By Dongyun Kwon
Healesville Primary School presented the annual Tricia O’Reilly Memorial Scholarship Award during the fortnightly assembly on Friday 8 December.
The award was established in 2001 in honour of Tricia who tragically passed away aged 12.
She attended Healesville Primary School and went on to Healesville High School.
As a legacy, Senior Sergeant Tony Van Gorp of Healesville Police set up the award and scholarship to be presented to a Grade 6 student, from Healesville Primary School going onto Healesville High School, who is academically accomplished, interested in being involved in all aspects of school activities and conscientious in always doing their best.
The award was given to two students, Madison Prendergast and Ava Krstic, this year.
Madison was a school captain and Ava was a Myer house captain.
Grade 5/6 teacher Marlene William said teachers were watching the students who followed the Tricia O’Reilly criteria throughout the year to select the award winner.
“Madison had to manage to get her own schoolwork done as well as all those extra duties as a school captain, putting on assembly, doing speeches, having to do extra jobs including greeting and meeting people who came to our school,” she said.
“She’s been out of the class to do all these, then she came back into class and she got all her schoolwork done.
Ms William said Ava has been the same as Madison who had extra duties to do around the school as a house captain.
“She had to organise her teams for the swimming sports, the athletic sports and helped choose certain children to go in the different events and the same with the cross country,” she said.
“I am just so proud of these girls. They have been incredible role models for our primary school and are going to be incredible role models for the high school.”
Healesville Primary School has a special house system through which all students are allocated a house out of four when they get into the school.
The school has several sports events where the houses can compete against one another while dressing up in their house colour.
The four houses were named after the rivers around Healesville; Myer, Chum, Watts and Yarra.
Both Madison and Ava said they did not expect to win the award.
“I was really excited and happy to win the award. I have tried to be kind and helpful to others as a school captain,” Madison said.
“I just wanted to help the school along with having leadership experience through the school captain experience and I learnt that a leader has to put others before themselves.”
Ava said she learnt the importance of cheering teammates through the house captain experience.
“We had many different sports activities and I learnt that I, as a house captain, had to cheer on my team and help them,” she said.
“As a result, my house won one of the events (cross country) this year and I was really happy.
“I was shocked and really happy when my name was announced as a Tricia O’Reilly Memorial Award winner and I will try my hardest in Healesville High School as well.”
