Pupils who have been taking part in a creative writing competition were awarded for their poetic and literary efforts at a civic ceremony last week.
Hundreds of children from primary schools across the city submitted entries into the Arooj creative writing competition, with 27 pupils being short listed as potential winners. The winner in each category, poetry, story and calligraphy, was announced at a special ceremony at Leeds Civic Hall.
The competition, which is in its sixth year, is organised by Leeds City Council's Inclusion team and is part of a project which aims to increase attainment in pupils of Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage. The aim of the Arooj project is to work closely with primary schools with the largest populations of these pupils to help to close the gap in attainment.
This year's theme was 'If I were….'. Awards were presented to winners and highly commended pupils in each category by the Lord Mayor of Leeds Councillor Judith Chapman. The winners received a book and a special notebook to encourage their writing talents, highly commended entries all received a book.
"Well done to everyone who entered the competition, there are a lot of talented young people in Leeds. A lot of hard work has gone into creating these lovely poems and stories and they are a credit to the pupils and their schools.
Entertainment was provided by pupils from Arooj schools and included singing from the CHESS schools choir and a performance of an extract from Romeo and Juliet by pupils from Rosebank PS. Peter Chand, a renowned story-teller who has worked with the pupils during the year also entertained the audience with his riotous stories.
The Inclusion team have developed a creative curriculum project with a focus on Muslim heritage, which has had a dramatic impact in terms of engagement and motivation of pupils and parents as well as increasing attainment and attendance.
If I were a volcano…..
spewing oozing lava from my deep pit.
the fire I control is more than just hot.
Smash, bang, boom its nothing but a shock!
you will be paralyzed in fear and stand in despair.
this scorching beast has awoken from a deep long sleep.
before you ruin a person's life.
to the ones you see as weak?
or the fear leaves them devastated?
You have no right to try and take that away.
by saying things that just aren't true.
But you are a bully, malicious and mean.
So I would think twice. If I were you ………..