OUR SCHOOLS. ST. MARY'S CONVENT, WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 51, 18 December 1902, Page 5

OUR SCHOOLS. ST. MARY'S CONVENT, WELLINGTON.

(From our own correspondent.) Th© annual entertainment and distribution of prizes took place at St. Mary's Convent on Tuesday evening before a large and fashionable assemblage, which included the Very Rev. Father Lewis, V.G., several visiting priests, Lady Ward, Miss Ward, Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Mills and Miss May Seddon. Apologies were received from the Premier and Sir Josephi Ward, who were unable to be present. An excellent programme of vocal and instrumental items was given by the pupils. Miss Oliver proved herself a capable vocalist, and gave, with great expression, Bevignani's 'Hush, my little one.' Later in the evening she was associated with Miss Shapter in the vocal duet, ' The Venetian boat sonar,' and also sang the solo in 'As pants the hart,' written as a solo and chorus. Miss Pulsford's powerful contralto voice was heard to great advantage in Zordo's 'To the angels,' with violin obligato played by Miss Quirk. The young lady had to respond to an encore. Miss Eileen Clark, one of the younger pupils, sang very sweetly ' The children Of the city.' Miss Campion played Raff's Cachoucha for the piano, and Miss Richardson gave ' The rustle of spring.' Recitations were given by Misses Blake and McGrath, and an amusing dialogue entitled ' Uncle Moses' was contributed by Misses Dwan and Barrett. Several choruses were also sung, and proved not the least acceptable items on the programme. At the request of the Very Rev. Father Lewis the Hon. Mr. Mills distributed the prizes, and before doing so addressed the pupils, telling them of the great pleasure it gave him to take part. He pointed out the necessity of application in all their school work, and if this advice was followed by them they could look upon their school days as the happiest and best spent of their lives. He announced ho would give two prizes annually, one for girls under 12, and the other for those over that age, and these would be awarded for amiability by the vote of their school companions. The following is the prize list. Good conduct, silver medal, gift of Mr. White : Boarders, Kate Lynch ; good conduct, silver medal, gift of Rev. Father Lewis : Day pupils, Eveline Murphy ; good conduct, junior pupils, May Curtis. Christian doctrine, gold medal, gift of Mr. Maurice O'Connor, Maggie Butler ; second prize, Eileen Truman. Second class, Greta King ; third class, Christine Henrys; fourth class, Emmie Brogan. Dux, gold medal, gift of Old Girls' Association — Ethel Crombie. Diligence, gold medal, gift of Mrs. Missen — Olive Blake. Mathematics, gold medal, gift of Mr. McArdle, Olive Blake. Composition .gold medal, gift of his Grace Archbishop Redwood — Connie Reilly. Elocution, gold medal (the Mechtilde Memorial), gift of Mrs. Rose, Eileen McGrath. Flower painting, from nature, gold medal, gift of Lady Ward, Irene Reardon. Improvement in painting — Chrissie Reardon. Singing, gold medal, gift of Hon. Dr. Grace — Isabel Oliver. Higher school division : Nellie Griffin and Kate

