Red Room Poetry Object Shortlist!

I am thrilled to announce that from over 2,200 submissions, Russley School have NINE students shortlisted in this prestigious Australian competition.

Congratulations to:

Oliver Peters | My Special Shell

Willow Rentoul | Hottie, My Toy

Bryn Devonald | Karate Trophy

Milla Ydgren | Nana's Opal Ring

Kayla Raadgever | Silver Owl

Olivia Whitelock | Caramel

Hollie Anderson | My Pounamu Necklace

Michaela Everest | Seal

Sophie Hoglund | Mother of Pearl

This means these talented writers are in the running to win some exciting prizes, including mentoring with a professional poet and more. Their poems have been published on the Object Poetry Shortlisted Poets webpage.

The winners will be announced online on Thursday 20 August, so keep an eye on the Russley Writers'  blog.

You can read their poems on the Red Room Poetry website here:

Red Room Poetry Object Shortlist

Highly Commended Poetry

These poems were among the 12 entries selected by Mrs Koster to make up our school entry for the Fourth Fabulous Poetry Competition. Russley School's entry was judged highly commended by the NZ Book Council judge, Catriona Ferguson. Congratulations to all our talented writers!

CHANDELIER SKY

Stars are shiny rings

glowing like a chandelier

White like marshmallows toasting

on the bonfire

They are like golden sand

on the Sunshine Coast

Sparkling pearls in a glimmering

ebony sea

by Olivia C, Year 8

LIVING STAR

Star is a shiny unicorn eye

clear crystal

silver coin

blinking baby

Star falls

like a baby bird

that’s learning

how to fly

- by Hao Yu G. - year 8

LASER STARS

Stars are like white pale faces

reflecting off glass

Stars are like rockets

scraping through the galaxy

Glimmering diamonds gleaming

off the roof like lasers

Worms glowing like

old lightbulbs

Small ants snacking

on the ground

Red devil lights

coming towards me

- by Mitchell F. year 8

The Night Sky

the stars glisten like lake tekapo

with the sun on it

the stars are shiny like black ice

white, like paper from the bible

stars shoot through the sky

like rockets

by Alex C. (year 6)

STARS

Silver sardines swimming

in melted ice

Sparkly dresses

in the disco light

Twinkling rubies

pure as gold

in a dark, dark mine

by Kim S. Year 6

SHIMMERY DOTS

Gold-teeth stars

shimmer like shells

at night they start waving

like hands

when midnight strikes

the stars look like tiny glow worms

Their fading song

flurries through the air

stars spreading like jam

by Maddie H, Year 3

Congratulations also to the following writers from Team Roto:

Josh T,

Josh C,

Sophia T,

Kimberly C,

and Fergus HB.

I can't publish their poems just yet, as they are going to be entered into another competition; our Russley Writers' Walk - as they fit with our theme of FAMILY.

A Slice of Camp

clinging

it was a place of terror

          hanging ropes

breezy wind

           clipping carabiners

classmates pulling, dragging, struggling

          me hooking my harness 

   looking up ready to climb - clinging tight     

          climbing horseshoes

   wishing for good luck        

          shaking and shivering

  climbing to the top

         stretching my arms out as far as

I could to get the waving rope

stepped on the sliver horseshoe

                   going

                                down

                                             down

                                                         down

I got to the bottom

I conquered

         my fear

                                                                   by Olivia C

Camp

It was a place of pandemonium

struggling class mates

and silver metal

                                R

                                     U

                                        N

                                            G

                                                S

piwakawaka fleeting so high

among all the classmates

 

roaming to put on the rappel device

jumping off the pine tree

at last I have jumped off the pine tree

like a wood pigeon

now I have finished my amazing pilgrimage    

around the encampment

so I have come back to my residence

  by Mark G 

Raft building 

    

The wet raft building

It was a place of making

Pulling sticks

The solid rocks just sitting there

The wood looking at us not talking

The water is screaming          don’t come in

The helmets are going to have fun

The mountains are cold

Like a rain drop sweating down the cliff     

Land falling from the mountains

We tie the ropes and sticks together

slippery and slimy

the rocks are staring at me trying to get me to cut my nose

So we drag it down

STOP.

