Students from across Victoria answered this year’s call for poetry in remarkable numbers, sharing stories, observations, reflections and imaginative ideas through their writing and performances.
Congratulations to all the Years 5 – 6 students who have been selected as finalists in the 2026 Student Poetry Competition. Explore the finalists in each competition category below.
Years 5 – 6 Written Poetry Finalists
- ‘The lamp post’ by Katherine Sit, Tintern Grammar
Years 5 – 6 Written Poetry Finalists
- ‘Tomatoes don’t go in the Vegie Aisle‘ by Alisha Bhasin, Korowa Anglican Girls School
- ‘”Loyalty “is like a furry friend’ by Amaya Gudivada, Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC)
- ‘The Seasons’ by Anavya Rana, Casey Grammar School
- ‘Message to the Moon’ by Armaan Patel, Mount View Primary School
- ‘The Beggar and the Businessman’ by Evie Halliday, Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC)
- ‘The Beach’ by Gabriela Corrales, Harkaway Hills College
- ‘Aquarium’s Warrior’ by Liam Wei, Mentone Grammar
- ‘The Secrets of the Pomegranate’ by Olivia Krawczyk, Tintern Grammar
- ‘Joy is a River’ by Olivia Lee, Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC)
- ‘Titled’ by Raphael Lubitz, Daylesford Dharma School
Years 5 – 6 Written Poetry Honourable Mentions
- ‘Hope In the Dust’ by Aalyan Qureshi, Hume Anglican Grammar
- ‘Excuses’ by Aaushiee Jain, Korowa Anglican Girls’ School
- ‘Excitement is a thing with paws’ by Alexandra Grace Choi, Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC)
- ‘Off With Your Head’ by Alice Cole, Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC)
- ‘Fantastic Fruit Poem’ by Ariela Moriera, Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School
- ‘Who Am I?’ by Baani Saggal, Casey Grammar School
- ‘A World of Books’ by Catherine Tom, Harkaway Hills College
- ‘The Lives of Fruit’ by Cecilia Sale, Fitzroy Community School
- ‘Different’ by Dominic Underwood, Woodleigh School
- ‘Durian’ by Ellie Koh, Tintern Grammar
- ‘The last strawberry’ by Emma Xing Yu Cai, Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School
- ‘The Lady’ by Esperanza Broughan-Michael, Learning Co-operative Primary School
- ‘Moving Schools’ by Evelyn George, Casey Grammar School
- ‘The Joy of Life’ by Felicity Aliva, Harkaway Hills College
- ‘Depression is the Thing with Vines’ by Harper Li, Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC)
- ‘Fruit on a plate’ by Harvey Huynh, Wesley College Melbourne
- ‘Fire fairies’ by Isabelle Williams, Murrumbeena Primary School
- ‘the story of me’ by Isla Minter, Christian College Geelong
- ‘Ode to basketball’ by Jayden Lin, Kilvington Grammar School
- ‘Bite-sized fruits’ by Jingwen (Kingsley) Wen, The Knox School
- ‘Dove’ by Kara van der Merwe, Tintern Grammar
- ‘Unspoken’ by Kimberley Ava Vuong, Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School
- ‘Fruits of Rome’ by Kysen Ravago, Hume Anglican Grammar
- ‘Oceans’ by Leenah Al Ayad, Fitra Community School
- ‘Feeling Fruity’ by Lilly Moore, Harkaway Hills College
- ‘Cat’ by Marli Benoiton, Lakeside College
- ‘Hidden Memories’ by Neave O’Callaghan, Firbank Grammar School
- ‘Winter Solstice’ by Ned Rotella, Learning Co-operative Primary School
- ‘Fruit Limerick’ by Noah Nicholls, Covenant College
- ‘Anger is the thing with a roar’ by Olivia Goh, Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC)
- ‘Rosy Red Apples’ by Phoebe Rolley, Covenant College
- ‘Colours’ by Rebecca Yao, Strathcona Girls Grammar School
- ‘The Sweetness of Becoming’ by Reneisha Patidar, St Michael’s Grammar School
- ‘The Kiwi’s Joyful Prance’ by Runhan Wu, Strathcona Girls Grammar School
- ‘A Tasty Red Fruit’ by Sachin Medilall, Lysterfield Lake College
- ‘Ode to Ice Cream!’ by Samuel Warfe, Kilvington Grammar School
- ‘A Very Random Haiku’ by Savindu Gamage, Casey Grammar School
- ‘The Sand, Sea and Shore’ by Scarlett Xu, Tintern Grammar
- ‘Light Shine Bright’ by Selena Ava Sajeev, Camberwell Girls Grammar School
- ‘My Forest Path’ by Shenaya Hasheem, St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar
