Convent of the Sacred Heart, Timaru

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 51, 21 December 1905, Page 24

Convent of the Sacred Heart, Timaru

(From our own correspondent.) The Convent of the Sacred Heart ' broke up ' for the Christmas holidays on Tuesday, 12th inst., with the annual entertainment and distribution of prizes. His Lordship Bishop Grimes presided, the other visitors present being Rev. Fathers Hoaie, Lezer, O'Connor, Kerley, Rockliff, and the local clergy, Rev. Fathers Tubman, Le Floeh, and Finneity. The ' >Sacred Heart Ro6*m ' was suitably fitted up for the occasion, the stage, with its fine drop scene and supplementary canvas, lorming a fitting setting for the portrayal of the struggles, triumph, and death of the saintly Joan of Arc, which was produced in cantata form by twenty-five of the pupils. The programme occupied about an hour and a half, and may be considered the best that has been submitted within those walls, the voices both in the solos and choruses being particularly sweet and rich, and the histrionic side showed the results of careful tuition combined with natural aptitude. The following items "were given between the acts of the cantata :— Piano solo; 1 Wanderstunden ' ; recitation, monolog aus Schiller's ' Jungfrau von Orleans ' ; duet, ' Le soir ' ; intermezzo, ' From joy to sorrow ' ; quartette, ' Regatta de Venzienu.i ' ; lecitatiion, | ' La mort do .Jeanne d'Arc ' ; duet, 1 Guillaume Tell.' At the conclusion of the programme his Lordship distributed the prizes, the list being as iollows :— Decorations.— The first medallion and nbbonof merit have been given by the votes ot the pupils, ratified by the religious, to Stella Murray, Clare Sheath ; the thud ribbon to Dorothy Hone, Nancy Johnston , the fourth ribbon to Christina Henrys, Edie Scott ; the fifth ribbon to Ena O'Donohue, Mary Geaney ; the sixth nbbon to Nina Verity, Mary Callan ; next in merit, Madge Pascal, Effie Brown ; the first green ribbon to Blanche Vavasour ; the second green ribbon to Rita Twomey, Noelle Pascal ; the third green ribbon to Lucy Williams, Bella Meehan, Evelyn Bailey , nevt in inoiit, Ethel Rhodes; the pink ribbon to Dorothy Nottingham, Florence Knight, Mary Clifford, Janet Paik, Eileen McArdle, Nellie Nottingham. General good conduct.— Stella Murray , next in merit, Clare Sheath. Christian Doctrine. 1 Fiist division, Nancy Johnston ; next in ment, Kathleen Twomey ; Second division, Nancy Loughnan, 1 ; Mary Callan, 2 ; nevt in merit, Grace McArdle, Mary Buckley. Third division, Ruby Allan, Nina Verity , next in merit, Mary Mackenzie. Fourth division, Dorothy Nottingham; next infmeri^, Dovothy Eiby. Elementary division —Eileen McArdle. Diligence. ---First class, Dorothy Bone. Second class, Nancy Johnston ; next in merit, Christina Henrys, third class, Maiy Callan; next in merit, Nancy Loughnan, Mary Buckley. Fourth class, Ruby Allan ; next in merit, Rita Twomey, Blanche Vavasour. Filth class, Mabel Orbell ; next in merit, Isabel Scott. Sixth class, Josephine Henrys. Sc\enth class, Dorothy Nottingham. Success in studies —Awarded to the pupil of the Second Class who has -been most often first in competition, Nancy Johnston ; next in merit, Kathleen Twomey. First Class.— Elements of Christian Philosophy, Mina Ward. Latin, Dorothy Bone. History, Madge Pascal. Second Class —Elements of logic, Kathleen Twomey, next in merit, Nancy Johnston Composition, Nancy Johnston. History, Christina Henrys ; next in merit, Nancy Johnston. Repetition, Kathleen Twomey; next, in merit, Nancy Johnston. Third Class.— Grammar, Nancy Loughnan ; next in merit, Mary Callan, Mary Buckley. Composition, Mary Callan ; next in mot it, Eileen Hannan. History, Nancy Loughnan ; next in merit, (irace McArdle Geography, Grace McArdle ; next in merit, Nancy Loughnan ; Repetition, Grace McArdle; next in ment, Mary Buckley. Fourth Class.— Grammar, Noelle Pascal ; next in merit, Aileen Ktrachey. Composition, Blanche Vavasour ;' next in merit, Noelle Pascal. History, Blanche Vavasour ; next in merit, Rita Twomey, Noelle Pascal. Geography, Ruby Allan ; next in merit, Rita Twomey, Noelle Pascal. Repetition, Rita Twomey, Kathleen Devine ; next in merit, Ruby Allan. Fifth Class.— History, Mary Farrell ; next in merit, Ethel Rhodes. Reading, Mary Ward ; next in merit, Mary Farrell. Repetition, Isabel Scott ; next in merit, Mary Farrell. Sixth Class.— Sacred history, Dorothy Eiby. Reading, Yvonne Waley.

