Your Poems:

I am a little pussycat

Winner:

I am a little pussycat,

I live in a palace like home

I have a beautiful face.

Four legs and a bushy tail,

It adds beauty to my body.

People say I'm proud

I think they are right,

My fur is pure white,

So, I don't catch any mice,

Because my body will get dirty,

I like to stay in front of the mirror,

And keep myself clean and nice.

I have a pink coloured bow

Around my white neck,

Also a pink coloured pillow,

So comfortable to sleep on.

Lots of food I get from my master,

Because of that I am so fat,

Oh! sorry, I only described myself,

But didn't tell you my name,

People call me Pinkybow,

I do like the name Pinky,

But not the name bow,

It sounds so ugly.

So you must also call me Pinky,

Because all by belongings are pink

That's the best name for me,

Don't you think so too?

Thejani Madushika Wijewardena,

Musaeus College,Colombo 7.

Our enchanting flora is threatened

Winner:

Plants and animals are important for our existence; we are a part of them and they are a part of us. We all breathe the same air. Plants, man and animals are therefore interconnected like a chain. One cannot exist without the other.

Plants too are our dumb friends just like the animals. When there are no trees, there will be no man also. The Earth will then become a graveyard and a desert.

Plants are our lives. They not only help to beautify the environment, but also save our lives. They give us oxygen, food and valuable medicine.

They are a great natural resource. We think that there is no medicine to cure diseases like cancer. But one day, we will find a cure for this and many other illnesses from our very environment. Plants also help to conserve water and soil.

When plants disappear it causes the streams and waterfalls to run dry. This will make the fish die. People will not have enough fresh water to drink. The power stations will come to a grinding halt. Then there will be a great problem.

Today there is a great threat to plant life. People clear acres of land in the name of development. What will happen in the future?

The government must take action against the destruction of flora and fauna. They have to introduce strict laws against it. Commercials which highlight the value of plant life in our lives should be telecast to create awareness.

Posters should be displayed in public places as a part of this effort. As the young generation, we must protect our enchanting fauna and flora. It's our responsibility.

Gamendra Gunawardana,

G/Christ Church Girl's

College,Baddegama.

How important school is

Winner:

The first stage of our school life begins with the montessori. We learn a few things during this time.

We are introduced to studies at this stage and then we advance, that is to the main school - Grade 1. We learn a lot more in this grade than at the montessori. In fact, from Grade 1 onwards we learn something new which we had not learnt before in the previous class. We gradually move from one class to the other. We then study for the Grade 5 Scholarship examination.

We now understand what we actually are studying and why. We then reach the upper school; that is Grade 8-9.

Now is the time to decide about the career we like to pursue and choose our subjects accordingly. We sometimes have a doubt that we may have chosen the wrong subjects as we proceed with our studies.

The first stage of our career prospects begins with the Ordinary Level Examination. We now understand how hard it is to reach our goals. If we succeed at others we go to the next stage which is the Advanced Level.

This is twice as hard as the Ordinary Level Examination. The certificates we obtain at the Ordinary Level and Advanced Level Examinations are very important. We should have certificates with good results from both to get a good job or go in for higher studies and obtain a degree. This is what school and studies mean and we must make the best use of it.

Asad Ariff,

Grade 7,Leighton

Park,International School.

She shows me the correct path

Winner:

The person who shows me the correct path to follow in life is my mother.

Her name is Rosy Gajadheera. She is thirty seven years old. She likes to eat noodles, drink Cream Soda and go to Nuwara Eliya.

She always helps me with my school work and says, "You must always give first preference to your school work".

She can cook tasty food. Since I like to eat her fried-rice, she makes it very often.

My father told me that from the day I was born she looked after me very well and never allowed anyone else to do any of my work.She selects good television programmes for me to watch. She sits with me to watch them and I hold her hand. Because of me she won't watch any elder's television programmes. She never goes anywhere without us. She is a very caring mother. I love her very much and may she be blessed, always.

I. Randhula

Gajadheera,

Grade 4-A,Willesden

College International.

A pollution free environment!

Winner:

Pollution means the ways by which people destroy the environment. There are many kinds of pollution. Water pollution, sound pollution and air pollution are just some of them. Today garbage disposal is a grave problem, especially in cities. People throw garbage everywhere. The foul smell that emanates spreads in the environment. Animals such as stray dogs, cows, and crows take the garbage and dump it all over the roads. Most people do not have a proper place to throw garbage. If they have gardens they can have garbage pits. They can make compost from this garbage.

When people go on trips they pollute the environment. They put polythene bags and other litter in the forests or wherever they are visiting during their trips. They destroy the beauty of those places. Sometimes animals eat the food in the polythene bags with the bag itself and they die. Animals are a part of the environment and they too need to be protected.Smoke and emissions from factories are the main example of air pollution. The unclean smoke and gases get mixed up with the air we breathe. Some of these fumes are not good for the health. Garbage also causes air pollution. Rotting garbage releases polluted air which can cause many diseases.Apart from the garbage problem and air pollution, sound pollution is also a huge problem, especially in urban areas. There are signboards that say, "Do not toot the horn near courts and hospitals." But some people do not heed these signs. This becomes a huge problem for others.We can take action against such pollution. Introducing new rules and regulations, using cloth bags instead of polythene bags, providing a proper disposal method of garbage are some of the action that could be taken against pollution. As schoolchildren we must learn not to pollute the environment. Let's do what we can even in a little way to protect the environment.

Amasa Manjari Jayasinghe,

Grade 9F (English Medium),

R/Sumana Balika Vidyalaya.