Grade 1, 2, 3 Story1st prize Letter to Louis BrailleBy Olivia Lewitski

Dear Louis Braille,

Hi my name is Olivia and I’m a blind triplet. I wanted to write to you because I heard that you are celebrating your birthday. Let me tell you a little bit about me. As I said my name is Olivia and I am eight years old. I am the oldest triplet in my family and I have two sisters named Mackenzie and Devyn. I am the only sister that is blind. I was blind at birth. I would like to ask you a quick question. How did you invent braille? You must be very smart!

I can’t imagine my life with out braille. It seems that everthing that I read is in braille like worksheets and handouts, textbooks, special cards and even things that come off the computer like information off the Internet that can be embossed. I should tell you that my mom knows braille because she was taught by my Vision Teacher who also teaches me, but I know so much more than my mom because I know lots of contractions and Nemeth. I wish my dad would learn braille too because I think that braille is so cool and contractions, well they are even cooler. Do you know that I can remember the very first book that I read in braille. My Vision Teacher made it for me. The book she made was called Little Hearts. It had pictures in it that I could touch. I read that book all by myself at school. My teacher was so proud that she called my mom at home at recess to tell her I read a braille book. I was so happy that I could finally read one all by myself! Now I can read chapter books like Cam Jansen’s The Mystery at the Monkey House. Have you read that book? Louis did you use contractions?

Anyway I heard that you are celebrating your 200th birthday. Wow 200 birthdays! Are you planning on doing anything special like eating 200 pieces of your favourite cake or inviting 200 people over to your house for a party? If you did have that kind of party I would love to come over. Anyway no matter what you decide to do for your birthday I want to wish you a very happy 200th birthday! Hope you have lots of fun!

Sincerely,Olivia

Grade 1, 2, 3 Story2nd prizeThe Monster in Matt’s ClosetBy Rory McDonald

Matt is five years old and he likes talking on the phone. He also likes TV and his favorite show is Corner Gas. Matt just has Mom. There is a monster in his closet.

One quiet morning Matt went to get his clothes. Unfortunately, when he opened his closet door he saw a monster with fangs and a rubber body. Its eyes were green. It was all green. How is the world did you get here? said Matt.

The monster looked at Matt with an evil smile. I am going to eat you, said the monster. Aaaaaaaaaagh! screamed Matt. He ran downstairs yelling, Mom there is a monster in my closet. Mom said, Don’t be ridiculous. So Mom went upstairs with Matt but as soon as she opened the door she screamed Aaaagh.

The monster opened his mouth and ate Matt’s Mom. Matt went to the phone and called the police and said there is a monster in my closet. Just then 100 cops came and Matt took them upstairs. When they opened the door the monster ate a cop. Aaaaaaagh! screamed a police officer falling into the monsters mouth. To the rescue, the police officer called down. Then he reached down as far as he could and grabbed both the Mom and the police officer and threw them into the bathtub. Bang! Then they gave the monster a walkie talkie.

The monster screamed thank you and it shook the closet and it fell off its hinges. Then Matt decided to give the monster old things like a ripped shoe and a broken toy telephone, an old cord from a TV, a toy ketchup bottle, and a toy house. So the monster still lived in the closet and he became Matt’s friend and they lived happily ever after.

Grade 1, 2, 3 Story3rd prizeRebecca and Katie’s Funfilled DaysBy Sarah Hynes

Katie and Rebecca went for a ride to the candy store and bought a lollipop. They also bought a bag of chips. They went home and Katie said to Rebecca that was a fun day.

The next day they went swimming at the swimming pool. When they got home thay watched TV. There was a good movie on TV. Then all of a sudden the power went out and they had no candles.

Then Katie said to Rebcca what are we going to do now? Katie and Rebcca sat on the couch and talked about the funfilled days they had. Then they decided to go outside in the daylight and play on the swings.

Grade 1, 2, 3Poem1st prize StarsBy Brandon Bosnich

In a place far awaywhere it is so bright,the stars are shiningrays of light.

Explosions of fire In distant galaxies,the world of stars aresuch mysteries.

Large or smalland miles awaythese shiny starswill guide our way.

Grade 1, 2, 3Poem2nd prize SummerBy Nikki Shanks

Going to placesWalking, Swimming, Sun,FlowersJump on tramp – TOO

FUN! Grade 1, 2, 3Poem3rd prizeCow and MouseBy Alyssa Faith Burton

I called to a cowWho was eating some hayI said, “Will you come here,Come here and play?”

The cow came overAnd mooed to me“I’m eating right now,Please leave me be.”

I called to a mouse.Who was eating some cheese.I said “Will you come here,And eat with me please?”

The mouse came overAnd squeaked to me,“There’s a cat out here,Do you see?”

Grade 4, 5, 6Story1st prizeHamster DisasterBy Arkezia Mella

Nudging his brother, Sora came walking into the classroom. His expression was cheerful and lively like it was every day. His twin brother Roxas walked tiredly beside him. Sora gazed at Mr. Leonheart while taking out a pencil and eraser. Roxas sat beside him mirroring his brother’s actions. The bell rang several minutes ago and the rest of the class had gotten to their seats. At last Mr. Leonheart turned to the students. He greeted them with a smile and continued writing on the board. Everyone took out their books and copied the words in front of them. Roxas looked to

his brother making sure that he was doing his work. Grabbing his pencil, Sora turned his attention to the board. He had been staring at the sketches on his desk. Roxas softly elbowed his brother to look at their teacher. Mr. Leonheart watched the two boys for a moment.

“Roxas and Sora go feed the hamster,” he instructed suddenly.

