Friday, 27 November, 2020
It’s gonna be a wet one; Rocky the owl takes flight; Sydney Thunder win Big Bash semi; and Melbourne’s new penguin chicks.
LINKS
Rocky the owl: released: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLWF8myipT0
Gentoo penguin pebble procedure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKTCLycr_Hs
What’s Up Fox?
Reading: The Ickabog: https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-ickabog-j-k-rowling/book/9781510202252.html
Listening: Hawai: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVD4hk652IE
Watching: Arthur Christmas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tk-WZSqIGQ
Check out our parent podcast and daily news email for adults: The Squiz: www.thesquiz.com.au
Squiz Kids Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squizkids/?hl=en
Got a birthday coming up and you want a shout-out? Send us an email at [email protected]
Squiz Kids is proudly supported by the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
THE LOWDOWN
——————-
From heatwave to flooding rains – welcome to an all-Aussie summer. That’s the prediction from the weather bureau which yesterday released its long-term forecast for the summer ahead – warning that the east coast of Australia should expect lots of rain and the potential for widespread flooding.
Where did I put that inflatable mattress?
It’s all thanks to La Nina – the weather system we’ve discussed previously here – which typically brings with it wetter than usual conditions.
It’s hard to imagine – especially today and over the weekend when a heatwave is expected to take hold of large parts of the country – but the dry and hot conditions will give way to persistent rains which it’s believed will peak between mid-December and mid-January. Meaning lots of us should maybe ask Santa for a brolly for Christmas.
And while you might think all that rain will mean a reduced chance of bushfires this summer: the bureau of meteorology is warning that grasses which will grow thanks to plentiful rainfall will dry out in the summer heat and create a whole new fire hazard.
Ah Australia – you never fail to disappoint.
SPIN THE GLOBE
————————-
Each day we give the world globe a spin and find a news story from wherever it stops. And today, we’ve landed in upstate New York, in the United States. Where Rocky, the tiny owl found hiding inside the Rockefeller Christmas tree last week, has been nursed back to health and released back into the wild.
Rocky’s adventure began when the tree she was sitting in was chopped down to be trucked into New York City to become the famous Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree. Workers discovered her as they were erecting the Christmas tree and handed her to wildlife rescue workers, who took her in, fed her all the mice she could eat and on Tuesday night, took her back to a forest and set her free.
There’s a link to a video of Rocky taking flight in today’s episode notes. You’re welcome.
SPORT TIME
—–
And it’s a Sydney versus Melbourne final on the cards in the Women’s Big Bash League after the Sydney Thunder beat Brisbane Heat in a nail-biting semi-final last night.
The Thunder’s Hannah Darlington won player of the match after taking three wickets for 19 runs – an awesome effort – helping to bowl out the Heat for 131.
Her team mate, Sammy-Jo Johnson also turned in an impressive effort, taking 2/14 – and sending the Brisbane team packing with a caught and bowled to wrap up the match.
The Thunder will now meet the Melbourne Stars in the grand final on Saturday night. Clear your schedule…
ANIMAL KINGDOM
—
If you’re a Squiz Kid who happens to live in Melbourne, and really close to the Melbourne Aquarium, like maybe next door even, then you may have heard the cheeping of recently hatched chicks.
That’s because the Aquarium’s resident Gentoo penguins have just hatched a collection of the cutest, fluffiest little penguin chicks you are ever likely to see.
Gentoo penguins are native to the Antarctic. They’re the penguins with the orange feet and beak. When the boy penguins are trying to impress a girl penguin, they collect tiny pebbles to give them as a gift – the smoother the better. Maybe i should try that with my wife? Cheaper than flowers ..
Staff at the aquarium say first time parents Zeus and Roger have taken to parenting really quickly, while foster parents Mouse and Lamington are completely in their element.
Now excuse me while I go and watch Happy Feet ..
WHAT’S UP FOX?
—-
Every Friday we check in with Squiz Kids ambassador, Flynn, known as The Fox to his friends, to see what he’s been reading, watching and listening.
On the reading front: well, he was a Harry Potter fan from way back in the day: so he’s been devouring author JK Rowling’s new book The Ickabog – about a scary creature that lives in Marshlands outside the happy kingdom of Cornucopia. The illustrations of the Ickabog by young Rowling fans are excellent.
On the listening front, it’s been something of a summer vibe all week with Colombian singer Maluma’s hit song Hawai – at least I think that’s how you pronounce. It’s a great song with a catchy Latin beat – and you get to practice your Spanish into the bargain.
And as for watching: from now until the end of the year’s he’s decided he’s going to recommend his favourite Christmas movies: starting with Arthur Christmas … made by the folks who brought you Wallace + Grommet, and a delightful story about a little girl who wondered how the whole Santa thing works. It’s a Yuletide winner.
And yes, there are links to all of these cool things in today’s episode notes.
THE S’QUIZ
—————–
This is the part of the podcast where you get to test how well you’ve been listening …
- What’s the name of the weather system expected to bring lots of rain to Australia this summer?
- What’s the name of the owl rescued from the Rockefeller Christmas tree?
- What sort of penguins have just hatched chicks at Melbourne’s aquarium?
SHOUT OUTS
——————-
It’s November 27 …. It’s Teacher’s Day … in Spain. So say ‘gracias’ to your teacher today. It’s Spanish, don’t you know?
It’s also only 28 sleeps ‘til Christmas …baby, it’s cold outside … if only.
Plus it’s a Friday and that means an extra long shout outs segment for which we need some musical accompaniment … hit it .. Georgia from Annandale, Tom from Double Bay, Muhammad from Oran Park, Claire from Bathurst, Elke from Chinchilla, Kaelan from Griffith, Tommaso from Craigieburn, Sameeha from Minto, Lachlan from Jindalee, Sally from Camberwell and Archie from Wamboin.n
And some belated birthday shoutouts… Josie from Frenchs Forest, Zara from Turramurra and Shiloh from West Pymble.
Weekend birthday shoutouts… Juliette from Double Bay, Jake from Crookwell, Sienna from Healesville, Veronica from Seven Hills, Swarupa from Minto, Ayla from Valentine, Yazmine from Concord West, Isla from Wallabi Point, Angus from Sydney, Maddison and Sienna from Warners Bay, Zoe from Launceston and Jett from Erskineville.
Happy birthday to you all.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- La Nina
- Rocky
- Gentoo penguins