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