Local teacher wins excellence award

PALMWOODS State School teacher Melissa Graham has not only won the respect of students, parents and teachers, but also the Queensland Education Department.

Ms Graham received the Education Department's Excellence in Teaching Award for the Sunshine Coast region, for outstanding achievement in teaching.

She was presented with the award at a school assembly before the holidays, but it was a bitter sweet occasion as it was also her farewell. She has been transferred to Texas State School on the border in 1998.

The award came as a complete surprise for Ms Graham.

"I'm not very good with surprises," she said. "I had absolutely no idea, it was a real shock."

She was nominated for the award by a group of parents and had to meet a strict set of criteria to qualify.

Ms Graham has been teaching a combined Year Six and Seven class and said she has enjoyed her time at Palmwoods.

"I have a wonderful group of children, and I really love them all," she said. "I work a lot with the kids, and they make it so much easier to get involved."