Cover:

A captivating smile

Do you want to be the person who walks into a room and lights it up with his or her smile? Smiling seems to come more naturally to some people than others, but like any habit, it gets much easier with practice.

Our cover picture captured by Nayanahari Abeynayake tells you this tale. Smiling raises your spirits and makes other people happy - it's a powerful expression. Have you ever heard of an "easy smile"? People with easy smiles break into a grin effortlessly, and it usually makes those around them feel happy. When you practise a lot, smiling becomes easier, and you'll look less strained when you do it. Practise what you feel to be your most attractive smile. Soon your confidence in your smile will increase and you'll start flashing it even without thinking.

Back Cover:

Winners all the way

It is a rare feat for a single school to win all three categories in a competition. Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Colombo achieved this feat at the Western Band Competition in the National and Private girls school category.

They won the primary Western Band, the Junior Western Band and the Senior Western Band categories at the Western Band Outdoor Competition held by the Colombo Zone organised by W.M. Jayantha Wickramanayake, Zonal Educational Director of Colombo South and Kanthi Priyadarshani Perera, Assistant Directress of Western Music (Western Province).

The competitions were held at the Royal College grounds recently with the participation of 37 Western Bands from schools in the Colombo Educational Zone.

Our photographer Rukmal Gamage was at hand to photograph the winners.