Information for teachers

Everything you need from lesson plans to tips on helping your students create winning entries.

Categories and Prizes

Each of the 50 winning entries will receive a $50 Booksellers Book token and their very own copy of the collection of winning entries – professionally illustrated and published.

The Most Creative School

The school with the most eligible entries relative to the size of the school will win the “most creative school” award. If there is more than one winning school, a random draw of these schools will determine the winner. The school will receive $1000 in Booksellers Tokens from Booksellers New Zealand. Home school entries will not be eligible for this prize.

How your students can enter

Everything you need to know to enter the competition.

  1. Make sure you explain the rules first: these have all the important pieces of information.
  2. Your students can either use the entry template and enter all their details on it or they can submit their creative writing on a piece of paper. Make sure they put their name, age, school, year and school phone number on the back.
  3. Send their entries to New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards, Children’s Choice Award, Freepost 87153, PO Box 25033, Panama Street, Wellington 6146, www.nzpostbookawards.co.nz or dropped in to any PostShop.
  4. Uploaded stories can either be copy and pasted directly in, or scanned and attached. If scanning and attaching it needs be a jpeg/gif/tiff. Please ensure you have the entrants name, age, school, year and school phone number on the entry.
  5. Make sure you get your entry in early; competition closes 30 April 2011.

What can you do to help?

Last year we received over 7000 entries which was great, but it did involve a great deal of work for our panel of judges. It would be really helpful if you could screen your student’s entries and submit only the ones that you would recommend.

Hints & Ideas

The story starters and ideas on this website and corresponding collateral are designed to help your students get started. Your students aren’t limited to using these. Our lesson plans are designed to help you get your students started. Check out last year’s Leprechaun Ice Cream and see if you can work out why their stories won.

The Rules

Please make sure your students are aware of the terms and conditions before starting on their entries.

Entry Template

If you have run out of forms you can download a template from here or simply photocopy the sheets on the pad.

Questions and Answers

Quick answers to main questions and find out where to get more information.

What is the competition about?

In 2010 New Zealand Post ran a competition which selected the best 50 creative pieces from the 7000 we received. We then had these stories and poems professionally illustrated and published into a book, Leprechaun Ice Cream, sold through PostShop stores.

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Who can enter?

Anyone who is a student at a New Zealand school in Years 1-8 (inclusive)

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When do entries close?

New Zealand Post must receive postmarked entries by 5pm on 30 April 2011.

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When will winners be announced?

The winner will be notified by 29 July 2011 via phone or email. Each individual winner will be contacted via their school.

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Where do I send entries to?

Along with your entry, make sure you include your name, school, year and school phone number – if you are going to write on a separate piece of paper please ensure you attach it securely to your story so it does not get lost.

New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards,
Children’s Choice Award,
Freepost 87153,
PO Box 25033,
Panama Street,
Wellington 6146

Or you can upload them via www.nzpostbookawards.co.nz or drop them in to your local PostShop.

Uploaded stories can either be copy and pasted directly in, or scanned and attached. If scanning and attaching it needs be a jpeg/gif/tiff. Please ensure you have the entrants name, age, school, year and school phone number on the entry.

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Can I get my entry sent back to me?

No, because of the large number of entries expected we cannot return entries to students or schools.

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What are the prizes?

Each of the 50 winning entries will receive a $50 Booksellers Book token and their very own copy of the collection of winning entries – professionally illustrated and published.

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The Most Creative School

The school with the most eligible entries relative to the size of the school will win the “most creative school” award. If there is more than one winning school, a random draw of these schools will determine the winner. The school will receive $1000 in Booksellers Tokens from Booksellers New Zealand. Home school entries will not be eligible for this prize.

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Why do you need copyright assignment?

When we have chosen our 50 winners, we will write to them and their parent/guardian via the school requesting permission for copyright assignment of their creative writing to New Zealand Post. We require this because the original work will be published by New Zealand Post.

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Where can I get more information?

You can contact bookawards@nzpost.co.nz.

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