A Letter

Winner Under 9 years

Dear Barbie doll,

Hello! How are you? I'm fine.
I have lots of dolls to play; but still I could not play with you. I would like, if you would come to my birthday party next year. I am longing to play with you.
I have lots of books about you. When I go to bed, I read them. In dreams, I talk with you. I play with you. I like to read stories about you because I love you very much.
I have a Barbie box, Barbie pencils and erasers.
Darling Barbie, I wish you all the best.
Good bye.

Your loving
Thyaga

Thyaga Weraniyagoda
(8 years)
Leeds International School,
Panadura

A trip to Ambewala
Farm

We went on a trip,
To Ambewala Farm,
Where animals were,
But did no harm.

Goats and cows,
Rabbits and bulls,
Who had rings on their
Nose to pull.

They got milk and
Cheese from cows,
And let them free to
Play on the grounds.

Meat from rabbits and
Milk from goats,
Work from bulls
Who had black coats.

Oh! What a smell
Was there in the barn.
But the good animals kept
Quiet and warm.

M.S.H.F. Faseeha
(12 years)
Thihariya Islamic International School

A countryside scene

Winner 9-12 years

The most beautiful countryside which attracted me is the village of Kimbulawala, which is only two kilometres away from Hingurakgoda.

There is a canal that runs through this village bringing water from Minneriya tank to the paddy fields. There is a large amount of paddy fields in this area. It is a pleasant scene to watch paddy saplings waving in the cold wind. The murmuring sound of flowing canal water attracts the hearts of every nature lover.

Though I live in Wennappuwa I go to this village twice a year for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year and in the December holidays. My aunt lives at Kimbulawala. I am eager to go to this village because of its beauty and quietness. The environment is not polluted. The cold breeze in the morning which kisses the paddy fields is worth breathing.

Tharuka Dihangi (9 years)
Holy Family Primary School
Wennappuwa

The present situation in Sri Lanka

As most of us are aware, the war between the Sri Lankan forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam known as the LTTE, started in the early 1980s. This was created due to ethnic conflicts between the Sinhalese and the Tamils, especially to own territories in the North and Eastern provinces.

Now in Sri Lanka there are many bombs. The LTTE has killed the Army General Parami Kulatunga and kept a bomb for our Army Commander.

The recent victim was Nadaraja Raviraj M.P. who was shot dead. His funeral was held in Jaffna on November 14.
I wish that we have peace and harmony in our country.

Sachin Punchihewa
(Grade 7)
Brisbane International School

My Ambition

My ambition is to be a doctor. Do you know why I like to be a doctor? One day when I was sick I went with my Father to the hospital. There I saw many people suffering in pain, so I thought that I should become a doctor.

If I become a doctor, I would work in a hospital. I would wear a saree with a white coat. I will not give bitter medicine to children. I will do many operations and save many lives. I will do operations for children also. If I become a doctor, I will thank God and also my parents would be very proud of me. I hope my dreams will come true.

Andreya Fernando
(9 years)
St. Bridget's Convent, Colombo

A Summer Day

Come on out,
Let's have some fun,
In this glorious,
glorious summer sun.
Let's all skip and we can run,
Before this day is done.

Hide and seek a dandy game,
Run and collect is the same.
But our most favourite game is,
Can you guess my name?

Then oh! What a shame,
The darkness slowly came.
And it began to pour with rain,
And we were all to blame,
For staying out in the heavy rain.

Raveena Weerabahu
(10 years)
Gateway College, Rajagiriya

A rainy day

On a day that rains, people carry umbrellas to protect themselves from the rain, and children wear rain-coats. Branches fall from trees and lightning strikes and thunder too! Rainy days are gloomy. There are puddles all over the roads. People run to catch the buses. All the flowers, trees and grass gets wet and it starts to flood. Sometimes when it rains the lights go off. Birds can't fly and we can only see clouds in the sky when it rains.

Shanuka Nanayakkara
(Grade 2)
Bishop's College

Myself

My name is Sarindri. I am six years old. I go to Musaeus College. I am in Grade One. I like to drink milk. I like to eat apples. I have an elder sister.

Sarindri De Silva
(6 years)
Musaeus College

My trip to Sigiriya

On October 6, we left for Sigiriya. We left early in the morning at about 7 o'clock. We reached there at one o'clock in the afternoon. We stayed at the Sigiriya Air Force Camp.

The next day we went to the rock which was very tall. The first part was very easy to climb, but when it got steeper it got scarier. We saw the mirror wall which was supposed to have reflected the Frescoes opposite, which were now no longer there. The view was beautiful, but the wind was very strong. We didn't see the Frescoes as you could only see them by climbing a spiral staircase. We only went up to the lions paws and then we went down again.

