CHILDREN

International Day for Preventing Exploitation of Environment in War and Armed Conflict today

Dear children,

Today there is conflict or wars in most parts of the world and its the people and children in particular who have to face great difficulties. These may vary from economic and environment difficulties due to various situations beyond our control. We are forced to discuss this bitter subject today due to the enormous exploitation of the environment in a conflict situation. The use of chemical and nuclear weapons in war results in the total destruction of the environment. For example the Second World War took a heavy toll on the people and environment in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan and around Europe. Subsequent conflicts in various places around have had very bad effects on the environment resulting in loss of life and property. The damage caused to the environment would take years to repair. On November 5, 2001 the General Assembly declared November 6 of each year as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. In taking this action, it considered that damage to the environment in times of armed conflict impairs ecosystems and natural resources long after the period of conflict, often extending beyond the limits of national territories and the present generation.

The Assembly also recalled the United Nations Millennium Declaration, which emphasised the necessity of working to protect our common environment.

While hoping for lasting peace to dawn in our beautiful Motherland soon, we should also do our little bit to protect our environment and set an example to other countries. We must make it a point never to exploit our environment which Mother Nature has endowed to us.

Bye for now.

Aunt Anji

Aconcagua

Highest mountain in South America:

in our series on highest mountains in the world, today we feature the highest mountain in South America which is Aconcagua. Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Western hemisphere, located in western Argentina, near the Chile border. Aconcagua is a gigantic mass of rock, not picturesque in the traditional Alpine sense, but magnificent by its size alone.

It dominates the sky west of Santiago, Chile's capital city, and is visible from the Pacific coast, 100 miles away. Though the mountain's summit crest and radiating ridges are largely windswept free of snow, large glaciers fill the valleys on all but the southern and western flanks.

Some climbing routes are relatively straightforward hikes to the top, but this is the very reason that Aconcagua has one of the highest mountain death tolls in the world: It is a popular mountain, and many of its climbers tend to move too swiftly up the mountain, with little respect for the elevation or the weather, which on Aconcagua can quickly become severe.

Elevation (feet): 22841

Elevation (meters): 6962

Range: Andes

Country: Argentina

The books of spells


Part 11

While Sachi and Nalaka were getting to know each other Ruwi had to face a dilemma. She stood silent for a few minutes wracking her brains on how to answer Maggie's question. It was a generally accepted rule among all mythical creatures that telling fibs is forbidden but sadly many did not follow the rules nowadays.

The goblins, however, less magical and more towards the evil, had no rules or morals. They were once companions to the evil witch Zelda who had caused destruction and disorder among all the clan so much so that the dwarfs and the elves had been on the brink of going to war. Luckily the unicorns had intervened and brought both parties to their senses. There were many fables concerning how the mythical creatures united to defeat the witch. Though life was back to normal, the goblins were banished to an area beyond the mountains surrounding the woods.

Uri took a deep breath as the answer took shape in her mind. She could only pray that everything would work according to plan and Maggie would not become even more suspicious.

"I have been in human company. I just arrived so that's why you must have felt their fragrance around me," she said.

Maggie stared at her for a few minutes and much to Ruwi's relief she seemed satisfied with the answer. She had seen the pixie in the company of two children before and in fact Ruwi had even mentioned about them once or twice, trying to coax her back into human company. That was about a year ago and since all her efforts seemed futile Ruwi had stopped mentioning about them to her, not that she minded ... Humans were an unsavoury topic for her.

"Having trouble with my mother's spells again? The last time you came here was to free one of those horrible goblins who had dared to sneak back to the woods. I hope they are not up to their old tricks again," she muttered as she let the pixie indoors. "That is most unlikely, Maggie, since my father says that goblins are born mischief makers," Ruwi replied as she stepped into the room. Nothing has changed. Everything was just as she remembered eight months ago. The floor was tinted with dust, cob webs hung on the walls and a gecko wriggled behind a door. Ruwi began to feel guilty for not having visited Maggie for so long. The pixies were getting ready for the harvest season so most of them were occupied with their work but Ruwi and her cousin, Shazie, had always taken turns to visit Maggie and help her with the cleaning. Unfortunately Shazie had been infected with a severe case of magenta fever last summer so she had to go to the elves to gain recovery. Ruwi had been too bundled up with work to pay a visit.

"I hope the book is not too heavy for you, my dear. It would have been better if Sachi or one of your rabbit friends had come up to help you carry it," Maggie said as she lead her up the stairs.