Nodding, the twins headed to the corner where the cage stood. Unlocking the cage door, Roxas motioned Sora to come over. He pointed to the opened box of food on the table beside the containment facility for the class pet. Sora picked up the cardboard object and poured in the pet meal into the bowl until it was full. Roxas sighed. Finally he closed the door and waved to his brother to come back to their desks.

“Bye Hammy!” Sora exclaimed leaving the hamster to eat, walking back to his desk to continue studies.

Mr. Leonheart pointed to the board as the twins sat down. Roxas looked back to where he stood.

“Am I forgetting something?” he asked himself. Roxas shrugged and kept on writing.

An hour passed since Roxas and Sora fed Hammy. Mr. Leonheart was just about to end the grammar lesson but the bell was too fast. Once again Roxas looked back at the corner fixing his eyes on the cage. The tiny little fur ball that Roxas thought would be there was in fact gone. I knew I was forgetting something, Roxas thought shaking his head. Sora turned his head to look at his twin.

Roxas pointed to the empty cage sighing. Sora looked at his brother with a confused expression. The cheery boy’s eyes became as wide as plates when he saw that the beloved hamster was gone.

It had been a minute before both brothers saw this and they were already panicking. The tired twin suddenly twitched when he realized what could happen if his teacher found out. Noticing this, Sora shook his brother out of his still position. Roxas turned to his brother snapping away from his thoughts. “Sora, we got less then 15 minutes before the bell rings. Hammy is on the loose somewhere in the school and who knows what could happen to us if the teachers found out. We have to move!” Roxas whispered to his twin.

Sora nodded grabbing his things along with Roxas as he stared back at Mr. Leonheart who was handing out math sheets. Before their teacher could turn around both brothers were gone.

Sora grabbed Roxas’ wrist and bolted down the stairs. The pathways of the school were in front of them. The twins had a long way to go to find their beloved hamster. Down the stairs the cheerful twin went dragging his sibling along with him. A scream of pain escaped Roxas’ lips as his brother pulled him close to the lockers. Hearing this, Sora let go of his twin not wanting to attract attention. His brother rubbed his sore wrist against his shirt and gave Sora an icy glare.

Suddenly a putrid odor went passed the twins. Sora followed his nose to the scent. He found himself crouching down to the ground. It seemed to Roxas that time stopped for his brother as he watched from behind. He laughed at his sibling’s expression at the thing in front of him. Sora came back to his senses and laughed with his brother, for in front of them was a pile of poop left none other than by Hammy. But that was not all, in fact there was a trail of the brown stuff that came from the class pet. Jumping in realization, Sora reached to get his brother’s arm but he was too slow. Roxas had pulled away from his brother giving him a look of impatience.

Sora pouted. He had seen this before and opened his mouth to talk. Roxas sighed and let his twin speak.

“Roxas, we can follow this trail of poop to where Hammy is and if we’re lucky we might get away without being caught.” Sora said turning to Roxas. The tired boy nodded happily. For once his brother had actually shown him something without dragging him to it. He followed Sora as they went beside the path that the hamster made for them. They came past the library. Students lined up in front of the counter.

Ms. Darksly stood there grabbing the books and putting them into piles as the others handed them to her. The brothers saw nothing wrong there. You see in their school the brothers thought that if anything was wrong there would be a large crowd of people talking about it or that the principal would scream something out loud throughout the school.

In the computer lab that the boys looked in stood Mr. Dalin who was currently looking over someone’s shoulders but everything seemed okay there. The boys reached the gym as they followed the trail of hamster droppings. Mr. Ienzo leaned on a corner of a wall watching everyone do their laps. He was as quiet as usual. No wonder everyone wondered why he got picked to be a gym teacher but at least he wasn’t as bad as Mr. Flowers. Sora and Roxas walked on.

At last the twins came to a stop at the office. Secretary Saix had gone for his break and no one was watching the students that sat there. Typical, Superior Xemnas wouldn’t care about us unless it was a real emergency. In this case he wouldn’t even lift a finger Roxas thought as he went ahead of Sora. They entered the large room with other doors that lead to somewhere else in the school. They came to a room with the door wide open.

On the wooden structure was a sheet of paper saying: “Superior Xemnas’ office. Do not disturb!” The twins ignored the sign and crept into the room. A large desk with papers stood at the center of the room. Two shelves leaned on each wall. A red spinning chair was behind the desk. Tick, tock, tick, tock, went the clock on the wall. Sniffing loudly, Sora walked over to the desk and pulled the comfy chair back. A small furry figure lay in the middle of it. The body rose up and down as it breathed.

“Hammy!” both brothers exclaimed but clamped their hands over their mouths as they heard someone stepping into the room. A man wearing all black stared at the boys. The one nearest to the chair picked the fur ball up and quickly hid it behind his back. “Why the Strife brothers, I’m so glad to see you. What is your reason to be here?” he asked curiously with a hint of anger. The siblings looked at each other trying to get an idea of a reason they would be here. “Boys, meet me after school in detention. I’ll have the janitor pick up after your little pet’s mess. But as for your punishment, you are to clean my room and sort through my papers.”

Roxas stood beside his brother as they walked home. He sighed in relief that it wasn’t too late that their parents would be expecting them. He looked down at his sore wrist remembering about how he got dragged down the hallway. The tired twin looked at his brother that skipped ahead of him. He made a mental note to himself that if he was to ever feed the hamster again that he would make sure that the cage was locked before he left. Roxas ran as fast as he could to his brother. “Wait up!”

