Practice makes perfect

Winner:

From childhood we practise various activities such as talking, writing and reading. Practice means training and repeatedly performing an activity. Practice makes one feel and understand an idea or a concept well. The more we practise , the less errors we make.

Writers put their imagination into words. They express their emotions and feelings by writing. The standard of their style of writing depends on practice. Even great mathematicians work out many sums over and over again until they are thorough with the sums.

When we play a musical instrument too we need to keep on practising it. It is only then that we can sharpen our talents and perform well.

This rule applies to almost everything we do in life.At times we face difficulties when we practise something. But we should not get discouraged. We should face the obstacles with courage and overcome the difficulties.

Practice makes us perfect. It helps us to develop outstanding qualities and build our character. So, we should keep on practising whatever we want to do, otherwise all our talents and qualities will fade away from our lives.

Umesha Piyarathna,
Grade 9,
Ecole Internationale.

Cleanliness is important

Winner:

Cleanliness is very essential for good health. Dirt and germs are all around us and they lead to many illnesses. Germs can enter the body through the nose, mouth and wounds in our body. Germs can only be seen through the microscope. They result various types of infection.

Hygiene is about staying clean. Cleanliness helps remove dirt and germs from the environment. When washing ourselves or anything else, it should be done using a detergent. A daily bath takes away most of the germs on our body. After washing we must always use our own towels .This way other people’s dirt and germs won’t get on to our bodies. We must also clean our ears everyday, cut our fingernails and toenails at least once a week, and always wash our hands before eating. Our teeth should be brushed daily in the morning and especially at night.

Never eat food that has been exposed to flies and other insects. They can carry germs from unhealthy places and contaminate food. Be careful not to buy food from roadside vendors too . Left over food at home should be refrigerated immediately. Keeping cooked food outside for too long helps bacteria to grow in it. Bacteria multiplies at room temperature. Water should also be boiled before drinking.

I love keeping myself clean. How about you ?

Sarah Rafeeq,
Grade 3,
Harcourts International School.

Reading stimulates the brain

Winner:

Books are our friends. Reading and writing are their guide to develop our knowledge. Happy is the student who acquires the habit of reading from his young age.

Many students go to libraries to read books, newspapers and various other reading materials to gain knowledge just like a sick person would go to a hospital to get medicines to get better and regain their health and strength.

Books are the most important sources of knowledge. We read story books, autobiographies, poetry, history, geography and adventure stories which give us great pleasure and also enhance our knowledge. We learn about our country and also other countries of the world by reading books and newspapers. There are many interesting books that teach us valuable lessons and entice us to read more. The Tales of Arabian Nights tell us of many strange adventures which awaken us with curiosity. Aesop's Fables are very interesting and familiarise us with the folk tales of many lands.

There are books to gain spiritual and moral education too. Christians and Catholics have the Holy Bible, the Muslims the Holy Quran ,the Hindus the Vedas and the Buddhists have the Dhammapada. No religion is inferior to another religion because all the religions teach us good morals, principles and doctrines connected with divine worship.

Reading is a great habit to cultivate but one must not limit oneself to the type of books one reads. For instance, reading nothing but books of fiction is like eating only cakes and other sweetmeats and missing out on all the other tasty food.

Poor indeed is the man who does not read, and empty in his life. He who does not read forgoes many blessings the habit of reading confers on the reader.

Books and knowledge are inseparable in our life. As we need healthy and nutritious food for the body, we need to read to stimulate the mind.

Books are the most faithful friends. Our human friends may change or die, but books always patiently wait to talk to us and unfold a whole new world before our eyes.

Jeyakumaran Robert Anoj,
Grade IV,
St. John's College, Jaffna.

[Your poems]

A tribute to my teacher

Winner:

Thank you so much for being
So nice, kind and good,
I like you so much
As you bring happiness
And pleasure into our lives.
I always love your lessons;
You teach us good manners,
All good things in life
And tenderly guide us
To reach the highest point.
I always recall your advice;
You teach us to remain calm
When we are in times of trouble,
The knowledge you give
Will take us on the right path.
And when Teacher’s Day comes around ,
I must say, ‘Thank you’ to you ,
With everlasting gratitude.
You are a wonderful teacher
Like a star that shines bright.

Adeesha Abeydeera,
Grade 6A (N),
Royal Institute International School,
Nugegoda.

Loneliness...

Winner:

Have you ever wondered what this word means?
It takes you to a deep pitch; a black scene...
I utter these words to make you keen,
About the meaning of this poem.
Loneliness takes you to a unique world
Once in it, you are caught up totally
The whole world seems, to you forlorn
No one will be around, only you alone!
This path is nearly untrodden
But being forlorn and sobbing, is modern!
It's a time when one's heart is broken
And you need words to be less spoken.
I'm standing on my own, suffering
There's not a single soul to do any consoling
Loneliness is something to hate
‘Coz it comes to you suddenly by fate.
These pathetic words may seem fatuous,
But you'll know the truth someday
When you face ‘loneliness.’

Fathima Nuzra Hyder,
Grade 9,
Wesswood International
Girls’ College,
Katugastota, Kandy.

Why Haj is celebrated

Eid-al-Adha or feast of the sacrifice or greater Eid is an important religious festival which is celebrated by Muslims worldwide. They celebrate the festival, to honour the willingness of “Ibrahim” to sacrifice his son “Ishmail” as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a sheep to sacrifice instead.

According to the Indian culture, this festival is known as “Bakr-Id” because of the tradition of sacrificing a goat, which is called “Bakri” in Urdu.

Haj festival is the latter of the two “Eid” festivals celebrated by “Sunni” and “Shia” Muslims. The celebrations start after the “Haj”, the annual pilgrimage to “Mecca” in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide. The origin of this festival is based on Abraham's display of his love for God which superseded everything else. He was willing to lay down his own life or the lives of his dear ones in submission to God's command.

Muslims commemorate this ultimate act of sacrifice every year during the 10th day in the month of “Dhul Haj”, according to the Islamic calendar.

The Eid-al-Adha prayer is performed any time after the sun completely rises just before the entry of Zuhr time. Men, women and children are expected to dress themselves in their finest clothing to perform Eid prayers. The Muslims who can afford, sacrifice their best domestic animals; usually a cow, but it can also be a camel, goat, sheep or ram depending on the region, as a symbol of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his only son.

The meat from the sacrificed animal is divided into three parts. The family can take one third of the share; another one third is given to the relatives, friends and neighbours; and the rest is given to the poor and needy. Distributing the meat among the people, chanting the “Takbir” out loud before the Eid prayer on the first day and after prayers throughout the three days of Eid, are considered the most essential parts of this great Islamic festival, Haj.

G. Maduka Rathnayake,
Devi Balika Vidyalaya,
Colombo 10.

My little sister

My little sister is Vinudi. She is two months old. I was very happy on the day that my mother came home with her from the hospital.

She is very sweet. She smiles with me and makes little sounds. She smiles even with her toys. Sometimes she cries at night.

I help my mother to look after my little sister. She has beautiful frocks. She enjoys her bath. I love my baby sister. I am waiting to see her grow up.

Januli Jayathilaka,
Grade 3H,
Musaeus College.