PRIMARY WINNERS

Best advertisement

Highly commended:
SHANAIS STANEKE Jewells Public School
TASMAN FELL Newcastle East Public School
Winner: ISABELLA MAJOR Wadalba Community School (Isabella's advertisement strongly promoted the Newcastle Permanent's theme of financial awareness by equating in a clever and cute manner how hard bees work to make honey with how people have to work hard to save money).

Best editorial illustration
Highly commended:
DANIEL STUCHBURY Floraville Public School
EVELY ROCUANT St Patrick's Primary School Swansea
Winner: TAYLAH WILNIERAK and DYLAN GLASSOP St Therese's Primary School New Lambton (Taylah and Dylan's cartoon used humour to reflect the dangers of climate change highlighted in the accompanying editorial which they also played a part in writing.)

Best editorial
Highly commended:
TOM WILLIAMS Wyong Creek Public School
COURTNEY BOCKING and KEIRA McLOSKEY Pretty Beach Public School.
Winner: COURTNEY WHITE Medowie Public School (Courtney highlighted a very current development issue in her area that will affect many people beyond her own school community, calling in a mature manner for young people's needs and views to be considered.)

Best news story
Highly commended:
BETHANY SCIFFER, NIKAYLA LEARY and SARAH SPENCER Tenambit Public School
GEORGIA LANTRY and CAITLYN BAIRD Hinton Public School
Winner: GRANT HARRIS, NICK SAIN and LUCAS WRIGHTSON Jewells Public School
(This group of writers addressed an extremely serious issue of concern to children and staff at many other schools in their area with a genuinely informative news story that was balanced and sensible in its approach.)

Young Photographer of the Year
Highly commended:
WILLIAM MILLER St Joseph's Primary School Gloucester
HAYLEY MONTGOMERY Wyong Creek Public School
Winner: SHELBY NIGHTINGALE Belmont North Public School
(Shelby's picture captured in larger-than-life fashion an iconic moment in Australian life, snapping a schoolmate taking part in a thong-throwing contest at a school sports day, almost causing the reader to duck as the thong appears about to jump out of the page.)

Young Writer of the Year
Highly commended:
COURTNEY WHITE Medowie Public School
TOM WILLIAMS Wyong Creek Public School
Winner: COURTNEY BOCKING and KEIRA McLOSKEY Pretty Beach Public School
(Courtney and Keira strongly expressed an opinion about a serious safety issue with an essential part of the local community's transport infrastructure, making a strong call for government action before a tragedy occurs.)


Best school newspaper
Highly commended:
MARKS POINT PUBLIC SCHOOL and
HOLY CROSS PRIMARY SCHOOL GLENDALE.
Winner: HINTON PUBLIC SCHOOL
(Hinton Public School produced an entry in which all the stories addressed subjects that would be of interest to the wider community, a strong editorial and call to action on a very serious subject, accompanied by an illustration that reflected the dangers of binge-drinking, and a simple but highly effective advertisement on the building society's financial awareness theme.)

SECONDARY WINNERS

Best advertisement
Highly commended:
JILLIAN WALES and CAITLIN COOPER St Paul's Booragul
JOSHUA CHAPMAN Belmont High
Winner: SARAH WEEDON Gosford High School
(Sarah's advertisement captured the Newcastle Permanent's financial awareness theme of the nneed for people to save for their future by highlighting how life's uncertainties can throw up obstacles and adversity.)

Best editorial illustration
Highly commended:
CALLUM BORWELL Lambton High
STEPHEN George Anderson Walpole School
Winner: ALICE GILBERT San Clemente High Mayfield
(Alice produced an editorial cartoon that would hardly be out of place in any major Australian daily newspaper, using a brilliant but simple drawing to highlight discrimination.)

Best editorial
Highly commended:
SALINA SAFAR Lakes Grammar Anglican School
STEPHEN and AARON George Anderson Walpole School
DANIEL HARDY Toronto High
Winner: JARED DAILEY West Wallsend High
(Jared produced a passionate and insightful opinion and a call for action from his local community on the issue of under-age alcohol use, highlighting the hyprocrisy of some adults and parts of the law in the process.)

Best news story
Highly commended:
KIERAN COTTERILL, LAURA DANKS-LALCHERE and JUSTIN GRAINGER Scone High
BRIANNA BARRY Belmont High
Winner: SAMANTHA SANDERS and MATTHEW WALLACE Swansea High
(Samantha and Matthew reported in a very newslike manner on an issue of great importance to youth in their area while also balancing their story with the opinions of opponents of the skate park plan.)

Young Photographer of the Year
Highly commended:
EMILY STOLLARD Glendale Technology High
JACK DAWSON Scone High
Winner: MATTHEW WALLACE Swansea High
(Matthew produced an action-packed, tight picture that highlighted the issue of the unsuitabity of skating in public places, reflecting the need for a designated skate park raised in the story.)

Young Writer of the Year
Highly commended:
STEPHEN George Anderson Walpole School
DANIEL HARDY Toronto High
Winner: SALINA SAFAR Lakes Grammar Anglican School
(Salina showed great courage to raise the issue of and need for Australian communities to cater for new migrants to make their transition easier and to prevent future social problems.)


Best school newspaper
Highly commended:
Lake Munmorah High School
George Anderson Walpole School
Winner: Scone High School
(Scone High has again produced an extremely newsworthy entry, highlighting the industrial and rural diversity of its town and region, complemented by creative photography, excellent artwork and an editorial about an issue that, in the manner of daily newspapers, was linked to a news story in the entry).