Smiling, Sora watched his brother take the keys out of his pocket. He could see the marks of his nails on the other’s wrist. His legs suddenly began to hurt as he caught sight of the time he ran downstairs dragging along his brother with him. Sora realized that if he had been more careful none of this would have happened. From now on, he thought to himself, that if he ever got picked to feed Hammy again he would pay more attention.

Grade 4, 5, 6Story2nd prize The Vampire TownBy Michaela Kinnear

Once there lived a girl named Kristy. Kristy was moving to a place called Funky Town with her little sister and her parents.

As they were driving to their new house, her little sister Max and Kristy were crammed into the back seat of their car. Max was driving Kristy nuts. “Cut it out Maxi Pad!” she called her when she was pinching her. “The mad pincher strikes again!!!!! Wahaha,” Max said with a grin.

My mom looked back and said, “Cut it out you two,” in a not so happy tone.

So Kristy and Max sat back and stared out the window for what seemed to be about an hour. I looked over at Max and she had pulled out a book about animals.

“How much longer?” I groaned.

“We are here!” mom replied.

I jumped out of the car and looked at our new house.

“Cool,” Max said.

A few minutes later the moving trucks pulled into the driveway. The driver got out and opened the back and started to move stuff into the house.

“Need some help?” my dad asked the man.

“No, thanks” he replied.

He kept unloading the truck until all our stuff was in the house. “Which room do I get?” I asked excitedly.

“The one with the balcony,” mom said pointing to a room on the second floor that had huge windows and a balcony off the side.

I finally fell asleep after a long day and night unpacking. I awoke with a start when I felt something biting at my neck. It was a vampire thirsty for my blood. In horror I tried to scream but no sound came out of my mouth. I was covered in a cold sweat.

I told my mom about this freaky vampire story and she told me not to worry, it just was a bad dream. She said that we had just moved to a new house and I would get used to the new place. I just had to relax.

Later that day I had to go to school. The school was called Vamp. High.

“You realize that in order for you to become a vampire you have to drink some human blood!” my science teacher said.

I had already made two friends Mandy and Bob. Bob was a real jerk, well at least sometimes he was. After school I walked home. I had just walked in the house when I heard on the news that this town was all vampires, and humans that tried to come here would die.

That night Kristy did not eat her dinner. She just wanted to go to bed. She heard the howl of wolves a few miles away.

A few weeks after the big move, Kristy and her family went to go to meet the Mayor.

“You folks are human!!!!” she said showing her fangs.

“Yes of course we are,” my dad said.

“Do you know the rules here?” she asked.

“Noooooo,ooooo,we don’t,” I had replied rather scared.

“We kill anyone not like us, so I say KILL THEM ALL!!!!” the mayor yelled.

We took off down the road, and got back to the house. “Let’s move back to New York,” dad said to all of us.

The next day we got the same moving company and moved back to New York. Behind the truck Kristy and her family drove in their car. As they drove home Kristy looked back to see several vampires staring at them leaving. A few minutes later Kristy turned to her sister and said, “Oh, Maxi Pad!” and it all started again. But this time there were no vampires where we were going.

Grade 4, 5, 6Story3rd prizeThe Bike FightBy Chris Barclay

“Zack, are you coming biking after school? We’re going to ride the trails by your house today,” Mike yelled from the bike rack.

“Sure, I’ll come. Who else is coming?” Zack called back to Mike.

“Bill and Max,” said Mike.

“Great, I’ll be there!” said Zack.

Just as Zack was about to get on his nice new Kona mountain bike, someone laughed at him and punched his arm. It was a kid on a BMX bike.

“Why would you want to ride that junk pile when you can go to the skate park and go BMXing. Mountain biking is for losers,” said the kid on the BMX bike.

“Knock it off! Who cares what riding you do!” Zack replied angrily.

Then Zack got on his bike and rode away.

Zack was twelve years old but you may not have thought that at first, because he was a lot smaller than his friends. Zack had short, light brown hair. His friends Mike, Bill and Max all had dark hair and were tall. Zack sometimes had to tell them to slow down when he was biking with them, but they were great friends anyway.

Later that day, Zack and his friends met at the bike trails. They were going into the entrance, with Zack leading them, when Zack suddenly slammed his brakes on hard.

“Why did you do that?!” Bill shouted at Zack.

“Check this out!” Zack told Bill.

Zack was staring at an awesome looking trail. It had everything you would want in a bike trail! There were free-ride obstacles, some dirt jumps and lots of other fun things, but it looked really dark and scary.

“Are you sure we should ride this?” asked Max.

“Of course,” announced Zack.

Zack slowly started to pedal down the trail, with his friends behind him. After a while, Zack and his friends started to get over that it was scary and had fun. Actually, maybe they were becoming a little too careless. At one point, Mike yelled “Yahoo!” and when Zack turned his head to see what happened, it was too late. Mike had already hit a big dirt jump and tried to land a frontflip! Unfortunately, he didn’t get enough speed to clear the gap. He lost his bike in midair and went crashing to the ground in the middle of the gap.

“We need to get him to a hospital!” Bill yelled.

“I’ll go get help,” said Max.

“I’ll stay here with Mike,” said Zack.

Soon, Bill and Max arrived. They said that an ambulance was at the entrance of the trail and sure enough, it was. It turns out Mike broke his arm and his ankle, but he was lucky considering the kind of crash he’d been in.

About three months later, Zack, Mike, Bill and Max met at the trail where Mike’s accident had taken place. They had fun riding and this time, they went even deeper into the new trail.

