MAIN SCHOOL.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 16639, 7 August 1930, Page 8

MAIN SCHOOL.

COMMITTEE MEETING. i The monthly meeting of the Main I School Committee was held last evenI ing. Present: —Messrs A. Carnegie (chairman), J. H. Harley, W. Catter, E. Lund. A. Dephoff, J. W. Preen and T. Malcolmson. . The hon. secretary of the Main School Old Boys’ Association applied for the use of a room in the -School for the purpose of the Association s annual meeting.—Granted. The Director of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, Auckland, wrote thanking School Committee for the business which had been done with the Institute, thereby enabling the inmates to have profitable employment. Repairs to the School. Mr Preen, reporting on his visit to the school, stated that it was in need of repair. During the wet weather there had been a good deal of leakage, with the result that pictures and other things had been affected. He thought it was a pity to allow the building to fall into disrepair. The interior should be renovated, and an application should be made to the Board for a grant for this work. It was advisable that a comprehensive scheme for putting the building in proper condition and then go to the Board with their plan. Parents’ Day. Mr Preen referred also to- the "Parents’ Day*’ held recently, and in connection therewith, he congratulated the headmaster and staff on the way the function had been carried out. The arrangements were very fine, and not only the children, but all those present, would long remember this event, more especially the planting of the trees. Miss Shirtcliff, a former teacher at the school, w r ho was present, enjoyed it, and expressed appreciation of everything in connection with the fixture. The afternoon went off well, and Mr Preen considered that the success of the gathering was such that it would be wise if the headmaster arranged a “parents’ day” for the end of each term. The meeting decided that a report should be drawn up relative to thf repairs and renovations required at the school, and submitted to the next meeting. Headmaster's Report. The headmaster (Mr W. W. Gurton) reported that since the last meeting, seven boys and five girls had been enrolled, and three boys and two girls had left the school, leaving the roll number 301 boys and 311 girls. During this time the attendance in the infant school had been very poor, being only 81.2 per cent, of the possible, while in the upper school it had been 95.4 per cent. The poor attendance in the infant school was due to a certain extent to sickness, while the absence of some was due to the laxity of certain parents in not seeing that their children attended. The attendance for the whole school was 270.6 boys and 288.5 girls, or an average of 91.5 per cent, for the five weeks which had elapsed since the last meeting. Accounts amounting to £l7/5/4 wei# passed for paymnL.