Winner:

Myself

My name is Jayavi Sheshan Fernando. I am seven years old. I live in Thoduwawa. I have one sister.

I go to St. James International College, Wennappuwa. My favourite subjects are Mathematics, Religion and Music.

I like to eat bananas and drink soft drinks.

I am a good boy. I am slim and tall. My father’s name is Jayasanka. My mother is Shanika and my sister’s name is Jayadhi.

I love my parents and my sister very much.

I want to be a pilot one day.

W. Jayavi Sheshan,
Grade 2,
St. James’ International College,
Wennappuwa

[Winner]

I’m a butterfly

I was inside an egg. The egg cracked and I came out. I came out as a little worm. I sat on a leaf and I had a huge appetite and I ate more and more. I was really hungry and I could eat a lot. I ate all the leaves in the branch. Then I lost my appetite and I hid inside a cocoon. It was very dark. I could not see the world. I slept the whole day.

I felt very lazy. The days passed soon. Then the cocoon cracked and I came out of it with great difficulty. I spread my wings and warmed my wings in the sun. My wings are yellow and designed in black. Now I am a pretty butterfly.

I am flying away to see the world.

Arushi Aditya Weeratunga,
Seven years,
Sujatha Vidyalaya,
Nugegoda.

[Winner]

E.W. Perera, a national hero

Edward Walter Perera was a Ceylonese barrister, politician and freedom fighter. He was born on December 12, 1875. He was a born Catholic, but embraced Buddhism later.

When public meetings were banned he bravely invited the national leaders to gather in his house for discussion.

He carried a message to the Colonial Secretary explaining the British activities in Sri Lanka. But taking a such anti-British document at a time when Britain was involved in World War II was extremely dangerous. But E.W. Perera being a brave person, hid the document in his shoes and carried it to England.

In recognition of his bravery, E.W. Perera came to be known as the “Lion of Kotte.” He also brought back the Sri Lankan flag that was taken to England in 1815. Edward Walter Perera passed away on February 16, 1953.

Nuska Abbas,
Grade 8 (National)
Ikra International school,
Puttalam.

[Winner]

My favourite book

I was only 12 years old when I read Martin Wickramasinghe’s Madol Duva. It is a very interesting children’s adventure story book. This book is very popular and it has been translated into several foreign languages. It was also made into a film.

The main characters of the story are Upali and Jinna. We meet Upali Giniwella as a motherless child of seven years. After one year of his mother’s death his father got married again.

The stepmother was not a cruel woman, but she did not know how to look after a motherless child. On the other hand, she also did not understand a child’s world.

Upali did not get the love and affection from his father and mother. He felt like an outsider in his own family. Upali was not interested in going to school. Jinna was Upali’s best friend and is also a relation. Both Upali and Jinna led a mischievous life with Siripala, Dangadasa and Hinne Mahaththaya. Upali was a courageous and hard working boy. He loved adventures.

After stealing cashew from Upasaka Appu’s garden, Upali and Jinna left home and worked in a chena owned by Podigamarala. He taught them how to cultivate and also to use a gun. After sometime, Upali and Jinna went to Madol Duva and started cultivating there. Finally they became good farmers.

Ajini Perera,
Grade 9B,
Visakha Girls’ School,
Bandarawela.

The elephant

The elephant is a big animal.
It is grey. It has a long nose. It is
called the trunk.
They can drag logs.
Elephants like to eat fruit.
It is a very useful to us.

Nawarathna Mudiyansalage
Sadaru Chathurka,
Grade 5B,
>Ku/Thiragama Maha Vidyalaya,
Thiragama, Kohilagedara.

Winner:

Medical field - then and now

Have you ever felt your pulse? Your answer may be ‘yes’. This is the way in which the ancient ayurvedic doctors diagnosed the illnesses. With the arrival of European medical practitioners, many sophisticated instruments were used to diagnose diseases.

We can see many sophisticated instruments today. Among them the X-ray machine takes a prominent place. We can see the entire body through the X-ray machine. How amazing is the laser treatment? We can destroy stones in our kidney through a little hole in our body.Now we are able to transplant organs from another person who has the same blood group.

