2021 OCTOBER ISSUE NEWSLETTER NO 312 LYCEUM NUGEGODA

S
resounded in the hall when Helen stopped
WORDS WISDOM speaking. Back in the day, these two were among
S

the most famous people in America. Anne Sullivan

FROM OUR FOUNDER,
was a bold educa onist and civil rights
DR. MOHAN LAL GRERO
spokesperson. Helen Adams Keller was her deaf
and blind disciple. Despite being handicapped, she
had made a name for herself as a writer, women’s
“The best and most beau ful things in the world
libera on ac vist and a social worker.
cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt
with the heart.”
The audience was immensely touched by Helen’s
Helen Keller
speech. Her words could be summed up this way:
“My teacher told you how her one word touched
Yesterday, the world celebrated “White Cane Day”.
the darkness of my mind and how I woke up to the
Therefore, I thought it an opportune moment to
bliss of life. I was dumb; now I can speak. I am
share with you a li le story I read about a
obliged to the hands and hearts of others for this
remarkable lady who was not only blind, but deaf
achievement. Through their love I came to see my
as well.
mind; I could see God, I could find happiness. In
fact, we all live for helping others and for being
It was a cold winter a ernoon in 1920. A large
helped. By remaining united we can do a lot of
number of people were wai ng outside an
things. Only love can break down the walls that
exhibi on hall in the city of New York to purchase
stand between us and our happiness. The greatest
ckets. Inside the hall, the manager seemed to be
commandment is to love one another. I would like
highly pleased. A large number of people had
to thank God at the top of my voice for all the love,
arrived, many more than his expecta ons. A new
happiness and hope that would be coming to me.”
kind of exhibi on was being presented on that day.

Why did Helen Keller give such a message? Both

The curtain went up. The stage was set up like a
Helen and her teacher needed money to live. They
recep on room in a house. A young man who sat
got ready for this show in the hope of being paid.
beside a piano rose and bowed ceremoniously. He
The audience had come to get a glance of this
introduced a majes c middle-aged woman to the
‘living miracle’ much more than hearing a lecture.
audience. It was Anne Sullivan Macy. Anne made a
Most of them were curious as if they were viewing
brief speech. Everyone listened a en vely to her
a rare crea on. But Helen Keller’s glory lies in the
sweet-sounding words. Later another woman,
fact that she suffered all such humilia ons and
beau fully dressed and pleasant-looking, walked
fought bravely for the rights of the physically
on to stage. Anne clasped her hand. She just
handicapped people. She declared that the
looked at the audience and stood revealed.
physically handicapped people had the right to live
like normal people.
Later, that woman – Helen Keller – spoke. She
struggled hard to let out each word. The audience
Let us do all we can to help those who are
too struggled to grasp what she said. S ll they kept
physically challenged to live just as we do.
their ears strained and sharp. A long applause

01
 16TH AND 17TH NOVEMBER 2021

Please note that the Parent-Teacher meeting will

be held on 16th & 17th November.
The Importance of World
Children’s Day...
GENERAL STUDIES
“We worry about what a child will become
General studies questions will be tested at the tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone
semester exams from Grades 6 to 12 and marks today”
will be given. -Stacia Tauscher -
dancer and artist

FIRST TERM FEES
We would appreciate it if you could pay the first
term fees, if you have not already done so. We
sincerely thank the parents who have paid the
school fees.
IMS PASSWORD
Please send an email to your school IT department
to obtain your child's IMS password where you can
access your child's details. Please mention your
child's admission number, full name, grade and
the class.
The World Children’s Day was established by the
United Nations to do just that; to remind ourselves
of the individuality and the potential of children
and to focus our awareness on their needs. It is
celebrated on the 20th of November while
different nations have their own specific dates
allocated for this special day and Sri Lanka
celebrates this on the 1st of October.
We may not need just one day, specified in the
name of children, but recognising a day for them
does make them feel important and special. Many
events and activities are conducted on this day
and this greater focus on involvement of kids
increases their sense of self-worth.

