On Friday 20 May, in front of school principals from across the diocese, the Catholic Schools Office presented awards to the winners of the 2016 Writing Competition.
The annual competition attracted 120 entries from 22 of the diocesan primary and secondary schools. This year students were asked to write based on the theme "Compassion", this theme inspired by the Year of Mercy.
Laura Sestan of Holy Family PS, Merewether Beach (Stage 2), Kalani Bates of St Catherine's CC, Singleton (Stage 3), Dominic O'Brien of St Catherine's CC, Singleton (Stage 4) and Chloe Eather of St Mary's HS Gateshead (Stage 5) received trophies presented by Director of Schools, Ray Collins.
Other highly commended works include:
Harrison Barwick of St James' PS, Muswellbrook (Stage 2)
Noah Allen of Holy Family PS Merewether Beach (Stage 2)
Rosalie Huber of St Joseph's PS Merewether (Stage 3)
Violet Cowie of Holy Family PS Merewether Beach (Stage 3)
Jacquelyn Richards of ASC St Joseph's Campus Lochinvar (Stage 4)
Claudia Minter of ASC St Peter's Campus Maitland (Stage 5).
Stage 4 winner, Dominic O'Brien, read out his heartfelt entry, Together. "I kept searching, searching for someone to love me. And on a day, where I felt the lowest I had ever felt before, my life was completely changed...."
Read more about the annual writing competition in the next edition of Aurora magazine, out June 1. All winning entries will also be available to be read in Aurora online.