It’s dragging

Pick it up

We go out and we jump in

Sweating

   Shouting

       Tipping

           Screaming

                 Falling... OUCH!

by Mitchell

darkness

it was a place of darkness

                        flying ropes

and giant spiders

steel carabinas

wind wafting

class-mates encouraging

fantails singing

sun missing

trees fluttering

leaves tumbling

I am a spider abseiling down the tree

the nightmare is over

I get down the tree and I stop shivering

the darkness is over

abseiling

by Haoyu

MY VISION OF CAMP

It was a place of challenges

people shivering

students splashing, racing around me

cold water against my face

The heavy spray jacket pulled me up

paddling at full speed

going under the wharf

                it was cold like the freezer at home

As oars touched the water

a splash on your face

Look up                flying birds            above the boats

looking down thinking   

                                                any fish in the water?

paddling as fast as cars

we finished kayaking

we won the race

by Gabriella

Paula Green loved our camp poems so much, she has posted a few of them on her blog, check it out: Poetry Box - Russley School poems

Olivia's Nanny

My nanny had a wrap made out of fox fur. She wore it like every day with a blue flower brooch. My nanny always wore a blue suit, white gloves, a beautiful necklace and gold earrings.

She was always happy and when I went over to her house, she hid chocolate under the pillow. When I left, she told me a story. She fell off her bike when she was little and she got back up and went home. I really wish she were here with my family today. I will see her again one day. 

Russley Writers featured in Christchurch Mail article

The Christchurch Mail has an article in today's issue featuring our wonderful Russley Writers. The article is about the Russley Writers' recent success in the 3rd Fabulous Poetry Competition. Congratulations to all our prize-winning poets.

Find poems here

Winning Writing from Years 5 to 8

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Russley School entered 'The Third Fabulous Poetry Competition' which was for a school entry of 25 poems. The competition was judged by Poetry Box's Paula Green, and the director of the NZ Book Council, Catriona Ferguson. Russley School was the winner of the South Island division!

As the winning school, we will receive a two day visit from Paula Green, who will run poetry workshops with Russley children in term 3.

Congratulations and huge thanks to all our poets. Scroll down to read some of the winning writing from our talented Russley authors!

Enjoy the poems from our senior students...

Winter has come again - by Ben M, Year 7

dark, murky skies

raining like a waterfall

deep puddles like mirrors

reflecting

soggy trees

crouching over

RAINDROPS - by Olivia C, year 7

splitter splatter

soggy gumboots

jump over cold puddles

I grip my clear umbrella

I hear splitter

                splatter

                    splitter

                       splatter

                           splash! 

Cutting Cold - by Ben T, year 7

The rain pelting down

like a boulder avalanche

people rushing indoors

shivering with cold

ice shards

even rain jackets do nothing

men and women driving

causing traffic jams

and accidents

in the rain

people indoors

covered in blankets

nearby a fire crackles

clothes turn soggy

soon smelly

everyone curled up

with hot chocolates

trying to forget

the freezing winter

SNOWFALL - by Riley H, year 7

My soggy clothes

were making my blanket wet.

I was rushing through the deep snow,

I even tried jumping through.

Everything I had was wet.

I finally got home

sat next to the fire

and had my hot chocolate.

The night frost - by Mitchell F, year 7

chilling cold

rain sounds like bullets

on my roof

drinking my hot chocolate

by the blazing fire

me and my family

snuggled in a blanket

WINTER - by Kaitlin C, year 7

soggy shoes

umbrella dripping

hurrying through

puddles

Splash!

the white sky

goes away

turning grey

JESSICA’S WINTER - by Jessica Y, age 7

soggy socks on the heater

drinking hot chocolate near the fire

snuggling into warm blankets

freezing winter air blows

                                  and blows

I grab my gumboots and jump

into the nearest puddle

                                  Splash!

hoping winter comes back again

The Painting - by Monica, year 7

a blank piece of paper

a polar bear in a snowstorm

a paintbrush paints...

a mountain looms over

the polar bear in a snowstorm

a paintbrush paints...

lush green grass

a mountain looms over

the polar bear in a snowstorm

a paintbrush paints...

a tree in the

lush green grass

a mountain looms over

the polar bear in a snowstorm

a paintbrush paints...

The winning entries from our Year 5 and 6 students:

I AM UNSTOPPABLE - by Quinton O, year 6

I am fantastic

I like cookies and cream milkshakes

I don’t like art

I’m afraid of spiders

I wish I could fly

I dream of going to Candyland

I pretend I’m listening to the teacher

I can eat twenty-one hotdogs at once

I am unstoppable

WET FEET

by Azryn C, year 6

my wet cold feet

flakes fall

as the sun comes up

drips drop down

the ferocious wind

will ease to a breeze

my wet cold feet

Winter Freeze

by Brayden D, year 5

My hands were freezing

like dripping ice.