For IT department's email addresses, please refer This aspect of Children’s Day is important as there
page no. 74 in the Pre-Primary SRB and page no. 70 are many children who don’t feel they are worthy
in grades 1 to 12 SRB. or are denied the privileges we might be able to
offer our kids. Children’s Day is an opportunity to
help them feel worthy and loved, as privilege is not
“If a man empties his purse the only thing a child needs. It is an opportunity to
into his head, no man can reconsider our roles in their lives and whether
take it away from him. An we're too busy to give them the emotional support
investment in knowledge they need. It’s never too early to start noticing that
always pays the best what is most valuable to a child is your attention
and affection. The material things you give them
interest.”
are only short-lived, but the time you spend with
Ben Franklin them and the happy memories created, live on.
And what a child becomes tomorrow will be
General Studies question and answers determined by what you give them today.
Remember, every child is special and Children’s
Question - Who wrote the Lyceum school song?
Day is a special day for those special individuals.
Answer - Mr. Lylie Godridge

02
 • Religion
Please note that we have the facility to teach
o n l y B u d d h i s m , C h r i s t i a n i t y, Ro m a n
Catholicism, Islam and Hinduism in school. If
Charlie Chaplin lived 88 years.
your child doesn’t follow any one of the
He left us with 4 statements: mentioned religions, please inform the Principal
in writing.
(1) Nothing is forever in this world, not even our
problems. • Communication (Telegram App)
Please note that you have to download the
(2) I love walking in the rain because no one can
see my tears. Telegram app to your phone as we send all
notices and messages through Telegram chat
(3) The most lost day in life is the day we don't groups. Kindly ensure that the number used for
laugh. Telegram is mentioned in the ‘Particulars of the
(4) Six best doctors in the world...: Parents/ Guardian' page in the SRB. If there is a
change in the number, please make sure to
i. The sun iv. Diet inform the class teacher via the SRB.
ii. Rest v. Self-respect
iii. Exercise vi. Friends
• Collecting Certificates - one year clause
Stick to them at all stages of your life and enjoy a Please collect all your certificates as soon as you
healthy life... leave, as these documents will be kept only for
ONE YEAR, after you leave school.
Life is just a journey! Therefore, live today!
• Nursery to Grade 12 - no tuition.
If extra help is needed please contact the school
Dear Parents,
to provide extra help.
Covid 19 has created a serious impact on young
• SHBs & SRB
children and on adolescents. Their mental health
Please read the Student’s Handbooks (SHBs)
is in danger particularly causing symptoms of
and Student’s Record Book (SRB) carefully as
anxiety, depression and change in the children's
those contain general information, all the rules,
behaviours. regulations, corrective actions of the school,
annual calendar, the exam timetables, the co-
Parents and teachers should be vigilant and be
curricular activity schedules, etc.
able to identity behavioural changes and
emotional changes in children during this period,
so that early detection can reduce the impact on Education opens up the
the child.
mind, expands it and
Be safe. allows you to improve
your life in so many
Romaine Weerasinha ways.
Chief Student Counsellor, Child Protection and
Safeguarding Officer. General Studies question and answers
(SCCPSO) Question - Who wrote the National Anthem
for Lyceum International Schools. of Sri Lanka?
Answer - Mr. Ananda Samarakoon

03
 efficiencies and development of a complete
ecosystem for families, we hope we can bring
ease to parents, as well as improve the quality
Message from the Lyceum Management... with which students are brought up.

