Figure 1.--.
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Figure 1.--. |
Several children have provided accounts of their school experieces. These accounts provide very interesting insights into the schools.
This year for the first time boys in the Senior School competed for the newly offered Shrp Essay Prize. The subject was 'How Pownall has changed in my years at the School', and I was looking in particular for an attempt to really answer the question in the wider sense. The winner was Guy Schiess in CES, and his essay isas follows.
When I first came to Pownall, the work was much harder and it took me a whole school year to catch up, and when I got nearer the top of the form people began to recognize me much more, and so school became more fun. The work became easier, and a new teacher came as our Form Master. We were all nervous to begin with, but it was soon back gto normal.
When we had the new swimming pool built I peferred swimming and couldn't wait to use it. But the building which changed the timetable for the better was the Fisher Block. This was much more convenient, because we could have rt in there instead of in the Cricket Pavilion. Also, music in the other room was preferable to going in the Theatre, where it was cold in the Winter, and much too big,
One of the biggest changes was when my brother came to School, becuse at first you worried about him, but in time that was overcome, and now he can just be a nuisance with my friends. He can also be very useful at times doing the odd job, so it blances itself up nicely, I think.
When new boys come in it changes a lot of things, especially when you find yourself a place lower in the Form positions. However, I mae more friends when the new boys came, especially in Form VI.
When Mr. Adams left there were a few big changes. There was no more canoeing. Mr. Rooney took over the orienteering. Mr. Millward came ans started an unusual club -- the Baseball or Softball Club.
In the minibus crash we lost Mr. Rooney and Mrs. Ydlibi for a term, as well as a number of boys. We had to have some replacements, so the French department went to Mrs. Bridgford, the History department to Mrs. Downer, and we had two fill-ins for Mrs. Ydlibi in Transition. This temporarily affected French and History, but not for long really.
The biggest change was when I moved up into CES [Common Entrance Scholrship]. Our form was split, and we were the underdogs because there were some people who were staying on an extra year or Term. I became a leader, and then a House Captain when Simon Warren left after sitting Common Entrance.
When Mr. Rooney moved into Mr. Adams' old apartment, the leaders asked if they could have his flat.
Permission was granted, and it was a great improvement, fie we had much more space, and everyone had a chair, whereas before the oldest leaders had always had priority. We also now had a table, but the old bed was taken out, this making a little more room. Whist we are not allowed to use the bathroom, we can use the fridge and kitchen sink, which is extremely useful at times.
To begin with in CES the work got just a little harder, and we had a movk C.E., which was totally new to me and a lot of the others. I personally did not do vry well on it. As the term progressed, the work got harder and harder, and we had another movk C.E. Now I was beginning to get the hang of it. The work continued to get harder, becase I was doing scholarship work, and there was still Common Entrance work, and more of everything.
I found in the top formand being a leader has other pressures, such as having to set a good example, and doing well in wat you do, or having to do well academically -- for obvious reasons.
Being at the top of the School has big advantages, too. I find I am much better at sport -- or I think I am --but perhaps this is because there aren't many people older than yo, so there is more change of your being better than everyone else.
Persoally, I think Pownall has changed for the better over the years.
Guy Schiess, Form CES, The Wheasheaf (Pownall Hall), 1980.