At one point, they found a really long narrow wooden bridge that went across a very deep canyon. Zack, Mike, Bill and Max all slowly started to bike across. In one place, the bridge was broken and they had to jump across on their bikes. Everyone made the jump successfully but when it was Max’s turn, he wasn’t so lucky.

When Max started to ride up to the gap, he was a bit nervous and went slowly. The problem with that was, he had to go really fast to make the jump. He came to the gap and started the jump. Then, he got his bike up and it looked like he would clear it, but just as he was about to land, his bike suddenly nosedived! Fortunately, he just had enough speed to make it across and land safely.

“Are you OK?” Zack asked Max.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Max replied.

After that, the group made it across the rest of the bridge and kept riding down the trail.

Then, they heard laughing and cheering coming from around a bend in the trail. When they went around the corner, they saw something they didn’t want to see. They saw about twenty kids on BMX bikes! The kids had set up a bunch of ramps right in the middle of the trail and were having a huge BMX freestyle competition.

“They ruined our trail!” yelled Bill.

“Not so loud. Those kids might hear you,” replied Mike.

“How do we get past those kids?” asked Max.

“We don’t. We go right through. They’re so busy pulling off those dumb tricks of theirs’, they won’t even notice us,” replied Zack.

“Ok, we go in on three. One, two, three, CHARGE!” yelled Bill.

All four mountain bikers went racing toward the BMX competition. It looked like they would make it through, until they got to the half-pipe. That’s when one of the kids on the BMX bikes noticed them.

“Hey look, by the half-pipe. It’s some mountain bikers trying to ruin our competition. Get them!” yelled one of the kids on the BMX bikes.

All of a sudden, the BMX bikers stopped doing their tricks and all looked at the mountain bikers going through the half-pipe. Then, the mountain bikers and the kids on BMX charged each other and started a gigantic brawl!

After it was all over, only one person was hurt badly. It was one of the kids on BMX. Even though they had a huge fight just minutes ago, Zack, Mike, Bill and Max ran over to help the kid. “Mike, Bill, Max, you stay here. I’ll go get help and call 911.

Just as Zack left, Mike went over to the kid to see what had happened. The kid’s helmet had gone flying off during the fight and now Mike could see his face. It was the kid on the BMX who had bullied Zack in the school parking lot a while back.

Just as Zack was coming back on his bike, Mike yelled, “Come right away! You won’t believe this!”

“What is it? Is the kid OK?” asked Zack.

“Yeah, he’s fine, but come see this,” Mike replied.

Zack rushed over to find out what was happening, but before he could, the kid who was hurt said to Zack, “I’m sorry about calling your bike a junk pile and I’m sorry for bullying you at school. I don’t know what got into me. I know your style of riding doesn’t suck. Our styles are just different. I actually do some mountain biking every now and then. So does everyone think all bikes are cool now?”

A bunch of cheers went up and everyone knew that they had settled their differences.

Then, they heard the ambulance coming in from behind the BMX ramps. They saw the kid get loaded onto a stretcher and then put into the back of the ambulance. Then all the kids waved good-bye. After the ambulance was gone, the BMX competition started up again, but this time, Zack and his friends stayed to watch. They had a great time watching the cool tricks on the ramps, but most of all, they learned to set aside their differences with the BMX bikers. They also learned to respect someone no matter what they do.

Grade 4, 5, 6Poem1st prize Night in the WoodsBy Charlie Slaney

Out in the woods there was a cabinwhere students go in the winter.They ski all dayAnd both work and playAnd then come in for dinner.

Clothes hung to dry, skis putaway, children were all fully fed.Jammies on rightOut goes the light.The children were snug in their beds.

Full moon overhead silently shining while the shadows danced on the wall.Out of the blackThat NOISE is back!That NOISE should’ve stopped in the fall.

One kid screamed, another kidmoaned, the third kid gave out a yell.Up stood the neck hairIt gave all a real scare.This night was not going well!

The NOISE was getting louder,closer, near as the air filled to the brim with fear.Getting ready to biteBuzzing through the night.The pesky mosquitoes were HERE!

Grade 4, 5, 6Poem2nd prizeThe fun of readingBy Arkezia Mella

I like to read because it’s funFantasy and mystery are number one!Dragons and shadows looming in the nightMy dreams about these books might give you a fright!

I like to read because it’s coolIt takes you to places away from school.Far away to imaginary landsThat God molded with his hands.

I like to read because I just doI’m sure if you try it, you’ll love it too.Try it just once and you’ll seeThat reading is fun for you and me!

Grade 4, 5, 6Poem3rd prize Junk food delightBy Brice Parker

Heavenly, inspiring creamytaste whooshing around my mouth,Melting, dreamy, smooth

sensation makes me feel fabulous.The magical taste takes me to ascrumptous, mouth-watering world.A world with fudge, truffles,cupcakes and peanut butter cups.Milk, dark, white, caramel,brownies and cakes.The sweet smell of cookies baking.I want to eat more and more and more,Of the delicious, yummy, wonderfulchocolatey aroma.So good it can only be describedby one word “CHOCOLATE.”

Grade 7, 8, 9Story1st prizeA Weasel’s adventureBy Rhianna Martin

“Now remember young weasels, as you explore Wizzard Forest, beware of Flombula.”

“Who is Flombula?” I asked nervously.

Shuddering violently, Zira, our weasel leader replied, “I’d better not say. Just stick close to other weasels and you’ll be fine.”

As I shuffled out of the burrow behind the other young weasels, I wondered once again who Flombula is. Is Flombula a very dangerous fox? Or is he a ghostly spirit who captures who and holds you hostage? I wasn’t sure if I wanted to find out.