Lynch, equal in merit. Elementary division^ Jlora Harnett. Improvement in singing : Amy Garvey and Calista Hoult. Music, gold medal, gift of Mrs. McCarthy— Winnie Richardson. Clavier prizes : Nora Quirk, May Gudgeon, Kathleen Ward, Calista Hoult, Gladys Lynch Amy McGuire, Mary Campbell, Eileen McGrath, Doris Heywood, Eva Gasquoine. Harp : Mary, Harnett Drawing prizes— Model • first class, Irene Reardon ; second class, Christine Henrys. Freehand : first class, Mary Madden ; second class, Odile Ritling ; third class, Calista Hoult ; fourth cla.ss. Eileen Clark. Drawing— Light and shade : Chrissie Reardon Fancy needlework— Phoebe Pomare; point lace, Emmie Brogan ; plain needlework, Rosie Roberts Shorthand prizes.gift of Miss Williams— First, Eveline Murphy ; second, Mabel Feldwick ; third, Gertv Garvey • fourth, Lizzie Leo. Book-keeping : First, Ethel Crombie and May Gudgeon, equal in merit ; second prize Ethel Barrett. CLASS PRIZES. Class I.— Latin, Ethel Crombie ; composition Oli\e Blake ; French, Connie Reilly ; mapping and drawing Olive i Blake , geography, Eveline Murphy; English, Eveline Murphy. Class ll.— Reading and recitation, Eileen McGrath • writing and mapping, Ivy Wright ; composition Nora Harnett ; history, hora ITarnett ; diligence, Nora Harnett ; French, Katie Ness ; geography, Ethel Barrett - botany, Ethel Barrett ; literature and English, Ethel Barrett ; arithmetic, Greta King ; Euclid, Maggie Butler ; algebra, Greta King. Class 111 .—Diligence, Ruth Putnam ; arithmetic, Agnes Whitaker ; English and composition, Maeq-ie Butler ; geography, Maggie Butler ; French, Mac-trie Butler • reading and recitation, Agnes Whitaker ; botany, May Molony ; history, Doris Hey wood ; Euclid, Doris Heywood ; Latin, Greta King ; algebra, Mary Madden. Class IV.— Reading and recitation, Rosie Roberts : geography, Aggie Fife ; history, Aggie Fife ; arithmetic, Aggie Fife ; diligence, Aggie Fife ; French, Amy McGuire; botany, Amy McGuire ; composition and grammar, Amy. McGuire; literature, Amy McGuire; mapping and writing, Katie McGuire ; dictation and spelling, Mary Harnett * Latin, Kate Ness. ' Class V.— Reading and recitation, Rita Martin ; history, Katie McGuire ; dictation and spelling, Ruby Pollgeography, Molly Laing ; arithmetic, Molly Laing and Kathleen Devine (equal in merit) ; botany, Kathleen Devine ; mapping and writing, Gerty Blacklock ; composition and grammar, Eileen Clark. PREPARATORY SCHOOL. Class I.— Good conduct, Iris Ross ; Christian doctrine, Kathleen McGrath and Madge Bolton (equal in merit) ; geography, Kathleen McGrath ; spelling, Kathleen McGrath ; arithmetic, Rita Buchanan ; composition and grammar, Phoebe^ Pomare. Class II. — Reading and spelling, Madge Bolton ; geography, Madge Bolton ; arithmetic, Cleo. Fernandos ; writing and drawing, Josie Henrys. Class fill.— Christian doctrine,' Vera Chalmers ; arithmetic, Vera Chalmers ; spelling, Muriel Blake ; reading and recitation,, Geraldine McGrath ; writing and drawing, Clare Henrys. KINDERGARTEN SCHOOL. Class I.— Christian doctrine, Monica Whitaker ; arithmatic and tables, Eric Reeves ; spelling and reading, Edna Clark. Class II. — Arithmetic and spelling, Nelly Kem-n" reading, Frank Reynolds Class 111. — Arithmetic, Nancy Chalmers ; reading, Monica Whitaker , spelling, Leger Reeves ; writing, Stuart Henrys. Mr. Mills having presented the prizes, expressed his regret at the absence of his Grace Archbishop Redwood and also that of the Premier and Sir Joseph Ward. The Very Rev. Father Lewis, in proposing a vote of thanks to tho Hon. Mr. Mills, said that the education given in tho school was not only mental but spiritual, and that ho did not think there was any institution in New Zealand where the children were better cared for. They knew that this was a work of love on the part of the Sisters of Mercy. They did not devote their attention merely to tho education of the minds of the children, or even to physical culture, but they sought to build up thoso qualities the seeds of which had been sown by the Creator Himself. They endeavored to give a thoroughly Christian education. No other education was worthy of the name They had seen what was taking place in the Old Country.* There, of the 5,50(X000 children who were attending schools, there were 3,500,000 who were attending Christian schools ; and a Bill had boon passed hv tho British House of Parliament granting £200,000 annually to help those schools. He hoped, in consideration of the £40,000 or £50,000 a year that was being spent upon Catholic education in this country. Mr. Mills would introduce a Bill into Parliament (laughter and applause 1 ). They would not ask him for £200,000 annually, they would be satisfied with the small sum of £4.0,000 or £50.000. Mr. Mills suitably acknowledged the vote of thanks.