GEORGE Street Primary School Prep student, Sienna Annett, had her writing skills recognised recently when she was shortlisted for a national poetry competition.

Created by Red Room Poetry in partnership with The Australian Botanic Garden, Poem Forest is a national competition that invites students and teachers to use their words to make positive climate action.

For every nature poem received, a tree is planted to help heal habitats and create a Poem Forest for future generations, with 10,700 poem trees planted since 2021.

Under the guidance of George Street Primary School’s two Prep teachers, Sharlene Cooper and Tanya Dean, students wrote poems inspired by nature and entered them into the Poem Forest competition last term, contributing to more than 5700 entries received across the country. 

Sienna’s poem titled ‘The Throne’ made the shortlist of 80 poems written by teachers and students across all categories, with her poem being selected as one of nine to be shortlisted in the ‘Lower Primary F/K-Y3’ category.

Ms Cooper said all students wrote a poem based on their perceptions of nature, with Sienna’s comparing a tree stump to a throne.

“Sienna wrote hers about a beautiful tree stump that she describes as a ‘throne’ for a queen,” she said.

“Sienna has read her poem for the ABC radio and (was) in the running for a share in $5000 worth of prizes.

“We are so proud of her efforts.”

George Street Primary School principal, Tina Walkeden, said she was “very impressed” with Sienna’s writing and was extremely proud of her for progressing in the competition.

“We were really excited to see one of our Preps achieve high results considering it’s statewide,” she said.

“To know that again George Street is achieving exceptional results … it really shows the teaching and learning going on.”

The winners of the Poem Forest competition were announced last Thursday and while Sienna did not win in her category, she was stoked to have made it to the finals.

All entries received for the Poem Forest competition are published in Red Room Poetry’s digital library.