BREAKING-UP CEREMONIES.

Thames Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 10157, 19 December 1907, Page 4

BREAKING-UP CEREMONIES.

THAIMES HIGH SCHOOL.

■ The. breakiiig-up \ cereiniiony in dot*neotiioa with 'the Tliames High School took plaice at the Miners' Union Hall last evening. There was a large at- ■' temdlanc© of parentsi aaid friends. His i Worship the Mhyoiy Mf Airch. Burns! (chairman of the Board hi Governws),' prtssided, and several members of: the' Board wea-e present. The teaching! staff—iMfeiststt-s A .Wiuitei 1, headmaster,' R. J. Thompson^ firsit''- as«istant, and Mfiss Foy, lady ass:sitan,t, -wasi also in' attendance. The Mayoresfei (Mi-s' Bums) was present, 'and' handed Ihe prizes to the successful scholars. .—Speech by MaiyorT— . . "■ The ClblaJrinan, made a brief speech, congmtulaitang the school on the raarkecl advancei made^ and on the sue-j cess attained, for whichi high praise - Ibe awarded the headmaster andl teadhiing staff, every member of ( wlnMii ihiadi worked hard. Mir Bums | Spoke of the 'benefifesi of seoond'aiy,. education a.nd refel'red to> the increased! faeilifciesi placed at the disposal of ■ boys and girfa to seciure a higher edulcaitdon.

—Headimasiter'si Report.—• iMr N. A. Winter, BLA. (Load.), th'en, Bulblnmltited' the annual report, , from WhMi we take the following:—"lTjeg' to suibiuiit to> you 'tiie 28th annual, re- j port of the Thames High School. As this is the-firstt! year o;f my steward-] sMp I may be permitted t« eixpress my. deep sense of .the kindness and sympathy, I have deceived bothi fromJ the gioveiiaingl ibody.of the sichool, anid* ( from others' as well; also the great j pfeasiure iti givesl rate to meet the par- j ents and friendsi of -my pupils! now fchiat the streniuous laiboui's of the' y»ar are 1 over. lit has been a. year of ( Gon&i^'eraible trial a.nd anadous respon.'silbßlity. Mr Thomspon'si illness.oc-' curing as it did ait the critical^ period when the annual influx of new scholars took place, and especially un;fortunaitei, and necessitated 1 a good deal of re-organisatdon of the work.' iNbtwithstanding all ttvis I think I may. claim thati very fa.ir progreslsi has;' been made. ■ The success of a, stahobl ia not at all easy to estimate.' It is one of those suT>tle things wfekh can, be felt rather than measured. It-' does not consist in number. 1?. It does not consist in bri'lliapit examination rem.pt&. It cpmsfetsi- in the slow, and gradual acquisition of mental power ( side by side with the development of j moral (.'hai';vjtcr—of, manly qualities among iM^ boys; of gjeatleness, courtesy, and kindness among the girls, Whether we are- inculcating these j principles at thisi swhiool or not must be left for 1 time to . decide. At any rate wet are tryingl to do so. In! our efforte! to; produce a. good tone and corIpontaite s/jArit, the influence of the leading boyjg and girlsl isJ of very great help. I am) delighted to acknowledge the assistance. I have recjeivedl inth,:s respect from Leslie May, seniior boy, | and captain of the foottiball cluib, and Iffom Hazel Lowe,, senioi; giirl of tihe f&bJool. I am appointing these two pupils school prefectsi for- the coiur ing year, and! I am bestowing upon ; aaicibj..a 1 .small^silver' shield as a badge of office. I pm-pose to make these apptcSirtments yeai 1 by year. Tnoid'^r to fosifer and encourage the per- ■ sfoniul influence of tlieigirla Mrs Cleudon; has 'been good v enough to present a beautiful cojjv of Sii'ak©--.spear, tor that girl of the school who, in tho opinioiV of the other girls* isl the most courteous! and kindly. A ballot wiasi taken to decide this matter, and ?jy a- very; latiglei majority—in fact ; by an almofiib unanimous vote—the choice fell upon Eifther o'Galk.glian; I cordiallyu: endorsd the verdict. Tiie Lealttb. of tiie Scholars has been excellent throughout the year, with the ' exception" of a feAv Aveeks when tiie hot j weather, first set in, I attribute this

