February. LADY PRINCIPAL'S REPORT.

Miss Watt, Lady Principal of the Girls' School, reported that the number on tha roll for 'tine "term had been- 60, of wihtam; two'had: left, on account of illness. Of >he 58 remaining, 17 were now sitting for the universitv examination; 4 for scholar.skip and 13"for matriculation. On Friday 13 others would be absent at examinations for Continuation, .Senior Scholarship, and Junior Civil Service . The upper class had 'been unfortunate,'three of the best pupils left early in the year, removing to other towns; another very good girl was ordered a : terms • Test /by the doctoir at the end of, the second ifenh, 'and tlie great majority of the girls had suffered from influenza, but very satisfactory work had been done in spite of this. Mr Simmers suggested that the school break up on the 18th. The janitor desired to have some water-taps in the gardten. Some wire-net-ting and -poles' were needed for the tennis court, and netting for the flower-beds. The stoves needed attention during the holi-

days. In the two smaller -rooms open fire-places would, be preferable. The chairman wais authorised to see to the matter of heating, and to the taps for lawns. It.. was decided to have the school break-np ceremony in the gymnasium" in the afternoon of the 18th icst, and to provide a gold medal for the dux of -each school. XEXT YEAR'S PROSPECTUS.

Printer's proofs of next year's prospectus were received, and some remarks were made on the headmaster's proposal to alter the school hours in future. The present hours were 9 to 12.30, and 1.30 to 3.30.. Mr Simmers proposes to make them 8.55 to 12, and 1.15 to 3.30, except on Thursday afternoons, 1.15 to 2.30. The secretary explained that the house being a good way fromthe school it would be necessary to" extend the dinner hour, and the proposal to close earlier on Thursday afternoons was, he supposed, in the interests of the school cricket and football matches. The other alterations ; woiild have ths effect of increasing the total houra per' week-. The prospectus, with change of hours, was approved. ■ ' : „ Accounts amounting to £lB 4s 4 d were passed ofr payment, and the Board rose.