The quality of writing and performances at this morning’s Girls’ School Poetry Competition was so high that professional poet, Paula Green would have been proud to have written them! We were privileged to have Paula, who is a regular visitor and friend of the School, adjudicate the winners, which was an extremely difficult assignment! The girls have been writing, rehearsing and performing their poems in class, with Paula visiting earlier in the term to offer tips. She’d emphasised that the students needed to deliver the complete package – a great poem on the page needs to be matched with a convincing and entertaining presentation.

From the in-class performances, the top poets from each Year level were selected to progress to the finals in the school hall. The whole school as well as parents and supporters were in attendance, creating a pressure-filled public speaking atmosphere. Not that it affected the finalists though! All of the students who took the stage delivered their self-penned poems with poise, in full voice and without the aid of any notes! The poems showed impressive observation and imagination and used the full repertoire of literary devices, from alliteration to onomatopoeia. The performances complemented the content, with the girls adjusting the volume, pace and tone of their voices to reflect the words. Winners were decided in Years 4-8 while the event gave the Year 1-3 girls an added opportunity to perform in front of a large audience. The Year 4 class also performed a fun choral poem, ‘Dad, the Cat and the Tree.’

In announcing the winners, Paula said all of the girls showed great bravery and confidence. ‘The girls have worked very hard and loved writing which shows in their poetry.’  Sienna Haar’s poem about her mum was named the Year 4 winner. ‘The Year 4 poems really shone,’ said Paula. ‘Sienna’s words sang and popped and the image of her mum glowed.’ ‘Lollies’ by Keeley Berkovits won the Year 5 prize. ‘The Year 5 finalists all showed how poems can create pictures in your head,’ said Paula. ‘Keeley’s poem used the way words sound to make music.’ The theme for the Year 6 poems was ‘Taste Test’ and described the students’ favourite, or most disliked, food. ‘These poems made me hungry,’ said Paula. Cameron Paje’s tirade about tomatoes was declared the winner. ‘This poem had great structure and a mix of long and short lines that hooked my attention.’ Eva Colyer’s ode to water won the Year 7 section. ‘The Year 7 finalists showed the way a poem can tell a story and make you feel something,’ said Paula. ‘Eva used beautiful imagery; I will look at water in a whole new way thanks to this poem.’ The Year 8 category was the most difficult to decide a winner. ‘All of the poems were breathtaking,’ said Paula. ‘The Mountain of Fire’ by Rachel Black won for its complexity and extraordinary vocabulary. ‘I’m sure we all felt affected by your poem,’ said Paula. ‘We were swooped into the heart of your poem until the very last line.’

Congratulations to all of the students who performed and especially to our winners. Thank you to Paula Green and also to Speech and Drama teacher, Mrs Judy Norton for organising the event.

Winners:

Year 8: Rachel Black, ‘The Mountain of Fire’

Year 7: Eva Colyer, ‘Water’

Year 6: Cameron Paje, ‘Tomato the Devil’

Year 5: Keeley Berkovits, ‘Lollies’

Year 4: Sienna Haar, ‘My Mum’ 

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