Samantha Jory-Smart in Year 13 was invited to curate the poems for a poetry wall in the centre of Christchurch to coincide with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Conference – a global coalition of scientists and academics. The wall transformed part of Armagh Street earlier this year, helping to brighten up the area and link to the theme of the conference – awareness and addressing the dangers of climate change. Samantha, Mariza Antonopoulou and Celina Nogueira were part of the opening ceremony, reading poems from the wall – including Samantha’s own poem, Kiwi Solstice.

E Wen Wong gain success in two poetry competitions. One was the Guernsey International Poetry Competition also known as 'Poems on the Move' which was part of the annual Guernsey Literary Festival held in May. As a result, her poem will be displayed on one of 21 Guernsey buses, as well as in a second, larger display, first at Guernsey Airport, then all over the island. Continuing in the same mode, E Wen also entered the Christchurch Metro’s Poems on Buses competition with her poem: New Brighton (see below) for which she gained second place. You may get to see her work on the walls around Christchurch as well.

Poetry in Action

Students in Years 10, 11 and 12 enjoyed three vibrant productions from the Australian performance group : Poetry in Action. Each production examined a different topic – from Wilfred Owen to poetry from around the world. The performances bought to life poetry from centuries past, alongside relevant, contemporary works. Their teachers are looking forward to making more use of the poems introduced to the students during the rest of the year.

Emerging Speechmaker Competition

Congratulations to E Wen Wong who was placed first in the local Lions’ Emerging Speechmaker Contest. She presented a formal prepared speech, along with doing an impromptu on the night.