ACARA Foundation-Year 2

Poetry·Deeba Kord, age 10 — A child runs barefoot along a muddy riverbank to a flower meadow, picks blooms, wades in the water, then wakes from what might be a dream.

Poetry·Ilya Ivanović, age 10 — A child traces identity from birth through curiosity and danger to the sadness of moving away, wondering if they'll return to have fun again.

Poetry·Griffin Byrne, age 8 — A child addresses a chickadee through lyrical verse, tracing its movement from dawn song through sunset, celebrating the bird's freedom and its lingering presence in memory.

Poetry·McKenzie Steury, age 11 — A girl walking on the beach discovers a baby turtle emerging from the sand and protects it from predators until it reaches the sea.

Poetry·Jude Stumpf, age 8 — A child connects Van Gogh's Starry Night to moments with parents—dad at the museum, mom watching them draw—finding calm in the painting above their bed.

Poetry·Morgan Harris Green, age 8 — Night sounds — crickets chirping, owls hooting, wind whispering — create a sensory portrait of darkness falling, mixing beauty with an undertone of cold unease.

Story·Emily Villano, age 7 — A wild white mare evades capture through generations, teaching her foal survival before accepting her own mortality in the crystal mountains.

Story·Susan Decker, age 9 — A girl reluctantly cleans her room instead of playing computer games, rediscovering lost toys and finding satisfaction in organizing her belongings.

Poetry·Elizabeth Sughrue, age 7 — A child resists bedtime, drawn to the night sounds of peepers, owls, and frogs, until finally answering their mother's last call.

Poetry·Jennifer Chin, age 11 — A young writer lists places around the world where family members live, then realizes location doesn't matter as long as family is there.