I got wet and cold

like Jack Frost.

My family were playing

snowball fighting games.

I got Dad...

it hit him in the chest!

Ow!

WINTRY NIGHT - by Holly S, year 6

On a stormy, thundery,

wintry night

water trickles

onto the wet ground

the windy breeze blows

right through me.

Olivia survives!

SURVIVAL STORY – by Olivia

I have five minutes to pack. I can choose only three items to take with me. I know not where I am going, nor what dangers await me. I run to the pile of equipment and grab: a torch, banana, snowboard and a skipping rope. I am blindfolded during the helicopter journey. I have no idea where I am. I hear the chopping sound of the helicopter. The helicopter hovers a metre or so above ground and I am pushed out of the door. I tumble onto the ground and tear off my blindfold. I see…heaps of snow surrounding me… it’s foggy.

I come to a swamp and begin to make my way cautiously through it. Suddenly I lose my footing and find myself sinking… and realise I have stepped into QUICKSAND! I reach into my pack and I get my snowboard. There is a red button and paddles. I sit on the snowboard and use my paddles to get across.

I turn to see a pack of killer sheep advancing towards me. I reach into my pack…to get my torch to hypnotise the killer sheep.

The menacing battle cry of a lone warrior pierces the silence. A heavily armoured giant charges out from behind some rocks. I reach into my pack and get my key and shine it at the sun. It reflects off the key and glares in his eyes. I arrive at a vertical cliff. It seems impossible to ascend it.

The cliff face is like glass, I cannot see any footholds. There is no way around, I must find a way to climb it. I reach into my bag and grab my long skipping rope and I throw it up on the tree. I pull myself up, grab the skipping rope and put it in my bag.

I am dive-bombed by a thousand giant mosquitoes… some look large enough to pick up a small child. The drone of wings is deafening as the venomous stingers charge towards me. I reach into my pack and grab my banana bomb. So I kill all of them, but then a gigantic one comes up. I start to panic. I look in my pack. I get my skipping rope out and wrap it around it and pull it to the ground. I am too scared to move so I put my skipping rope in my bag.

I come to a swamp and begin to make my way cautiously through it. Suddenly I lose my footing and find myself sinking… and realise I have stepped into QUICKSAND! I reach into my pack and grab my snowboard. I am scrambling out of the murky water. I jump up and get out but sadly my snow board didn’t make it.

Autumn Poet's Walk

The Russley Writers' Club went on a ginko. A ginko is a walk with haiku writers, usually held at the start of a season or at a special time in a season. The poets usually walk in silence, taking in their surroundings, making notes of the words they collect along the way.

Here are some of the poems our writers created when we returned from our poet's walk. Olivia's acrostic poem was one of my favourites. As well as being a poet, Olivia is a talented netballer, and I loved the fact that she fitted netball perfectly into her Autumn poem! 

Autumn leaves flying down gracefully

Unpredictable leaves are falling

Turning different ways

Umbrellas have Autumn colours

More leaves to fall

Netballers have Autumn spirits

            flying around the court like fluttering leaves

by Olivia

The leafy smell of Autumn is here

The leaves crackling through the wind

They’re twirling, gliding, down to the ground

Smooth as a baby’s cheek

As I roll through the frosty leaves

By Riley H

Autumn is colourful and bright

Unique leaves

Trees are swaying

Uncontrolled leaves falling

Minty leaves spiralling to the ground

Nothing left on the trees

by Kaitlin

Autumn is bone chilling and damp

the leaves tear off the unfit branches

but out of all the chances

the rain pounds down

and drowns all the town

roads are abandoned

as people are stranded

raging rivers all around

are full of muck and cover the ground

the clouds are grey

and they box in the city

it’s soaked outside

which is such a pity

By Ben H

Autumn is mostly bleak

Unless it’s not cold wear a jacket

The wind howls like a thousand wolves

Unlimited leaves are dying

More leaves die

No leaves survive

By Ben T.

The frozen leaves falling
from fire breathing trees
crackling under my bare feet
flowing through the air like a lonely angel.
That’s autumn to me.

by Ben M