My Dear Colleagues, Parents, and our dear 4) We plan on methodically purchasing

missed Children,
1) We are anxiously waiting to begin school! We
hope that we will at least be able to start in
January. We would like to share with you, in
short, some of the new developments that
have been happening at Lyceum, and the
plans over the next 5 to 10 years, in terms of
school and academic development.
2) We plan on converting all our schools into
“Intelligent Schools”, by creating and
investing in the Intelligent Campus Concept.
What is an Intelligent Campus? A central
digital nervous system that dictates the end-
to-end learning life cycle of a knowledge
ecosystem. This system will use AI, big data,
and cloud tech — to reshape campus service
systems. The solution uses all-optical access
and other cutting-edge products to offer
intelligent, easy-to-use, and high-bandwidth
campus networks, enabling interconnection
between service systems whilst driving the
continuous evolution of campus service
applications, such as comprehensive security
protection, convenient access, and energy
efficiency management.
Intelligent boards with the highest
functionalities to every single classroom. We
have already paced out a chronological
training plan to train our teachers effectively,
with he functionalities of the boards, and to
layout the smart boards, over a period of 5
years, once the situation in the country
stabilizes. We will be implementing the
concept of Intelligent campus model
throughout our schools, from end to end.
New Departments- Academic, and developments
- Academic Results Analysis
- Research & Development
- Lyceum Assessments
- Lyceum Publications
- Soft Skills development
- Academic Enrichment Centre
- Counselling and Child Safeguarding
- Curriculum Development
- Strategic Transformation
- Digital Transformation
- Student Services
- Parent Services
New Departments for Sports

Developments in Technology - Research and Development

- Biomechanics
3) Lyceum has entered into a serious period of - Physiotherapy
digital transformation in the past year. We - Physical Education
have identified the importance in systematic - Nutrition
and effective, calculated digitization of the - Strength & Conditioning
service provided to students and parents. We - Centralized coaching (Per Sport)
are involved in the development of an ERP of - Student SMARTABASE
the internal management of school
operations. This system includes Learning Physical Education
Management System (LMS), Student
S M A R TA B A S E , H R M I S , I n f o r m a t i o n * Cognitive development & individual physical
Management, Fleet management, Document fitness
management and Exams management. The - Online quiz competition
new digital phase will lead to many - Debating session to be organized
conveniences to parents to connect with the - Enhancing sports physical education
school, and manage life. With these knowledge

04

* Online aerobic sessions
- Specifically due to COVID pandemic
situation, one needs to have befitting mental
health condition coupled with breathing
exercises for lungs, especially for our younger
generation.
Physiotherapy
Children could reach out to their coach and if there
are is any need, they will be directed to a
physiotherapist or manual therapist. However, a
rehabilitation plan will be catered individually for
each athlete once sports activities begin.
Research and Development
R&D involves researching sports market, new
trends/ technologies/ concepts and students
sports needs and developing new and improved
products and services.
R & D team Programs in Development :-
* Sports specific testing
* Talent Identification Process
* Long term athlete development planning
* Sports Science Article – “Hello Sportees”
* Sessions for students for pre-match
preparations
Strength and Conditioning
The sports strength and conditioning unit of
Lyceum International Schools focuses on Strength
training via resistance training (RT). This serves as
the core, and other modalities of exercises that are
included depending on the needs of the athlete.
Proper strength and conditioning allows an athlete
to strengthen supporting muscles, even-out
muscle imbalances, increase mobility, develop
correct posture, stabilize joints, learn new
movement patterns and enhance coordination
and peripheral skills.
05
Sports Biomechanics
This helps students with a detailed analysis of
sport movements in order to minimize the risk of
injury and improve sports performance.
Some of the areas where biomechanics is applied
to either support the performance of athletes or
solve issues in sport or exercise:-
• Identification of optimal technique, for
enhancing sports performance
• The analysis of body loading to determine the
safest method for performing a particular
sport or exercise
• The assessment of muscular recruitment and
loading
• The analysis of sport and exercise equipment
e.g., shoes, surfaces and rackets.
Sports Nutrition
Sports nutrition is the foundation of athletic
success. Therefore, Lyceum International School
prioritizes a well-designed nutrition plan that
allows active athletes to perform at their best.
The pandemic has provided us with a unique
window of time, which has allowed us to plan out
succinctly for 10 years, and where we want to be.
We are glad that we have been able to develop our
internal structures, and operational procedures
largely. We are proud as to what we have achieved
in terms of our development at the central
management level, the strength as a family of
teachers, parents, and students, to get through
this period so far. We would like to applaud our
teachers for their rapid adjustments to
technology, as one large body and our parents who
have supported our children, to have their
education, unhindered during this time.
Stay Safe
Lyceum Management
General Studies question and answers
Question - Who is the first Prime Minister
of Sri Lanka?
Answer - Mr. D. S. Senanayaka
06