There was a small stall there, and if you were climbing up to the top, they gave you bags full of bricks and sand to help with the construction. Then we came back down, we went along the runway to see the rock where the "Dhandu Monara" - Ravana's flying boat (from the Ramayana) was supposed to have taken flight. There were lots of hills, which made the scenery beautiful. Once my sister Tamzie and I, saw a pack of foxes on the edge of the woods. We ran as fast as we could to tell my mother, who laughed and told us why. Our so called 'foxes' turned out to be a herd of cows in the distance!

We left Sigiriya on October 8, around 11.00 o'clock and we reached home at 6.30 in the evening. Good-bye to another holiday!

Lara Wijesuriya
(Grade 4)
Holy Family Convent, Colombo

My School

My school is Ladies College. My school principal is Mrs. Nirmali Wickramasinghe. My vice principal is Mrs. Manisha Peiris. My school is very beautiful. I like my school very much.

Hashwini Gnanadass
(Grade 2)
Ladies College

Our Sunday School procession

The procession of our Sunday school was held on October 25 at 5 p.m. The whip crackers, fire ball dancers, Kandyan dancers, and drummers went in our perahera. I dressed as a 'Nilame'. It was a new experience for me.
Thousands of people gathered to see it. The police helped to control the traffic. Our procession reached the temple at about 6.30 p.m. After the procession there were so many religious activities.

Thameera Ranasinghe
(12 years)
Kuli/ Assedduma Subharathie Vidyalaya

Library in the village

Having a library in a village is a blessing and a god-sent gift to the school going children.

Books are very expensive and not within the reach of most of the village residents. We, as children who have made reading books a practice and a hobby, are most benefited as we have free access to books, as the saying 'Reading maketh a man'. The habit of reading could be developed when there is a library.

The time spent idling could be gainfully spent reading books in a library. Knowledge is very important and reading increases knowledge.

Daily newspapers in all three languages are also available in libraries. One could learn what is happening in the world by reading newspapers which are available free.

So, having a library in a village is really a great blessing.

Sithumini Dissanayake
(Grade 7)
Pushpadana Girls' College, Kandy

NASA, my favourite place

Many people have many different places they like to visit the most. For me, I have chosen NASA.

NASA is the common abbreviation for National Aeronautics & Space Administration. It is situated in Washington DC, USA. It is the headquarters.

I like that place, as my ambition is to be an astronomer and space scientist. There are many branches of NASA, usually doing specific, different jobs. There are many rockets, satellites and shuttles sent to gather information on space and to construct the new ISS - International Space Station . The latest was shuttle Atlantis.

I am sure that this is the best, official place that suits me. When I'm big, I am planning to go there. Throughout my life that is my favourite place forever!

Navidu Samarakkodi (9 years)
Lakeland Inter -American School

Surviving tsunamis

Many people in other countries would think that a tsunami is just a big flood, but they are wrong. Tsunami is an enormous tidal wave that can destroy anything. People would think that it is impossible to escape from tsunamis, but there were certain people who had escaped them.

Here's a true story about a man who had surfed from a surf board to escape from a large tsunami. On April 2, 1868, a volcanic eruption on the island of Hawaii caused a submarine land slide to surge into the town of Hilo. A man found a large piece of wood and surfed to survive from the tsunami but other skilled surfers also had survived these days.

Tsunamis make a strange start. First an earthquake or a volcanic eruption starts. Then the tsunamis start.

Bhanuka Seneviratne (9 years)
Fraser Coast Anglican College,
Australia

My brother

My brother is Bhanuka. He is ten years old. He is in Grade five. He can sing and play the organ. He has a big toy car. I love my brother.

Chathil Kumara
(6 years)
Republican International School,
Nuwara Eliya

Halloween

I like Halloween. I like to dress up as
a person with a scary knife. I am the scariest of all the land. Halloween is cool.

Hashmat Bakshi (Grade 2)
Negombo International Children's Education

Healthy food

An apple a day,
Keeps the doctor away,
Many fruits a day,
Keeps illness at bay.

Greens I don't like,
But it helps me ride my bike,
Eggs I love to eat,
Fish and lots of meat.

Look after your tummy,
Always shouts my mummy,
But sweets are very yummy,
And I love to eat honey.

Wash your hands before meals,
Don't drink water while you eat,
Always eat a balanced meal,
Your stomach pains then will heal.

Shamindri Jayawarna (10 years)
Colombo International School, Kandy

The cow

The cow is an age-old companion of man. It helps in agriculture. Its dung is used as manure. It gives us milk. The calf is very lively and playful.

The cow is venerated by Hindus. The cow is a symbol of prosperity. The cows in Sri Lanka are small.

Chathuri Wickramanayaka (12 years)
Ku/ Parakramabahu N.S.