Congratulations Beaconsfield!
We can all be so proud of what we have achieved in Victoria and more specifically, in Beaconsfield during this worldwide pandemic and the second wave lock-down that occurred in our state.
2020 has been a year to remember and forget, all at the same time. A year that we spent isolated in our beautiful township but away from loved friends and family. A year we hoarded toilet paper, pasta and flour. A year we relied on our governments, our emergency services and our medical workers to see us through. A year where we showed the world how to begin to defeat this virus! A YEAR OF STRENGTH!!
There were many community initiatives that Beacons-field got involved with to boost morale, including chalk art on the footpath and teddy bear hunt walks at our windows; as well as looking after the more vulnerable members of the community and each other by checking in on them and making sure that no one went without.
I know I was very proud to be a member of this community during this historical but tricky time in the world.
The Beaconsfield Progress Association was super proud of the local student population who showed resilience and flexibility when they were forced to school from home for months as schools were closed down over terms 2 and 3. In recognition of this situation the B.P.A. decided to revive the Iris Lewis Award Writing Competition to help our students try to express how they were feeling through the written word.
Iris Lewis is the pseudonym or pen name of Joan Armitage, who was the wife of one of the earliest printers of the Beaconsfield Banner in the early 1990s. After herself having her first poem published in the Birmingham Mail Newspaper, at age 10, Joan loved to encourage young writers and so started the Iris Lewis award. This award is an encouragement for young people to contribute to the local community in their writing. The Beaconsfield Banner is a community newsletter for everyone, and we would love to encourage more people to contribute writing pieces.
The competition asked students to consider the following questions:
- Here we are second time around in Victoria…Stage 3 lockdown, but it feels different from the last time doesn’t it?
- How have you coped the second time around?
- What did you change this time that improved your lockdown experience?
- What positives have you noticed that this isolation time has had on you personally, and within your household?
It could have been a narrative piece, poetic prose, persuasive debate or a recount. The writing style was up to them. We just wanted to know about their experiences in isolation; what they learnt and what they were hopeful for while at the same time hoping to help release some mental health stress by allowing them to express some of their frustrations in a positive channel.
There were 4 categories, and each was awarded with considerable prizes that were non-contact friendly. Each category was judged age appropriately; judges were less concerned with grammatical correctness and more looking for insight and growth during this “unprecedented time”…
The standard of quality in the entries of each category were exceptional and it made judging quite difficult, particularly in the upper primary category. This was be-cause the Yr5 cohort of the Beaconsfield Primary School really took the competition seriously and provided the Beaconsfield Progress Association with many excellent entries. Congratulations to all teachers in Victoria who guided their students through this pandemic during school closures and lockdown 2020 in Victoria. Let’s hope the community understand, more fully now, the priceless role that you perform in our society.
The B.P.A. are proud to award the following winners:
- Junior Primary Category WINNER: Max Radivo
- Junior Primary Category Honourable Mention: Kenji Nakao
- Upper Primary Category WINNER: Blake Douglas
- Upper Primary Category Honourable Mentions: Cam-eron Williams & Ariana Pessot
- Lower Secondary Category WINNER: Talia Mc Bride
- Open Category WINNER (Outstanding overall entry): Jacob Booth
Well done to all of the competition winners. It should be stated that all entries received showed real effort and determination and were all an absolute pleasure to read. The Beaconsfield Progress Association have issued extra “Honourable mention” prizes as well as congratulatory certificates to all entrants for this exact reason.
Under normal circumstances we would have presented these awards to the students more officially, however these are not “normal” times… so instead the certificates and prizes were passed onto the students, in a Covid safe way, individually at their home or directly to the school, and then subsequently awarded by their teachers in class during Book Week 2020.
Thank you to all staff, parents and students involved for their enthusiasm in this local community event. Thank you also to the committee of the Beaconsfield Progress Association who self-funded the hundreds of dollars’ worth of prizes given out in 2020. B.P.A. look forward to running this local community based competition again in future years. We hope you all get involved again then. In the meantime… stay safe and stay happy.
COVID-19 Lockdown Writing
Some things I have missed are playing in the park with my friends. I wish I could work with my friends. I wish I could go to me families houses. The good things are I can play with heaps of Lego and the funny activities in remote learning. It is important to stay home so the numbers go down and we can go back to school.
By Max James Radivo
Locked Down Again
Locked down again, is this a dream or is it the end.
Dan Andrews talks, my parents listen, I don’t understand.
I’m excited, I can stay home. This will be easy, this will be fun,
I was so right, but also so wrong.
I thought it would be weird seeing people in masks, but for some reason it’s normal, when I walk past the parks.
I listen to my parents, I watch the news. I’m just a kid, I don’t know what’s going on?
Hopefully this ends by 2021.
Play grounds taped off, I can look but can’t touch,
wishing I could go there, to laugh this all off.
I don’t understand, what have we done wrong? Why did it start and when will it end.
I’m just a kid, I don’t understand.
By Cameron Williams
Remote Learning 2.0
Stuck at home all over again,
Trying to keep ourselves entertained.
We’ve gone through Winter all cold and chilly, Now it’s Spring, wow really?
Pushing through Remote Learning, Imprisoned in my home left to be yearning.
Glued to our PJ’s studying all day long Regular Breaks, playing ping – pong.
Normal, phhff, what’s that?
Having to Zoom just for a chat!
Learning a lot about our fam,
But still wishing for ‘normal’ I certainly am.
To our teachers we are grateful,
But this to end soon we are hopeful.
Finding new hobbies to bust our boredom,
Staying entertained is hard for some.
Learning new subjects, and about ourselves, Pictures of the beach collecting shells.
Pop into my head wishing to be there,
Teasing me, this isn’t fair! Lack of motivation is our nemesis, All thanks to the coronavirus.
We’ll get through this all together,
Then we’ll be free to do things whenever with whoever!
By Ariana Pessot
Reflections on Iso 2.0
Stage 4 restrictions, the Premier declared He caught my attention, I was somewhat scared Mandatory masks hiding your face Parks and playgrounds – an empty space. The laughter of children had disappeared As I walked through the town, the feeling was weird
“What’s the numbers today?’, my neighbour asks I can barely hear him through his mask. Is he smiling at me, or is he alarmed? He’s an elderly man, I hope he’s not harmed.
But there’s hope in the air Beacy folk are tough We’ll stick together, when times get rough Teddies in the window bring a smile to my day The sunshine is coming, Spring’s on its way
Flowers are budding, the blossom appears Good times will return, you’ve nothing to fear
But when the cities re-open The hustle resumes Let’s stop and reflect on what got us through
Our doctors, our nurses holding the line Placing their health at risk time after time
Community rallied to help those in need Sending food and supplies, we planted a seed Of care and goodwill towards our vulnerable friends I hope that spirit sticks when all this ends.
By Jacob Booth
Switch every day
Television every day
Annoying brother
Yet I haven’t received math correction
Happy holiday
On the other hand hopefully corona vires ends soon
Miss my friends
End of term but still stay home.
By Kenji Nakao