MESSAGE FROM A PAST PUPIL...
Money: Do we talk enough?
My home is in Bentota Sri Lanka. I used to catch the bus every
weekday to come to Lyceum Panadura. I woke up at 5am,
had breakfast and caught the bus by 6 am to be in school by
7.10am. In the evenings, I engaged in extracurricular
activities at school. At the end of the day, I was home by 7pm
ready to have dinner and to switch off. This was my daily
routine.
For this routine, I was given a daily allowance of Rs 300 by my
parents. So, I had to make sure I budgeted my expenditure to
get the best use from my day. This was back in 2010-2012.
My expenses during those days were as follows:
• Bus (up and down) Rs. 120
• Interval Snack Rs. 30
• Lunch (rice Packet) Rs. 100
• Snack after sports Rs. 30
Total Rs. 280
With inflation, the cost of living is much higher nowadays.
Nevertheless, you can see that I did not spend all the money I
was given. I made sure I saved at least Rs 20 every day. At the
end of the month, I would have about Rs 400 in savings. I had
a kids savings account back then and this was where at least
Rs 200 monthly would go from my savings. The remainder of
the savings was used to buy something I had a goal for.
That was my story of personal finance management and
budgeting when I was schooling. As children, we're not often
reminded or given lessons about managing personal
finances. Yet, budgeting and personal finance management
is such an essential skill in life.
Money is commonly viewed as a private issue and hardly
mentioned, not even in our own households sometimes.
This way many children grow up not knowing how to manage
their money. This becomes a real problem in adulthood
when people struggle with money. Due to the lack of
financial literacy, they don't ask for help or know the
available tools and resources to strengthen their financial
position and that is sadly because they don't want anyone
else to see their financial situation due to the culture of
closedness around money matters.
A very useful skill in life is learning how to budget and
manage your money. I am not saying that you should be
chasing money or that money should be the most important
thing in your life. Yet, we need it for survival, it is a means of
exchange for goods and services. One day, when you are
working you will be remunerated with money. Therefore, it
runs in every aspect of our society.
Budgeting allows you to create a spending plan for your
money. It ensures that you will always have enough money
for your necessities and the things that are important to you.
More importantly, it makes sure that you don't spend money
07
you don't have. A common example of this is people
spending most of their salary irrationally and immediately
after receiving, rather than budgeting it for a month. The
invaluable use of a budget is it will help you keep yourself out
of debt or give you a plan to pay it back if you are already in
debt. The most important factor in personal finance
management is being debt free because debts can erode
your financial position as it often incurs large sums of
interest to payback.
From being debt free, the next step in good budgeting is
allocating money for saving and investing. I urge every one of
you to open a savings account if you haven't already. Start
saving young. This will take you a long way in life. Savings
accounts earn good interest rates in Sri Lanka. With the
power of compounding interest, your savings will improve
significantly overtime and so will your financial
position/status. Not to forget, life will throw you some
obstacles and emergencies, having savings, you can dip into
on a rainy day will alleviate that pressure. This is so relevant
these days and age as we all battle through the COVID-19
pandemic.
The ultimate step in budgeting is allocating a portion for
investing. You should also make your money work for you
rather than letting it sit in bank accounts. Unfortunately, not
many take this leap with their money due to the heightened
risk. While savings are a conservative form of investment as
it earns interest, there might be better options which might
help to make your money work better. Nowadays anyone can
invest in stock markets, property markets and other
investment funds even for as little as Rs 1,000. Investing is
not an option only for the rich anymore.
There are many resources and tools online which you can use
to research and make informed decisions around investing.
You are never too young to start this journey. This way, when
you earn an income one day you will be able to make your
money work for you even when you are sleeping either
through interest, dividends, capital gains or profits.
'My poor dad often said, “investing is risky”, my rich dad said,
“being financially uneducated is risky”'. This is a quote from
Robert Kiyosaki, a famous author and successful
businessman. Gaining financial knowledge and skills itself is
an investment, you are investing in your future success. If
you haven't already started, you can start today. Let's be
more open about money matters, learn to budget and make
sustainable decisions with our money. With that said I will
leave you with this quote 'a wise person should have money
in their head, but not in their heart.'
Neranga Jayaweera
Finance Administrator
Massey University
New Zealand
“Teachers can change lives with just the
right mix of chalk and challenge”,
- Joyce Meyer -