- ‘Roots Are Where The Heart Is: A Tomato’s Tale’ by Sophie Fowler, Wesley College Melbourne
- ‘My Grandmothers Hands’ by Sulayman Mohamad, Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School
- ‘Forgotten Homework’ by Thomas Amado, Kilvington Grammar School
- ‘The Beanstalk’ by Wing Yu Chan, Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC)
- ‘Modern Market’ by Yilliana Sun, Camberwell Girls Grammar School
- ‘Nil’ by Yunzhe (Leo) Liu, Hume Anglican Grammar
- ‘Durian’ by Zakariah Jones, North-Eastern Montessori School
Years 5 – 6 Ekphrastic Poetry Winner
- ‘Nothing But A Display’ by Rachel Zhang, Korowa Anglican Girls’ School
Years 5 – 6 Ekphrastic Poetry Finalists
- ‘What the apple seek’ by Sevin Mannakkara, Wesley College Melbourne
- ‘The strawberry basket.’ by Afnaan Abu-Zahra, Al-Taqwa College
- ‘The Pear and the fly’ by Anastasia Hayes, Harkaway Hills College
- ‘Under the lemon trees’ by Amelia Terese Francis, Harkaway Hills College
- ‘Sour but Sweet’ by Sophie Crowther, Hillcrest Christian College
- ‘The gnat and the nectarine’ by Xavier Sudjono, Lysterfield Lake College
- ‘Fruit Family’ by Joy Cai, Tintern Grammer
- ‘The Lemon Grove’ by Rose Pemberton, Daylesford Dharma School
- ‘Hungry’ by Isaiah Carrick, Lysterfield Lake College
Years 5 – 6 Ekphrastic Poetry Honourable Mentions
- ‘Midnight Magic’ by Alannah Mentiplay, Casey Grammar School
- ‘The Fly’ by Carmel Amod Antony, Harkaway Hills College
- ‘In Every Melon’ by Catherine Shyam, Harkaway Hills College
- ‘The Enchanted Strawberries’ by Celeste Anawana, Harkaway Hills College
- ‘The Lonesome Fruit’ by Daniel Duff, Lysterfield Lake College
- ‘Topsy Turvy’ by Emma Gallegos, Harkaway Hills College
- ‘The Fruit Basket And Animals’ by Gunreet Kaur, Ramlegh Park Primary School
- ‘An Abandoned Feast’ by Hannah Kelly, Harkaway Hills College
- ‘Wasted Fruit’ by Isaiah Chan, Lysterfield Lake College
- ‘Silent Night’ by Layla Probandt, Kardinia International College
- ‘Playful Peaches’ by Lekya Talapareddy, Casey Grammar School
- ‘The Lonely Bush of Secrets’ by Margaret Saric, Kardinia International College
- ‘Trust Tower’ by Milly Blumenthal, Korowa Anglican Girls’ School
- ‘Berries in the Wild’ by Olivia Sun, Korowa Anglican Girls’ School
- ‘Still Life with Pears and Butterfly’ by Poppy Dunn, Kardinia International College
- ‘The Voice of the Pear’ by Si Tong Sarita Warne, Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School
- ‘The Strawberry Girl’ by Veronica Van der Veen, Harkaway Hills College
- ‘Midnight Feast’ by Zoe Ip, Kardinia International College
Years 5 – 6 Performance Poetry Winner
- ‘George’ by Sage Louise Endaragalla, Camberwell Girls Grammar School
Years 5 – 6 Performance Poetry Finalists
- ‘Into the wind’ by Jensen May, Woodleigh School
- ‘Inside Counts More’ by Violet Napper, Woodleigh School
- ‘The Tragic Story of the Fruit Bunch’ by Vir Mattoo, Beverly Hills Primary School
- ‘The Longing’ by Erisa Chen, Fintona Girls’ School
- ‘Holding’ by Rahali Samarakoon, Korowa Anglican Girls’ School
- ‘The Fruit Stand’ by Dinel Peiris, Lysterfield Lake College
- ‘Fruit of Betrayal’ by Isaiah Carrick, Lysterfield Lake College
- ‘The Fruits of Life’ by Manon MacNeill, Harkaway Hills College
- ‘The Butterfly’s Reflection’ by Jessica Zhang, Korowa Anglican Girls’ School
Years 5 – 6 Performance Poetry Honourable Mentions
- ‘Sunset bloom!’ by Ava Saligari, Woodleigh School
- ‘Crunched and munched’ by Beau Cleine, Woodleigh School
- ‘The way you are’ by Bridie Elliot, Woodleigh School
- ‘In some way we are all the same’ by Caleb Gec, Woodleigh School
- ‘Scarred’ by Edwina Butler, Woodleigh School
- ‘Summer platter’ by Grace Hadley, Woodleigh School
- ‘Protect the world fruit’ by Jack Freeman, Woodleigh School
- ‘Weaknesses and strengths of a fruit’ by Jade Harrod, Woodleigh School
- ‘The fruits of my emotions’ by Myra Mukul, Bacchus Marsh Grammar
- ‘Don’t be a good fruit be a great fruit’ by Noah Sprawling, Woodleigh School
- ‘Life is fruit’ by Rowan Wall, Woodleigh School
- ‘Life of a fruit’ by Troy Pascarl, Woodleigh School
- ‘Seeds of the seasons’ by Zade Johnson, Woodleigh School