I scampered around the forest, away from the othe weasels, searching frantically for something to eat. A rabbit would be nice, but they’re not very easy to catch.

There was a rustle in the tall green grass to my left. A vole! I love voles. They’re easy to catch and they are pretty tasty. I crouched, and bolted into the tall green grass after the delicious vole soon to be mine.

What I saw terrified me. A sharp, ebony beak and black satin eyes surrounded by mottling stood menacing before me. The large creature looked so ominous that it could only be one thing, “Flombula.”

Aggressively flapping its powerful wings, Flombula managed to take flight and with flexing talons, came swooping down, claws aimed at my sleek body.

I tried desperately to dodge Flombula, but it was no use. The talons pierced my tender skin and I was suddenly yanked up into the bright sapphire sky.

As we soared through the air, I frantically searched my mind for any possible ways to escape. I could bite Flombula, but that would just make him angry. I could push and struggle, but he had too tight of a grip on me.

Glancing ahead of us, I saw a tall fir tree, with a large nest on the top branch. Horrified, I realized Flombula was going to trap me in the nest and eat me.

Suddenly, I thought of a way to escape. It was a great plan, no it was a brilliant plan. I would release pungent musk. That was my only hope for survival.

Knowing that the Murlin’s nest was quite close, I released my musk, hoping for the best. My strategy worked. Flombula was startled by my musk and released his deathly grip on me.

I freefell. As I fell faster and faster toward land, I thought about my location. Where was I? Where had Flombula brought me?

I looked down. Directly below me was a circular pond with various sizes and shapes of lilypads. One specific lilypad, a vibrant green in the shape of a crescent stood out to me. Why did I recognize it?

Suddenly, it hit me. My friends and I used to go swimming in that pond. It was about 22 metres from our burrows. I used to gaze at that lilypad, admiring its shape and bright, cheerful colour.

Splash! I was thinking so hard about that lilypad that I didn’t even notice how quickly I was falling. I scampered out of the pond and started for home, being careful to glance up every now and then for Flombula.

When I spotted my burrow, I stopped and sat down in the grass. My painful experience with the hawk had taught me a very valuable lesson. I learned that disobedience often leads to dire consequences. I would never disobey anyone again.

Grade 7, 8, 9Story2nd prizeDrowningBy Rima Kaddoura

There it was again; that feeling of guilt. What can stop it, you ask yourself. Is there anything that will end it? You flick through a book, trying to lose yourself in the pages. Alas, you are stuck sitting in your bedroom, when you could be far off in distant lands. If only the words would let you in.

You ask yourself how can you redeem yourself … wait, what was that you said? Redeem? Could that be the answer to soothe your itching conscience, your tainted soul, your blackened heart? It must be; there is nothing else left for you, you realize. But can you gain back what you have lost? …

So many questions that run through your head as you sit, neck-deep in your own misery, up to your waist in the muddy fear that lies beneath. You must do something, and now. You can’t sit here twiddling your thumbs all day. Action is the only thing that will ease the pain of memories. You roll off your bed and onto your feet. Slipping into slightly more decent attire, you rush outside and into the cold silence by your front door. You had forgotten how unwelcoming this world could be. Oh how long it had been since you had left that lonely house. Ignoring the frigidity, you rush down your driveway and down the sidewalk that lies outstretched before you. Turning south you begin to run, faster and faster, ready to show the world how you had changed. Ready to prove to her most importantly of all that you could balance the scales between the two of you; that you could … what was the word again? … You could redeem yourself.

Grade 7, 8, 9Story3rd prize By Michael Mielniczek

Late into a clear, soundless crisp night stood an old, 15 foot torn up brick building that looked as though it had been abandoned for many years. Inside, however, a crook was plotting his crime in the moonlight.

Mr. Holican, a tall and well built middle aged man, heard some kind of noise coming towards him from outside the building. He quickly took out matches from his black pants pocket and burned his plans so no one could see them; only ashes were left behind as the person or thing entered the building. Mr. Holican quietly walked over to the moonlit window and jumped out landing on the grass. There was no sight of Mr. Holican as Zorpox the Detective entered the building.

Early the next morning when the bright, hot, sun came up around 9 o’clock am, Mr. Holican awoke in a cold, ghostly dark alley that never saw a streak of light. It was there that he had spent the night hiding. He was tired but he had to get mobile because he knew he had a long day ahead of him.

As the sun grazed across the blue sky, the time inched forward for Mr. Holican. He had managed, however, to stay well enough alert all day to stay undercover as a blind person waiting for someone, while actually examining the equipment and high security of the city bank. Right before the bank closed, he took one last look around then he walked back to the dark alley without stopping.

It was evening now and the red shimmering sun was just going down. After the moon took its place and encouraged a cool mist to settle upon the night, he began walking back to the bank but he didn’t go unnoticed. From across the street, Zorpox saw him and made a defining screeching sound while hovering fast towards him.

When Mr. Holican heard and saw Zorpox coming towards him, he ran and ran fast as he could down the sidewalk and through the dark misty streets to lose Zorpox. Zorpox, however, still knew and saw where Mr. Holican was running to. Mr. Holican had nowhere to run as he approached the dark alley.

He trapped himself in the dark alley that had a door going into an old abandoned hotel. He tried opening that rusty metal door but it was locked and Zorpox was just coming around the corner.

Mr. Holican took his strong sturdy black crowbar that he found behind a ratty garbage can sitting beside the door and ripped the door open enough so he could just fit.