"Oh, I'll manage somehow. I'm sure it's not that heavy." They approached a room packed with books. In the middle of the room a big book lay on a slanted table. The leaves of the book were discoloured with age but its cover was so clean that it looked as if someone had polished it.

"Here it is. The books of spells. I dust it every morning and night," Maggie said proudly. She picked up the book and handed it to Ruwi. The pixie gasped under the weight of the book. "It must weight a ton," she thought, staggering under its weight.

"I hope you will be careful with the book, my dear. That is my most valuable procession," Maggie went on as she and Ruwi came out of the library.

"Mmmm...," Ruwi squeaked as she clasped the book to her breast.

Maggie, who was making her way downstairs stopped and squinted down at Ruwi as she struggled with the book.

"Are you sure you can manage?"

"Yes, I'm ok. Just coming along...," Ruwi gasped and took another step forward. Suddenly her foot slipped and much to her horror she was sailing down the flight of steps.

Scooby-Doo popular animated series

Scooby-Doo is a long-running American animated series produced from 1969 to the present. The original series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You, was created by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears.

Animation, which has handled production since then. Although the format of the show and the cast (and ages) of characters have varied significantly over the years, the most familiar versions of the show feature a talking dog named Scooby-Doo and four teenagers: Fred 'Freddie' Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley and Norville 'Shaggy' Rogers.

These five characters drive around the world in a van called the 'Mystery Machine', and solve mysteries typically involving tales of ghosts and other supernatural forces.

At the end of each episode, the supernatural forces turn out to have a rational explanation, typically criminal plots involving costumes, latex masks and special effects intended to frighten or distract. Later versions of Scooby-Doo featured different variations on the show's supernatural theme, and include characters such as Scooby's cousin Scooby-Dum and nephew Scrappy-Doo in addition to or instead of some of the original characters.

Repeats of the series are broadcast frequently on the Cartoon Network and Boomerang in the United States and other countries.

How does a Kingfisher catch its food?

Kingfishers are birds with large heads, heavy, pointed bills and stubby legs and tails. Some are brightly coloured like the common kingfisher, while others, for example the laughing Kookaburra, are camouflaged.

A kingfisher may sit for hours on a branch beside water looking for fish near the surface. Then, after perhaps hovering for a moment in midair, the bird dives after a fish, either seizing it in or spearing it on its bill. It bobs back to the surface and uses the membranes between its middle and outer toes to launch itself back into the air. Back at its perch, it tosses the fish into the air and swallows it headfirst. Other sources of food that kingfishers exploit include crustaceans, frogs and insects. Kingfishers burrow in the walls of river banks or sandbanks, or between the roots of upturned trees. They dig a tunnel a good 3 ft (1m) long with a hollow at the end where the eggs are laid on a nest of fish bones.

Remembering Miss Karuna

An year has passed by

Since you left us in silence

Though it seems like yesterday

Your memories still remain.

Our class is never the same,

Empty without your smiling face,

'Belvoir' corridors are empty.

Without your shadow or your voice

You took us to a world of poetry,

Drama was excellent too.

Music was one of your talents,

Teaching was the best of them all.

Though you left Belvoir,

Your fragrance is still in the air,

Your voice still echoes in our ears,

Your smile is everywhere.

Heaven's gates may have been open

Angels may have embraced you,

I am sure God crowned you, saying

"Well done! you finished strong".

Sherard Karunaratne

Grade 6B2

Belvoir College, International

Colombo

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein (March 14, 1879 - April 18, 1955) was a German theoretical physicist who is widely regarded as the greatest scientist of the 20th century. He proposed the theory of relativity and also made major contributions to the development of quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and cosmology. He was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect and 'for his services to Theoretical Physics'.

After his general theory of relativity was formulated in November 1915, Einstein became world-famous, an unusual achievement for a scientist. In his later years, his fame exceeded that of any other scientist in history, and in popular culture, Einstein has become a byword for great intelligence or even genius.

Einstein himself was deeply concerned with the social impact of scientific discovery.

An individual of monumental intellectual achievement, he remains the most influential theoretical physicist of the modern era. Einstein's reverence for all creation, his belief in the grandeur, beauty and sublimity of the universe (the primary source of inspiration in science), his awe for the scheme that is manifested in the material universe - all of these show through in his work and philosophy.

To this day Einstein receives popular recognition unprecedented for a scientist.

My Dog

My dog is a female

She is short and long

Black and brown in colour

And I love her a lot

She is a playful pup

And a loveable one

She is like a security

Guarding the house