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Finalists announced in School is Cool competition
3rd August 2011
Finalists announced in School is Cool competition
More than 2500 entries have been received in what is believed to be New Zealand’s largest ever online children’s art competition.
Thousands of children from early childhood centres and primary and intermediate schools around the country took part in the School is Cool competition run by NZEI Te Riu Roa.
Entrants have now been narrowed down to a pool of 160 finalists from which ten category winners and three grand prize winners will be chosen.
The finalists will be judged by award-winning children’s author and illustrator Gavin Bishop, and Wellington art teacher Gretchen Buwalda.
The competition, sponsored by NZEI’s quarterly magazine Education Aotearoa, celebrates New Zealand’s internationally well-regarded public education system – inviting teachers and students to identify and talk about what they like about school.
Education Aotearoa Editor Jane Blaikie says “we’ve had entries from all over the country from small and large schools, country and city schools, kura, integrated schools and other schools of special character. We’ve also had more than 100,000 hits on the competition website www.schooliscool.org.nz”
Standout schools are - Kauri Park in Beach Haven with seven finalists, St Columbas Catholic School in Frankton with eight, and Kaiapoi Borough School and Ahipara School with four.
“Children think School Is Cool for a range of reasons, some common and some unique. They love maths, English, music, art, libraries, computers sports, kapa haka, and school trips. Other popular themes were culture, the school environment, friends and great teachers,” she says.
Prizes have been sponsored by Edtech and individual category winners will each receive an iPod Touch. The three overall winners’ schools will receive a set of iPads – 5 iPads for first place, 3iPads for second, and 2 iPads for third.
Competition winners will be announced on August 15. Go to www.school.org.nz to see all the fantastic entries.
ENDS
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