Maybe the chalk and the blackboards have now

been replaced with whiteboards and marker pens,
but the challenges have not changed nor have
those who engage in the world’s most noble
profession of ‘teaching’.
Dear teachers, all of you who are under our wings,
are the very reasons for our smooth operation. The
gratitude we have towards you, is day in and day
out in our hearts, minds, and souls. Reverberations
of celebration isn’t limited to a single day, but your
presence is felt every day.

Lives of every soul that pass through the corridors

of Lyceum International Schools have been
rightfully illuminated and enlightened by our dear
teachers who are the strong trunk of this gigantic
tree, the Lyceum group that has now spread its
branches and leaves island wide, sheltering many.

Here is a note to say, ‘Your untiring dedication

towards steering future generations of the
country and the world towards victory, is second
to the efforts of none. Thank you, dear teachers
you are precious to us.’

During these difficult times, you have dedicated

your time and space towards your students and
have spared every moment to show them all the
walks and works of life, even via the digitized
screens of your virtual classroom. Technology is a
challenge indeed, but you learnt the art in split
seconds, proving every day of this teaching-
learning process is a challenge and that you can
overcome it.

08

Through the eyes of a child
One day a father of a very wealthy family took his
son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose
of showing his son how poor people live.
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm
of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his
son, "How was the trip?"
"It was great. Dad."
"Did you see how poor people live?" the father
asked.
"Oh yeah." said the son.
"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?"
asked the father.
The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog
and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our
garden and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they
have the stars at night.
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have
the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on and they
have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us, but they serve
others.
We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
We have walls around our property to protect us,
they have friends to protect them."
The boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me
how poor we are."
Isn't perception a wonderful thing ?
Makes you wonder what would happen if we all
gave thanks for everything we have, instead of
worrying about what we don't have.
Appreciate every single thing you have, especially
your friends !
"Life is too short and friends are too few." Please
pass this message on to friends and acquaintances
to help them refresh their perception and
appreciation.
09
TOLERANCE IS BASED ON
HEALTHY SELF-ESTEEM
Feeling good about yourself and your background is
not the same as feeling superior to others. (In fact,
children with poor self-esteem are more likely to be
intolerant. They put others down to feel better about
themselves.)
HELP BUILD YOUR
CHILD'S SELF-ESTEEM
by letting your child know
that he or she:
* is important and special
* is respected as an individual
* has talents and strengths
* has rights -- and responsibilities.
CELEBRATE YOUR
FAMILY HERITAGE
--for example:
* Talk about your ancestors
-- where they lived, the
challenges they faced, etc.
* Point out the influence of your heritage on family
customs, special foods and holiday observances.
* Read stories and folk tales from the land(s) of your
ancestors.
Point out that other families also celebrate their
heritage. Compare your traditions with some of theirs.
HELPING YOUR CHILD TO
RECOGNISE WORDS
Words in books
* Point to a word. Ask your child to find the same word
on a different page.
* When reading books with repeating patterns, ask
your child to point to the words as they read them.
Pointing focuses on reading the words rather than
just memorising the text.
* Before reading a new book, ask your child to look
through the first few pages and find words that he or
she already knows. This can help a nervous child feel
more confident about tackling something new.
Looking closely
* Talk about the shape of different words: for example,
'a long word', 'a short word'.
* Write words using different media (paint, felt pens,
rainbow crayons).
* Make words out of magnetic, foam or plastic letters.
* Use the letters to make two words that are similar,
such as 'the' and 'they'. Ask your child to say what is
the same and what is different. Then ask the child to
make 'the' into 'they' and 'they' into 'the'.

