Eliza was absent

If…It’s a funny little word. Just two letters, one syllable and yet so full of potential. The word ‘if’ allows us to explore the future: if it is sunny tomorrow, I will go to the park. It allows us to consider alternatives and possibilities: if I work hard, I’ll succeed; and it allows us to delve into the world of make believe: if dragons were real, then I would use one to guard my biscuit cupboard.

If was the subject of these year’s Little Star Magazine Short Story competition. As a judge for the competition, I was amazed by the range of ideas and the endlessly different thoughts that this little word was able to inspire in the pupils. Indeed, there were legends of fantasy lands, warnings of future dystopias resulting from humans’ negligent attitudes to the environment and romantic tales of lovers parted by death.

Choosing the winning entrants from amongst this myriad of ideas was no mean feat and thankfully the decision was not mine alone. A judging panel made up of teachers from across international schools in China, as well as professional writers and journalists, decided that six of our very own Wellington pupils’ stories stood out as some of the best. In the under-9s category, Andrew Seel and Tristan Li were awarded a complementary prize. Eliza Ruffle and Mia Wu were given a complementary prize and 3rd place respectively in the 10-12 year old age group, and from the 13-16 years group, Nicolas Ho and Ryan Yoo were also complementary prize winners. This is an incredible achievement for these pupils and we congratulate them for their hard work and imagination.

These pupils were clearly inspired by the subject matter and in turn, their stories inspired the judges. Our aim is that, in their time at Wellington, all pupils will have the opportunity to find what it is that inspires them. Whether that be a scientific concept, a piece of music, a character in a play, a fitness regime, or any of the other multitude of ideas and experiences that they are exposed to every day, we are determined to help each child find their inspiration. Because it is when we are inspired that we go on to achieve greatness.

Lauren Bates