Winner: My school

My school is Mr/Puhulwella Central College. It is a mixed school. It is in the Matara district. There are about 90 teachers on the staff and about 2,500 students in my school. There are classes from grade six to 13.

There are nine buildings in my school. We have three science laboratories, a computer unit, a home science unit, a music room, a dancing room, a multimedia unit, a shrine room, a library, a canteen and a sports unit. We also have a big playground. We enjoy playing games such as cricket and volleyball. I am proud to be a student of Mr/Puhulwella Central College.

M.G. Oshada Lakpriya,
Grade 8C,
Mr/Puhulwella Central College,
Matara.

Winner: An autobiography of a pair of shoes

I am a beautiful pair of shoes. I was kept on the shelf of a shop. One day a boy and his mother bought me. He liked me very much. He said I was the most beautiful pair of shoes he ever had.

My master wears me for every occasion. But he does not clean me regularly. Whenever he wants to go for a party he polishes and brushes me till I shine.

I am made of leather. You can see my family members in many colours. Many companies produce us. We come in many varieties such as school wear, sports wear and party wear. Everybody wears us but some use us without any care and our life span is then reduced. But my master uses me very carefully.

W.W.W.N. Nethmina Fernando,
St. Sebastian College,
Moratuwa.

Winner: A visit to the Sunday fair

It was a bright Sunday morning. I went to the Sunday fair in my village with my mother. There I saw many vendors selling various vegetables, fruit, meat and household items. There was a big crowd in some stalls.

My mother bought vegetables, rice and fish for the whole week. She bought a chocolate for me and an ice cream for my sister. At the fair I met some of my friends. We returned home happily in a trishaw.

Nisali Wandana Maithreege,
Grade 7 L,
Musaeus College,
Colombo 7.

Winner: Harmful effects of smoking

The World Health Organisation says smoking is the biggest cause of premature death. The United Nations Health Agency says nearly five million people die from smoking related diseases. It is expected to exceed ten million by 2020.

Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals in the form of particles and gases. It is highly poisonous and fatal.

Smoking also affects non-smokers. Staying with a smoker for an hour a day can cause lung cancer in a non-smoker. Smoking can affect babies born to mothers who smoke.

Now people from all over the world are aware of this grave danger.

First, parents should give up smoking as an example to their children. Smoking should be banned in schools, hospitals, government offices, factories, buses, trains and public places.

All tobacco promoting advertisements over television should be banned.

The government should start a campaign through the media to warn the public of the grave dangers of smoking.

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

Winner: I am a scarecrow

I live in a paddyfield. I protect crops from wild animals and birds. I chase them away and they are afraid of me.

I work in the hot sun and rain. I wear old clothes. I have an ugly face. When there are no crops, I am neglected by the farmers, but I always think of their welfare.

Little children do not like me. Maybe they are scared of me.

Kaveesha Rashasvi Herath,
Grade 8H,
A/Central College,
Anuradhapura.

Learning biology is of great value

Biology is the scientific study of all living organisms. It is one of the main subjects in the science stream. People in the world should have a good knowledge of biology for a better existence. All plants, animals and micro organisms fall into this category.

By learning biology one can get a good understanding about biodiversity. There has been life on the Earth for over 3.5 billion years. From that period you find around 30 million species of animals and plants in the modern world.

There is a dynamic relationship between the world of life and the inanimate world. In the modern world, although the natural resources are limited, the needs of people have become unlimited. With the current increase in the population, there is a great threat to natural resources. By learning biology one can get to know some environmental hazards such as the depletion of the ozone layer, increase of global warming and melting of glaciers. Therefore, for a sustainable use of natural resources, a knowledge of biology is important.

You can learn about the human body and its functions in biology. One can identify the causes and effects of diseases too. Biology is a good subject that one should study, as it is very important.

M.U.F. Safiya Ubaid,
Grade 12,
Kalugamuwa Central College,
Gelioya.

The cow

The cow is perhaps one of the most useful animals. It gives us milk which is the most wholesome food. Butter and cheese are made from milk. Many kinds of sweets are also made using milk. Have you not tasted milk toffees? Children are very fond of them. The flesh of the cow is called beef and some people eat it.

The hoofs of cows are used in making glue, combs, buttons and handles of knives. The skin is tanned and it is used to make shoes and boots. Even the cowdung is used as manure. In India it is dried used as fuel. Crushed bones of the cow are used for making urea.

Babu Pavithra,
Grade 6T,
St. Anthony's Girls’ College,
Kandy.

Jesse Reno’s escalator

An escalator is a conveyor type transport device that moves people. It is a moving staircase with steps that move up and down using a conveyor belt and tracks keeping each step horizontal for the passenger. However, the escalator was introduced as an amusement and and not as a practical method of transport.

The first patent of a escalator as a machine was granted in 1859 to a Massachusetts man for a stream driven unit. On March 15, 1892, Jesse Reno patented his moving stairs or `inclined elevator’ as he called it.

In 1895 Jesse Reno created a new novelty ride at Coney Islands from his patent design, a moving stairway that elevated passengers on a conveyor belt at a 25 degree angle.

The escalator was later re-designed by Charles Seeberger in 1817, who created the name 'escalator’ from word 'scala’, means steps in Latin and the word 'elevator’, which had already been invented.

Charles Seeberger, together with the Otis Elevator Company produced the first commercial escalator in 1899 at the Otis Factor in Yonkers, New York. The Seeberger – Otis wooden escalator won the first prize at the Paril 1900 Exposition Universelle in France. Jene Reno founded the Reno Electronic Stairways and Conveyors Company in 1902.

Sanduni Umesha,
Grade 10B.

Children

Children beautify the world. They are like flowers. Children like to play and study. Parents look after them well.

Children like to live in peace. They do not fight with each other. Let's protect children.

Sadisa Damruwan,
Grade 4G 'Manel’
D.S. Senanayake College,
Anuradhapura.

I'm excited

My exams so near,
I thoroughly fear,
As the days get closer
One by one,
There are times I feel
I've really forgotten,
A-Z of all I've done.
It is stress and excitement,
That has crept in,
I do not know what lies within,
I know there's a silver lining at the end of a cloud,
And also a light at the end of a tunnel.
Come what may my parents say,
Your school and your teachers have paved the way,
Do not be worried but do your best,
It is then that you would be happy and blessed.

M.F. Mohamed Fasrin,
Grade 8,
R/Eh/Dharmapala Maha Vidyalaya,
Eheliyagoda.