News Alert! Check Out Schools on Stage!

The vibrant city of Casey is hosting this musical challenge for schools in the region!

Each school has selected two songs from their 2011 school musical to perform for Schools on Stage. The song choice is up to each school – the only rule is that at least one song is a chorus number.

After each school has performed their songs it will be up to the judges to make the tough decision: who will be announced the winner of Schools on Stage?

Hosted by Tim Campbell

Best known for his role as Dan Baker on Home & Away, Tim Campbell will be the host for this special event. An all-round entertainer, Tim has performed at Carols In The Domain, The Good Friday Appeal and Carols By Candlelight.

His experience in the world of musical theatre includes performing in Rent, Shout! The Legend of the Wild One and Wicked. Tim also took part in Dancing with the Stars in 2007 and has hosted The Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune and The Celebrity Singing Bee.

Four awards will be presented on the night:

• First place ($2000 cash prize)
• Runner Up ($500 cash prize, sponsored by Hal Leonard Australia)
• Best Song
• Best Teamwork

In addition, all participating schools will receive a discount voucher from Hal Leonard Australia, which entitles them to either 20% off a Broadway Junior ShowKit or 20% off their material hire bill for any Hal Leonard show performance in 2012.


ALL THE VERY BEST OF LUCK CASEY GRAMMAR!

News Alert! Check out The Archies!

“The Archies” is a drawing competition that The Art/Design Department at Casey Grammar will be running this year.
It is based on the existing Archibald Prize which runs annually.
This competition is aimed at encouraging the artistic talents of Casey Grammar and to provide an opportunity for students to show their skills to the community and their peers. Not only students can enter, but teachers and parents too!
For this to happen we need you to support this competition and submit photos of yourselves for the students to draw. The portrait must be drawn and must not be computer aided. In order to participate students will need to sign a form which gives acknowledgement to the rules and conditions of the competition which has been attached to this email. The Art Department will shortlist the entries and will screen all entries.
On the night of the Art Show the public will vote on their favourite portrait. The Art Department will also choose nominate the most successful entry. Prizes will be received by both successful entrants.

The competition begins on the 12/09/2011 - Monday next week.

The Art Show is on Friday 14th October

News Alert! Check out WordWired!!!!

Great news for creative Aussie teenagers!

WordWired will be launching the aptly titled WordWired magazine in Term 4 this year.
This magazine will offer teenage writers and artists a real opportunity to see their work in print.
Young journalists and creative writers across Australia who post their work to the relevant section of the WordWired forum by the 30th of June 2011 will be considered for publication in the magazine.


Click on the image to go to the website!!!

News Alert! World Peace Day Today!

News Alert! ~ World Peace Day Today!
+
Opinion Piece #10~

From the United Nations website:
Finland: “ENO Treeplanting Day in Joensuu, Finland” http://www.enotreeday.net/ - ENO Tree Planting Day is a global tree planting event for children, youth and NGO's. Trees are planted for peace in over 130 countries on 21 September.
~

Write an opinion piece as a poem.
Some suggestions for ideas:
1. Is world peace attainable? How?
2. What does peace mean to you personally?
3. Is there a place for conflict? What kind? Does it stir the creative spirit?~

News Alert! Write Across Victoria

Write Across Victoria
is a creative writing competition for Victorian students in years 7, 8 and 9.

Choose your favourite story starter and finish the story for your chance to win some fantastic prizes and have your story published online and in Express Media's Voiceworks magazine.

Story starters

#1 Andy Griffiths

'Are you joking?' I said.

'No,' said Mandy.

Behind us I could hear the lions roaring.

They were restless. I could tell it was close to feeding time.

'But a stunt like that could get me killed!'

'Yeah, I know,' she said. 'But I thought you said you loved me.'

#2 Glenda Millard

Samba was sixteen, scared of storms, gentle as a lamb and could melt your heart with a look. We buried the stranger to protect her. We found him outside our door on Friday the thirteenth. Samba straddled him, teeth bared, hackles raised with blood all over her beautiful white coat.

#3 Simmone Howell

Dad had gambler's hands and itchy feet. The day I turned twelve he said, "Big Boy, take care of your mother." He pressed a key into my palm and disappeared himself. The key was to Dulcie, our mint green VW kombi van. Dad said she was magic. I was about to find out why.

Prizes
Over $3000 in cash and prizes to be won! And the chance to have your story published in Voiceworks magazine and online at The Age, Melbourne Writers Festival and Express Media.

