Monday, 6 September, 2021
Operation: Shot In The Arm; Indonesia’s earthquake-proof school; Aussie Paralympic gold rush; and the funniest animal photos in the world.
LINKS
Indonesia’s earthquake proof classroom: https://classroomofhope.org/
Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-03/comedy-wildlife-photography-awards-2021-finalists/100432524
More Comedy Animals: https://www.comedywildlifephoto.com/gallery/finalists/2021_finalists.php
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
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There was good news on the vaccine supply front over the weekend, after it was announced our friends in Great Britain had agreed to send 4 million does of the Pfizer COVID vaccine our way.
To use a metaphor that couldn’t be more appropriate in the circumstances – it’s a great shot in the arm for Australia’s efforts to get as many of us vaccinated as quickly as possible so that lockdown restrictions can lift – and those of you not at school can get back there quicksticks. And yes, that is a good thing.
The first batch of the 4 million doses of hope touched down in Australia yesterday – with the remainder expected to be in the country in the coming days.
We’ll call it Operation Shot In The Arm.
Meanwhile – in other vaccine news – the group of scientists who decide whether medicines are safe for us to have – gave the green light over the weekend to the Moderna COVID vaccine to be given to 12 to 17 year olds. The Moderna vaccines is made with the same technology as the Pfizer vaccine and should be available in Australia by the end of the year.
We’re getting there folks – we just need to hang on in there.
SPIN THE GLOBE
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Each day we give the world globe a spin and find a news story from wherever it stops .. and today we’ve landed in Indonesia, where kids in one town have started going to school in an classroom built to survive earthquakes.
Three years ago, two devastating earthquakes hit the island of Lombok, leaving almost half a million people homeless, and destroying schools. Most kids in Lombok have been learning in temporary classrooms ever since, but now, the town of Taman Sari has an incredible new school made from recycled plastic blocks. The blocks are lightweight, designed to bend in an earthquake instead of snapping, and can be laid by hand, kind of like building with big LEGO. Plus get this: the whole school took only six days to construct! There’s a link to a video of the build in your episode notes.
SPORT TIME
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And so, another Paralympics draws to a close – but not before our Aussie athletes put in an heroic effort over the weekend to add a few more gold medals to our tally. Tennis ace Dylan Alcott claimed gold in the Men’s Quad Singles, and in so doing took one step closer to his goal of getting the Golden Slam – which is when you win all four major tennis tournaments in a year, plus a Paralympic or Olympic gold medal. Australian kayak legend Curtis McGrath finished the weekend with not one, but two gold medals, and Australian sprint star, Madison di Rozario raced into the record books, becoming the first Australian woman to win gold in a Paralympic marathon. A marathon is a race that goes over 42.2 kilometres.
By the time swim star Ellie Cole carried the Australian flag into the Tokyo stadium late last night at the closing ceremony, the Australian team had finished a very respectable 8th in the world, with 80 medals overall – 21 gold, 29 silver and 30 bronze. What a remarkable achievement…
ANIMAL KINGDOM
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Ah Mondays … hands up who woke up this morning and wished it was only Sunday? Me too! So I’ve got a little treat for you – to help you bounce into the rest of the day.
The finalists of the 2021 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have just been announce. And this year’s finalists are hilarious. These are photos of animals in the wild doing funny stuff. And this year we’ve got dancing monkeys, funny insects, a peek-a-boo black bear and – my favourite – a grumpy iguana.
I’ve stuck a link to some of the photos in today’s episode notes ..
At the same link you’ll also find last year’s winner … a turtle from the Great Barrier Reef flicking what looks suspiciously like a rude gesture …
THE S’QUIZ
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This is the part of the podcast where you get to test how well you’ve been listening …
- What event did Aussie Paralympian Madison di Rozario win gold in at the weekend to make her the first Australian woman to do so?
- Which country has agree to send 4 million doses of the Pfizer COVID vaccine to Australia?
- In which nearby country has a school been constructed out of earthquake-proof eco-blocks?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s September 6 …. on this day, 52 years ago, the first ever Scooby Doo cartoon went to air … and on this day 36 years ago, Nintendo released the first Super Mario Bros game …
It’s also a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today .. Phillipa from Killara, Noah from Kings Langley, Allira from Melbourne, Cleo from Uralba, Chloe from Wollongong and Harrison from Hervey Bay.
Plus!! … Because our friends in Victoria, Canberra and NSW are in lockdown – we’re sending out Home Learning Herograms ….
Niamh from Croydon Park Public School sends a home learning shout out to her classmates in 5M and her teacher Miss Meecos.
Maya from Richmond West Primary School sends a herogram to her English teacher – Ashley and to her Chinese teacher – Renee.
Another home learning shout out goes to the teaching team at Ivanhoe Primary School! Alice in Class 3H says thank you to all of the classroom teachers and support staff and especially Mrs Herd.
The year 2 students at Narromine Christian School send a herogram to their teacher Miss Payne who is doing an incredible job during the lockdown – the students all miss you Miss Payne!
And home learning shout outs also go to Mrs Van Berkal and 1NV at Ballarat Grammar, Ms Tilley and 3/4T at Wollondilly Public School and to all the teachers at Oatley Public School.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Marathon
- Great Britain
- Indonesia