LYCEUM
NUGEGODA NOTICES
Congratulations
to Dewmeth Weerasena
of Lyceum Nugegoda!
In 2019, Dewmeth Weerasena achieved the first
rank in the U-12 Table Tennis Championship in Sri
Lanka. He also represented Sri Lanka after the
selection trials at the South Asia Hopes Week and
Challenge 2019 in India, where he qualified as one
of the top two male players from South Asia (from
the South Asia Hopes team) and the youngest
male player in Asia.
A d d i t i o n a l l y, D ew m et h gave a s u p e r b
performance at the Asia Hopes Week and
Challenge Tournament in Thailand, held in May
2019 and was among the top eight in the under-12
category in Asia.
In the following week, Dewmeth also represented
Sri Lanka at the ITTF World Junior Circuit World
Ranking Tournament in Thailand and defeated the
Asia Hopes Week under-12 Bronze Medalist, and
the World Hopes qualified player from Thailand in
his group stage 3-2.
10
Within the same year, Dewmeth represented Sri
Lanka again as the Number One nationally ranked
player in Sri Lanka in the U-12 Boys Category at the
ITTF World Junior Circuit World Ranking
Tournament 2019 held in Oman.
Dewmeth reached the Top 16 Round(Pre-Quater
Finals) but lost out to the previous World Silver
Medalist from Singapore in a very tight match
losing only 2-3 and 9-11 in the deciding set.
In the same year, Dewmeth represented Sri Lanka
once again for the Hopes and Cadet Team as the Sri
Lanka U-12 National Ranked Number 1 player
after the selection trials to participate at the South
Asian Hopes Week and Challenge 2019/2020 in
Nepal. Dewmeth won a bronze medal and
qualified for the Asian Hopes Week in 2020 as the
only Sri Lankan player in the South Asian Team.
Dewmeth Weerasena is the only Sri Lankan Hopes
player in history to represent Sri Lanka at two
South Asian Hopes Week and Challenge
tournaments and qualify for the Asia Hopes Week
and Challenge. He is also the only male Sri Lankan
player representing the South Asian Hopes team.
In 2020, Dewmeth ranked as the Number One
Player in Sri Lanka in the U-12 and under U-15
categories. He was a finalist in both the U-12 and
U-15 events in the same national ranking
tournament in Sri Lanka.
Currently, in 2021, Dewmeth is nationally ranked
as the Number One Player in the U-13 category,
and holds the second spot in the Under 15
national rankings. He recently represented Sri
Lanka's Junior National Team at the WTT Youth
Contender World Ranking Tournament held in
Oman as well and achieved fifth place in the U-13
boys' category at the World Youth Table Tennis
Championship. In the U-13 event, Dewmeth won
all his matches in his group and finished as the top
player in the group (as the world number 6th seat
in the draw). Dewmeth's further achievements
also include reaching the top 32 in the U-15 event,
where he lost to the U-15 Number Three ranked
player from India, after fighting a hard battle, with
the score being 1-3.
LYCEUM
NUGEGODA NOTICES

