THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

On reviewing the past year in the Junior Department, one is impressed by the large number of occasions and events in which children, staff and parents meet. I am sure this has a beneficial effect on the efficiency of the School as a whole.

To stage these events is no mean task and their success is due to the close co-operation between members of the staff. We are fortunate to have a number of teachers who are excellent organisers and who have the gift of obtaining maximum co-operation from other teachers. Parents, I am sure, will realise the difficulties involved, for instance, in the staging of a Sports Meeting for some six hundred children between the ages of seven and eleven years. We are fortunate too in the help we receive from the many friends of the School. To them all we say is "Thank You" and acknowledge that without their help our task would be so much more difficult.

In May last year we entered the Child Art Exhibition open to all schools in Malta. Miss E. McMeeking very ably organised our entries and was amply rewarded by the number of successes gained by our children, Immediately following this we had the Junior School Sports organised by Mr. R. Jenkins and Mr. G. King with close co?operation from every other member of staff. The success of these sports is entirely due to the colossal amount of preparation that goes into them long before Sports Day .

Following this we had the comparatively easy task of taking over one thousand children to the Alhambra Cinema to see the film of the Royal Wedding. The children and the staff thoroughly enjoyed this show.

On the 2nd of June the Caryl Jenner Mobile Theatre visited the school and gave an excellent performance. Open Day followed on the l0th of June and gave the staff the opportunity of have a final meeting with the parents of the children in their classes. The final event of the 1959160 School Year was Prize Day on the 20th July. We were very disappointed when it became known that Lady Grantham would be unable to attend through sickness but His Excellency the Governor delighted us all with the news that he himself would take Lady Grantham's place. This was indeed a most memorable occasion for the School.

Our entry into the 1960/61 School Year was marked by a visit from an old friend of the School, the Rev. John Armstrong. Many of the staff remembered his weekly Wednesday visits for Assembly some years ago and we were delighted to welcome him again but this time as Chaplain of the Fleet.

Open Day was held on the 4th November and the staff met for the first time the parents of the children in their new classes. On the 7th November we had the Governor's Prize Day Holiday and on the 29th of the same month we had the great pleasure of a visit from Lady Grantham who showed a very keen interest in the work of the children.

The School Pantomine this year was "Peter and the Wolf" and was adapted and produced by Miss A. Rowe. As usual, the children and staff gave every assistance and I am sure that all who saw the show will agree that it was a huge success. To complete the term we had an excellent concert given by the C-in-C's Orchestra and very good puppet show given by U.M.A. Puppets.

On the 28th February, 1961 we had the Flag Officer Malta's Inspection and this was followed by a visit from the H.M.I.s, Miss Walley, Mr. Adams, and Mr. Sibson. Immediately after the Easter Holidays we took part in the Inter- Schools Music Festival. Mr. A. Pusey came from England for the Festival and gave us much valuable advice on music in the Primary School. To complete the circle we have already entered for the 1961 Child Art Exhibition and we are deep in preparation for the 1961 School Sports Meeting.

So the circle is complete but this is by no means the whole story. No mention has been made of the Inter-Schools and Inter-House Netball Leagues, the Inter-Schools and Inter-House Football Leagues, the Ballet Classes, the Recorder Groups, the Brownies, the Cubs, the Life Saving Group and the Swimming Sports. There must be very few children in the school who do not find some group to interest them and, of course, this is how it should be.

Throughout the School Year we have had numerous Staff changes. In April 1960 Mrs. W. Preston left us to return to the U.K. In July of the same year we were very sorry indeed to say goodbye to Miss D. Butters, Miss A. Batty, Miss J. Watson, Miss N. Roberts, Mrs. P. Allen and Mrs. B. Hicks. Their replacements in the September of that year were Miss M.P. Hunt, who had previously taught at Tal Handaq, Miss R.J. Moore, Mrs. E.V. Renfree, Mrs. J.R. Crooke, Mrs. A. James and Mrs. T. Ellis.

In December 1960 Mrs. M. Cropper left and in January we welcomed her relief, Miss J. Perkins. At the end of the Easter Term Mrs. P. Goodhew, Miss S. Horton, Miss M. Parkinson and Mrs. J. Regan left and in April Mr. K. Radford and Miss M. Townsend joined the staff. We had a new name on the staff after the Easter Holidays, Mrs. Houlden. This, of course, was the new name Of Miss J. Simms who had been married during the holidays.

On the Secretarial Staff Mrs. A. Turley took over from Mrs. S. Boyce in March 1960. In August 1960 Mrs. Pearce came as an assistant secretary and left on 31st January 1961. Mrs. P. Taylor took over as assistant secretary from Mrs. Pearce on the 1st February. Our Nurse, Mr. M. Feekery left in the February of 1961 and Mrs. J. Prideaux took her place.

With a changing staff and school population many problems are faced which are not to be found in the normal U.K. school. The solution of these problems is made possible by the excellent co-operation between the Headmaster, staff, children and parents. Without this co-operation it would be impossible for the children to receive the fullest possible benefit from their stay in the Royal Naval School, MALTA

P. ROSS.