41

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Owls' School.

Highest. -English- Nesfield's Past and Present; Nesfield's Manual (composition work); Shakespeare, Hamlet; The Wordsworth Epoch ; Lamb, Essays of Elia; Palgrave, Golden Treasury. Arithmetic Whole Subject, Pendlebury. Algebra--Matriculation syllabus; Baker and Bourne. Geometry—Matriculation syllabus; Godfrey and Siddons. Geography—Matriculation syllabus; Gill's Geography. Latin Longmans' Latin Course, Part II ; Allen's Latin Grammar ; Matriculation Latin Course, Watt and Hayes; Bryan's Csesar Latin Prose, selected; Latin Prose through English Idiom (Abbott). French As for Matriculation, Weekley French Course; Longmans' Elementary Unseens; Boiielle's French Poetry, selected; M. de Stael, Choisies 1-18; Vecqueray Examination papers (1-88); Phonetics as prescribed for Matriculation. Natural Science -Science of Common Life (Simmons and Stenhouse), pp. 1 205, and remaining part of the Matriculation syllabus ; Botany, Evans, Botany for Beginners, Matriculation syllabus. History- Warner's Brief Survey, pp. 93-252; Warner and Marten's Groundwork of British History, I. Lowest. —English- Nesfield's Manual of English Grammar and Composition, pp. 1-61 ; spelling and dictation ; essays; analysis and parsing ; selected poems from Wilson, Laureate; Lamb's Tales; Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice, Acts I and II ; Scott, Ivanhoe, pp. 1-180. French—Hogben, Methode Naturelle, Part I, pp. 1-91. History—Warner, Survey of British History, pp. 1-152. Botany—Stem; leaf: root: flower; fruit; description of special plants and flowers; nutrition; seed-dispersal. Hygiene and Home Science—Metric measures ; weight and density ; thermometers ; change of state ; vaporization; transference of heat; solution; distillation; atmosphere; burping and rusting; expansion. Arithmetic—Pendlebury's New School Artihmetio, pp. 1-226, and miscellaneous. Algebra and Geometry—Baker and Bourne, to page 74, omitting pages 61-64 ; Godfrey and Siddons, Practical, pp. 1-31 ; Theoretical, pp. 63-107. Cookery-Elementary, practical, and theoretical work, full course. Geography—Gill's Imperial Geography, pp. 1-202, and special notes for physical geography. Latin- Longman, Elementary Latin Course, Part I, to p. 79 ; the active voice of the four regular conjugations.

GISBORNE HIGH SCHOOL. Staff. Messrs. Frank Eoole, H.A., B.Se. ; Fred J. Wilkes, M.A. ; Miss J. R. Ilarr, M.A. ; Messrs. P. E. Edmondson, B.A. ; G. T. Maunder. M.Sc. ;A. P. Castle, M.A. ; Misses"M. Harding ;M. Higgins ; Mr. P. S. Hawkins. I. Report of the Board of Governors. The Governors of the Gisborne High School have the honour to report that during the year the school has been carried on in an efficient manner. Changes on Staff.—The, only change on the staff was in respect of Mr. A. R. Gatland, 8.A., who resigned to take up a position on the staff of the Auckland Grammar School, and Mr. P. Edmondson, 8.A., was appointed in his stead. Inspection- The school was inspected by T. H. Gill, Esq., M.A., LL.B., the Department's Inspector, on the 12th, 13th, and 14th August. In his report Mr. Gill expressed himself as] well pleased with the work, tone, and discipline of the school. Attendance. —The roll numbers for the year were as follows : First term, 148 ; second term, 154 ; third term, 146. The great majority of the pupils attend with commendable regularity, a special word of praise being due to those who ride long distances to and from school. Still, however, some parents allow their children to stay away from school for wholly insufficient reasons. Physical Training- This phase of school activity is somewhat handicapped by the want of a gymnasium, but the governing body hopes, at an early date, to take steps to erect a suitable building. In addition to their cadet work the boys play cricket and football, while the girls take physical exercises and play hockey, tennis, and basket-ball. A tennis-court is in course of construction in the boys' playground. The Rectory—The High School Rectory, under the control of the Rector and Mrs. Foote, continues to provide an excellent home for an increasing number of boys. In the near future it is expected that additional buildings will be required to accommodate the growing numbers. Girls' Hostel. —As intimated in our report last year, the Board, in order to test the question of the advisability of establishing a girl's hostel, rented a house for the purpose, which was placed under the supervision of Miss Barr, M.A., senior mistress, assisted by Miss Harding, junior mistress. Owing to its not having been started before the school reopened after the midsummer vacation the attendance was not large, as parents had made other arrangements. However, six girls entered as boarders, and four others take lunch, the result, whilst showing a debit balance, being such as to encourage the Governors to make permanent provision on a larger scale. Not having a suitable site the Board purchased the goodwill of the lease of a primary-school reserve, and entered into negotiations with the Land Board for an exchange of same for one of the secondary reserves vested in the High School Board. The Lands and Education Departments met the Board fairly, and the exchange was duly approved. It was found, however, that legislation was required to give effect to the exchange, and we hope this will be given effect to during the next session of Parliament. In the meantime the Board had plans prepared, and a contract has been let for a building to aooommodate twenty girls, together with the necessary teachers and servants. It is hoped that the building will be ready for occupation in May next. We trust parents and others resident in the country ■districts will realize that as good advantages are to be had in Gisborne, both as regards education and boarding-accommodation, as elsewhere. Examination Results. —The school continues to secure a large number of successes at the public examinations. E. H. Mann, Chairman. W. Morgan, Secretan'.

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