Bettie Deering Memorial Prize for Literature

The Bettie Deering Memorial Prize was first awarded in 1981 in memory of Bettie Deering, a former teacher at Happy Valley School. Bettie, who died of cancer in 1981, had a particular interest in children's literature and the teaching of Language. Every year, the Year 7 students are given a day at school to choose a topic from a set list, plan a piece of writing, write a draft, proof-read the draft and present a hand written final copy. These efforts are then judged and the winner announced at the Year 7 Graduation Night in December.

The Sandra Kopli Memorial Prize was named in honour of Sandra Kopli, a parent of Happy Valley School who died of cancer in 1984. The award was established by the Kopli family to remember Sandra and her interest in children's writing and literature. It is awarded to a Year 6 student who prepares a similar piece of writing to that outlined for Year 7 students above.

At the time of her death in 1995, Jo Mellor was a teacher at Happy Valley School. She is remembered with great affection as a caring and compassionate teacher who developed a wonderful rapport with the children in her class. She had a particular interest and flair in the teaching of Mathematics, and so this prize is awarded to the Year 7 student who achieves outstanding results in all areas of Mathematics. First awarded in 1996, the winner is chosen by a panel of Year 7 teachers and senior staff.

See Also

2003 Year 7 Graduation Night