Zorpox was right where Mr. Holican was standing a few seconds ago, absorbing the misty atmosphere that covered the alley. He saw the door that Mr. Holican slipped in but Zorpox was too big to fit through. Mr. Holican was in the building trying to find somewhere to hide for he

didn’t know that Zorpox couldn’t fit through the door, but he had a feeling that Zorpox could and would find another way in.

Meanwhile, Mr. Holican spent 20 long minutes looking around in the building and he discovered that this building was haunted, by seeing a big black old fashioned train that had crashed halfway into the building wall. He slowly walked closer and closer to the train then looked and found a few dead rotting bodies underneath the train. But Mr. Holican wasn’t frightened. Then he stepped into another room that had dirty ripped clothing and an old mattress he could use for sleeping, if he was to stay there for a while.

He never heard or saw Zorpox anywhere throughout the building. Since he didn’t feel like traveling and taking another risk by going outside of the building, he lay on the mattress and covered himself with the clothing. In the silence of the night he woke up to go to the bathroom but on his way there, he heard loud banging and groaning sounds coming from the big room that had the train in it. He felt the urge to check out the sounds so he slowly and quietly walked into that room. In the room he saw a glowing light shining from underneath the train and guessed that the groaning was coming from there, too. He didn’t know if he should look and see what was causing the sounds or if he should just go back to bed.

After hearing those disturbing noises growing louder and louder he decided to check it out. He cautiously bent down and saw the bodies were glowing green and flinching. Seeing that made him want to get out of the building A.S.A.P., but when he walked quickly to the door, it was shut completely and couldn’t be opened again.

He was starting to panic so he ran carelessly throughout the building trying to find another way out. He searched room by room, minute by minute, but he couldn’t find a way out. Then he heard a strange voice saying, “The only way out is underneath the train.”

He didn’t know where that voice came from but knew it wasn’t any of the dead bodies because they were still underneath the train. Or were they? He listened carefully to the voice and walked back to the train and found no bodies.

At this time, Mr. Holican was so scared he didn’t care if Zorpox the detective found him. His grateful wish came true. Zorpox was hovering right across the room on the other side of the train, except Mr. Holican noticed something different about the detective. The last time he saw Zorpox, he was blue and his body didn’t glow. He knew right away that it wasn’t Zorpox, the Detective; it was the bodies formed like him to

frighten Mr. Holican. The fake Zorpox was hovering closer and closer to Mr. Holican. Mr. Holican ran for his life, going in and out of rooms trying again to find or break a way out.

Then he came across a room that he never stepped foot in. It was the darkest soundless room in the building filled with big logs of wood stacked to the roof. He took the first few logs from the stack and threw them at the fake Zorpox with anger, hoping to knock him out, but, instead, he failed. To make it worse, the fake Zorpox was almost arms length from Mr. Holican who was now pressed against the wood stack with no place to escape. Just then, the wood stack gave way and Mr. Holican fell backwards into a path landing on his butt. As soon as the fake Zorpox saw the pathway, he quickly hovered away. Mr. Holican stood up brushing himself off and turned around to see what was behind him. A blinding flash of light was revealed.

“Of course, only light can scare away a dark creature!!” said Mr. Holican with excitement.

He still, however, didn’t know what the light was or where the light was coming from. Then, all of a sudden, the stack of wood caught on fire with flames dancing high, causing the roof of the building to catch on fire too, not to mention the pathway, as well. He had to run through the pathway to get out of the building – it was the only way out.

Suddenly, a blue gleaming orb was floating closer to him from inside the path. He had no idea what it was, but he jumped away before he caught on fire from the building.

Curiously, when he did jump, he noticed that the blue orb went right through him and that it gave him a warm, happy feeling. Instantly, he knew that the blue orb was the voice he heard earlier because the voice had given him the same comforting feeling. After this split second reflection he remembered that he was frantically falling through a big, rough hole in the ground.

He began to scream and yell at the top of his lungs until he had a sudden hard landing when he hit the ground with a thud. It was pitch black and he had no idea where he was or what was happening. He sat quietly on the ground while trying to feel around him with his hands.

“Hello? Hello?” said Mr. Holican as he was trying to find a splinter of light or a way out.

Soon, he found a little hole on the side of the hard muddy wall next to him. He took his hands and made the hole bigger by scraping and

ripping the hole. Mr. Holican took awhile making the hole bigger, but when he finished he crawled through it which led himself to a big room.

In that dirty dark room, he stood up with power and saw a blue light getting brighter and brighter through the hole he just came from. He sat down again lowest to the surface not knowing what the blue light was.

The second he sat down the light became more distinguishable – it was the blue orb that he had seen earlier! Then he heard the comforting voice again saying, “Go into that room which you came from and find the magic jewel that will grant you one wish. Think smart and good luck.”

Suddenly, after the blue orb spoke, it sank lower to the ground and melted into the dark. Mr. Holican had a feeling that the blue orb was gone forever and wouldn’t be able to help him anymore.

So, Mr. Holican did what the orb told him to do by crawling back through the hole and entering the big room. He slowly and quietly stood up. Just then he saw a light shining through a small hole that looked like someone poked at it with their fingers. Closer and closer he walked to that small hole, but the closer he walked, the more an infuriating noise grew louder and louder. That, however, didn’t interfere with him so he continued to the hole. Again, he took his hands and scraped and ripped to make the hole bigger. Carefully, but slowly, he finished making the hole bigger. Then he slowly crawled through that hole and saw himself outside.

“But, what? I didn’t get the jewel.” he shouted.

Mr. Holican was very confused because he didn’t know if he was really outside or if his eyes were playing tricks on him. He took one step ahead of him and everything became dark. He instantly knew he wasn’t outside. He was still inside of that big room but he didn’t know why he was seeing thing.