Seventh Class.— Reading, Moya Ilayward. Eighth Class.— Reading, Eileen McArdle. Spelling, Janet Park. Elementary Class.— Encouragement, Mary Le Qren. Arithmetic— First division, Dorothy Bone. Second division, Kathleen Twomey ; next in merit, Christina Henrys. Third division, Eileen Hannan ; next in merit, Mary Buckley ; prize for five accessits, Mary Buckley. Fourth division, Nancy Loughnan ; next in merit/ Ruby Allan, Hilda Nottingham. Fifth division, Ethel Rhodes; next in merit, Mabel Orbell Sixth division, Mary O'Brien ; next in merit, Josephine Henrys. Seventh division, Florence Knight. Needlework. — First division, Stella Murray ; next in merit, Nancy Johnston. Second division, Gwendolen Vavasour ; next in merit, Enid Aspinall, Nina Verity. Third division, Dorothy Scott 1, Rita Twomey 2 ; next in merit, Ethel Rhodes, Noelle Pascal, Cecilia Buckley. Fourth division, Mona Rhodes. Order.— First division, Clare Sheath ; next in merit, Stella Murray, Nina Verity. Second division, Blanche Vavasour ; next in merit, Florence Knight. Writing.— First division, Mary Geaney ; next in merit, Ena O'Donohue Second division, Enid Aspinall 1, Lucy Williams 2 ; next in merit, Dorothy Scott, JVlary Ward. French. — Third division, Nancy Johnston. Fourth division— Diligence, Mary Buckley ; next in merit, Nancy Loughnan. Supplementary division — Diligence, Myrtle Jones ; next in merit, Gwendolen Vavasour. Fifth division — Diligence, Mary Mackenzie ; next in merit, Noelle Pascal, Mabel Orbell ; prize for five accessits, Noelle Pascal. Elementary division,, Dorothy Nottingham ; next in merit, Eileen McArdle. German.— Third division, Nancy Johnston. Fifth division, Mina Ward ; next in merit, Mary Callan. At the conclusion of the distribution of prizes his Lordship the Bishop thanked the performers for their very fine entertainment, and congratulated them on their judicious selection of musical items, which were admirably executed. It 'was always a pleasure to attend such ceremonies at Ihe school, but this was tempered by the knowledge that many were about to bid farewell to the convent, and enter upon their career in life. They were to leave for home with joyful hearts, although with feelings of regret after the many years spent in the convent, watched over and educated by the devoted religious. Here they received not only a sound religious and secular training but were also taught to prepare. for home life. The religious taught them not only by word but by example, and if the pupils remained faithful to the teaching received in the convent they would be happy m the future. He hoped that when at home they would continue the practices of their convent life, where they had been taught to curb their passions, which were strong e\en in the young. They should show their parents that they had acted wisely in entrusting their children to the care of the nuns of the Sacred Heart. In conclusion his Lordship wished the pupils a happy vacation and a merry Christmas.

Owing to pressure on our space we have been obliged to hold o\er se\ eral ; school icpoits. The art union in aid of the Dominican Convent, Bluff, has been postponed until May.. . A practical teacher, with excellent qualifications, desiies engagement m a college or parochial 5ch001.... At the school ' break up ' at Waimate two wellcamed pn/cs weie awarded to Mary and Tom Russell, about ten and nine years, for their regular attendance at school, notwithstanding that they had to walk about twe]\e miles every day (six miles going and coming from their home, in order to reach the school. It took them just over two hours to walk the distance every evening, and in winter time it was sometimes dark befoie they got home. Both are in Standard 11. Sir Joseph Ward, in Hie course of a speech at the letter-carriers' dinner at Wellington on Saturday evening, announced that Egypt, within the last few days had intimated its agreeablencss to accept from the 15th of this month the position of discharging letters at the rate of the nimble penny. He sincerely hoped that before very long other countries would also come within Hie zone of the system. One of the strongest reasons that Continental countries had for not, adopting this system was that they considered it would add to the commerce of the English-speaking races. They had the impression that with equal facilities the Britisher would get ahead of them, and it was therefore desirable to keep in operation the system of charging 2d or 2£d, being under the impression that it would keep us back. ' But, 1 said Sir Joseph, ' nothing in the world can keep us back ! '