The overall winner will receive:

$500 cash
Books to the value of $500
Books to the value of $500 for your school
A subscription to Voiceworks magazine

The finalists, one guy and one girl from each year level (Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9), will each win:

$150 cash
Books to the value of $100
A subscription to Voiceworks magazine

***Submit your story by completing the online ENTRY FORM before entries close at 7 pm Monday 6 September 2010.

News Alert! Write4Fun ~ Poetry + Short Stories + Art Competitions

Country: Australia
Start Date: 8th February 2010
Closing Date: 31st March 2010
This year - there is no theme!!
Entrants are encouraged to let their imaginations run wild and get their creative juices flowing to write on ANY TOPIC and in ANY STYLE.
Students from ALL GRADES are welcome to enter - Kindergarten to Grade 12.
One talented writer in each division (poetry & short story) will receive $1000 as First Prize (with $500 going to the winning school and $500 to the student) PLUS the choice of either a Nintendo Wii, a Sony Digital Camera, an Apple iPod Nano or a Nintendo DS.
We will also be awarding one Second Prize in each division of $250 and one Third Prize of $150. There will be 15 Finalists in each division who will each receive $20.

For more details + online entry form, click on the Writers' banner!

Status: Open
Country: Australia
Start Date: 5th March 2010
Closing Date: 7th May 2010
Entrants are encouraged to let their creativity run wild as artwork can be in the form of a painting, drawing, photograph, collage, charcoal art or computer designed original art (please no 3 dimensional pieces).
There is no theme to the competition this year so entrants can choose to create their masterpiece as they please!
The First prize is AUD$1000.00 to be divided AUD$500.00 to the school and AUD$500.00 to the winning student plus their choice of either an 8GB Apple Ipod Nano & $100 music voucher or Nintendo Wii + game or Nintendo DS LITE + 3 games, or a Sony Digital Camera + 1GB memory card, and a complimentary book and plaque. The winning piece will be displayed on the front cover of the 2010 art edition.
There is one Second prize of AUD$300.00 + complimentary book and art pencil set.
There is one Third prize of AUD$200.00 + complimentary book and art pencil set and 15 finalist prizes of $25.

For more details + online entry form, click on the Artists' banner!

News Alert! Hexapod Haiku Challenge!

Pic by G.W. aka P.A. ~ Delightful creepy crawlie on my verandah in the Dromana Hills, Mornington Peninsula
~
hexapod haiku -
short poems that celebrate
most Arthropoda

North Carolina State University is hosting the Hexapod Haiku Challenge. (Check out the link for details!) They also "definitely accept minor departures from traditional haiku "rules" (i.e., the 5-7-5 onji composition). We'd also love to see more haiga (a haiku that is accompanied by an image) and senryu (short poem about human and/or, in this case, insect foibles) though they will be judged as haiku equivalents."
What's a hexapod?
The word Hexapoda refers to all insects and their six-legged arthropod relatives (springtails, diplurans, and proturans). We're calling this contest the Hexapod Haiku Challenge only for alliterative purposes. We would love to have haiku that feature any familiar arthropod associated with the field of entomology, including those arthropods without six legs (e.g., spiders, millipedes, centipedes, and scorpions).

Haikus should be submitted by 11:59pm, March 20th either...
1. as an email to ncsuinsects@gmail.com OR
2. as tweets (be sure to start each tweet with @ncsuinsects #HexapodHaiku) OR
3. as 3x5 cards (one per haiku; cards will not be returned) mailed to the following address:Hexapod HaikuNCSU Insect Museum
Department of Entomology
North Carolina State University
Box 7613Raleigh, NC 27695

NEWS ALERT! Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Competition 2010

Junior Secondary (Years 7 – 9)
Winner: $500 and trophy
Runner-up: $300 and trophy

Senior Secondary (Years 10 – 12)
Winner: $500 and trophy
Runner-up: $300 and trophy

Schools’ Award
For schools whose entries demonstrate a high overall standard.
Winner: $1000 and trophy
Runner-up: $700 and trophy

A National Presentation Ceremony will be held in Gunnedah, north-west NSW on Friday 3rd September 2010.

The entry fee is $15.00 per school which includes GST.
Payment must accompany entries which must all be submitted in a single envelope.
Entries must be posted on or before 2 June 2008.

Judging will take place in
July/August enabling announcements regarding the winning entries to be made during
Literacy and Numeracy Week 1-7 September 2008.

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR GOOD COPY/TYPED ENTRIES TO MS ADAMS
Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards
PO Box 113, Gunnedah NSW 2380 Tel (02) 6742 1200