Once everthing got completely dark, he crawled back in that hole and saw the other half of that train he saw before. The bodies were in the train giving it that green glow. He had no idea what to do or more importantly where to find the magic jewel. He scrambled on his knees and hands trying to find that jewel.

Then he fell forward into a small little dip in the wall. He saw a blue light glowing in one spot of that dip. He heard that voice as he did

before but this time it was saying, “Dig, dig, deep into the wall as you’ll see what you’ll need.”

“The blue orb! It’s not gone after all!” thought Mr. Holican.

So, he began to dig and dig with his filthy hands until he reached the blue light. It turned out that the blue light was not the blue orb, just a blue glowing light coming off of that blue orb. Disappointed and confused, he reached out to grab something that he thought was a hard bumpy rock. Again, the “something” turned out to be something that it wasn’t but this time, there were no feelings of disappointment or confusion for when he pulled the object out of the wall he saw that it was the magic jewel! It looked so beautiful to him. The jewel was covered with so many different colours and it shone throughout the room, providing him with a great, bright light like a rainbow of colours.

As soon as he had that jewel in his hands, he made his wish to get out of this weird twisted building and to appear in front of the city bank. He made that wish with a great amount of strength. He closed his bloodshot eyes and when he opened them he was really outside, standing in front of the city bank! This time he knew that for sure because he saw people of all shapes and sizes walking as the wind was blowing through the tall green trees.

Before he entered the bank, he took a look around and saw Zorpox the Detective, standing right behind him. Mr. Holican was so shocked to see Zorpox that he didn’t move or run away. Zorpox looked at Mr. Holican right in the eye and hovered away without any issues. Mr. Holican was even more shocked now since the detective didn’t even recognize him. He quickly rushed up the steps and into the bank and looked into a clean, rectangular mirror that was hanging on the dry wall. He gasped. Mr. Holican did not look like himself.

Grade 7, 8, 9Poem1st prize The Colours of the rainbow through my eyesBy Katja Newman

Since I can’t see,the colours of the rainbow have a different meaning to me.

Red isThe sweet scent of roses that are in bloom all day long,and a cardinal singing its happy song.

Orange isThe fizzing of my favourite pop,and the smell of a pumpkin as you cut its top.

Yellow isIce cold lemonade on a hot summer day,and a bee buzzing around me as I play.

2Green isThe scent of freshly cut grass in the summer breeze,and the sound of wind rustling through the trees.

Blue isClean laundry that has been hung out to dry,and the voice of a lazy river just gurgling by.

Experiencing colour is not so bad you see,I just use the other senses that God has given me.

Grade 7, 8, 9Poem2nd prize What moms are made ofBy Janna-Lynn Faris

“I ask myself this question,Over and over again;What are moms made of?Can you please explain?”

“I think they’re made of hope and faith,And of overwhelming joy;And the kindness of a mother,Can never be destroyed.

Or maybe they’re made of patience,A mom needs lots of that;I don’t know how they do it,But they hardly ever get mad.

And no matter what you do,No matter what you say;They always know when something’s wrong,Or when you’ve had a bad day.

“It’s like they read your mind,They always know what’s up;They never miss a thing,And when you’re sad they cheer you up.

Moms are just so loving,They help you through the day;They show their love in all they do,And in everything they say.

They’re always there for you,They never go away;That’s the great thing about moms,They’re always there to stay.”

“Sorry to interrupt,But we’re running out of time;Please answer my question,And help me finish this rhyme.

“So what’s your final answer?What are moms made of?”“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure,I think they’re made of love!”

Grade 7, 8, 9Poem3rd prizeLife is like a breezeBy Marissa Surmatchewski

Life is like an accelerating, cool breeze, that gently wisps through a tranquil, empty meadow,at times it can take a confusing turn,drastically being set off course,disorganized chaos, twirling around like a violent tornado,sometimes embraced into the hopeful arms of the future,and at moments, the breeze frightfully increases speed and becomes intense.It travels onward leaving the past behind,once it has come and gone,it will never return again.After time the breeze will slow down,as it has reached the end of its journey,

eventually the breeze will be standing still,leaving only a trace of memories.

Grade 10, 11, 12Story1st prize By Jessica Guthrie

The following story is a true narrative told from the negative perspective of Hagar Shipley, a character in the novel The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence.

I sat there staring out the window just waiting for them to call our flight. The longer it took the more anxious I grew. How long does it take eager travelers to get off the plane and start enjoying their Floridian vacation, while we sat there waiting to get on a plane and return to our stagnant lives? At last, it was our turn to board the plane; we went when they called for all the handicapped passengers, although my mother thought it unnecessary, I was not going to wait in line any longer. I followed my mother up to the check in desk. She was constantly checking me to see if I was still following. Just because I couldn’t tell the difference between her, and most of the other passengers, did not mean we needed to be attached at the hip.

We were finally settled into our seats, when they started to board the other passengers. It was just as I imagined, it took them an eternity to lug themselves onto the aircraft and shove their over-stuffed bags into the overhead compartments, and the part that killed me was when they opened the same one twice, your junk didn’t fit the first time, what makes you think it will now?

At long last, the fanatical tourists crammed themselves into their seats and the flight attendants started their dissertation. Why was something that was supposed to be so pleasant, like a vacation, turned into a secret service mission? Such detail and precision. If I’m going to crash into the earth, going 600 km per hour, the last thing I’m going to worry about is making sure my oxygen mask is positioned correctly.