Not only that, we also can control asthma through nebulizing. We cannot ever imagine how these machines do these tremendous work.

We also use vaccines and other immunization materials such as antibodies. The medical field has developed now to a vast extent.

We must develop the medical field but on the other hand we must not forget our method of ancient Ayrvedic medicine because it was bestowed to us by our ancestors who lived 3,000 years ago.

Krishni Gayathri,
Grade 10,
Cambridge International School,
Chilaw.

Our sports meet

This year our annual inter-house sports meet was held on February 2. The chief guest was Rev. Fr. B.A. Shiran. He was garlanded by a student and was ushered to the pavilion by Rev. Fathers.

Then the Rev. Fathers hoisted the national flag, the Olympic flag and the school flag.

The house flag was hoisted by the house captains. Some athletes ran round the ground carrying the Olympic torch and then the Olympic lamp was lit by the athletic captains.

Some events were 100m, 200m, hurdles, relay and high jump.The march past squad from each house paraded towards the pavilion as the last event.

The sports meet concluded with the singing of the national anthem and the school anthem.

Vinuka Shavin Silva,
Grade 6B,
St. Sebastian's College,
Moratuwa.

A day in the life of a farmer

I am a farmer in a small village. Villagers call me ‘Some'. I have a small garden. It is full of vegetables and fruits. Not only that there is a small flower garden in my yard. My sister has put up a fence around the garden.

I do gardening as a hobby. However, people come to my garden to buy fresh vegetables.Inspectors of the Agrarian Centre visit my garden and encourage me to grow medicinal crops. I go to the garden around 7.30 a.m. and attend to the plants. I provide them with water and fertiliser.

Recently, I made a small house on top of a tree. In the evening my friends come to this house and study. I feel very happy when I see them.

Vidumi Sathsarani,
Grade 8D (EM),
Janadhipathi Balika Vidyalaya.

Air pollution

Air is a vital component to support life. It is made of 78 percent Nitrogen, 21 percent Oxygen and one percent of other gases such as Carbondioxide, Argon, Hydrogen and Helium.It is being polluted by us. Polluting the air carelessly can lead to many problems. Nuclear power stations and cars are the source of air pollution. There are about more than one million cars and trucks in the world and one car can produce one thousand kilograms of harmful gases each year. Sulphur dioxide and Carbon monoxide are the noxious fumes coming out of cars and factories.

Sulphur dioxide is very poisonous. It dissolves in water to give acid rain which can eat away stones and metal. Carbon monoxide is also extremely dangerous. It does not have a fragrance. Carbon dioxide is dangerous where breathing is concerned. All these things cause global warming.

Nothing would happen if human beings are more alert and responsible when there is a problem to warn the people.

Uragoda Appuhamilage
Vihanga Deneth,
Grade 6A, OKI International
School, Negombo.

Proud to be an HCC student

“Through the cross to the light” is the motto of Holy Cross College (HCC) which was established in 1924 with seven students. It is the only Catholic Girls’ school in the Gampaha district.

My alma mater is 83 years old now. There are about 3,500 students and 250 teachers in our school today.

Holy Cross College has produced a large number of eminent people. It maintains a high degree of education and discipline.

I am grateful to all the Rev. Sisters and teachers who guide the destinies of students.

Harshini Udugama, Grade 12 Arts B,
Holy Cross College, Gampaha.

Value of sports

Every child loves to play. Not only the able and healthy children but also the differently-abled are fond of sports. Sports play an important role in a child's life. It is said that a healthy mind can be found in a healthy body. Sports develop a child's physical and mental faculties.

There are various kinds of sports in our country such as cricket, volleyball, football, netball, rugger, basketball, tennis, badminton, swimming, squash and hockey.

Among them cricket is the most popular sport in Sri Lanka. Children have their dreams to become great cricketers such as Shane Watson, Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and Mitchel Johnson.

They need to practise and exercise regularly for the proper functioning and development of their body.

When we play in the open air, we get fresh air and it is good for our health. Sportsmen and women are always active.

The Government has set up a Sports Ministry to provide the maximum facilities to everybody.

Fatima Shafiya Faizar,
Grade 9A,
Gateway College,
Kandy.