Children

This is the Green Month

Dear Children,

The rainy season has already begun. Don't forget to take your umbrellas, raincoats and caps when you go out. I know little children love to play in the rain. But if you get wet you might catch a cold and be forced to be in bed for quite some time. So think about the consequences before you step out of the house when it is raining.

Did you notice the changing weather patterns in your immediate neighbourhood? October has been declared as the Green Month so it is a good opportunity to seek urgent solutions for the alarming destruction caused to the environment.

Already we hear of melting glaciers, global warming and changing seasons all brought about due to the destruction of the forest cover for so called 'development'. Man's greed and selfishness are the root cause for this environmental imbalance.

There is mass land filling, massive deforestation and logging taking place in our country as well.

I hope as school children you all will join the island wide tree planting campaign organised by the Environment Ministry and do your little bit to protect your immediate environment and Mother Nature in general.

Bye for now.

Aunt Anji

Mont Blanc

Highest mountain in Western Europe

In our feature famous mountains in the world we feature today Mont Blanc. Mont Blanc (French for white mountain) or Monte Bianco (Italian 'White Mountain'), also known as 'La Dame Blanche' (French, the white lady) is a mountain in the Alps. With its 4,810 m (15,781 ft) summit, it is the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence.

The mountain lies between the regions of Aosta Valley, Italy and Haute-Savoie, France. The location of the summit is on the French-Italian border but Cartographers of France place it within its own boundaries on maps. It is claimed by Italian sources that at a convention between France and the Kingdom of Sardinia, in Turin (1861), the border was fixed on the highest point of Mont Blanc, the south east ridge to Monte Bianco di Courmayeur wholly within Italy, and that this was the last official definition of this border.

The two most famous towns near Mont Blanc are Courmayeur, in Aosta Valley, Italy and Chamonix in Haute-Savoie, France the site of the first Winter Olympics.

From Chamonix a cable car ascends the mountain side.

Teachers' Day at our school

We celebrated the Teachers' Day on October 6 (World Teachers' Day on October 5). It was held at the school premises. Our chief guest was P. Dissanayake who was the principal of the Central College, Kuliyapitiya.

It was started at about 8.30 a.m. We all gathered for a special assembly. When the chief guest arrived our head prefect welcomed him offering a sheaf of betals. Thereafter our Vice Principal hoisted the school flag and our chief guest hoisted the National flag. We sat on our chairs at the assembly. The chief guest then delivered his speech. It was very useful for us. He told the importance of the Teachers' Day and how to respect them.

He advised us to behave well. We offered betals to our teachers. The function was over at around 10.30 a.m.

Hiruni Sawanika Vidanapathirana
Grade 3
Ceylinco Sussex College
Kuliyapitiya

Do not be selfish

The word selfish indicates caring for one's own betterment or benefit. It is a quality that make one testify about his ownself.

Selfishness in a person can never make or keep companionship with each other.

It would always create negative feelings towards others. A person who have this disease in his mind shall always look into his own needs, so that he will never be aware of others in society. We must be unselfish patient and helpful. We can keep up others by thousand expressions of our sincerity. We must be watchful and helpful of our acts and deeds all the time, so as not to hurt others' feelings.

Therefore by following such good behaviour we can cure the disease of selfishness.

Fathima Hafso Thasleem
Grade 11
Sailan International School
Negombo

Mischievous kids in serious trouble - Part 9

As Pramodaka and Ruwi set off on their way to meet Maggie, Nalaka and Champika were left stranded by Chinthaka's side with the little gnome for company.

Champika soon took a seat on a nearby rock well within Nalaka's range while Sachi began strolling around in circles, muttering to himself. Nalaka caught fragments like '...nosy pack...', '...should have left them alone to mind their own business...' and '...need to teach kids these days a lesson...' as he strode past. This added to his already mounting irritation.

Why didn't he insist on joining Pramodaka and Ruwi instead of being left behind in the company of the angry gnome? Surely Scooby would have taken care of Champika and Chinthaka. He glared around himself in annoyance but there was nothing for him to do.

Daylight was slowly breaking in and he was able to glimpse his surroundings more clearly. Scooby, who had been watching the gnome for some time, tired of keeping guard. He settled down on the ground for a nap. Time seemed to have passed quickly and Nalaka wondered what will happen once their parents discovered the kids' absence.

Usually the mischievous kid of the lot, Nalaka had given his parents constant headaches with his pranks in the past. Once he made Champika swallow a slug telling her that it is a toffee. Chinthaka almost ended up in serious trouble last term because Nalaka had told him that exams were off for the following week as the school was being repaired, just to get him to play with the new PlayStation. Then there was the time when he had used his mother's lipsticks for crayons because he had lost his colour pencils.

The thought of causing his parents unnecessary worry depressed him. Though trouble is attracted to him like a magnet, he is a boy who cared deeply about his family and friends.

His thoughts wandered towards his elder brother who had left with the other strange-looking creature. He hoped that he was safe. He did not know for how long he had been lost in thought but as he looked up yet another strange sight met his eyes.

The gnome's hair seemed to be getting longer by the minute and seemed to be turning into a dull shade. Nalaka blinked twice and then rubbed his eyes but there was no difference in the sight.

Suddenly the gnome stood still for a minute and turned to stare back at him. The anger had left his face and he seemed to be studying him. Unable to tear his eyes away from his gaze, Nalaka too stared back.

What is the change that took over Sachi? Why was he changing before the children's eyes?

Natural disaster on a rainy day

I was returning home from my friend Malini's house at around 6 O'clock in the evening.

Thick black clouds were hanging low in the skies and with a gentle cold breeze it had begun to drizzle when I had got half way home. When I entered the gate and stepped into the house the breeze had turned into an intense whistling gale at a distance and the drizzle had become a heavy pelting on the roof and window panes.

We all had our dinner earlier than our usual time. All had crouched in their beds around 7.45 p.m. But I was still browsing my notes in my study. The whistling wind gradually gained strength and was assuming howling cyclonic speed. There were deafening bursts of thunder and blinding flashes of lightning. It was 8.45 p.m. and was now raining cats and dogs. I too went to bed wondering how severe the shower was and what destruction and despair it was going to bring to our city.

Around 5 O'Clock in the morning, the rain subsided and there was no more lightning or thundering. I jumped out of my bed and got out the house and went to the road. Strangely the rain had stopped and the sky was blue and as clear as on a sunny day.

The road was now under water and I guessed there was two feet water. The gutters were full and overflowing. The flood was now receding fast.

It took three days for the floods to recede and many weeks of toil by all to rebuild, repair and restore normalcy again.

Amra Hilmy
Sailan International
Negombo

All Island English Short Story Competition - First Place

Prishani de Mel, an Year 10 student of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya, receiving the award and certificate from Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha, whilst Managing Director of Hatton National Bank R. Theagarajah , the sponsor of the event, looks on.

In celebration of World Children's Day which was observed on October 1, Hatton National Bank together with the Ministry of Education organised the 'Lowa Dinana Singiththo' competition to uplift the creative ability of school children in the fields of Singing, Essay Writing, Art, Speech, Drama and Short Story Writing.

This initiative saw more than 150,000 participants across 9,800 schools, showcasing their talents.

The prize presentation for the finalists, and an evening of entertainment was held at the BMICH on October 1.

Waterfall Nizra Niyal, 4C Sailan International School, Negombo	Mountain Range Agra Jayathilake Grade 5 Berwick Fields Primary School, Australia
Flower Garden Taniya S. Jayatilaka Grade 2 Kusinara International School Rawatawatta, Moratuwa
	The Sea Thurithavi Perera 1K, Musaeus College, Colombo 7