saiM&ctory state of tilings to . the regular physical -exenaLsiesi, ; the slxort initeivails for reorentdo'iV tiiken after! each lesson, the large well ventilated, class'"rooms, and 'the heorty paa*ticipaition in school games. ■ Although - the Board of Governors haive done avery great deal of improvement to the school playgrounds, we are still tmiulchi craanped. for space;—esipeeiailly j in regard to cricket. I hope % that' some dlay tlie Board will be in a position^ to buy or permanently leasis a conve'nMnt padd'oick for th:s splendid >game. The results of the public exa.nninaitionsi held at the end of last years were as fblM'owis: M::«is Stellia/' Grigg and Miss Nellie Wylie each passed matriculaition (after three yeairsi' dtixidy "at this school) ; Mr P. Bhiw^dem was also successful in tbns ( exam'inatiioim. These sdholars likewise passied) the Junior Civil Service ex*nimii'nation, as well as Leslie May, Ai. Hall, and Eraesfc Wailton. All these' young people, with the exdeptioni of, Leisilie May, are now- in the puiblic ser- [ vice of the; Dominion. May was afeo offered am appointment, but preferred to^ remain: at .school. The fol-.j lowing two scholars secured senior freei places: Bessie' Paltridge and MSiitthew" G-rigg. Thrs yea-r.two' pupils i have sat for matriculation, and two o'theiisi were ready for it, 'biut decddied not to enter. Twelve adtioTaitis are undergoing the Junior Civil Service . examin&itioni, and eiglitt others are sitting for the Senior Free Place/ In ifaict, in aiccordla-nce wi'tih the policy I ( anm!oainic»d! at the beGMiningl of the year, praicticmlly the w'bole of the two upper forms have entered for the puib- ( ISio «fxiqc.niinaitdons. iSeiveml of theseh'aVe had only lj years' trainingl at i thiisl sfcliooli aadl have, I am afrajd, • little chance of success. I find from tihle noportsi of Southern scihoolsi that a' period! of even; two yemisl doesi not 1 afford sufficient pi^paration , for 1 tihe Senior Free Place. .(Eistaiaot from the report of ladj^ prinoipial, Girls' High School, OiWistchurch.) I ami sanguine enough to liope that our Ttomes young people) wall do better tham this. I desire,-however, to po,iat out that the fact of sot many of our saholaM, entering for the" public examinations isihould not ibe takeni to mielan; tliaiti they are -all seeking ~ap-' j pomtmetitsi in: tha public semce. t There are plenty of other"wailks in. -..life-operu to them—lbhisinesis, nuning, j 1 professional and other. Tlie training raseiyedi ait '<&.& THiaanesl High School i mil, I think, be found of invaluaib!e ■ aeig:s!tia,nce in a,ny one of these ptursuiitsi. •■■■ If human beingfei were cirtea- ' tures of few needs and simple pur-' suiiits, like the lower anjiiiailisrit wouldba an easy matter to devise a system of ti-aiiniuigl ■ suited . to ervery maipibeii*' of tihe race, but since humaui pursuite are <&y inliniloly varied, it'ia ateohitely, imposlailble to•: adapt. the educational j routine to the _neecfa of eveiy in--1 divlidiulaL- The best we can do is geniei'ally to train faculty to eixercise the ( muscles of the mind in solving diiily t problems'.. The : logical faculty is ;. trained at school by v miatheTOialtiiesi a.ndsteience, but. another powerful inslLru- '■ ment for: the development of thought 1J —ptower is the study of language. Let no one ignorantly decay the study of

language. Whan you tihiink that a, woirdlsi are the shrinesi im which i, thought hias bsen preserved! and bland-! ? ed dbwn, you Aviill sm'ely .not make y | the misillalce" of despising! fliie: aicquisis tioni of langluiage culture. The study; - i otf «i foreigni language, - even if the a latter isl never fully, acquired, isl ex1 1 teenneLy useful, as it •penniiifcsi usi to \-, <viiew o* oiwni. language, as it were,! 1, from ani outside,'.standpoint. I attach t j thel very greatest importance to the - j Frenlclh studied ait the School, and I f( am pleaded to say that remarkaible 3' progress has been mlade in this sul> f I je'db during the year. When am ex- ' - i ami-nation is) l'oomiaig in' the distance -. thiere ia-aßwiaiyß a templtatiioni to press. 1 anid cram the scli/olam I have miosit' . carefully igiuai'ded against this, as I - Wiavie that ani 'Uiidue' strain on the 1 gchbilars at t'lissl pei'iod of their lires •' milgihlt (be fatal to th'eir^ future devel-; [■ t opmenlti. Wheni I wiasi anxiously con-j s sidbring ways and: meansi of holding 1 thia gath!ettimg, and also providing a ; s few prizes fon" the siciliiolaa-!s», the mem'fibers of the Board 1 of Governorlsi cafne i- forward witli characteristic geneitosiity J and' .removed, all my difficulties. Ma* - Lowe contributed! a guinea foi* prized, I Mil' Scottl.a, prize for th® b'esfc kept _' i flow^er bed:, while Mr Olaxtoh. provided t j tili'e hall.; \B have jilso received a » ibeaiutiful prize from Mr CHendon, on© • from DrJ Wailishe, and one from Mil- , Russell, headmaster 1 of Tararu School.' sj Mir Tlhompfcmi and Misisi Foy have also' '/■ vealy kiujdlar offered prizea in their re-^ ' espedtive' classesi. -Hot Worsihip the ■ ' Mkyo-r1 hks again "given tlx© prize for: ■ dux of .tihe school, and! for the first I 1 time the Adams' 'memom-l prize for. > mathematics has been awarded. Mr 'jjiaa Kernick has prte.sie.nted a medal j > for practical oa'emMi'y, and Monsieur , I Bbeulfoei, French Consul,. haisi kiuidly' .. promised! a Freraeili prize, whacih; will *■ adTiv© later. —tThe Prize List— Tho following is a comiplete list of -prize winners:— ' - Forms: VI, and V— I>ux s Matthew Crrigtg; prefect's medal (boys), Leslie Mby; prefeic't'si modal (gitilsi), Hazel! Lowe; Adams' mathematical prize,!. LesiieT May ; French', Makliew G'rigg • practical cheniistry, Olivei Wylie. " ; Form Vl.—English, Bessie Pal- ; ■ tri%e; courtesy award 1, Bsisiie O'Cal- - iaghan ; arithmetic; -Hazel LoWe. Form V.—[Mathematics, W. Freeman. : Form IV.—Frenchi, Gertrude Mayo and 1 Claud Henderson j Eingliahi and i mathematics, C Poulgrain-; TJcfokkeeping, Miugaret McCaskill; cihemistry, Lindaay Stevenson. j Form I.—First" prize general subjects, Arch. Burns.

