Effective communication

Winner:

When we work with others, we should make an attempt to listen carefully to whatever they say and also express ideas properly. If we do not do this, there is a strong possibility of error and misunderstanding. For example, if someone gives you a wrong message or if you have understood the message incorrectly, you are bound to misreport. A wrong message would then reach everybody. Therefore, when you say something, say it carefully and clearly, using the correct language. Talk to the relevant people; those who are important and skilled speakers and convey such news effectively. When you listen to something or someone too, do it carefully. Listen to what is being said without letting your mind wander.

The listening skill is very important when you are listening to some message or what is being told by others.

In some places, people use amplifying equipment to hear what is being told. When you listen attentively, you can understand a lot of things. It will remain in your memory clearly and it can be explained to others, later.

We live in a society, not alone, associating various types of people. It is interpersonal coordination. We need the assistance of others on many occasions. In order to be of assistance to others, you should have the ability to communicate with others.

It is a good way to maintain a cordial relationship with them.

Effective communication also helps in the development of a country.

Tiffany Therese Herft,

Holy Family Convent,

Bambalapitiya.

A trip to Dambana

Winner:

On a sunny day my family and some relatives decided to go to Dambana to visit the Veddahs or the Vanniyela attho as they are now called. My friends too joined us and we went by van. We took off from Colombo at around 7.00 am and reached Dambana by 11.00 am.

We hired a jeep to travel in the jungle. The Vanniyela attho welcomed us with a special dance performance which was beautiful. We asked them many questions about the food they ate, clothes they wore, hunting methods and their lifestyle. They told us that they lived in small groups. In the early days they had slept in places where wild animals hid. But later they had stayed in caves and in simple houses which protected them from the elements: the cold, rain and wind. Their simple houses were made with illuk and hay. In the past the Vanniyela attho lived in the Sabaragamuwa Province in the Veddhogala and Pahiangala villages. Today they live in the Uva Province in Dambana, Mahiyanganaya and in Giranduru Kotte. They have their own customs and traditions. They did not do any farming in the past, but lived by hunting animals and collecting fruits and honey. They dried the flesh of animals and the fruits in the sun to preserve them. They put a stick of sugar cane into a hole in a post and obtained juice by twisting the sugar cane. They did the same thing with ripe bananas to get banana juice.

These native people have their own language to communicate. For example, they call the village the gampojja. Clothes are known as adumpojja.In the past, they used dried leaves, branches of trees and skins of animals to cover themselves. They now weave cotton into clothes and also make hammocks, tunics and other things with it.It was an enjoyable, interesting and educational trip. We learnt a lot about their lifestyle. They are an example for modern human beings when it comes to protecting nature. Because they live off nature, they do not destroy nature, the way we do. If I get another chance, I will definitely visit them again, as I was impressed by their lifestyle.

Shenali Jerusha John,

Grade 5 - A, Ceylinco Sussex College.

Improve your handwriting

Winner:

Most schoolchildren nowadays are not much concerned about their handwriting. So, even if they answer questions in a test paper correctly, many of them get low marks because of their bad handwriting. This is because the examiners who check their answer scripts are unable to read what they have written. So, they invariably give them low marks. Therefore, schoolchildren should remember that good handwriting is very important when answering questions in a test paper and they should pay more attention to their handwriting from their primary classes. This way, when they study in higher classes, they need not worry about their handwriting and can devote more time on their studies.

From my personal experience, as a pupil myself, their is an easy way to improve your handwriting. So just follow my simple advice daily. You should practise copywriting at least a page. Each, from any book, newspaper or magazine. Special attention should be paid to the use of capital and simple letters and the use of punctuation marks where necessary, apart from spelling of words. After about a month of practising you will observe how far you have improved in your handwriting.

I hope all those who are interested in improving their handwriting will follow my advice and surprise their teachers and friends with their handwriting and say that there is nothing in this world that is impossible if we really have the will to do.

M. K. Mithuni Chathurika,

Year 10,

B/Visakha Balika Madya Maha Vidyalaya,

Bandarawela.

I love my motherland

Winner:

The supreme duty of a human being is to love his mother country or motherland and to serve his fellowmen. As a teenage student I am still dependent on my parents, my country and the government.

My country has given me free education, free text books, free uniforms and free health facilities. Some poor children get free meals while bright children get scholarships too. This is the only country in the world that provides these things free. So, I am very lucky to be born in this country.

