Feby.22nd New Headmaster – Mr. William M Bowden. – commenced duty to-day, being introduced to the. Staff and pupils by Mr. Brown, Chairman of the Education Authority and by Mr. Coults Morrison. Education Officer.
Feby.23rd Made up and sent to Mr. Blane a Retinue showing the number and size of classes in this school.
Granted leave of absence to Miss Macdonald who was asked to meet the Staffing Committee of the Authority in Stirling at 12 noon to-day.
Feby.24th Miss Macdonald returned to duty.
Attendance Officer called for list of absentees.
Feby.25th Visited School to-day and found that Lavatories, Woodwork, and Stonework require immediate repairs, Instruction highly satisfactory, and conduct good.
(Signed) T.A.Gowling.
March 1st Miss Kirk is absent owing to illness.
Miss McOwan, though feeling unwell, was able to commence duty at 10-15am.
March 3rd Miss Kirk returned to duty.
Mr. Gowling and Mr.Malcolm visited school re. repairs.
March 5th Miss Phebe E Macdonald M.A. left to take up duties at Allains School Stirling.
March 8th Miss Jessie S. Peterkin M.A. commenced duty.
March 9 Nurse Doughty visited school.
March 10 Reported to Convenor that smoke was issuing from wood lining in room 2a behind fireplace of room 3.
He called and examined parts.
March 12 Attendance very bad – the percentage present being 76.3.
March 15th Mr. Patrick H.M.I. visited school.
March 19th Slight improvement in the attendance – percentage being 82.2.
March 30 Mr. Gowling visited school and signed Registers.
March 31 Dr. Rutherford, S.M.O. medically inspected children born in 1917.
April 1st Dr. Rutherford tested two mentally defective cases to-day.
School closed for Easter Holidays.
April 13th School re-opened. All staff present.
The newly appointed Attendance Officer, Mr. Bonallo. – called here to-day and received a list of defaulters.
April 16th Mr. Peter Roy M.A. Assistant Master, left to take up an appointment in Fifeshire.
April 19th No successor to Mr. Roy sent. Senior I class taken by Headmaster.
April 20th Visited School today and found necessary repairs for Summer Vacation to be listed and report. Conduct very good. Instruction was excellent.
(Signed) T.A. Gowling
April 30th Attendance still adversely affected by the prevalence of Measles among the Infants.
May 7th Mr. McKenzie, Woodwork Teacher, absent.
Q.E. Forms sent to Stirling.
Headmaster still in charge of Qualifying class.
May 12th Qualifying Examinations, under the supervision of Mr. Bonallo, was held to-day.
May 14th The Additional Qualifying Examination was conducted under Mr. Bonallo’s supervision.
Attendance improving.
May 17th During the weekend one large pane of glass in the roof lights of the Cookery Room was completely smashed, a door of the Latrines taken off its hinges and laid on the floor, and many slates destroyed.
Reported facts to the Police Sergeant and Mr.Gowling, School Convenor.
May 18th A religious service was conducted in the Cookery Room by Rev.
D. Bayne, Minister of Muiravonside Parish. The Senior pupils with their teachers were present.
May19th Mr. Gowling called and signed registers.
He also inspected damage done to school property.
May 21st Commenced feeding necessitous school children. As Cookery room was required for the purpose of preparing the meals no manual work was done until 2-30pm.
Allowed Miss Peterkin off duty this afternoon to attend brother’s wedding in Sheffield.
May24th Miss Marion Fraser commenced duty as a Temporary Teacher.
Cookery Room still occupied by Committee in charge of the feeding of the children. Miss Harrison was unable to conduct her class.
Mr. W.Webb, Member of the Education Authority, visited school.
Miss Peterkin still absents, Class taken by Miss Harrison.
May 25th Miss Peterkin returned to duty.
May 27th Dr. Rutherford medically inspected several children who were absent at her last visit.
June 1st Day School Cert. (Lower) Examination
No French papers sent Informed Mr. Morrison.
June 2nd Have arranged that the Manual and Cookery Room will be required daily between the following hours. 10 am-11-30 am and 1-30pm to 3-30 pm. The work and instruction being maintained at a high standard. Attendance greatly improved.
(Signed) T.A.Gowling.
Member of Authority.
June 4th Day School Cert. (Lower) Examination.
June 7th French paper sent by Mr. Patrick. Examination given this afternoon.
June 14th Miss Annie C.Main commenced duty as a Temporary Teacher.
Miss Isabella C.A. Hendry, Cookery Teacher, commenced duty.
June 15 Linlithgow Marches Day. – a holiday.
June 16 Mr. Gowling visited school.
June 18 Form E 15. sent to Miss Harrison for her signature, and thereafter forwarded to Mr. Blane
June 22 Rev. Mr. Bayne conducted a Religious Service this morning.
Qualifying Class Examination Results received.
June 25 School closed for Summer Vacation.
August 17th School re-opened.
