Winner: My pet

I have a pet. Its name is Tommy. It’s two years old. Tommy’s face is very beautiful. Its tail is attractive. It gets up early in the morning and drinks milk. I play with Tommy in the evenings. It comes into the house in the night. Tommy loves me very much. I love my pet so much.

H. Navoda Nipun,
Grade 7,
KL/Kanadulla Dharmaraja College.

Winner: Trees

Our surroundings are called the environment. Trees, animals and human beings are part of the environment. Trees are very important and a special part of the environment. Trees give us medicines, wood, firewood, food and oxygen. Trees protect the environment and balance the eco system. Trees are our friends.

But some people destroy trees by cutting down trees for timber and firewood. We should ask our parents not to destroy the environment. We should re-plant trees as it is our duty to protect the environment.

G.K. Hasintha Senadheera,
Grade 10,
R/N/Houpe Nawalakanda Maha Vidyalaya,
Kahawatte.

Winner: Sigiriya

Sigiriya is a marvellous creation. It is one of the treasures of Sri Lanka. It is a world heritage site. Sigiriya was built by King Kashyapa. There are many beautiful ponds in Sigiriya. The technology which was used to construct the ponds is unbelievable. There are also beautiful paintings, a lion gate and mirror walls in Sigiriya. We have to protect the historical places in Sri Lanka.

S.A.M. Himaya,
B.M.M.V.,
Bandarawela.

Winner: Thuparamaya

Thuparamaya Cetiya is in Anuradhapura. It was built by King Devanampiyatissa. The King met Arahat Mahinda, the son of King Asoka of India. After listening to the Dhamma, King Devanampiyatissa became a Buddhist. The king made arrangements to bring Buddhist Relics to Sri Lanka. He sent officers together with Samanera Sumana to King Asoka of India. Samanera Sumana brought the Relic of Buddha’s right cheekbone to Sri Lanka. During King Vasabha’s time, stone pillars were built around the cetiya and a beautiful roof which housed the stupa. It is called the Watadageya.

Methule Pathirana,
Grade 4,
Sri Sadaham English Dhamma School,
Dehiwala.

Winner: Environmental protection

The environment consists of our surroundings. People pollute the environment. The environment is polluted by smoke emitted from factories and vehicles. The environment must be protected. The best way to protect the environment is by planting trees which provide shelter, food, oxygen and medicine. Garbage that is dumped in rivers, roads and railway tracks must be recycled or dumped in the proper places. Musical shows which cause noise pollution should be banned. Vehicles that emit black smoke must be taken off the streets. The younger generation would also benefit from trees. So let's plant trees and stop pollution.

J.A. Mindula Apsari,
Grade 8,
Brilliant Stars International College,
Matara.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is situated in the Indian ocean and is known as the Pearl of the Indian ocean. The President of Sri Lanka is Maithripala Sirisena and the Prime Minister is Ranil Wickremesinghe. The capital of Sri Lanka is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. There are 25 districts and 9 provinces in Sri Lanka. It is near India and the Maldive Islands.

The country is very famous and rich in gems. The national gem is the Blue Sapphire. It has many heritage sites such as Sigiriya, Peradeniya gardens and the Sinharaja forest.

Sri Lanka is a multi ethnic country because there are four ethnic groups. They are Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and Burgher. The national flag is an image of the lion and different colours. In ancient times, Sri Lanka had different kingdoms and kings who built tanks, canals and temples. The national animal is the giant squirrel and the national bird is the jungle fowl. The national tree is the Na tree.

The country is famous for tea, rubber and coconut. It is situated in the Asian continent. I am proud of being a Sri Lankan.

Yasoj Shri,
Grade 7,
Digana International School,
Kandy.

My brother

My brother is Rahel. He is a good boy. I like to play with him. He has toys.

Ravish Karunaratne Grade 1,
Wesley College,
Colombo.

My favourite book

My hobby is reading books. My favourite is ‘Beast Quest’. I have read 15 Beast Quest books upto now. Adam Blade is the author of the books.

I collect Beast Quest cards too. There are four cards in a book.

I was the first in my class last term and got five Beast Quest books as a gift from my mother.

Rahel Karunaratne
Grade 4,
Wesley College, Colombo.

Stray dogs

Some people do not care about animals and they do not worry of animal rights. That is why there are so many stray dogs in and around towns and in public places such as temples and schools. People use dogs for security but when they litter puppies they dump them in public places.

That is one of the main reasons why rabies has raised its ugly head in certain areas, and dogs should be vaccinated so that they do not get diseases. Dogs should not be dumped in public places and people must take care of dogs because a dog is man's best friend.

Adithya Shenali Sooriarachchi,
Grade 8,
Yasodhara Vidyalaya.