11
 The virtual CPR session held on Zoom presented
LYCEUM
NUGEGODA NOTICES an excellent educational and engaging experience
to learn a life-saving technique. Following the
instructions from the trained professionals,
participants received guidance on how to perform
The World Restart A Heart (WRAH)
CPR, using a cushion for practice purposes. It was a
Campaign 2021 highly educational session for our students from
at Lyceum Nugegoda grades 6-12 and we would like to thank Dr. Chamila
Jayasekera and the team from the College of
Lyceum Nugegoda held a virtual CPR training Anaesthesiologists and Intensivists of Sri Lanka for
session on 23rd October 2021, conducted by this invaluable session for students.
members of the Restart A Heart Campaign,
consisting of trained medical professionals
connected. The Restart A Heart organization is
part of the Resuscitation Council of the College of
Anaesthesiologists and Intensivists of Sri Lanka,
focusing on training volunteers to perform CPR for
cardiac arrest.

12

LYCEUM
NUGEGODA NOTICES
Lyceum Nugegoda excels at the 47th
All-Island Inter-school Virtual
Shakespeare Drama Competition
Students from Lyceum Nugegoda recently took
part in the 47th All-Island Inter-school Virtual
Shakespeare Drama Competition 2021.
The drama students from Lyceum Nugegoda
competed with schools from different regions of
Sri Lanka, where the team got selected as the 2nd
Shakespeare is not merely a playwright of the
world; his plays transit territories, time and space.
It is this malleability of the dramatist which the
students of Lyceum International School
Nugegoda played on in their interpretation of the
chosen excerpt of The Merchant of Venice for the
ALL ISLAND INTER SCHOOL SHAKESPEARE DRAMA
COMPETITION 2021.
The plot pivots on Romance in two different
worlds: Venice and Belmont. Portia, portrayed by
Enaya Prematillake is forced by laws of inheritance
to marry a man who can discover her true value in
one of the three caskets as devised by her
deceased father.
Her heart is set on Bassanio, contrive it she will
with a craft that doesn't make acceptance a
straightforward game.
Bassanio, portrayed by Dhinuthri Senanayake, has
incurred a debt to himself and in mediation to the
Jew. He by no means will fall fool to the trap of the
caskets.
It is the tease the two use as bait for LOVE that
keeps the audience tuned into the outcome of the
lottery.
Nerissa, portrayed by Thunu Rathnayaka, is
delightfully naughty. She conveys a subtle
rationale in this guessing game.
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Runner-up in the Girls Category for the virtual
drama competition.
The students of Lyceum Nugegoda were trained by
the Head of the Speech and Drama Department,
Ms. Odile Melder and her team.
While the play compels in its attention on
prejudice and revenge, the chosen excerpt
focussed on the luck of the lottery and the winning
of love, a much needed reward in a world
darkened by a pandemic.
The lines of the bard themselves placed the
performance in COVID times giving the text an
original twist in what the bard determined
'naughty times'.
Undoubtedly producing this with online
rehearsals presented several challenges, with only
four days of live rehearsal being available after
lockdown was lifted, but challenges merely
doubled the determination; further, simplicity
became key to the costuming and the students'
wardrobes proved amply suited. There was a need
to work in the open-air to ensure the safety of the
students and a pretty verandah of an old house
which serves as the school's music department
doubled up as Portia's boudoir.
The lines of the theme song used 'Fly me to the
Moon' not only lent to the romance but captured
the euphoria for the school as Lyceum
International School Nugegoda broke new ground
being awarded second runner up in the
competition.
It is indeed a milestone achievement with the luck
of the lottery taking us there.
 LYCEUM
NUGEGODA NOTICES

The COVID-19 Vaccine Programme

for the Grade 10 to 12 Students
at Lyceum International School
Nugegoda
Lyceum Nugegoda held the first COVID-19 vaccine
programme on Thursday, 28th October 2021 for
students from Grades 10 to 12 (16 to 19 years old)
within the school premises.

Ensuring the health, safety and well-being of the

students is a high priority. Taking important
precautions into consideration, the students
received their vaccines while adhering to the firm
guidelines placed by the school and management,
with each child accompanied by a parent or
guardian.

