Winner: A visit to a toy shop

I visited a toy shop with my parents, recently where I saw teddy bears, dolls, vehicles and many more. They were neatly arranged on different shelves.

I went around the shop to have a look at the toys and told my parents that I would like to have a Barbie doll. They said yes and I chose one with straight golden hair.

The doll had a pink frock, and two pairs of shoes. I enjoyed my visit to the toy shop because I got a Barbie doll.

Pabasari Vinuli Kandage,
Grade 3J,
Lyceum International School, Wattala.

Winner: Gardening

Gardening is a popular and profitable hobby. Anyone can take to gardening as a hobby. It is an outdoor activity. It is also a good exercise which makes us healthy. It prevents heart diseases and diabetes, and also gives us mental happiness and relaxation.

It has many advantages. If we grow flowers we can make our garden beautiful. This can also be turned into large scale business. When we grow vegetables and fruits, it helps us to save money.

D.Dinali Saubhagya Nanayakkara,
Grade 9,
St. Aloysius College,
Anuradhapura.

Winner: Flowers

A flower is a pure and beautiful creation of nature. It is offered to the Gods and also given to these dear and near because of its beauty and purity.

There are beautiful varieties of flowers such as roses, lotus, water lilies and dahlias. There are also many other popular and common flowers such as lily, marigold, jasmine, China Rose and chrysanthemums.

Some flowers bloom only during seasons. There are beautiful flower plants in parks and lawns, in different sizes and colours. We can purchase them in the market. They are used to decorate houses, temples and at wedding and festivals. Flowers are loved and adored by all.

Piumi Samidi Kannangara,
Grade 9C,
Bandaragama National School,
Bandaragama,
Horana.

Winner: Value of sports

Children take part in sports. Elders too love sports. Some do it as a hobby. There are many advantages in sports such as protecting our health, gaining happiness, getting a thorough knowledge of sports rules and it develops one's mental and physical fitness.

Sports can be divided into two groups, individual and team work. Individual games are running and swimming. Taking part in individual games helps in creative thinking. Some team games are volleyball, badminton and hockey. We learn how to work as a team. You can categorise sports as indoor and outdoor games.

Sports is essential to develop one's personality. At present, students do sports in schools. In the past people walked to distant places and did physical exercises without using machines. People who never take part in sports feel weary and fall ill.

So, let's do sports and lead a good healthy life.

S.M. Sasmitha Thathsarani,
Grade 8C,
Narandeniya MV, Matara.

Winner: The Father of Free Education

C.W.W. Kannangara is known as the Father of Free Education. Christopher William Wijekoon Kannangara was born on October 13, 1889 at Randombe, a suburb in Ambalangoda. His father was John Daniel Wijekoon and his mother was Emaly Wijesinghe.

He began his primary education on a scholarship at Wesleyan High School, Ambalangoda and did his secondary education at Richmond College, Galle.

Dr. Kannangara, an eminent Sri Lankan educationalist rendered a great service to develop the standard of education. He introduced several reforms in the education sector in the Legislative Council in 1923. He realised that the existing education system was not suitable to fulfil the needs of the society. He made several amendments to the system. To achieve this objective, he submitted the Education Reform Bill in 1938. He observed that the society was divided into two groups such as English-educated and the venacular - educated.

He was determined to provide equal education to all, irrespective of their wealth or background. The concept of Central Colleges was Dr. Kannangara's greatest contribution to develop the quality of education in the country. The first few Central Colleges under this program were built in Minuwangoda, Veyangoda, Akuramboda, Matugama, Weeravatiya, Kattankudy, Ibbagamuwa, Dickwella and Mathugoda. There were 20 Central Colleges in 1944. The number increased to 50 in 1946.

Dr. Kannangara, a National Hero paved the way for urban and rural children to receive a good education. He also realised that some parents could not afford to educate their children due to poverty. In order to do this he introduced scholarships. We are grateful to Dr. Kannangara, the Father of Free Education.

Shafee Fathima Samna,
Grade 7B,
Nawalapitiya Oxford College,
Nawalapitiya.

Computers

Charles Babbage is the Father of the Computer. The first computer was invented in 1833. The Computer is an excellent tool for a wide variety of functions. It is reliable, accurate and can do things instantly which humans cannot. A computer can store, process, analyse, calculate and transform data and information. Computers have gained the status of managing the world.

Asma Zainab Rimzan,
Grade 5,
Naleem Hajiar Ladies College,
Beruwela.

My country

My country is Sri Lanka. It is the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. Maithripala Sirisena is the Executive President of the country. The Prime Minister is Ranil Wickremesinghe. Our staple food is rice. There are four communities in Sri Lanka - Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Burghers. Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the capital of Sri Lanka.

The commercial capital is Colombo. Piduruthalagala is the highest mountain and the Mahaweli river is the longest. Sri Lanka is famous as a tourist paradise. There are many beautiful waterfalls, rivers, sanctuaries, beaches and gardens.

Our main imports are food, clothes and machinery and exports are tea, rubber and coconut. Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972. We gained independence in 1948. I love my country.

S.Tharushi Nathasha Fernando,
Grade 7B,
St. Lawrence's Convent, Colombo 6.

A rainbow

A rainbow is a coloured arc in the sky. It is made up of seven colours - violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. We see a rainbow soon after it rains. We cannot touch a rainbow. It is a beautiful sight.

Nathan Adrian Rohan Amath,
Highlands College,
Maharagama.