SCHOOL YEAR ENDS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 302, 21 December 1937, Page 5

SCHOOL YEAR ENDS

CEREMONY AT UPOKONGARO

ANNUAL CONCERT AND BREA RING-LT*.

The annual concert of the Upokongaro School (Makirikiri) was held in the Upokongaro Hall on Thursday night last, a large and appreciative audience being present. The children took their parts with great zest, and, except for the blowing of a fuse in the footlights, the whole performance was carried through without a hitch. The programme opened with a verse of welcome by Barbara McArthur, after which the primer classes sang a song entitled “The Lost Chick.” Then followed three amusing sketches in rhyme well rendered by pupils from the middle division. The first, “The Invalid,” portrayed a small boy who was suffering from severe pain. His companions offered sympathy and helpful suggestions as to the probable nature of his complaint, but the audience was left in no doubt about the matter; he had been to a party. The “invalid” was Pat Fennell, his companions Kelvin Hurford, Enid Grant, Shirley Taylor, Peter Clemance and Marion Simmons. The second sketch, “A Long Pull and a Strong Pull,” was most amusingly rendered by Maurice Bason, a small boy, Marjorie Reid, his mother, and Paerata Walden, a doctor who also performed the office of a dentist. The yells of the small boy as he had his tooth extracted were most realistic, and the mother’s and doctor’s parts were excellently taken. The third sketch, “Crotchety Customers,” portrayed the tribulations of a greengrocer whose customers were exceedingly hard to please. The greengrocer was Pat Fennell, the customers Zelda Warner, Enid Grant, Maud Hawkins, Valerie Penn, Alan Spicer, May James, and Helen Carruthers. A recitation, “What Happened to Charles,” was cleverly and vigorously given by Kahu Ratana, who depicted the sad fate of a boy who indulged in the slang phrase “O Kay.” The “Slumber Song” was tunefully rendered by the junior girls, after which the infants entertained the audience with some verse-speaking items. The chief solo parts were taken by Helen, Crowley, a beetle; Sonny Cribb, small boy; grasshopper, Barbara Clemance; Wee Willie Winkle, Clive Sullivan; the future owner of new shoes, Barbara McArthur and Barbara Clemance. The scarecrow dance by pupils of the middle division was a novel item, the scarecrows with their huge boots, ragged clothes, and masked faces performing a slow, weird dance to the tune of “The Teddy Bear's Picnic.” The nether garments of one of the scarecrows began gradually to descend till it finally hampered its owners’ movements, the unrehearsed incident causing much merriment. A gavotte, which followed, was daintily executed by Shirley Ford, Betty Ford, Katherine Wickham, May James, Mary Mary Crowley, Helen Carruthers, Marjorie Reid, and Isabel Bartrum, who were dressed in the picturesque costume of the court of Louis XIV. Then came a boys’ play entitled “The Conceited Pirate,” a gentleman whose inability to solve a simple puzzle connected with the longitude of a treasure island lost him the respect and allegiance of his villainous crew. The gaudy dresses of. the pirates, their flashing swords, swarthy scowling faces, wild carousals [ and deadly duel made a most pic- | turesque spectacle, and the play was ; much enjoyed by the performers as by I

the audience. The chief parts were taken by the following:—Pirate chief, Oliver Hawkins; Peter Pumpkin, the cabin boy, Lindsay Horrocks; Lying Lyar Ling, the cook, Tahu Tamahana; Merdoza, John Clemance; Don Wiskerando, Horace Rupuha; Chimborazo, Eric Friedrich; Sambo Jambo, Kahu Ratana; dancer, Owen Lawrence.

The next item was a play, “The Real Princess,” which was convincingly rendered by the senior girls. A queen of nursery rhyme days was confronted with two ladies in distress, each claiming to be the Princess Marie Gold, but the time-honoured test of a bean beneath 20 mattresses did not have the expected results. The parts taken were as follows: Queen, Shirley Reid; King, Joyce Willacy; Princess, Isabel Bartrum; Begonia, Katherine Wickham; Prince Charming, Margaret Gardener; maid, Shirley Ford.

Following this play was a well executed drill by the pupils of the middle standards, and after the drill was an extravaganza entitled “The Geyser.” Here Maoris, Springboks, a wireless agent, a sailor from the Diomede, a nurse and patient, tourists, and school children, all met at Rotorua, and the eruption of a supposedly extinct geyser provided the patient with the shock he needed. Interspersed were jokes, songs, topical and local "hits,” a haka, a poi, and a sailor's hornpipe. The parts of patient and nurse were taken by Jack and Doreen Fennell respectively. The con-. cert closed with the National Anthem, after which followed supper and dance, the children being rewarded for their efforts by free ice-creams. Break-U p Celebration. The “breaking up” celebrations of the above school took place on Friday afternoon, Mr. Ford, chairman of the School Committee, presiding. The following certificates were presented:— Primer IV.—B. McArthur 1, B. Clemance 2, L. Willacy 3. Std. I.—M. Reid 1, R. Wilson 2, B. Ford 3. St. lI.—P. Fennell 1, Z. Warner 2, M. Crowley 3. Std. lII.—P. Clemance 1, K. Hurford 2, O. Lawrence 3. Std. IV.—S. Ford 1, I. Bartrum 2, J. Fennell 3. Std. V.—K. Ratana 1, G. Brickley 2, M. Kiki 3. Std. VI.—J. Clemance 1, K. Ford 2, E. Friedrich 3. Sewing Prizes.—Senior: Jessie Wickham. Junior: Dawne Vercoe. Attendance Certificates.—A. Penn, B. Clemance, I. Bartrum, Z. Warner, O. Hawkins, E. Friedrich, K. Howard, P. Clemance, P. Wiwi. Primary School Certificate. —W. Fennell, M. Gardner, V. Hiroti, J. Willacy, J. Clemance, K. Ford, E. Friedrich, O. Hawkins, L. Horocks, K. Howard. The guest of honour for the afternoon was Miss M. Robinson, who takes up her duties at Keith Street next ’year. Mr. Ford, chairman, and Mr. Clemance, headmaster, made eulogistic references to Miss Robinson’s work in the school during the past two years, during which time she had made herself respected and beloved by her pupils. A bouquet was presented to Miss Robinson by Valerie Penn, and Shirley Ford and Marie Kihi presented, on behalf of the school, a bedroom clock and perfumery set. Musical honours were accorded with great zest.

A presentation of a shaving set was also made to the headmaster by the pupils of Standard VI. The proceedings closed with cheers for all and sundry.