Children

World Thrift Day tomorrow

Promoting savings habit among school children

Dear children,

'Saving for a rainy day' is a well known saying which our teachers and parents always urge us to follow. This is good advise that one must practice and the earlier you start following this good habit in your life the better it is. You must learn to save even a little money as a regular exercise, just like those tiny ants that save every morsel of food that they can find... Let's discuss about 'saving' since tomorrow (October 31) has been declared World Thrift Day which came in to existence as a result of the first International Thrift Congress held in 1924 in Milan.

In the resolutions of the Thrift Congress it has been noted that the 'World Thrift Day' must be a day devoted to the promotion of 'Savings' all over the world. This publication campaign took the form of posters, lectures and publication of articles.

This resulted in an important collection of posters edited by each national organisation individually to celebrate World Thrift Day.

Special interest was also paid to the promotion of savings in schools and, several savings campaigns have been organised in schools to commemorate this day. In the week of thrift, special courses are organised to educate children with the virtues of 'Thrift'. Money boxes and Savings Bank Passbooks are distributed in schools. An International Stamp for the World Thrift Day is also used in all correspondence.

Meanwhile, October 24 was the 63rd United Nations Day and a series of celebrations were held all over the world including our country to mark this day.

Good luck with your savings.

- Aunt Anji

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I believe that thrift is essential to well-ordered living. - John D. Rockefeller

 

Mount Mckinley

Highest mountain peak in North America:

In our series famous mountains in the world, today we feature Mount McKinley. Mount McKinley or Denali 'The Great One' in Alaska is the highest mountain peak in North America, at a height of approximately 20,320 feet (6,194 m). It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park.

Mount McKinley has a larger bulk and rise than Mount Everest. Even though the summit of Everest is about 9,000 feet (2,700 m) higher as measured from sea level, its base sits on the Tibetan Plateau at about 17,000 feet (5,200 m), giving it a real vertical rise of a little more than 12,000 feet (3,700 m). The base of Mount McKinley is roughly a 2,000-foot plateau, giving it an actual rise of 18,000 feet (5,500 m).

The mountain is also characterised by extremely cold weather. A thermometer left exposed at an elevation of 15,000 feet (4,600 m) on Mount McKinley over 19 years recorded a temperature of -100 °F (-73.3 °C) at some point during its exposure. There is also a higher risk of altitude illness for climbers than its altitude would otherwise suggest, due to its high latitude. At the equator, a mountain as high as Mount McKinley would have 47 per cent as much oxygen available on its summit as there is at sea level, but because of its latitude, the pressure on the summit of McKinley is even lower (42 per cent).

Mythical creatures and humans -  Part 10

Uncle Sachi and Aunt Ruwi

At first the gnome seemed to be in a daze, as he stared misty eyed at the boy. Nalaka gave a nervous glance to where Champika was seated. She was absent-mindedly stroking Scooby's head with a small twig so that the dog kept on shaking his head in annoyance, suspecting that a fly was bothering him. Nalaka felt relieved. If some kind of danger is near at hand he could always grab Champika and make a dash for it.

He focused his eyes back on Sachi just in time to see the gnome start, pull at the strands on his dull hair and frown.

"He is not as bad as he looks, this boy... He means well though the results of the actions are otherwise... But that's another story. I shouldn't be having these nasty thoughts...," he thought to himself before addressing Nalaka aloud.

"So you are bored, aren't you my boy? Feel that it's better to have joined Ruwi and Pramodaka, eh? ... Now don't look like that. Of course I know your names and your whereabouts. Just a simple matter of reading your thoughts, that's all..."

The look on the boy's face actually made him smile. All the ill-feelings he had harboured minutes ago vanished and he laughed heartily. Nalaka gasped when he saw that the long, dull coloured hair of the gnome had vanished and become its original hazel colour.

"Your hair... It's alright again...," he spluttered.

"Yeah. That's what happens when we dwell on thoughts that should not be there in our heads in the first place.

"I was a bit annoyed with you lot and things got out of hand...," Sachi said as he picked up his cane and trotted past Nalaka. He took a seat, leaning his back on a tree trunk. He looked up at the boy again, chuckled, and patted on the grassy shade near him, indicating that he take a seat.

Feeling bolder than before Nalaka took the seat next to Sachi.

"Making your sister swallow a slug... lipstick for coloured pencils... School repairing so no exams... ha... ha... Now that's some thoughts, my boy."

"I was only trying to please everyone," Nalaka replied, hurt by the fact that Sachi was probably trying to make fun of him.

"O... I know. We mythical creatures sense which humans are good and which are evil though I let my better sense get to me a minute ago... No need to mention this to Ruwi though. Will never hear the end of it... ah, ah so anyway... As I was saying... Do you know the difference between mythical creatures and humans?"

Nalaka shook his head, his eyes fixed on the gnome.

"We are divine creatures who use our powers for righteous purposes. If we do not seem to help you, that means we want you to learn the lesson firsthand. Our divine powers are sometimes threatened by certain evil forces," Sachi explained. Nalaka looked startled.

"Uncle Sachi, who are they?" he managed to ask after a lapse of silence, but the gnome only gave a bitter laugh.

'Our World' - an exhibition of paintings

An exhibition of paintings, by 25 children aged from years 4 to 13, will be held at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery, Colombo, on November 1 and 2 from 9.30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The little artists are, Senuri and Seneli Premaratne, Minali and Manesha Siriwardena, Iroshini and Chehani Gunasekera, Natali and Tarini Jayatilake, Anoushka de Silva, Shenuki Rajapakse and Jaishni Karunaratne from Ladies College, Colombo; Sara and Muskan Mehrotra, Seyana Suraweera and Rushanth Karunaratne from the British School in Colombo; Shakeel Samidon, Jayden and Jonathan Ferreira and Yischelle Foenander from Lyceum International School, Nugegoda; Hamza Ali from the Colombo International School; Bushra, Nashika and Salman Iqbal from Oasis International School; Chanthuli Galewelage from the Welbourn Nursery School and Fizza Ali Bhoy from Cuddles Nursery School.

The exhibition will be declared open by Nirmali Wickramasinghe, Principal, Ladies College, Colombo tomorrow (31) at 6.30 p.m. The artists have been painting under the guidance of Saumya Jayasekera.

The proceeds of this exhibition will be utilised to provide much needed necessities for patients at the Children's Ward at the Cancer Hospital, Maharagama.

To my dada

I go to bed at night

everyday,

I raise my hands and pray,

For riches, money

and a big house,

From Allah everyday.

But there is one thing

I will always regret,

Even if I had everything,

That is none other than

the strength,

Who taught me

everything.

And now I go to bed

at night,

And never forget to say,

'You have blessed me

with so much Allah.

But the biggest blessing,

you have given me is

my dad.

I love you dada.

Azraa Adjumain

Bishop's College 
9 A
Colombo 3

My best friend

My best friend is

Samith Biduranga.

He is nine-years-old.

He goes to Dharmaloka

Central College.

His favourite subject

is Maths.

His hobby is reading

story books.

He is a good friend.

Venura Santhush Hettiarachchi

Grade 4A
Ramasingha Vidyalaya
Dalugama, Kelaniya

Kindness

Little words of kindness-

How they cheer the heart!

What a world of gladness

Will a smile impart!

Little acts of kindness-

Nothing do they cost;

Yet when they are wanting,

Life's best charm is lost.

Little acts of kindness-

Richest gems on earth-

Though they seem

but trifles,

Priceless is their worth.

S. Eswararuban

Kingston College
International School
Wellawatte Branch
 

Art Gallery