SCHOOL NOTES

Southern Cross, Volume 24, Issue 31, 23 December 1916, Page 9

SCHOOL NOTES

The annual concert and distribution of prizes in connection with the South School took place in the Municipal, Theatre on Wednesday night. An admirable address by .Mr J. Stead was succeeded by a fine )£>rogramme by the school 'children. The chairman of the School Committee (Mr A. L.‘ McCulloch) presented the prizes to the winning pupils, and Mr J. Stevenson, on behalf of the; 'Cricket. Association, handed over the Southland News Cup to the school* the cricket eleven ,of which had this year won the schools competition. < Mr Stevensotn also' presented a bat to Mr Frank Arthur for having) obtained the best bowling average. At the Waihopai side school (formerly) Park) break-up on Wednesday, Mr J. T. Pram, member of the ischojol committee, presided, whilst the prizes were presented by Mrs Stevens and Mrs Wallace. Addresses were given ' by Mr Prain, Mr Gilchrist (chairman of the Education Board), and Mr McNeil (head master). j WAIHOPAI SCHOOL. The above school broke up for the holidays on Wednesday' last. There was a large attendance of parents, and in the unavoidable absence of Mr J. J. Hiskens (chairman of the school committee, Mr J. T. Prain presided. Mr D. Gilchrist (chairman of tne Education Board), Mr Crosby' Smith, and other gentlemen interested in educational work were -also present. Mr Prain congratulated all concerned on the completion of another very successful y'ear, one of the features of which was the record attained by Standard VI. It had been conducted by TS’r Henry' and supervised by' Mr McNeil. It had consisted of 60 pupils, and out of that number 5? had gained proficiency' certificates and two competency certificates —very fine 1 results indeed. Miss Perrin and her assistants had also done very good work in the infant department.. There were now 620 names on the school roll, and the accommodation was taxed to the utmost. Mr Prain, in the course of a capital address, referred to the success of Masters W. Todd (1-s----miles), R. Wilson and P. Service (1mile), and I. Taylor, R. ,Lee, R. Colbran, W. Mitchell, and J. Ford (220 yards) in the swimming competitions, v. and said that he would give two prizes next y'ear to encourage swimming. Mr Gilchrist also gave a short address, in which he spoke of the high standard maintained by' the Waihopai school, and contrasted the \methods in vogue in his youth with those now followed, emphasising the healthier and happier conditiojns under which young people now , acquired knowledge, and the attention giveh to a subject formerly almost entirely' neglected—physical culture. The prizes in the infant department were distributed by Mrs Hiskens, and those in the other classes by' Mrs Prain. Helen Laing, with a consistently good record, is the dux of the school, and J. Philp holds the boy's’ school shields. The head master, Mr D. McNeil, also addressed; the gathering, and spoke in high terms of the way in which pupils and parents had responded to the demands made upon them in connection with various patriotic efforts. He also urged the y'oungsters to do their best in the seed-collecting and bottle-gatherijag campaigns, /initiated. Refeijrmg to the roll of honour, he mentioned that from the Waihopai and park (side), schools, 187 ex-pupils had gone to fight for King and Country, and of these 26 had been killed „ and 17 wounded. The programme included some good musical items by the pupils, and a sword dance by Miss Isobel Provan. A stanza of the National Anthem was sung, and the proceedings closed with hearty cheers for Mr McNeil and the staff.