Westmount kids
chase their dreams / 1

Local students show off their literary stuff
in Westmount schools Writing Competition.

Introduction by Wayne Larsen.

In what has become an annual tradition in Westmount schools, the McEntyre Writing Competition always attracts a wide variety of thoughtful and creative entries, and the 2015 edition was no exception.

Endowed by the late Peter McEntyre, mayor of Westmount from 1969 to 1971, the competition encourages young writers to express themselves on a designated topic, each designed to get the creative juices flowing. It is coordinated each year by the Westmount Public Library.

This year, “Chasing a Dream” was the topic assigned to students in grades 1 through 11.

While local newspapers have printed the names of the winners each year, space restrictions made it impossible to publish all of the winning essays. Now, for the first time, Westmount Magazine presents the full texts of the first-place entries in each grade category, as supplied by the Westmount Public Library. Here are the first four:

Grade 1 — Maya Gomez of The Study

Write Your Story

In my future I see myself as an author. I’d write all about my family, my friends, and get inspired by other authors. I would write children’s books, and adult books that teach you how to connect with your loved ones. I would like my readers to feel peaceful when they read my tales. They will be non-fiction. This career will let my imagination flow!

To be an author you need to have a lot of experience in writing, and you need to understand your writing. You would also need to read all the time. You need to enter a lot of writing completions so that people will know you’re a writer.

Grade 2 — Ethan Curtis of Selwyn House

Do You Want To Be A Writer?

Once upon a time in a magical palace there was a named Antonio. One day a Roman adult came and stole the princess of Athens, He was terrible! He shipped her to Brazil so Antonio went on an adventure and he did stuff you have never done before.

He fought a legendary ice dragon, and crossed the atlantic ocean with sea serpents is it he crossed it he found a mystic land and he fought a skeleton king and his army with zombies.

Finally he got to Brazil and he did nothing because he didn’t know anything about Brazil so he walked around. Then he heard a growl. It was a leopard. He fought the leopard and he tamed the leopard then he rode it through the rainforest and he got to the village and saved the princess THE END or is it just the beginning?

*On Animal planet they say that the leopard is the most ferocious wild cat.

Grade 3 — Nyla Starr of ECS

Chasing my ballet dream

My dream is to be a ballerina
I like ballet so much
When I move I move with the music
When I do ballet it’s amazing
My body moves
Difficult moves
Slow moves
Fun moves
Lots of other moves
Teachers helping mw accomplish these moves
Encouraging every step I do
Watching other ballerinas
I can see what to do
My dream is to be a ballerina
I like ballet so much

Grade 4 — Sophia Harasymowycz of The Study

War

War, yes, war. The most tragic and disappointing thing in the world.

I have one wish, one dream, only one! I wish that war stops now.
Right now, this century, this year, this hour, this minute and
this second. I wish.

I wish that there actually was peace on earth! That the
world was filled with delight, joy, emotions, laughter and much more.
I wish that the tanks stop shooting bombs, the blood stops dripping,
the horrible, dark, gloomy clouds stop roaring, the most loud sounds
of spitting lightning bullets that are spinning through the air,
furious and wanting to hit their target.

I wish that people realized that war, is pain, I wish that people
thought about how it feels to leave their own people and maybe never,
ever, EVER come back to their loved ones. I wish they thought
about how painful it can be to be shot by a bullet or to look at thei friends
dying not knowing what to do. Or to be standing under clouds of shame
and to be hearing the horrible cries of their friends that are dying.
I wish that people stop lying. I wish they stop for a second and realize
what they have done.

I have one wish, one dream, only one, Stop The WAR.

Read Grade 5

Image: Francis Vallance (Heritage Warrior) via StockPholio.com