NGA TAWA SCHOOL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 297, 15 December 1934, Page 8

NGA TAWA SCHOOL

REPORT OF HEADMISTRESS Tlie following report of the headmistress (Miss Mitchell) was read at i he annual speech day and prize-giving of the Wellington Diocesan. School for Girls (Nga Tawa, Marton), on Thursday evening; 1 hive pleasure in presenting to you a brief report of the school during the last ten months. 1 would like irst, iu the name of tire school, to welcome all our guests, and to thank Mr. lustice Smith for coming to give away our prizes. The health of the school has been excellent throughout the year. We hope, iu consequence, that good energetic work has been done, both in tlie i lassroom and in all our other activities, and that we shall in the future leap the full benefit of this long spell unbroken by illness. Iu the recent examinations of the Associated Board of the London Schools for Music, all our candidates were successful, one obtaining her Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music and three others obtaining honourable mention in their respect* ve grades- The music mistresses are to be congratulated on the high standard reached in this subject. We can look forward to equally good results in the future, as we have some very promising material amongst the younger members of the school. We have been fortunate in being able to arrange some good concerts during the year. Mrs. Irene Robertson and Miss Isabel Langlands gave us a lecture-recital on Celtic music. Miss Constance Leatham and Miss Frances Nicholson gave us a piano and song recital. The proceeds for the ioncert they generously gave to us for -ur chapel fund. The music staff gave Z 2 very enjoyable concert, which indijed piano, violin and song solos. Mr. Gordon Bryan, the examiner of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, gave us an amusing and interesting lecture-recital. Mr. and Mrs de Mauny and Mr. Claude Tanner gave a chamber music recital. The girls in the different houses anc forms have given many clever and amusing entertainments. These have included plays, fancy dress dances anc variety entertainments. Much ingenu ity has been shown and in some cases marked histrionic ability. Lacrosse and netball have, been played during the winter months and tennis and cricket during the summer. The standard of play in tennis has im-

proved steadily throughout the year. The girls have been excellently coached by Miss Barker and Miss Dobree, ■who have given more time to this than could reasonable be expected of them. The senior tennis team has also had - invaluable help and advice from Mr. t j Ken Marshall, who has been so good g as to give us much of his time. r At the beginning of the year we - won our tennis match against Woodford House. This term we lost our o match against Marsden- Of the ten - other matches we have played, we e have won live, lost four, and one was - a draw. The sports were again held at halfv term, when many parents and friends of the school were able to attend, n Many of the girls are keen on gare dening and have their own plots. We are very grateful to Mrs. Crooke for e the interest she has shown and for the valuable advice she has given to our e young gardeners, and to Miss Young, 11 who, by her zeal and untiring efforts, has aroused in the school so much ene thusiasm for gardening. . n Various meetings have been held by is the old girls throughout the year at the different centres, and much good f work has been done by them. Owing i- io their generosity and untiring efforts e the debt on the chapel has been fully o paid. d There are various groups of people k whom 1 would like to thank for the e help they have given me in my work, 5- during what must necessarily have i- been a very difficult year:— i The trustees, who have given so un.g grudgingly of their time, and especits ally the members of the local Execulive Board, to whom 1 am doubly e grateful —the members of the staff, c. who have piloted me so ably during >s the year, and especially through the d intricacies of the various social fuucie lions that feature so prominently iu >r our school life, the clergy who have e made it possible for us to have so i- many services m our own chapel—Mis- Kaine, oUr chaplain, Uanon Watson, 10 Mr Tve Mr. White, who comes always is in the morning of the third Sunday in i- the month, Archdeacon Hansell, and s. the late Archdeacon Johnson, who very o kindly spent week-oads here during the first term of the year—'Doctors Harpur id and Church, who in conjunction with >d Sister Porteous, have been successful •e in warding off all contagious and mfectious disease, the parents who wel11 corned me so kindly, the old girls, whose strong and loyal association nas impressed me very much, the present - n girls, due to whose friendliness I have id never felt a stranger at Nga Tawa, r. the prefects, and in particular the ii- head girl, Cecil Upton.