Valuable hobby

My hobby is collecting stamps. I started collecting stamps at the age of eight. Now, I have a large collection of stamps. There are stamps from many countries including Sri Lanka. I have a few rare stamps too.

My parents assist me a lot in my hobby. It’s a very interesting hobby. It gives me a lot of pleasure. I can learn many things from stamps. Some stamps are printed to honour great people and mark special events. We can get to know about them through stamps.

We can also learn the names of countries in the world, learn about different animals, birds, flowers, fruits, reptiles or plants of Sri Lanka and other countries through stamps. I exchange stamps with my friends.

Collecting stamps is not only a hobby that educates us, but also a very profitable one. Some rare stamps are sold for a big sum of money. I advise all my fellow students to start collecting stamps as a hobby.

Mohammed Faleelullah Fathima Sabnam, Grade 7A, Mahmud Ladies’ College, Kalmunai.
 

Good and bad effects of television

There are many sources of information in the world today. Radio, television, internet, fax and e-mail are some of them.

Out of these many sources, television has become a powerful source. The television has many benefits. We can see and also listen to news and many events taking place around the world.

Mankind is indebted to John Logie Baird, who invented the television.Today it plays an important role in our lives with many watching it. Some programmes are telecast with the help of satellite.

Very valuable educational programmes are telecast and they are useful to schoolchildren. TV gives mental satisfaction to many through its entertainment programmes.

After a hard day’s work, one can sit and enjoy various programmes such as movies, teledramas, musical concerts, cartoons and other light programmes.

News programmes and documentaries too have become very popular. Incidents that take place around the world are shown alive in detail.But sometimes, children neglect studies to watch TV and also watch programmes not suitable for them.

Muhammed Najath, Ihala Kiniyama MMV, Weerapokuna.
 

Problems faced by the modern generation

There are over six billion people in the world today. It means that there are too many people living on this Earth. This situation has created lots of problems.

Finding food for this huge world population is the biggest problem we face today. Starvation reigns in most parts of the world, especially southern Asia. In fact, death by starvation is not uncommon in many parts of the world with a growing food crisis.

The amount of land available to meet the needs of the increasing population is limited. People need more houses, more clothing and more food. These problems are made worse daily by the rapid increase in population. It is estimated that about thousand babies are born every second.

People in many parts of the world have faced various types of disasters. Very recently we and many others faced the tsunami. Presently the whole world is paying attention to the Myanmar cyclone, where about 50,000 people lost their lives. Most of these disasters are a result of global warming for which man is responsible to a great extent.

Fuel, one of the most important resources around the world, has become a scarce of commodity. Oil prices have soared to record levels in recent months.

Developing countries have to face lots of problems due to the rising oil prices.The most serious and miserable problem this generation has to face is terrorism. It has affected most parts of the world.

During the past few months alone, more than two thousand innocent people over the world have died through bomb blasts and terrorist attacks. When we look back into the past, we can see that our ancestors lived better and prosperous lives despite the many wars waged by them.

Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa are good examples. Our ancestors cultivated their lands successfully and even exported rice and other things. They never had to depend on foreign aid. People lived in harmony and peace under the rule of kings. They waged war in the past too, but life was not so uncertain and frightful as now.

C.N. Dilini Chathubashini, Grade 11C, G/Sangamittha College, Galle.
 

We are Sri Lankans

Sri Lanka is our Motherland. It is where we live. We all love our country and are proud of it. We have a national flag. It is called the Lion Flag. We must all respect our national flag. Buddhism is the main religion.

This is because it is the oldest religion followed by many Sri Lankans.There are also other religions we Sri Lankans practise. The four main religions in our country are: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam.Just like there are people who observe different religions, there are also people of different nationalisties. They are Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Burghers.

The national anthem is also very important. Every country has its own national anthem.By singing the national anthem, we pay the utmost respect to our land. We must stand at attention with our arms by our sides and head erect while singing the national anthem.Our national anthem was composed by Ananda Samarakoon.

Our Motherland, Sri Lanka is popular around the world for its beauty and riches. It is up to all of us to live peacefully in our beautiful island and protect it.

I love my Motherland Sri Lanka.

Chirathi Wijetunga, Grade 5B, Buddhist Ladies College.
 

Our library

There’s a library in our school,
I think that place is rather cool
The teacher in-charge is really nice,
The library makes us extremely wise.

The books are arranged neatly in racks,
Some of them are kept in packs,
Inside the library we won’t shout,
We can talk, but not so loud.

I go to the library every morning,
We read the books without yawning,
This is my favourite place in school,
If you don’t read you’re a fool!

Shamindri Jayawarna, Colombo International School, Kandy
 

We went on a trip...

During school holidays my parents, sister and I went on a trip to Kandy.

The city of Kandy is situated in the Central Province of our country. First, we visited the Sri Dalada Maligawa and worshipped the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha. We also saw Raja the elephant.

After we worshipped at the temple, we went on a boat ride around the Kandy Lake. On the second day we visited the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens.

It has very ancient big trees, beautiful flowers and ponds. Some of these are medicinal trees and very valuable. We saw the Mahaweli River from the gardens. After visiting these places, we went back to our holiday resort. We returned home by bus, the next day.

It was a very enjoyable trip.

Navod Nanayakkara, Primary 2A, Leeds International School, Panadura.
 

Myself

My name is M. Navod Janitha. I’m eleven years old. I live in Minuwangoda. My mother’s name is Kamani Fonseka and my father’s name is Sudath Chandana. He is a driver. My favourite game is chess. My best friends are Ishunika and Isuru.

My favourite drink is milk, favourite food is cake and fruit is apple. My uncle always helps me with my studies. My favourite subject is English. My birthday is on June 26. I want to be a teacher when I grow up.

M. Navod Janitha, Grade 6B, Bandaranaike College, Gampaha.
 

A salutation to the greatest mum

You’re a stream of love - a statue of love - a perfect woman.
Who made life better
Mum, that’s you!
You’re the happiness and shelter in my life.

Your every word makes me better, stronger, and more brave.
Your unlimited sensitivity makes my life a meaningful and perfect one!

And mum....
Through your eyes, I see the world,
Through your ears, I hear the world,
Through your heart I feel the world,
And everything else in my life,
As you’re behind me, as my helper.

Thank you...for everything,
As said before I’m sorry for my mistakes,
You’re the greatest mum and I’m your little daughter..
Still trying to be great!

Upeksha Alahakoon, Grade 10E, NGCN.
 

My cat

I have a cat
It is very fat
Sits on mats
Runs after rats

Imal Maleesha Kannangara, Grade 3C, St. Mary’s College, Matugama.