Winner: My Trip to Kandy

We went to Kandy during the April holidays. We saw Uthuwankanda and Bible Rock on our way. We stopped to have a snack and drinks and reached Kandy at around 10 a.m. First we went to Dalada Maligawa and offered flowers. Next we went to Gannoruwa and saw the plants. After that we had lunch near the lake. Then we went to Pinnawala and saw many elephants. Baby elephants were being fed milk from bottles. They were very cute. We returned home at around 7 p.m. I enjoyed the trip very much.

Prasad Madhushanka,
Grade 7,
President’s College,
Pilapitiya,
Kelaniya.

Winner: My class teacher

My class teacher is Mr. Dias. He lives in Panapitiya. He commutes by motorbike. He teaches Maths. He is a religious and punctual man. He can teach Maths in a simple manner. He is kind to us. He is a patient person. He treats us like his own children. I like my class teacher very much.

Chamodi Deepika,
Grade 6,
R/N/Houpe Nawalakanda Maha Vidyalaya,
Kahawatta.

Winner: Electricity

Electricity is an important source of energy. It is important because it powers houses, buildings, cars etc. Electricity is produced by power plants and turbines. If there is no electricity it would be very hard for us to live. But electricity also has its disadvantages. When power plants and turbines generate electricity, it pollutes the environment and nature and the wildlife is destroyed. Vehicles also pollute the environment and the scientists have invented electric cars that run on electricity and do not pollute the environment. Electricity has both advantages and disadvantages and we should use electricity in a way that does not harm the environment.

Methul Laksara Amarasinghe,
Grade 5,
Royal Institute,
Gampaha.

Winner: Coral Bleaching

Corals grow as polyps in the sea. Tiny algae live on the tissues of corals and give the polyps beautiful colours. Clusters of polyps growing together is called corals. When the ocean becomes too warm the algae gets removed and the coral loses its colour. This is called coral bleaching. If the ocean is too warm for a long period of time the corals will die. I like looking at pictures of corals and coral reefs. The largest and most beautiful coral reef in the world is called the Great Barrier Reef.

Nethra Bulankulame,
Grade 2,
Ladies’ College,
Colombo 7.

Winner: Disaster Management

Every year there is at least one developing country which suffers major losses due to natural disasters. Disasters such as earthquakes, floods and landslides affect lives and crops. This is partly due to the fact that many countries do not have adequate disaster management systems.

Disaster management systems do not mean only the use of modern technology to detect seismic waves or tomorrow’s weather. It also means educating people to be acutely aware of their environment and disaster prone areas nearby. This includes teaching the general population to detect sudden changes in the environment, what measures to take when faced with an impending disaster and basic first aid.

There are many methods that can be followed when teaching people about disaster management such as lectures, practice sessions, books and the internet. It is important to remember that the actual situation may vary from the practice sessions. Disaster management is very important especially in Sri Lanka because global warming is a major cause of natural disasters. It is up to us to ensure disasters from causing long term damage.

Shivangi Sitharan,
Grade 7,
Yasodaradevi Girls’ School,
Gampaha.

My school

My school is Royal International School. There are five branches of our school and my school is in Nugegoda. The founder of our school is G.T. Bandara. He is also the Chairman and Managing Director of Royal Institute Group of Schools. My school has been providing education to thousands of students for more than 40 years and helps us succeed in our lives. The Principal is Mrs. Hajri and the Vice Principal is Mrs. Chamila Wijesekara. The Headmaster is Mr. Ananda Baranage.

The school conducts classes from nursery up to a degree from the University of London. There are co-curricular activities from Grade 1 to 7. There are also sports activities such as badminton, swimming, basketball, netball and yoga. There are associations such as the Butterflies, Little Friends, Girl Guides and Cub Scouts. The sports complex is at Wijerama. On sports days we go there in our school bus. We have a computer lab, a science lab and a good library. We have a nice school song which we sing at assemblies. We all love our school very much. Therefore, we work hard to bring credit to our school.

Thusvi Liyanage,
Grade 3,
Royal Institute International School,
Nugegoda.

Poson Poya

Poson Poya is in the month of June. This Poya is important to Buddhists in Sri Lanka. Enlightened Mihindu came to Sri Lanka with five other monks and a layman. They met King Devanampiyatissa at the Mihintale rock in Anuradhapura. Mihindu was the son of King Asoka of India. He brought Buddhism to our country.

King Devanampiyatissa was hunting in the forests at Mihintale to kill deer. Arahath Mahindu asked the king a few questions. The king replied with the correct answers. Arahath Mahinda realised that the King was intelligent. Then Mahindu delivered a simple sermon and the king became a Buddhist. After that many people in Sri Lanka became Buddhists and our country got a new culture.

H.K. Siyumi Dharmapala,
Grade 7,
MR/Sujatha Vidyalaya,
Matara.

My sister

My sister's name is Sathini Suwisha Ranasinghe. She is four-years-old. She likes fried rice and soft drinks. She was born on 22nd February 2012. She likes to dance and she can sing well. She attends the Montessori. She can ride a bicycle. She does her home work well. Her ambition is to be a teacher.

Inupu Imungith Ranasinghe,
Grade 6,
I Gate College,
Thalawathugoda.

Folk tales

Before the invention of print and electronic media, people had to remember everything as there was no method of recording events in their day-to-day lives. They would pass on stories and other important information orally from one generation to another. Folk tales are a part of such an oral tradition.

Some folk tales help to develop moral qualities in people. Stories of Andare and Mahadenamutta are very popular even now. As folk tales are a part of a traditional form of literature it is our duty to preserve it for younger generations.

Udama Tharumuthu Jayasuriya,
Grade 8,
St. Lawrence Convent,
Colombo 6.

Horton Plains

Horton Plains is one of the most beautiful places in Sri Lanka. It is like a silent, beautiful, fascinating wonderland. This national park is situated in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is a protected area of the central highlands. It is spread across 3100 hectares. This world famous national park is covered by mountain grass lands, cloud forests and important bird species which are endemic to Sri Lanka. There are lots of beautiful flowers like Maharathmal and Binara. I like to visit Horton Plains.

Sachini Amasha Wijewardane,
Grade 7,
B/Bandarawela Central College,
Bandarawela.