Please note: this is an archived news article release
This article was published on Tuesday, 8 December, 2020. The information contained within may be out of date or inaccurate. News articles and media releases older than 60 days are archived for future reference.
Posted on Tuesday 8th of December, 2020,
The winners of the 2020 Greater Shepparton Story Writing Competition for Grade 5 and 6 students were presented with a professionally printed copy of their book at Goulburn Valley Grammar School last week.
The winners, Miriam Ford and Lila Plunkett, also received a certificate for their winning book Little Things which will now be included as part of the local book bag program for 12 months, and handed out to children attending their 3.5 year Maternal and Child Health visit.
The book competition is an initiative of the Greater Shepparton Early Years Language workgroup, which is part of the Greater Shepparton City Council’s Best Start program. This is the seventh year the workgroup has run the competition, which is open to all Grade 5 and 6 students attending a school in Greater Shepparton.
The workgroup wanted to include a local story as part of the book bag program and to celebrate local young talent. Nearly 1,000 children receive this bag each year from their Maternal and Child Health nurse.
“Reading is such an important and enjoyable activity and the program hopes to encourage a love of books and reading amongst children and their families,” Council Acting Director Community Amanda Tingay said.
Students were asked to write and illustrate an original story and could partner with another student if they wished. Primary schools could select up to three entries from their students to put forward for judging.
“We received 30 fantastic entries from 12 different primary schools, which is wonderful considering the challenges we have all faced with COVID-19 this year. The quality of the entries received was very high and the creative and colourful illustrations really added to the stories,” Ms Tingay said.
“An independent, three-person judging panel had the very difficult task of selecting a winner and said it was extremely tough this year. In the end all three judges agreed Little Things was the winning story for 2020, so congratulations to Miriam and Lila.
“A copy of all 30 stories will be placed in the Shepparton Library so the community can go in and have a look at the wonderful young talent we have here in Greater Shepparton, and a copy of the winning story will also be sent to every primary school in Greater Shepparton.”
The students’ school also receives a $100 voucher to purchase books and all runners up receive a certificate.
More News from Greater Shepparton
Thursday 16th of October,
Community invited to participate in Aussie Bird Count
Greater Shepparton City Council and RiverConnect are encouraging community members to participate in Australia’s largest annual citizen science event – Aussie Bird Count. Read more
Tuesday 14th of October,
Council awards contract for construction of new Cosgrove Landfill Cell
Greater Shepparton City Council has awarded the construction contract for the next landfill cell at Cosgrove Three, securing future waste disposal capacity and supporting sustainable waste management across the region. Read more
Monday 13th of October,
Greater Shepparton secures back-to-back Australian Junior Motocross Championships
Greater Shepparton City Council, in partnership with the Goulburn Valley Junior Motorcycle Club, is proud to announce it has been selected to host the Australian Junior Motocross Championships in both 2026 and 2027. Read more
Thursday 9th of October,
Council urges community to have their say on VicGrid’s Renewable Energy Zone proposal
The Victorian Government, through VicGrid, has released its Victorian Transmission Plan, identifying several Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) across the state, in areas it considers most suitable for future solar and wind farm development. Read more
Friday 3rd of October,
Make your next career move at Council’s Early Years Recruitment Day
Greater Shepparton City Council is excited to announce its third Empowering Early Years Recruitment Day, designed to connect passionate people with rewarding careers in early childhood education. Read more
Thursday 2nd of October,
Greater Shepparton to host 2026 Murray-Darling Association National Conference
Greater Shepparton is proud to be announced as the host city for the 2026 Murray-Darling Association National Conference. Read more
See All News
Want to get the latest news and events in your Facebook feed?
Just go to our Facebook page and click the Like button.
More Events in Greater Shepparton
Monday 20th of October,
Victorian Seniors Festival - Saving Photos & Slides to Digital Files at Shepparton Library
Make digital copies of your photos, slides and negatives that can be easily shared and printed. Read more
Thursday 23rd of October,
Mandarin Rhyme & Story Time at Shepparton Library
Session is delivered in Mandarin and English. Read more
Tuesday 21st of October,
Messy Play
Messy is a sign of an active mind! Read more
Saturday 18th of October,
CBL Shepparton Gators Basketball
Shepparton Gators Women's and Men's CBL teams take on the Albury Cougars at home in Round 3 of the 2025 CBL season. Read more
Wednesday 22nd of October,
Goulburn Valley Water presents LET’S GROW: WATERWISE GARDENS -- FREE GARDENING EVENT
Join landscape architect Louise Costa and native plant guru Cathy Olive to discover how to design gardens that thrive in the Goulburn Valley’s typically dry summer climate. Goulburn Valley Water is celebrating… View on Riverlinks
Sunday 19th of October,
Riverlinks presents Shepparton Brass and Wind Annual Concert - 'EPIC'
Come and celebrate an EPIC year of Shepparton Brass and Wind - showcasing our performances from this years National Band Championships C Grade win and State Band Championships, with songs including Scenes… View on Riverlinks
See All Events