14

LYCEUM
NUGEGODA NOTICES
Sathindu Galagama Wins a
Gold Award for The Queen’s
Commonwealth Essay Competition
2021
Sathindu Galagama (Grade 7H), from Lyceum
International School, Nugegoda, recently won a
Gold Award for his essay submission - "The
Deadliest Disaster in Recent History", for The
Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2021.
First initiated in 1883, this is the oldest writing
competition in the world, and the essay topic for
the Junior (under-14) category involved writing
about experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic
for a museum in 2050. Sathindu, a participant in
this category, was among the selected few to
receive a Gold Award from 25,648 entries from 55
countries for this year's competition.
The Deadliest Disaster in
Recent History
There were many issues in the world from the past to
present such as the Russian flu, the Spanish flu and covid
19. The Russian flu came out and was considered as a
deadly pandemic at that time, with a precise estimated
number of 1 million people dead. Next came the Spanish
flu, the deadliest pandemic ever considered. People lived
in peace for a century, not hearing a word about
pandemics until, something much more vicious came in.
Something more disastrous… COVID 19, the frustration to
all living beings in 2019.
I still remember how the pandemic started when I was
just nine years old, in 2019. Covid 19 was believed to be
started in Wuhan, China. People lunged the pandemic and
spread it unknowingly that they themselves were
infected. What would you do if you ever heard that it was
deadly? Well, at that time as a child, I was really worried,
and thought that this virus would destroy us all. But I was
wrong. We human beings are still living on this lovely
planet.
In 2019, when the pandemic just started, people didn’t
seem worried. They just fed on their busy schedule,
shopping, and visiting their friends every day! Later on,
the effects of Covid 19 got much worsen. Many people in
developing countries faced shortage of food. Almost all
15
the people have food every time, don’t they? Every
human being around the world suffered a lot. They
suffered this virus so badly, that many of them shattered
their dreams while the virus was spreading widely. Many
things in the world changed. Big events like Olympics
were postponed. People’s wishes and hopes faded.
When considering Sri Lanka, we successfully managed
the first wave of covid 19. But the second and third waves
hit us hard. This influenced the economy of Sri Lanka
badly. With schools unopened, children stayed at home
while parents went to work. What was the meaning of
that? Then, their parents were infected, and some of
them died. Then, disasters occurred. Children suffered
mental distress because of the loss of their parents.
Some of them became orphans. On the other hand,
children had no physical exercises, which led to
sicknesses such as non-communicable diseases. Most of
the children did their physical activities inside, which was
a better decision. They also felt sad with no fresh air, as
they stayed at home forever. Another most important
factor totally affected children’s life, education. Children
had no education at all during the second and third wave,
as the schools were closed. Fortunately, some schools
had the opportunity of online facility and could attend
online. All the other children suffered boring life, doing
nothing. They always hoped the pandemic would come to
an end, but it took three years to vanish.
Finally, we over came covid 19 because of new normality
and vaccination. People in many countries invented
vaccines, which luckily worked. We all offered our
gratitude to the doctors, scientists and other medical
staff. People followed new normal rules such as wearing
masks, maintaining a two meter distance and washing
hands regularly.
Amazingly, while people stayed at home during the
lockdown, some miracles happened in nature! There
were no cars to be seen and less factories operated, which
made the environment fresher. There was one more
important good side throughout the pandemic, civil wars
and terrorism were automatically muted, and people
could stay in peace.
In conclusion, people were very delighted, as the
frustration of three years were over. They celebrated as
much as they could, and not a single word about covid 19
was uttered after that. It’s almost three decades since the
pandemic ended. The little children who lived at that time
are now adults. This event was deposited in their mind as
a bad experience. Big or small, rich or poor, developed or
undeveloped countries they suffered a lot as the
pandemic swept all over the world. We thought that covid
19 was the punishment given by
mother nature, and since then, we
learnt a lesson, not to harm the
nature. As righteous people, we
must take actions to avoid these
kinds of pandemics for the future
and make a better world for the next
generation.
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