Certificates' liKve 'been, gained in various subjects by the prifce. winners 1 ja'boveanerjtiionieidl, together with the following. puipils In viz., W. Morrison, 'Bcssiie F. Ellis, P. -■■Olinio, H. Croppy P. Trimmer, S. Da.niby, J. Allan. —Further Remarks. — Mr Wiinlter continued : —The numI toer of sehoTars belonging 1 to. the school ' at the: 'beginning of this year was 44 (the Decerailber, 1906, roll number was 5!5, 'but 11 of those-scholars left). The J presenlt num'bei 1 Is 71, -which is a very satMaicltorv imcreasa These numijeis, however, give little indication of real 1 pirlogi-ess. I look for quality, not quantity. The school was visited during the year by Di*. Anderson, assistant Inspe^ttoa'-Gmeral; he expressed! to , the clilajirniian, and myself hisi high opinion, of the work being done. Mr Isaac, TerimiuaT Insipetitar also paid us a visiifi. An Auckland' 'lady who , possesses' great' artistic ability (Misls I Outhwaite) has placed me, aaid the ( Bicliool aisio, under a great .obligation ! fa""- painting for" us a 'Beautiful Softool shlieldl. It will be unveiled presently, , and' will, I aim: certain, be always treasured as a. symbol of the honour of the stehool. You will hear this evenfhi£~~a soiTg'specrally, written for this school, the music being composed by Mr S. Kenneth Phillips, son of the 1 Me hea^innaisitei" of the Kauaerangia . Boys' Stabo©!. The pupils have been' trained to sin«- it,,, (as well as Ujear other songs) b"y Mr Leo Whitta.ker, to , whose kindness "I am greatly indelbted. The Thames High School Cadet corps has been accepted, and hag tm- , deiigone a certain amount, of training. I hope that the 'beginning of the new ', year wil see the boys supplied; wrfcih'' rifles! and uniforms.' In, conclusion I ■, wish to express^ my tfikmlcsi to the members of "rify"* staff for their; loyal support; during tlie year, and to coiiir granulate Mir' Thomipteon on luist re- . dovery. I desire once* more "to thank all those ladies' and gentlemen, inciliud!ing the' <governing Board', who have shWn su'tihi warm .interest in the sclTooT. 1 fbeg the^r continued 1 sympathy and suipiploirt-. I ask for kindly, recognition of any good we may do, amldl a 'cfeirittialble : dblivioni 'of our , faults.' I wish you all, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of myseilf, my staff, and mv y family, the coiniplliments :of tihio GJmMmaiS season. 1 The follow-ing iteimsi were conitnifauted by the piupik of the seteooli ('Mk' L. Whrtiteiiker aciting as aceompaniisit), n,nd were received with loutf) aipplau,se: Song, "Rule Britannia," pupils; son,g., i''Ye Bankisi and Btees," pupil*; song, "Ellin the Tear-and 1 the Smile in thine Eyefei," pupils ; presentation of prizes , fljhxt cerlbifioatesi; reictttetion, "Scene from "Merchanb of Venice," Misses Ilastk'insi.anid Clendon ; song' (French), ■ "Ma NloTimianidie," 'pupils j cornet solo, Master Hen'deirfiion; song (Freuidh) 'Au ' .Olair de la Lune," Mkisas Gordon and . TOiiteliouise; unveiling the school shield; song, "The Hills of Thames," ' pupils; "God Save the King." ; Ttti© unveiling of the sthool shield ■ was an interesting ceremony, and aroused much enthusiasm. The wiliole ' pirioceedinga 'refl^oted the highest ,' credit on the headmaster, staff, pupil* and all who assisted.