GISBORNE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2438, 1 March 1909, Page 6

GISBORNE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly mooting of the Gisborne School COmmittee wa s hold on Friday evening. Present: Messrs J. Somervell (chairman), G. Spence, G. Wildish, F. W. Riach, G. Darton, ' and W. L. File (secretary). I The Rev. C. Griffin wrote, thanking the committee for a message of sympathy hr his late bereavement, also apologising for his absence. j The Board of Education wrote, sta- ! ting that Benjamin Hawkins and Irene Moore had been appointed pupil teachers, and announcing that the Board approved of the committee’s suggestion to appoint an assistant in place of pupil teachers. Mr. C. Gray wrote asking that the school be granted a half-holiday next Thursday, the day of the Turanga ■ fete.—-The committee decided not to grant the request, it being considered there were too many holidays. On the motion of Mr Wildish, seconded by Mr Darton, it was resolved to write to the Swimming Club, requesting payment of donations. It was agreed to deduct 5s a week from the caretaker’s salary in view of arangements between him and the Board of Governors re cleaning the High School. It was agreed to grant a holiday on March 11 for the school sports. The headmaster (Mr .F. J. Rowley) presented the following report: “The school re-opened after the mid-sum-mer vacation in its new rank on Monday. February Ist. Misses L. Morgan G. Black, and H. Hogg are acting temporarily on the staff, and Mr. B. Hawkins and Miss I. Moore have been appointed pupil teachers. Owing to the increased staff and the consequent smaller classes, I find that two of our rooms need dividing by ; partition walls, one in the infant school and one in tlie brick school. May I ask your committee to make application to the Board of Education to do this

work. I have heard nothing of my application. for .hylbplate wall blackboards in the infant school, made to your committee .at its last meeting. The heavy drizzling rain a fortnight ago made evident the urgent neecrof a change in the accommodation for cloaks in the infant school. The clothing, particularly of little children of live and six years of age, should certainly not be wetter when they put it on at the close of school than it was when first bung on the pegs. I reported to your committee at its last meeting the results of-the Standard VI. examination. > Since then; the following results have been published —Secondary department : Four pupils passed: the matriculation examination, and six the Junior Civil Service examination.- , Primary . department :

One boy, Douglas Muir,, gained. a Board of Education Scholarship.' The attendance, as usual for the. first ' few weeks after the long holiday, has not been satisfactory; quite a number of children do not return from visits at a distance*- till one, two, and more -weeks after school opens. lam sending my monthly report on the absentees to the secretary in a few days. The .-average attendance for the first three weeks was 743, or 88.4 per cent. l of the roll number. The past week, however, shows a. decided, improvement, an average of 785 being reached, of 93.6 per cent, of the roll, ; The roll is now 839. Tho average .for the four weeks is 756, or 90 iper cent, of the roll number. Tho -average attend. ajice, for the primary department lastyear avas 766, and_the average roll 833. The attendance was tipis 90 per cent, of the,roll.” It was resolved to agree to the headmasters request re partitioning off two 'rooms.

Mr. Darton, on behalf of tlie Visiting Committee, reported that everything was going on satisfactorily at the school. The tender of Mr T. Adams, of £3O 0s 3d, for the supply of school requisites, was accepted. The question of the school drain was- referred to, and Mr Darton moved that arrangements .be made with the present contributors to make the extension, and to ask those who had, si nee connected also to contribute At the suggestion of Mr Dartoif, it was agreed to hold a school social during the winter months, in order to provide funds for improvements to the grounds. -