APPLAUSE thundered through the Sebastopol Library\u2019s meeting room earlier this week as young creatives were ushered to receive their prizes in BREAZE\u2019s annual Children\u2019s Writing Competition.<\/p>\n
Held for the past six years in celebration of World Environment Day, this year saw 127 entries from grade 5 and 6 students from six Ballarat schools.<\/p>\n
Tying into the Environment Day theme of solutions to plastic pollution, BREAZE president Mary Debrett said the contest is about bringing eco-friendly awareness to students.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s to help teachers in primary schools to address issues relating to the environment,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a nice opportunity for teachers to have a conversation with students.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe put a question in the competition which is \u2018What I can do to help the environment?\u2019 so we encouraged children to take a personal perspective in their response.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn judging, we give 65 per cent to the idea and people making connections. We give 25 per cent to writing style and 15 per cent for grammar.\u201d<\/p>\n
Primary schools which took part included Newington, Pleasant Street, St Alipius Parish, St Francis Xavier, Our Lady Help of Christians, and Emmaus.<\/p>\n
Entries ranged from poems to short stories to dot-points to essays.<\/p>\n
The event was officiated by City of Ballarat mayor Cr Des Hudson with five students crowned school winners and 17 others receiving honourable mentions.<\/p>\n
Our Lady Help of Christians student Riley Baker won top prize, and said he was ecstatic to receive the nod.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was exciting to win,\u201d he said. \u201cI definitely feel like I learned more about the environment and how all the plastic pollution is killing wildlife in the ocean.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
APPLAUSE thundered through the Sebastopol Library\u2019s meeting room earlier this week as young creatives were ushered to receive their prizes in BREAZE\u2019s annual Children\u2019s Writing Competition. Held for the past six years in celebration of World Environment Day, this year saw 127 entries from grade 5 and 6 students from six Ballarat schools. Tying into […]<\/p>\n