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.