Shortt Story Showdown
Each term, our writing competition challenges students to think differently, take creative risks, build a piece of writing sentence by sentence, and show how far their writing has come. This term's brief asked participants to step inside one of Magill School’s most recognisable landmarks: our old wooden sign (who has become a bit of an icon in recent years).
Their task? Write from its perspective. Capture its pride, its history, its jealousy of the new digital sign, and its lived experience watching thousands of students and families walk past over two decades.
It required genuine voice, control, humour, emotion, and a deep understanding of how to bring an object to life on the page. And the response was outstanding. Each student who entered the competition this term produced pieces that were clever, funny, thoughtful, and sometimes surprisingly moving. The standard of writing this term was exceptional.
I judged the entries on:
A strong, consistent narrative voice
Effective use of humour and personality
Authentic Magill details that grounded the story
Clear contrasts between the old sign and the new digital sign
Overall craft, clarity, and originality
After a great deal of reading and discussion, I am pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Term 4 Writing Competition:
Year 6 Winner: Medhansh
Year 5 Winner: Junaynah
Year 4 Winner: Evie
These three entries stood out for their sharp voice, strong control, and ability to balance humour with heart. Each piece captured the sign’s personality brilliantly while offering something genuinely original.
To celebrate their achievement, the names of our winners appeared on the real sign out the front for the weekend, a tribute that feels fitting, considering how powerfully they channelled its voice. Congratulations to all students who entered. The creativity, craft, and commitment shown across the competition were exceptional. This was a challenging brief, and our students rose to it impressively.
All winning entries (including past competitions) are available on the school websites under: Teaching and Learning → Literacy → Writing Competition.
See below for what our winners produced:
