THE JUNIOR SCHOOL Summer 1958

It is hard to believe that it is only a year since I was writing a similar article for the School Magazine. Since then we have had eighteen changes of staff and hundreds of changes of children.

It is just a year since a Naval gentleman rang us up to say his fiancee was coming out to Malta to be married and that she would like to teach here. She had the sweet sounding name of Miss Honey which she changed for the much less picturesque name of Mrs Steele who has been working happily with us now for a year. She is such a part of the school that it is hard to imagine that she was once "a new girl".

Shortly after this Miss McMeeking came to Malta on holiday for a few weeks and liked the Naval School so much that she taught here till Christmas, and then went home. However Malta called so strongly that she has come back to us and this time we hope it is for three years.

In July we suffered a great blow in the departure of Miss Lock after completing three years. We have never completely recovered from this loss as we have not yet found anyone to take over her lively Brownie pack. All of you who knew Miss Lock will be pleased to hear that she is happily settled in Sutton, Surrey, at a boys' prep. school.

The new school year opened with such large numbers that more new classes had to be opened and we welcomed Mrs Allen, Mrs Barkaway and Mrs Richards who settled very quickly into our school routine. We gave a special welcome to Miss Roberts who at one time was a pupil at Tal Handak. We are very proud to think that she has begun her teaching career at Verdala and is the third Tal Handak pupil so to do.

In October we were all very sad to lose Mrs. Holland and no one felt her departure more than Mrs. Holland herself, particularly as she was leaving her home and her husband behind. She is living in England looking after her son and daughter both of whom will soon be going to University and we wish them all good luck in their new lives.

Mrs. Tribe left us after two and a half years and was also sorry to be going. Mrs Badcock joined the staff before Christmas and has just completed one happy term before returning to U.K.

At Christmas we were all very sorry to lose our three-year-trained Physical Education specialist, Mrs McLeod. She was perhaps the best known teacher the school has ever had because she taught every class in the school at one time or another. Daily she bandaged wounds, frequently despatched children in the ambulance, coached for the Sports Days, the Swimming Sports and Netball Matches, taught P.E. to all the Upper School girls and most of the Lower School and last but not least made the Staff Tea. So it was with great regret in every quarter that we said farewell to Mrs. McLeod. She leaves the Island next month and we wish her and her family good luck in their new life in Wales.

We were fortunate in finding Mrs. Rogers to replace Mrs McLeod and she brings with her the first touch of the Royal Air Force into our Naval Establishment. The male members of the staff gave an especially warm welcome in January to Mr Jenkins who makes a fourth man, helping to balance the preponderance of ladies on the staff.

At Easter we were sorry to lose Miss Chadwick but we were pleased that she was going home to be married and our good wishes go with her to England.

Mrs Kendall has also left us though she does come up occasionally to see us. She and her family also take with her our good wishes when she flies home next week.

This term we welcome Miss Horton and Miss G Stideford and hope they will soon settle down happily among us.

The school throughout the year has continued to grow and we were compelled to open more rooms in the Naval Barracks. These, however, are not ideal as classrooms and the Navy is reluctant to house us there longer than necessary so we hope to see a new Romney Hut completed this term. This should give us four new classrooms and at long last we hope to have an adequate library.

We have had a very successful year in the library with more members and books than ever before. This is now in the capable hands of Mr Ousbey and Miss Butters who are tackling this new job with enthusiasm.

During the year we have been able to start a separate room for Boys Handwork. This has the disadvantage of being at some distance from the school but it is large, well equipped with tables, benches and tools and many and various are the models turned out there. We now have room to move about and most types of Senior School Crafts are tackled with zest.

During last Summer vacation, I was lucky enough to be accepted at Loughborough Training College for a month's refresher course on Primary School work. Here I met and worked with teachers and head teachers from all kinds of junior schools from all parts of Britain and from various parts of the world. It was a fascinating experience and I came back to the Naval School realizing that our standards, compared with schools the world over, were high, that our teachers were of the best and that our children compared very favourably with all I saw.

It is then with very mixed feelings that I say farewell to the Royal Naval School where I have been so intensely happy for almost eight years. During this time I have served under five most kindly and helpful Headmasters and with scores of co?operative and charming teachers, and thousands of Naval School children. I shall take to my new post in Kenya very many happy memories. I shall always be interested in the welfare of the Naval School. My address will be The Coast Teacher Training College, Box 1223, Mombasa, Kenya, and I shall be delighted to hear of you or from you at any time.

I should like to take this, my last, opportunity of thanking Headmasters, teachers, parents and children for all their kindness, co?operation and loyalty shown to me and I wish the Royal Naval School every success in the future.

M. Vasey