Pingelly student sets academic record for primary school

Pingelly Primary School Year 6 student Annalyce Page has set a new academic record for the school after winning the prestigious Vi Barham Award for Excellence.

The annual Vi Barham Award has been presented to an academically gifted student in the Upper Great Southern since 1987, but this is the first time a Pingelly Primary School student has won.

This year, the local primary school nominated two students for the award, Imogen Watts and Annalyce.

“Annalyce and Imogen were nominated for the award as both girls achieved a high level of excellence across the curriculum areas and both participate in a diverse range of extra-curricular activities,” Pingelly Primary School principal Sam Goodlad said.

Ms Goodlad said Annalyce epitomised the term “all-rounder”.

“She is a mature young lady who is not only academically gifted, but demonstrates a high level of skill across multiple co-curricular activities including sport, art and music,” she said. “Annalyce is a talented netballer and swimmer who loves callisthenics.

“She is a self-professed lover of animals, especially horses and is a member of the State dressage squad and had the honour of competing in the nationals this year.

“Annlayce says that animals are her greatest love in life — other than her family of course — who she attributes much of her success to.”

The awards ceremony was held at Narrogin Senior High School where the chair of the Vi Barham Board of Trustees’ Joseph Leong presented Annalyce with a silver platter and $2500 towards her education.