Winner:

Garbage, a major problem

Garbage has become a major problem today. Everyone complains about it. People say that garbage collectors do not come on time to do their job.

First of all, we should classify the garbage we throw away daily. For example, paper should be put into a different recycle bag. Bottles should be collected separately and the kitchen wastes should be put into the compost bin. If all the members of the household pay attention to classify the garbage before dumping all into one bin, we can create a pleasant atmosphere.

Naleer Hussain Fathima Nafla,
Grade 6,
Malwana International School, Malwana.

Winner:

My grandmother

My grandmother’s name is Thelma. She takes care of us. She is very good and kind. She has a good heart. She can cook very well.

She likes to go to the temple. When my mother is not at home she helps me in my studies. When our domestic helpers are not there, she helps us in our work.

She likes to watch Rasa Saraniya television program. She also can sing songs. We love her and she loves us very much.

Vishwa Weerasinghe,
Grade 3,
Sussex, Badulla.

Winner:

How we can save energy

Turn off lights when we do not need them. Shut the doors and windows when the heat is on. Wear an extra jumper rather than turning up the heating.

Save hot water by having a body wash rather than a bath. Heat only the sufficient amount of water we are going to use in a pan or kettle.

Use a small car where you need a small quantity of petrol or diesel. Travel by trains and buses where less energy will be used. We can walk or ride a bicycle for short journeys.

We can save energy by following these methods.

Bhagya Gajadheera,
7 Years,
Colombo International School.

Winner:

Guppies, a popular aquarium fish

The guppy, also known as the million fish is one of the most popular fresh water aquarium fish species in the world. Biologically termed as Poecilia reticulate , the guppy is a small member of the Paeciliidae family where females measure up to 4-6 cm and males 2.5-3.5 cm in length.

This type of fish was discovered by Robert John Lechmere Guppy in Trinidad in 1866, and the fish was named Girardinus guppy in his honour.

Guppy is a native to few countries and they are Antigua, Barbuda, Brazil and Jamaica. They have been introduced to several other countries except for Antarctica. Guppies are used as a form of mosquito control. They eat mosquito larvae in water. Female guppies are grey while male guppies display splashes, spots or stripes which can be seen in a variety of colours.

They eat fish food, which is sometimes made of shrimp or worms. Guppies require lots of light. It would be best to have a fluorescent light bulb positioned on top of the tank. Do not put baby guppies in the same tank as adult guppies will eat them.

Sanduni Shiranthi Kumarasinge,
Grade 9E,
Central College,
Piliyandala.

Winner:

I have a little cat

I have a little cat. It is very thin. I have named her Growy. Her tail is very fluffy. It hunts around my house and catches mice.

It likes to eat meat and drink milk. She plays with me every evening. Growy can run very fast. She sleeps with me.

Growy has one kitten and it is ash and brown. I have named the kitten Shawn. Growy feeds the kitten very often. She loves me and I love Growy.

Buddira Hashen Weerasekara,
Grade 4A,
Royal International School,
Kurunegala.

Students’ duties and responsibilities

We spend the best time of our life in school. Parents admit their children to a school with good intentions and great expectations. They hand over their children to the second home where they are educated.

In the process of education students learn many subjects, form attitudes and capabilities. Their school lifespan is usually 13 years.

When they are in the primary school they depend on their teachers. When they move to the secondary school they learn how to shoulder responsibilities. They begin to learn that education is not limited to books. Thereafter they begin to respect their parents and teachers.

Students are trained to pay attention to the rules and regulations of the school, follow the traditions, do classroom activities, take part in extra curricular activities and excel in examinations.

Isunika Silva,
Grade 10,
Ave Maria Branch School,
Akkarapanaha.

My favourite author

My favourite author is Enid Blyton. She was born in London on August 11, 1897. She was the eldest child of Thomas Carey Blyton. Enid Blyton was educated at St. Christopher's School. She was a talented pianist, but gave up her musical career to be trained as a teacher at Ipswich High School.

Her first book was Child Whispers, a collection of poems. Enid Blyton became very famous by writing a series of books such as Famous Five, Secret Seven and Noddy. Five Find outers and the dog were the characters which children liked most.

She won many awards such as the “Boys Club of America.” Enid Blyton died on November 28, 1968.

Pasindu Abeysinghe,
Grade 6,
OKI International School,
Negombo Branch.

My flower garden

I have a beautiful flower garden. There are many kinds of plants and flowers. I have a variety of roses in my garden. Beautiful butterflies visit my garden everyday to drink nectar.

I water my plants everyday and manure them once a week. I weed the garden once a month and I add new plants every year.

The name of my garden is 'Royal Garden'. I love my garden.

Melinda Charith,
Grade 5,
Adventist International School,
Chilaw.

My favourite book

My favourite book is Madol Duwa written by Martin Wickremasinghe. It is a children's adventure story book. The book relates a village story.

The main characters are Jinna and Upali. Out of the two boys Upali was very naughty. His father used to punish him when he did something wrong.

He did not like to go to school. Upali and Jinna were the two boys who found Madol Duwa. It is a beautiful story book.

Amod Sahan,
Grade 7,
Harischandra College,
Negombo.

A trip to Anuradhapura

We went on a trip to Anuradhapura last week by Yal Devi train. Some of my friends joined the trip.

First we worshipped Ruwanweliseya and Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. Ruwanweliseya was built by King Dutugemunu. Jaya Sri Maha Bo sapling was brought to Sri Lanka by Sangamitta Therani on a Unduvap Poya day.

We stayed the night in a cottage. We went to see the Wilpattu sanctuary the next day. We travelled in a Safari jeep and enjoyed ourselves a lot.

There were lots of animals such as deer and birds such as kingfisher and peacocks. Ruchira, Thenura, Isara, Bhanuja and myself had lots of fun. We took a lot of photographs.

We saw the ruins of Kuweni's palace. Then we went to the Thambapanni beach. It is the place where Prince Vijaya landed. There the sand was red.

We came home after a happy journey. It was an unforgettable event.

Binuk Punsara Perera,
Grade 2A,
Lyceum International
School.