Gold in the 2024 WriteOn Competition
We are excited to share that Eleanor Brown (Year 2) was the recipient of a gold award at the 2024 WriteOn Competition Ceremony, held at the NSW Art Gallery on Monday 16 September. This annual event recognises top student writers from Year 1 to 6, with winners featured in ‘The Best of WriteOn’ anthology.
Out of over 714 entries, only 18 students received a gold award.
This year’s competition featured a stimulus image from the Art Gallery of NSW: Arthur Streeton’s 1893 painting, The Railway Station, Redfern. Students were challenged to compose an imaginative text of up to 500 words inspired by this historic and sensorial scene.
Entries were assessed based on several criteria:
- How well the story engaged with and interpreted the provided image.
- Appropriateness of the chosen form and structure relative to the context, purpose, and audience.
- The ability to captivate the audience through imaginative, interpretive, emotive, or creative elements.
- Application of a range of language forms and features, including vocabulary and punctuation.
Eleanor’s entry certainly excelled in these areas. Her work demonstrated creativity and depth, meeting the competition’s high standards. Congratulations to Eleanor for her outstanding achievement and for bringing the year’s stimulus to life with such flair.
How Life Goes by at the Station by Eleanor Brown
It was a freezing cold, grey morning, the sun hiding, too scared to come out. It was the coldest part of winter where you just want to snuggle up in bed under your warm, cosy blanket. The beating rain, spluttered against the station roof. It fell like rivers down to the street below. Children saw their reflections in the puddles before a young boy in a yellow raincoat went “splash” and all the pictures dissolved away into a world of misty sky. Shadows danced like ballerinas twirling, bringing brightness to a dull day. Everyone could hear the steam trains, whistling with excitement to get going for the day.
A mysterious man, cloaked warmly in his hooded, navy raincoat, hurried from the train. He pushed through the pounding rain to his appointment at the city doctors to help fix his sick, old heart. He returned three hours later in disappointment. His walk slowed as he boarded the train to return home. He put his head on the window, tears pattering down his face like the rain outside.
A baby and her mother were sheltered in an icy, musty, wooden carriage. The four carriage wheels turned and pushed the rainy water out of their way. The horses went ‘gallop a clop, gallop a clop’ and the movement of the carriage going up and down rocked the baby to sleep like a soothing lullaby. They weren’t too far away from seeing father again.
The tall woman looked as frozen as an icicle. The umbrella had not been able to cover her. She was walking swiftly home, where she would sit by the toasty fire and melt with warmness. She was starving and would soon gobble up the fresh bread and butter she had just bought from the grocery with the ten pennies she had left in her wet pocket.
In the middle of the street, the chocolate, furry dog howled sadly. He had lost his owner. He approached people with a friendly ruff ruff ruff, hoping someone would spare some food. He was beginning to give up hope when his luck changed and the little boy in the yellow raincoat gave him a small sausage which he gobbled up at the speed of lightning. He wagged his tail in appreciation.
The Eveleigh station clock chimed midday. The busy rush of the morning had ended. The rain had calmed down and the sun had come out from its hiding spot. The trains waited for the afternoon journeys to begin.
Ms Kristy Williams
Acting Primary Curriculum Co-ordinator, English
