Two generations of
kite
flying
Winner:
One day I sat on my granny's lap and she related a nice story about
the way her children flew kites way back then. She told me that the
kites were very special and close to them.
The kites then had been made with bamboo and covered with tissue
paper of many colours. Her children including my father had gone one day
to the playground to fly the kite which had been tied to a string.
They had raised the kite high into the air by pulling on the string.
But once the kite went high up in the air it had become very proud and
decided to fly on its own saying, "the upper air is all mine".It had
forgotten who had made it and who sent it high up into the sky.
It had untied itself from the string and started to float proudly all
over on its own. The children had come home filled with sadness.
I also wanted to fly a kite and so I bought one. It was a polythene
kite made in China. I wanted to fly it high in the air but I could not
do so in a relaxed manner.
I went on to the concrete slab and my mother shouted, "Oh! Can't you
see that antenna?" I came back and tried to fly it from another place.
Then again she said, "What nonsense, are you so foolish? Can't you
see the high tension electrical wires?" Finally, I went in front of the
gate, ready to fly the kite. But I noticed that there was a barbed wire
fence separating my house from that of the next door neighbour. I gave
up and kept my kite aside.
How strange. Those days my father wept because his kite went high up
into the air and broke free from the string but I weep today because I
am unable to even raise my kite freely.
W.A Amandi Charundya,
Grade 9B,
St.Anthony's Girls' College, Kandy.
Protect Mother
Earth!
Winner:
 The
greatest gift that we, humans have got is our precious ‘Mother Earth’.
This includes all the fauna and flora such as mammals, birds, reptiles
all animals that live on land and water, micro-organisms, trees and
plants and even the landscapes of the Earth’s crust. There is no other
planet in the whole of the universe suitable for us to live. So, we have
to protect Mother Earth.
Unfortunately at present, man is the worst enemy of Mother Earth. Due
to the increasing population and the greed and desire for a luxury
lifestyle, we destroy the Earth and its natural resources. Cutting down
trees, burning of forests, killing animals and polluting waterways, land
and air are some of the ways in which we destroy the Earth.
As children we have to realise that if this process continues there
will not be a beautiful Earth left for us anymore. So, we should work
according to a plan governed by the three ‘R’s. Reduce, Reuse and
Recycle.
We can start doing this by planting trees and reducing the usage of
artificial items and food, recycling garbage and educating other people
about this plan.
We can save the Earth by doing so. My dear friends, let us work to
make the world a beautiful and clean place without destroying it.
Bhagya Pandithakoralege,
12 years,
St. Bridget’s Convent,
Colombo 7.
The calendar
There’s a great little calendar,
Hanging on the wall of
the class,
Showing the dates, years
and months,
Very clearly and neatly.
Is today a holiday,
Or a special day,
Can it be found? Yes,
It’s the calendar’s job.
The dates from 01 to 30,
The months from 01 to 12,
Every year it shows,
Up to year 2012.
Sampathawaduge
Senuri Lawanya Silva,
Grade 8EB,
Sujatha Vidyalaya,
Nugegoda.
Breakfast, the
most important meal
Winner:
Breakfast is the main meal of the day. It should not be skipped
especially by growing children and teenagers.
Breakfast kick-starts the brain and improves mental and physical
performance. It helps to maintain a healthy body weight. Lack of
concentration, lethargy and behavioural problems can be seen among the
students who skip breakfast.
Poor health is another result of skipping breakfast. A research
carried out on students who have breakfast and those who do not, has
shown that students who have breakfast have higher grades, especially in
subjects such as mathematics and reading.
Breakfast increases student attention and improves their behaviour.
Students who have a healthy breakfast meet their daily nutritional
needs. They also keep their weight under control and have correct blood
cholesterol levels.
They do not have to see the doctor often with complaints of tummy
aches after eating junk food or being on an empty stomach till interval.
Their school attendance is also very good. This helps them to do their
studies well.
Kulara Wickremarachchi,
Musaeus College,
Colombo.
The secret of success
Winner:
 What
is the secret of success and how does one achieve it. Why is it that
only a few achieve it while many others fail? These are some of the
important questions which often trouble us. This shows how much being
successful is important to us.
The path to success lies through struggle, strife, hard work, sweat
and in rare instances even blood for some.
To achieve success is not easy and to maintain it, even more
difficult.
Hard work ultimately wins. Therefore, it is necessary that people who
desire to be successful in life are prepared to toil hard to do so.
Even with a great fortune many genius people had to toil hard to be
successful and famous as politicians, actors, painters, musicians,
businessmen and sportsmen.
It is said rightly that where there is a will there is a way. Strong
determination with power and motivation are the other necessary
ingredients for success. The word ‘impossible’ is only in the dictionary
of fools. Nothing is impossible or unachievable in this world, if the
efforts are in the right direction and backed by a strong will.
Most of our desires remain unfulfilled because they are only wishes.
Another important requirement of success is being able to do things
at the time required without postponing. We should know the value of
time. It is precious; more valuable than money.
If you want to be successful you must also never be ashamed of your
work and position however humble it might be. For example, if you are
engaged in shoe-making, making perfect shoes.
Always think you have much to learn. Do not be hesitant to learn from
others and from nature. Know your strengths and weaknesses and always be
engaged in doing the right thing in the right place and at the right
time to achieve success. This is the secret of success!
Navodya Weerakoon,
Lyceum International
School, Nugegoda.
Environment
pollution
Winner:
The environment has drawn the attention of many scientists,
environmentalists and nature lovers of the world today. Special branches
of study and research have been set up in various countries to deal with
the hazards of environment pollution.
Pollution of the environment arises chiefly from heavy industrial and
other human activities. Such pollution renders the environment
unsuitable and dangerous for human habitation.
Therefore, it has become necessary for all humans to take remedial
measures to fight pollution.
In many countries, the governments have set up special ministries to
deal with the environment and the issues connected with pollution.
It is the duty of each one of us to keep our environment clean and
free from diseases. A healthy environment is important. Our atmosphere,
land and water have to be maintained free of pollution. Our scientists
and technicians have to pay attention and take measures to provide
environment protection. They must ensure maximum safety and prevent
radio-active materials from getting into our environment. If it is
necessary, people should be called upon to even change their patterns of
lifestyle to preserve the environment and keep it clean and healthy.
M.G. Rajitha Teel Sudarshana,
Grade 9E,
Ananda Sastralaya, Kotte.
My best friend
My best friend likes to rest,
Her sister is great,
But her brother is a pest,
He’s always late.
Her brother is tall,
But she is small,
My friend says she wants to go to the sky,
And her father smiles putting on a tie.
My best friend is sweet,
Her brother is naughty,
He is also lazy,
But her mother is a beauty,
And loves them all dearly.
Sampathawaduge Sanuki Kavinya Silva,
Grade 5EB,
Sujatha Vidyalaya, Nugegoda. |
