Bermuda's schoolchildren as their contribution to Education Month. Every Thursday throughout this month The Royal Gazette in conjunction with the Department of Education, will present a full page of children's compositions and illustrations.

It was a sunny Saturday morning and I was bored, so I went for a walk. When I got about a half mile down the street I saw a Policeman. Then I heard my name being called. It was my friends, Ki and Dejaun. I asked them what was happening and they said two prisoners had escaped from the county jail. I glimpsed over to my right and saw something reflecting in the sun. I kneeled down and picked it up and put it in my pocket. My friends and I started walking down the street.

When we stopped at an old house we all agreed to go inside. When we got to the door, Dejaun said: "How are we going to get inside.'' Ki said: "Try the key.'' The key worked.

We ran into the house and we heard a strange sound. It came from upstairs.

Just then a rat ran across the room with a cat right after it. We took one more step forward and we walked right into a cobweb. Ki was screaming his head off. When going out the door he accidentally pushed the door and it closed. He tried to open it but it wouldn't budge. I got up to head for more adventure and Dejaun was scared as he followed me. When we got to the top of the stairs we saw two people talking. I screamed. Dejaun tried to cover my mouth but it was too late.

They captured us and put us in a room with no windows. They tied us up to a pole. The ropes had locks on them. Then Dejaun said "got any good ideas.'' I said no. How about trying the key. I tried it and it worked. Then I saw a cutting out of the newspaper and it said "Prisoners break out of jail.'' Then I told Dejaun, so we opened the door. We looked and it was all clear. We walked a few feet and then the two men spotted us. We ran downstairs and there was a window about five feet high. Dejaun jumped through it but they caught me. They tied me up in a chair, I heard a loud crash as the Police broke through the door with my friend and my family behind them.

My parents untied me and I hugged them. Then I hugged both of my friends. Then the reporters came in too. It was a real rush. After all the commotion, I bought my friends sodas. I thanked them for saving my life. I gave Dejaun the golden key for a souvenir.

CHRISTOPHER FOGGO Age 10 St. David's Primary I thought I could trust you I walked numbly out of Dr. Steven's office, unable to talk. Mom, who had been hysterical, had modified her crying to a low sob. My father, who had always seemed so strong to me, had left the room as soon as we heard the news. I knew he didn't want us to see him cry.

I couldn't believe that this was happening! I had AIDS. I hadn't had sex, I was only 14, and I had never experimented with drugs. I knew exactly when it had been transmitted.

Last year, my friend Jamie and I were picking apples in an orchard. I climbed the trees and threw the apples down to Jamie. She tried to persuade me to let her climb the trees because she knew that I was a haemophiliac.

Climbing trees was just one of the many forbidden things. I refused and inevitably I fell -- badly. I was rushed to the hospital and was given a blood transfusion -- an AIDS infected blood transfusion.

That night as I lay down to try and sleep, I could hear my mother's cry. We had a talk, the three of us, and my mother and father told me that they thought I should be very open about having the disease -- try not to hide it.

It was easy for them to say, they didn't have to live with the rejection.

I knew that there was one person who I had to tell. After school on Friday, Jamie came to my house as usual. No one was at home and we ran straight to my room bringing along a couple of snacks. We sat on my bed and Jamie dug right in. How could I tell her? It just blurted out.

"Jamie, I have AIDS,'' I said simply.

"Ha, ha!, Very funny!'' she laughed.

"Jamie, I'm serious.'' "Sorry, Jess, you can't fool me!'' I just looked down.

"Jess you're joking. You've got to be Jess, you're joking, right?'' she yelled as she shook me vigorously.

I explained everything to her and made her solemnly swear not to tell anyone.

She left almost immediately.

On Monday, when I walked down the halls people kept on staring and whispering.

I knew that they knew. For the whole week I tried to approach Jamie but she had deserted me. She was hanging out with the popular crowd, but wasn't looking very happy.

Finally, on Friday I caught her alone at her locker. It had been a week since I had received my results.

"Jamie, how could you?'' I croaked, tears streaming down my face. This had been the first time I had actually cried. The numbness was gone. "I thought that I could trust you -- buddies to the end, remember,'' I screamed.