Though my country seems very small in the world map, I think my country is the biggest and most generous country in the world.

After winning the world’s most brutal terrorists war which spanned for nearly 30 years we live in peace and harmony as one nation under one flag today. Our victorious President, Mahinda Rajapaksa reminds me of our ancient King Dutugemunu. He is the most brave President we ever had.

He defeated not only the LTTE terrorists, but all the countries who supported the LTTE terrorists.Now our President is heading our country towards development, with all sorts of targets in various fields. Very soon my country will be the miracle of Southern Asia. I love my country very much.

R. A. Telani Piyanga Ranaweera,

Grade 11,

Lindsay Girls’ School,

Colombo 3.

My land of imagination

Winner:

Chocolate rivers, sugary mountains, toffee waterfalls, candy floss tress...... dreamy isn’t it? But no, it is all real in the town of ‘La ville de Candy’.

In La ville de Candy all the houses are made of triple layered chocolate fudge cake! Each house has a garden and a candy floss tree. It must have a candy floss tree because it is the national tree of “La ville de Candy”.

There are many other varieties of trees too like the butter scotch trees, weeping willow trees, ice lolly trees and the beautiful marzipian flowers.

The town I like most is called Chocomania which is famous for its rich creamy delicious chocolates. The whole of La ville de Candy” is cold but the Ice cream tundra is the coldest of all. It is the most important tourist attraction at La ville de Candy and is divided into three districts - vanila, chocolate and strawberry.

It rains ice cream all the time at “Ice cream tundra”. In Chocomania it mostly rains chocolate to fill the rippling chocolate rivers found there.

The important exports of La ville de Candy are the colourful gummy bears, chocolate cream cookies and of course candy floss and candy cones.

The neighbouring town of La ville de Candy is La ville de Phantoms. It is a town where only ghosts and monsters live. No citizen of La ville de Candy sets foot there as it is very dangerous. So, now you know about my land of imagination!

Hoshika Sivapalan,

Grade 8,B.C.I., Colombo.

Books - a valuable source of knowledge

Knowledge is power. Books are the most important source of knowledge. We learn many things from books. As little children, we love to read fairy tales and other story books.

By reading stories, poems, history, reports, biographies and adventures written in books, we have gained much knowledge about our country and other countries.

We read about things we have never seen or heard of before, in books.

Books give us not only a source of knowledge, but also entertainment. The book Arabian Nights comprises strange adventures.

They keep us awake with curiosity. Aesop’s fables tell us of some interesting folk tales from many lands.

Fairy tales are fascinating and they delighted us in our childhood. Now there are books such as the Harry Potter series.

The Eind Blyton series was popular some time ago. There are books on religion too. The Christians have the Bible, the Muslims have the Quran, the Hindus have the Vedas and the Buddhists have the Dhammapada.

When we have free time we spend most of it with books in the library. When we are ill, and in bed how would we spend time if we didn’t have a story book to read? Books and knowledge are inseparable in our life.

Nelanka Thamali Bulathgama,

Grade 11-A,

M/Sri/Sangamitta Balika

National School,

Matale.

Myself

My name is Amal. I am a girl. I am six years old.

I study at Royal Institute. I live in Dehiwala.

My mother’s name is Risla and my father’s name is Aflal.

I like to eat ice cream and drink faluda. My birthday

is on October 26.

Amal Gaffoor,Grade 1D, Royal Institute

Girls’ School.

The country I like to visit

The country I like to visit is America. It is a very rich, powerful and famous country. It has a history of over 200 years.

The people of America are not only rich and prosperous but also helpful towards developing poor countries. Many countries in Asia and Africa receive large amounts of donations and loans from America.

America leads in many fields such as medicine, science, music, astronomy and agriculture. It has gained first rank in space research and travel.

The Americans were the first to send a man into space on July 21, 1969. The astronauts who travelled in Apollo 11 were Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Micheal Collins. The American flag of stripes and stars stand on the Moon’s surface today.Famous cities in America such as New York and Washington, the many skyscrapers, fun parks, cinematic cities like Hollywood and the space programme institutes such as NASA are places I would like to visit. I hope that one day my dream of visiting America will come true.

Amani Gaffoor,

Grade 6,

Royal Institute Girls’ School.