Eight-year-old Alexandra Demarchi, a Grade 2 student at Kootenay Orchards Elementary School, has always had a creative bent and this talent recently paid off for her and her school as she was named a winner in a national poetry contest sponsored by Polar Expressions Publishing.

Demarchi’s poem, “I Dance in my Dreams,” was the first place winner for Grade 2 students from across Canada, and she received a cheque for $80 for her efforts as did her school.

Alexandra also won a copy of the book, “Over the Moon” in which her poem appears along with other winners from kindergarten to Grade six. She also received a certificate for her winning entry.

“She just did it for fun,” says Lisa Demarchi, Alexandra’s proud mother. “She’s pretty creative and very artistic and when she learned how to write she just couldn’t stop. It’s another artistic outlet for her.”

Polar Expressions has been running a national poetry and short story contest for four years with the intent of providing teachers and educators with a tool to promote creativity in poetry and short story writing. The contests give students a chance to see their works in print and to compare it with their peers.

The two contests this year attracted thousands of entries from close to 500 schools across the country and more than $10,000 in cash was awarded to students and their schools. Polar Expressions also gave more than $10,000 worth of books to school libraries across the country.

Sarah Anderson, spokeswoman for Polar Expressions, says the majority of entries come from Ontario schools which makes Alexandra’s win all that more special. Entries come from both public and private schools, she says.

“We do it because we love it and we want to promote the average writer. Not just people who are pursuing writing professionally,” Anderson says.

Polar Expressions publishes about 25 per cent to 40 per cent of the entries it receives while other publishers only publish a fraction of that amount, Anderson says. No fees are charged to enter the contests and this gives writers of all ages and income levels the opportunity to compete.

Kootenay Orchards Principal Terry Molnar says he’s glad to see students given the opportunity to be creative and proud of the fact that Kootenay Orchards has produced a winner. “We’re very proud of what Alexandra did. She did a good job both for her and the school.”

Meanwhile Anderson says Kootenay Orchards is free to use its $80 cheque any way it wants. “But we hope they put it towards a literacy program or something like that. It’s up to them.” And here is the winning poem:

I Dance in My Dreams

I dance in my dreams with colours so light.

I dance in the sun with yellow so bright.

With dazzling dreams and a blue coloured stream,

I dance in the meadows with butterflies that gleam.

With transparent crystals that sparkle and shine,

I dance with my heart at the perfect time.

I dance in my dreams.