"Do you think it is easy for me? I'm going to lose my BEST FRIEND. I can't cope with this alone. I needed to tell someone. I told one person -- ONE. I know that I said buddies to the end. I didn't know it would be so soon, though. I'm sorry, Jess. I just don't know what to do. I love you so much, I don't know what I'd do without you,'' she cried in despair.

"I love you too, Jamie. Please help me get through it. I'll help you too.'' We stood in the empty hallway, hugging and sobbing, both never wanting to let go.

JESSICA LIGHTBOURNE Age 15 Warwick Academy B is for Berkeley THE T is for TREASURE. I will always treasure my wonderful moments I will have as a Berkeleyite.

H is for HONOUR. I will always honour my teachers and my principals throughout my years at The Berkeley Institute.

E is for EXCELLENT. Hopefully I will do excellent on all my tests, exams and essays (etc.) I will have.

BERKELEY B is for BEST. I will always strive to do my best in all my school work.

E is for EXTRA. Every year I will promise myself to take at least two extra curricular activities at lunch time or after school.

R is for RESPONSIBLE. Hopefully in my fifth year at Berkeley I will be responsible enough that I will become a prefect.

K is for KIND. I will always try to be kind to my classmates, teachers and friends.

E is for EARN. I know that at Berkeley I will have to be on my best behaviour to earn the respect of all my teachers.

L is for LISTEN. I will try my very best to listen very closely to all my instructions given to me by all my teachers.

E is for EASY. I know all the work I do at Berkeley will not be easy but that's all right because I've always liked a challenge.

Y is for YOUTH. I know that I am only a youth, so I will act like one not something I'm not.

INSTITUTE I is for INSTITUTE. I attend The Berkeley Institute and I am very proud of myself for making one of the highest standard schools on the Island.

N is for NONSENSE. I know for a fact that Berkeley does not take nonsense and never will, so I have to make sure I have my act together.

S is for SETTLE. At the beginning of my school year it was kind of difficult to settle down because of the new surroundings.

T is for TALENTED. When it comes to talent/fashion I should be very talented and also very good.

I is for IDENTIFY. As I attend The Berkeley Institute I will always try to identity the right and wrong things I might be doing.

T is for TRIBUTE. I will always tribute any necessary things that Berkeley would ever need.

U is for USEFUL. I am not just useful for doing my work but also for many other activities.

T is for TEAM. I will try very hard to work as a team for all the sports events I will have and I would be in.

E is for EXCLUDE. I will exclude all my personal problems and my talking from my school work and save it for home or after school.

CHANTEL GIBBONS Berkeley Institute A day at the carnival Looking down on this mystical wonderland of colours and shapes I hear the excited screams and laughter of happy patrons, both young and old. Rows and rows of young heads bob with excitement and shower the fairground with happiness.

Balloons of all colours and sizes rise toward the sky and slowly float eastward. Bright reds and yellows, all shapes and sizes, flood the sky, filling onlookers with more joy and enthusiasm than even imaginable.

The smoke from freshly grilled hot dogs mixes with the smell of juicy hamburgers, creating a delicious aroma that fills the fairground, luring hungry passers-by who stop for a bite to eat. The smell of freshly popped popcorn tickles the taste buds, daring anyone to resist it. A long line of eager children stretches for yards as they wait patiently to sample this buttery treat.

As daylight fades, the crowd below begins to swell. Honest citizens pay and enter through the large steel gates and mischievous teenagers jump over fences and squeeze like nervous ants through holes, hoping to join the fun and festivities.

After hours of enjoyment the lights are dimmed, signalling the end of the day's festivities. Exit signs pierce through the night skies to help exhausted carnival lovers find their way home. Satisfaction fills the faces of all present as they retire for the night.

MESHEIAH BASSETT Age 14 Warwick Academy A lost dog One day my dog ran away from me and I asked my next door neighbour: did you see my dog? And I went over my friend's house. And in the morning I looked around the neighbourhood and my friend Anthonea and Shade were helping me find my dog. We went everywhere but we did not find him. I was crying. After school I asked my best friend, can you help me look for my dog and we looked over my grandmother's house and we found my dog and I was happy.

SHAUNNAH M. DILL Age 7 Elliott Primary My best Christmas I love myself. I go to Prospect Primary School. I do my math and I always do my homework. I have a great family. I have two brothers and three sisters, a mom and a dad.