My mother has also found use of this precious time. She has started a conversation with the woman sitting beside her. Telling her no doubt of my disconcerting condition. Why must the whole world know my entire life story? Is there something that everyone finds so amusing, that I am so oblivious to? On the other hand, are their lives so dull that they need to listen to the life story of a 16 year-old girl, who, I’m sure has

not experienced the same attention grabbing events that they insist on telling as if it would have any bearing on future events in our lives.

But now my thoughts exceed me, and I can not help but wish myself into a sleep that I hope will last the remainder of this inauspicious flight.

Grade 10, 11, 12Story 2nd prize Darkness FellBy Logan Friesen

I should start by saying I have Retinitis Pigmentosa. Because of this condition, I cannot see in the dark, which brings me to this horrific tale.

My school was in the midst of a renovation which seemed to go on forever. First class had just ended; next class was Gym. The class rushed to the change rooms because we only have three minutes to change. However, as we entered the hallway, the lights unexpectedly went out. Everyone went rushing past me: not realizing I couldn’t see as I hesitantly took a few more steps. The next thing I knew, I collided into what turned out to be a ladder with a very puzzled and somewhat annoyed construction worker standing on it. I instantaneously crashed to the floor wondering what I had hit. Finally, in all the commotion, my classmates noticed me on the floor.

Whether out of shock or embarrassment, I started laughing to no end, along with everyone else except for the bewildered worker on the ladder. Ten minutes later, we made it to the gym.

Grade 10, 11, 12Story3rd prizeA new member in the familyBy Ana Gschwend

On June 21, 2008, my mother and I welcomed a new member into our family of two. It wasn’t a baby brother or sister, something which I’d love to have. It was a seven week old golden retriever puppy. But there’s a little more to this story than just the fact that we got another dog—the third one since I was a baby. And here’s the story.

The day before, my uncle had seen an ad in the paper that advertised the sale of seven golden retriever puppies out in the town of Lowe Farm, Manitoba.

When I found out that we could be getting a puppy the next day (they were going to the farm were the puppies were being sold the next day) I was not happy. I had not lived full-time with a puppy before, and only knew two other blind children who’d had that, what I still call, misfortune.

And one of those kids had to give the dog dog away (well, her family did) because it was too hyper. So, I worried about how our dog would turn out. The next day, at around 12:30 PM, my mom, aunt, and uncle came back to our house, and I went to the bottom of the basement stairs to listen for the sound of a set of dog’s paws running across our hardwood floors. When my mom said that they’d brought two dogs home with them, I was not happy at all. I rushed upstairs and started shutting the bedroom doors so the puppies couldn’t go in there.

Our puppy, along with my aunt and uncle’s puppy, had already been given a name. Our dog was named Gabby, and their dog was named Mindy. Our dog was given her name because on the way home from the farm, she whined and yipped since she hated being in the car. I don’t really know why Mindy was given her name, but oh well.

For three weeks, while my aunt and uncle were on a pre-planned holiday, we had both puppies. And like human siblings, the two sisters started fighting with each other soon afterwards.

But my mother was able to housebreak both dogs in just 3 weeks, and with the help of some kind dog loving neighbors who took the dogs when we went out, we were able to stay sane. I slept in the basement bedroom while the two puppies were here and were being house broken. To make this story short, within a few months we put them in obedience classes, and they were spayed on Nov. 13 of last year even before their first heat!

Now, they are much calmer and a little more obedient, but I think our dog is more calmer than Mindy because she’s not allowed to get away with as much unruliness as Mindy (Mindy’s owners let her sit on their laps, nibble gently at their fingers, and be, in my oppinion, a disruption while we’re eating over there; she’s allowed to ask for attention and to go around and sniff people). Now, our dog is a year old, just like her sister. They still fight sometimes, but maybe one day they’ll stop that

silliness. I have hope. But we are now a happy family of three – my mom, Gabby, and me. Gabby and her sister still have some maturing to do, but they will stay with their owners for a good long time.

Grade 10, 11, 12Poem1st Prize WingsBy Courtland Northcott

There we sit in the skyWatching as the world goes by.With our halos made of goldWith people new and people old.With our wings we take flightFlying under our sun’s light.Looking down towards the groundWe see things lost have now been found.At a time our reasons had been lostWhen saving a life there is a cost.Here we float on fragile wingsWatching as that person sings.The one once at death’s doorStill lives on forever more.

Grade 10, 11, 12Poem2nd prize Somewhere beyond the deepest of seasBy Erica Vandelaar

Hope is the foundation of what we want to believe;If we do not think it, we will not achieve it.It is deeper than the deepest of the deep blue sea.Some might dive for days, might never reach the bottom,Others will float along the top waiting for the wave,To help get us up to where we must be.For some, that wave will never come near one's dreams.Hope is the beautiful quality of life necessary to survive,Keeps us on our feet, what gets us out of bed.The sea is open, it is wide, full of questions.It is much deeper than the million stars of the night.Hearts are open, it is wide, our eyes full of questions.

Our souls as deep as the heart of the sea.It is hope, it is what we need to stay alive.It is the ray of light that shinesthrough the darkest of the nights.

Grade 10, 11, 12Poem3rd prize FriendsBy Katie Sinden

Sometimes when you cry,no one sees your tears.

Sometimes there isn’t anyone thereto feel your sadness.

Sometimes when you are happy,no one is there to share the happiness.

Sometimes when you’re laughing,there’s no one to laugh with you.

Sometimes when you’re full of joy,There’s no one to spread the joy to others.

Sometimes when you walk a lonely road,There isn’t always someone to greet you at the end.

Sometime when we just don’t know what to say, do or feel,We are thankful that we have friends.