Final reminder for competitions

A final reminder regarding the Youth Writers Award Asia 2010 - this is (probably) the final competition still running this year that will be counted for your competition participation. If you have yet to submit your entry, please submit it here.

If you have already participated in an English Language/Literature competition this year (and are able to provide evidence for this), you will not be required to submit an entry for this competition.

You can check here if I currently have a record of your competition participation. If you still have a copy of your entry, you may forward it to me and tell me which competition it was used for. Otherwise, if you'd submitted the entry via the school, please let me know which competition it was and I will check it against our records.

I will need this done by the end of September. Your competition participation (or lack thereof) will be submitted to the school at the end of the year, and it will be reflected in your APR.

September break

Dear all,

It's finally the September break! Just 2 things.

1. Please remember that you need to participated in an English Language/Literature competition this year - the list of students who have (and have not) participated will be submitted to the school at the end of the year. You can check if I have recorded your participation here - just email me with the relevant details (and evidence, e.g. competition entry) if you've participated in something but I've not recorded it.
   
   If you've not participated in anything yet, the Youth Writers Awards Asia 2010 is still open (until 30 September), please do attempt it during the September holidays (or DMP period).
   
   
2. I've uploaded a comprehension assignment (optional) for you to attempt, I will share the answer scheme at the end of the holidays for you to check your answers against.
   

Competition participation

Just a clarification about the Youth Writers Awards Asia 2010 and your annual competition requirement.

If you have already participated in an English Language/Literature competition this year (and are able to provide evidence for this), you will not be required to submit an entry for this competition.

You can check here if I currently have a record of your competition participation. If you still have a copy of your entry, you may forward it to me and tell me which competition it was used for. Otherwise, if you'd submitted the entry via the school, please let me know which competition it was and I will check it against our records.

Your competition participation (or lack thereof) will be submitted to the school at the end of the year.

Reminder to submit

You might remember that you were instructed last term to submit an essay for the Youth Writers Awards Asia 2010. The due date is 30 Sep 2009, so there's no rush yet, but if you are wondering how to go about submitting it, this is how you can do so.

1) Submit your entry online at this site.

2) After you have done so, you can email your actual entry to me for verification. I will not be grading this, but will take note of your participation for record purposes.

TH National Creative Writing Competition (extended)

Just a note that the deadline for this competition has been extended to 1 Aug 2009.

Temasek Hall (NUS) is organising a creative writing competition and is seeking short stories (max 1500 words) featuring main characters grappling with current socio-educational issues in the Singapore school setting. Cash prizes include S$500 for distinction works and S$250 for merit works.

Requirements:

• Original work not exceeding 1500 words, typed double spaced
• Each entry should have a cover page with the writer’s name, school, email address, telephone number and word count.
• Writers’ name should not appear on the pages of the story.

Email story to: tehbox1@nus.edu.sg

Youth Writers Awards Asia 2010

Since the take-up rate for EL competitions so far has been rather poor, your teachers have decided to make this one compulsory for all of you. The deadline is 30 Sep 2009, so you'll be able to work on it over the June holidays.

Essentially, you are to write a short story (500-800 words) describing "the nature of individual love and passion for sport(s) including values such as friendship, honesty, fair play, hard work etc".

The top 30 entries will be published in a book that will be distributed to the participants of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games. In addition, the winners will receive a copy of said book, a return air trip to a location in Asia (top 5 entries), a pair of tickets to the Youth Olympic Games (top 5 entries), or a Reader's Digest book (other 25 entries).

Submission can be done by mail or online. You can download a copy of the full instructions here (PDF format). This is also available on Ask n Learn.

More competitions!

1. Youth Writers Awards Asia 2010
a. Organized by NLB and Reader’s Digest to commemorate the Youth Olympics
b. Open to youths 14-18 yrs old
c. Short story (500-800 words) describing the nature of individual love and passion for sports, including values such as friendship, honesty, fair play etc
d. 30 winning short stories to be published in a book which will be used to promote the Youth Olympics
e. Prizes: Top 5 winners who are non-Singapore residents get a trip to SG; Top 5 winners who are Singaporeans get a trip to a destination in Asia!
f. Deadline: 30 September

2. NZPS Open Junior and Haiku Junior Competitions
a. Open to students 17 years or younger
b. Details can be found at www.poetrysociety.org.nz
c. Internal deadline to school: 25 May

3. Express your Best Self Contest
a. Organized by Julia Gabriel Centre
b. Open to all
c. Entries must answer the question: How do you express your best self?
d. Can fulfil any of these categories: Performance Arts (in a video or sound recording of not more than 3 minutes), Visual Arts or Literary Arts
e. Can submit via email at contest@juliagabriel.com (remember to CC to teacher)
f. Deadline: 30 June

Incentive for winning essay competitions

International Competitions / Prizes:

-Full marks to be given to 1 assignment (of a similar nature to the competition piece) for any kind of accolade received on an international platform. For example, if a student wins a poetry competition, one of his creative writing assignments or portfolio pieces may be given full marks. If he wins a speech competition, one of his oral presentation assignments may be given full marks. Special Mention / Commendations (e.g. Commonwealth Essay Competition) should also be given similar credit.

-No bonus marks should be awarded for participation.

Local Competitions/ Prizes:

-Students winning any of the top 3 prizes in a local competition will receive full marks.

-Commendations or merit prizes will be rewarded with a GP of 4.0 (80%) for 1 assignment of a similar nature.

-Certificates of participation will not be awarded any bonus marks.

UNSW English / Writing Competition

-If a student wins a medal for either the English MCQ or the Writing competition, he will be awarded full marks for 1 assignment of a similar nature.

-Students receiving a High Distinction for either the English MCQ or Writing will be awarded a GP of 4.0 for 1 assignment of a similar nature.

Note: Teachers of each level should decide and agree on which pieces of assignment to reward with full marks or 4.0.