I spent my Christmas holiday in North Carolina with my family. This was the first time I had seen snow. I was very excited. I played in it. It felt cold, I made a snowball and threw it at my brother. It was fun.

I went shopping in a mall. I thought I was going to get lost because it was so big. I bought a few gifts for my family. I returned to Bermuda on Monday January 4, 1993. That was my best Christmas so far.

CASSAFFIT MALLORY Prospect Primary The way to be in 1993 My New Year's resolution is to try not to do all the bad things I did last year.

I am going to try to stop calling my brother names, try to come school early and to remember to brush my teeth. I am going to polish my school shoes when they need to be polished. I am also going to be kind to others, like I would like them to be to me. During class I will pay attention at all times so that I can learn and get a good education.

KRYSTAL A. WILLIAMS Prospect Primary On the beach I went to Coney Island Beach. I held a sea cucumber in my hand. When I went to the beach I found many different things. It was a different type of shell called a mussel shell. The man from The Royal Gazette took my picture for the newspaper. I had a good time.

LAURIE THOMPSON Age 6 Dellwood School Dr. Martin Luther King One day a little boy named Martin had a dad. He was a preacher and he loved to have a speech with people. And later Martin was in a choir. He loved to sing.

And he grew and grew. He was a man and a minister and he said: "I have a dream.'' SHAKAHI TALBOT Age 6 Elliott Primary Too soon, Mr. Bear Once upon a time there was a bear who was hibernating. Then he woke up and said: "I am hungry''. I will go to the berry tree to see if the berry tree has any berries on it. He saw that the berry tree had no berries on it. So he went to the bee's house. They weren't making any honey so he went to the stream to catch some fish that he liked the most. There was no fish. So he went home and went back to sleep.

NADIYAH FAREED Age 6 Elliott Primary If I were principal If I were a principal for a week I would decorate my office with beautiful flowers and bows.

Then I would make sure that the children come to school fully dressed in their uniforms. I would also make sure that they know their arithmetic very well.

If I were principal for a week I would make sure that the janitor gets well paid and if he doesn't have an apartment I'll be happy to lend him a room in my mansion. Maybe if he has children I'd be happy to give them all they need.

I would hold meetings and fun things for the parents to do. Sometimes on Hallowe'en I would hold costume parties. On Thanksgiving I would ask some parents to dress up as pilgrims and some parents to dress up as Indians. I would have Christmas parties and have the parents exchange gifts with one another.

If I were principal for a week I would change a lot of things. For example, instead of just winning a pencil or a certificate they'd win socks, binders, and little silver crowns and bandanas. Instead of having grub at the end of the month I would have grub day every Friday.

If I were principal for a week the children would never want the old principal back ever again! Even though being a principal seems hard I think I'll do an excellent job at it.

TANAYA CHRISTOPHER Age 9 Dellwood Primary The teachers I like most This is an essay about the teachers I like most and why, both from primary and high school -- starting off with primary school.

Each teacher I like might have the same qualities about them. Some might have different qualities about them.

One of the teachers I really like in primary school is Year 1 teacher, Mrs.

Stovell. She is a nice teacher. But when you get out of hand, she brings out a fourteen inch, wooden, breakproof ruler. It even has a name, "Do Good''! Another I like is Mrs. Wade. She teaches Year 4. She is extremely kind and she took my class on many field trips. She always gave hints to the answers to questions. The gym teacher, he is a likable teacher. His name is Mr. Durham.

When we were playing soccer he would go on the side that had the not so good players. Of course, I was on the side of the very good players. We still usually won with Mr. Durham on their side.

Now moving on to high school teachers. I'm not that familiar with all of the teachers yet, so do not be surprised if I put only a few teachers. I will start off with Miss Lewis, she is a pleasant lady. She doesn't scream at you for every little thing. She is just a nice form teacher. Mr. Woolridge, my music teacher, he has a very good sense of humour. He makes me laugh. Mr.

Glave also makes me laugh, and I really like his accent. I will probably like many more teachers throughout the year.

DUBE SWAN Berkeley Institute MALCOLM X -- as drawn by third year Berkeley student Kareem Richardson.