The winning poems in the annual Student Poetry Competition run by Independent Schools Victoria have been drawn from close to 600 entries from schools across the state.
Many of the winning poems, totalling well over 100,000 words from students ranging from Foundation to Year 12, focussed on the optional theme of ‘journeys’.
In a media release announcing the winners, ISV Chief Executive Michelle Green said this year’s record number of entries confirmed the popularity of poetry among young people.
‘It’s further evidence that students embrace the arts when it’s an integral part of the school curriculum,’ Ms Green said.
Read the written entries, watch the winning performance poems and find out which students received honourable mentions via the links below.
Written poetry winners
- ‘The Friendship Journey’, by Mia Chen
Wesley College - ‘Holding On’, by Georgia Stuckey
Harkaway Hills College
Performance poetry winners
No entries received.
Written poetry winners
- ‘Autumn is Come’, by Claerwen Watkins
Geelong Grammar School - ‘Mother’, by Mia Healey
Strathcona Girls Grammar School
Performance poetry winners
- ‘In The Car With Mum’, by Mateusz Stankiewicz
Plenty Valley Christian College - ‘The Australian Journey’, by Naushali Navaratne
Harkaway Hills College
Written poetry winners
- ‘Little Blue’s Beginning’, by Zaid Zuhair
Fitra Community School - ‘My Greek BIG Grandfather Who Came from There to Here’, by Maverick Lawrence-Politis
Penleigh & Essendon Grammar School - ‘Whispers of Childhood’, by Scarlette Wong
St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar
Performance poetry winners
- ‘A Simple Guide to Taking a Successful Journey’, by Millie Daniel
Woodleigh School
Written poetry winners
- ‘Online Friends’, by Pippa L O’Connor
Ballarat Grammar School - ‘Listen to the Music’, by Sebastian De Marte
Christian College Geelong
Performance poetry winners
- ‘The Man on The Steering Wheel’, by Aurelia Cabrera
The Knox School - ‘A Voice’, by Charlie Russo
Woodleigh School - Journey Thus Far’, by Grace Sudjono
Harkaway Hills College
Written poetry winners
- ‘I’m Confused. Who am I?’, by Arooj Bilal
Sirius College - ‘What Have We Done?’ by Ally Russo
Balcombe Grammar School
Performance poetry winners
- ‘Wrong My Rights’, by Katherine Lam
Presbyterian Ladies’ College Melbourne
Written poetry winners
- ‘May’, by Lotus Das-Hyland
Lauriston Girls’ School - ‘The Death of The Sun – Part 2’, by Marianna Mossonidis
Penleigh & Essendon Grammar School - ‘Ouroboros’, by Jasmyn Carr
Penleigh & Essendon Grammar School
Performance poetry winners
No prizes awarded in this category.
According to this year’s judges, ‘the joy of discovering often breathtaking poetry has been an enormous thrill.’
Now in its fourth year, the Student Poetry Competition has established itself as an annual highlight of ISV’s arts learning program and reflects our long-standing commitment to the arts as an integral part of school education.