Miss Jessie S. Peterkin M.A. commenced duty as a permanent Teacher.
Mr. Kenneth J. MacKenzie M.A. commenced duty. Received intimation that Miss Georgina Whyte would take up temporary duty as Cookery Teacher here in place of Miss Harrison, commencing Monday 23rd August.
18th August Mr. Gowling visited school and note the need for extra accommodation.
20th Aug. Received intimation Mr. McQueen, School Dentist would visit school on 30th Aug. and on 31st (if necessary).
25th Aug. Mr. Morrison. Education Officer visited school visited school and discussed with the headmaster the question of accommodation.
27th Aug. Returned Form F2, duly filled up and signed, to Education Office.
Received notice that Miss Elsie Park, Teacher of Cookery would visit this school on Mondays as from 30th August 1926.
Signed Registers, seen accommodation bad, which must have attention, attendance Good, Instruction excellent, alteration in timetable signed.
(Signed) T.A.Gowling.
Aug.30th Miss Elsie B. Park commenced duty as Teacher of Cookery in place of Miss Harrison.
Mr. McQueen, School Dentist examined the teeth of all the children.
Sept.3rd Owing to the breakdown of the omnibus, the headmaster and several of the staff were a quarter of an hour late having had to walk from Laurieston.
The School Management Committee with Mr. Palmer from the Education Office, Stirling visited the school.
Sept.6th Mr Ralph Dickson, Attendance officer, obtained list of absentees.
Sept.10th The attendance has been good, percentage present being 92.
Sept.13th Mr.Gowling visited school, and discussed with Headmaster the resolution, regarding Feeding and Clothing Necessitous Children, passed by the Education Authority at a meeting held on the 9th Sept.
Sept.16th Mr. Patrick, H.M.I. visited school.
Sept17th Headmaster left school at 1-50pm. To attend Conference with Mr. Patrick. H.M.I. in the Board Room, Park St. Falkirk.
Sept.23rd School closed for Autumn Holiday – 24th to 27th inclusive.
Sept.28th School re-opened
Miss M. Fraser, absent suffering from an acute attack of tonsillitis.
1st Oct. Received notice from Dr. Adam that Membranous Croup exists in the house of George Mulholland, 6 Rumford Square.
4th Oct. Miss Fraser returned to duty.
8th Oct School Dentist has been busy in school all week. Mr. Morrison. Education Officer, Mr. Malcolm. Architect and Mr Gowling, School Convenor, visited school.
11th October 1926 Visited school today and found everything satisfactory, Staff fully interested in children, Certain repairs require attention, Feeding of Children receiving careful attention, also Boots and clothing being looked into, attendance very good.
(Signed) T.A.Gowling.
12th Oct.1926 School Dentist completed dental treatment of pupils.
20th Oct.1926 Miss Baxter absents.
21st Oct. Medical Certificate received from Miss Baxter. Forwarded it to Education Officer.
28th Oct. Miss Baxter returned to duty.
3rd Nov. Miss Baxter unable to attend suffering from sore throat.
8th Nov. Medical Certificate on behalf of Miss Fraser sent to Education Officer who was requested to send a Relief Teacher.
10th Nov. Miss Mary Cunningham commenced duty in place of Miss Fraser
11th Nov. Armistice Day – Two minutes silence observed in classrooms.
15th Nov. Miss Binnie absent. At Infirmary with a relative.
17th Nov. Miss Binnie returned to duty.
The Property Committee visited school.
19th Nov. M
1st Dec. Dr. Rutherford finished her duties here. She reports that there are many verminious cases, and cases of impetigo.
6th Dec. Miss Kerr returned to duty.
Mr. Gowling visited school. Fire Drill practiced.
8thDec. Received intimation of the procedure to be adopted with regard to the withdrawal of scholar’s names from the register of the school.
9thDec. Dr. Adam intimates that Scarlet Fever exists in the house of John Smith at Police Station, Maddiston.
13th Dec. Mr. Malcolm, Architect, called to consult regarding the erection of a temporary partition in the Cookery Room.
15th Dec. Received from Clerk to S.M. Committee copies of letters from the Education Authority, relating to the Feeding and Clothing of Necessitous School Children, dated 25th Dec. 1925 and 11th Dec. 1926. The special arrangement authorised by the Authority to meet with the distress which resulted from the stoppage in the mining industry will cease as from January 1st 1927.
17th Dec. Visited school today and found everything very satisfactory, attendance good, Instruction excellent, staff deeply interested in Pupils. No Complaints.
(Signed) T.A.Gowling.
20th Dec. Miss Janet K.H. Wilson, Falkirk, commenced duty as Temporary Teacher in place of Miss Fraser who is ill.
24th Dec. School closed for Christmas Holiday.
Miss Wilson left.
Sent report to Mr. Gowling re Complaint against Mr. Mackenzie for punishment of John Hunter yesterday.
Maddiston Primary School
Headmaster William Bowden School Logbook 1926