The Platypus on the Medal, and a Year Walked with Our Students | Qs School Student Writing Competition 2025

Qs School Inter-Campus Writing Competition Awards 2025

As the final submissions were reviewed, the 2025 QS School Inter-Campus Writing Competition officially came to a close.

Over the past term, students from nine Qs School campuses put pen to paper to tell stories, share perspectives, and record how they see the world. Through planning, revising, and refining their work, they learned something more important than polished language alone:how to clarify ideas, express viewpoints clearly, and let their inner voices be heard with confidence.

Writing, for us, is not just an academic skill — it is a way for children to think, organise, and understand themselves.

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Why We Hold a Student Writing Competition

What Writing Truly Develops

The value of a writing competition does not lie in rankings or prizes.

It lies in whether students learn to:

• think more deeply,

• express ideas more clearly, and

• organise their thoughts with intention.

  
  

A strong piece of writing is not defined by sophisticated vocabulary alone, but by whether the student has genuinely worked through what they want to say. This is the capability the Qs School Student Writing Competition is designed to nurture.

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After the Competition: A Moment to Remember

Awards Day at Qs School

After the competition concluded, students received their award notifications by email and returned to their familiar campuses to collect their prizes — capturing the moment with a simple photo.

Each Qs bag held items that would continue to support students beyond this term:

• stationery,

• the Drabbles student writing collection, and

• commemorative gifts corresponding to their awards.

These items are meant to stay with them.

But the object that truly marks this year of learning is the medal, placed carefully into each child’s hands.

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01. The Qs Icon: Why a Platypus?

A Symbol with Purpose

The platypus on the medal is no coincidence.

It is a symbol of Qs School and reflects our long-term commitment to ESG principles in 2025 and beyond.

Quiet and unassuming, the platypus exists with authenticity in nature. It does not seek attention, yet it plays an essential role in its ecosystem. As an endangered native Australian species, it reminds us that some values are not immediately visible — but are deeply worth protecting.

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02. Where It Began: ESG Week in Action

During ESG Week 2025, students took part in a simple activity:bringing discarded plastic bottles back to school.

• 1,556 bottles

• transformed into AUD $180

• donated to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

• to support the protection of endangered platypuses

In that moment, students realised something powerful: their everyday choices can create real impact.

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03. “Edify & Empower with Love”

QS School’s Core Mission

Engraved around the platypus is Qs School’s mission:

Edify & Empower with Love

We believe that every child has their own rhythm and potential.Through a professional yet caring educational framework, Qs School supports students in developing:

• academic capability,

• healthy learning mindsets, and

• intrinsic motivation.

Our goal is long-term, sustainable growth — not short-term achievement.

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What the Medal Represents

Writing, Growth, and Recognition

The Writing Competition is a milestone, not a finish line.

The medal is a reminder that:

• your ideas are worth writing down,

• your effort deserves to be seen, and

• your growth is already happening.

Perhaps years from now, students may not remember the exact piece they wrote.But when they see this medal again, they will remember that they once:

• thought carefully,

• expressed themselves honestly, and

• were encouraged with warmth and belief.

This medal records a year of effort and growth — and accompanies our students as they step into the next stage of their learning journey.