Monday, 20 June, 2022

Young Archies winners announced; the world’s best theme parks; Aussies start strong in swim championships; and meet the bum-breathing turtle.

 

LINKS

The Young Archies

Manny Rivers to Cross: PDF Book: https://www.envirostories.com.au/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2020006MannyRivers.pdf

Manning river helmeted turtle:  https://www.aussieark.org.au/manning-river-helmeted-turtle/#:~:text=The%20Manning%20River%20helmeted%20turtle,with%20rocky%20and%20sandy%20substrates.

Fred Hollows Humanity Award – 2022 Nomination Form: https://www.hollows.org/au/humanityaward

Q+A with Fred Hollows Humanity Award Junior Ambassadors ‘21

https://www.squizkids.com.au/squiz-kids-specials/squiz-kids-qa-with-fred-hollows-humanity-award-junior-ambassadors-2021/

 

Squiz Kids for Schools – Free 30 Day Trial: https://www.squizkids.com.au/squiz-kids-for-schools/

Squiz Kids Apple Subscriber Content – Free 7 Day Trial: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/squiz-kids/id1494238283 

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]

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

 

THE LOWDOWN

The winners of the 2022 Young Archies were announced on the weekend, and once again, the artistic talent of Aussie kids is on full display. 

The Young Archies are the kids’ version of the Archibald Prize – the most prestigious portrait painting prize in Australia. A portrait is painting of a person. A self-portrait is when an artists paints themself.

There were a record 2,400 kids entering portraits in this year’s awards, with judges selecting 70 finalists in the different age categories, and 20 honorable mentions.

Among the winner works of art were two portraits of kids’ grandfathers, a beautiful portrait of one young artist’s non-verbal brother and a self-portrait by a five year old.

All the finalists are on display at the NSW Art Gallery until the end of August. But if you can’t get there or can’t wait, check out the link to photos of the finalists in today’s episode notes. 

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It’s budget day tomorrow in the state of NSW – so you’re going to hear plenty about it in the next 48 hours. Yesterday, the government announced funding had been set aside in the budget to ensure the Aboriginal flag flies permanently atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge, alongside the Australian flag. A step that was yesterday being hailed as both symbolic and important.


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 Tenerife in Spain, where a water park has just been named the top theme park in the world by travel company, Tripadvisor. 

Called Siam Park, it’s a popular water park – but I check out the YouTube video and frankly, I think our very own Wet n’ Wild is better.

A medieval village theme park in France came in second – which also looks a bit dodgy to me. While third place was taken out by a huge theme park with some pretty serious rollercoasters in Brazil … now we’re talking.

There’s no Disneyland or Disneyworld on the list. The closest one to home is a water park in Bali. And the Dolly Parton-themed park in the United States gets a good wrap too. 

I think I need to be on the judging panel for next year … seriously. 

 

SPORT TIME

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The World Swimming Championships started on Saturday and continue until Friday. They’re being held in Hungary, and I think you could say that the Aussie swimmers are hung-a-ry for medals … where’s that dad joke alarm? ….. Ah there it is .. 

By the end of the first day, Australia had two gold medals and a silver! Shayna Jack, who is gunning for seven medals this week, got her comeback party started in the 4x100m women’s freestyle relay, and brought the Aussies home to gold. In the men’s relay, South Aussie Kyle Chalmers swam one of the fastest legs in history to bring Australia up from fifth to a silver. Ten weeks ago, he was just recovering from shoulder surgery, and wasn’t expected to make the team! 

Kyle said he was inspired by freestyler Elijah Winnington’s earlier swim, when he pulled away in the last lap of the 400m to get the gold after a disappointing swim at the Olympics last year. He was a favourite to win in Tokyo, but came in seventh. He told NewsCorp that he’d thought about quitting swimming, because he felt like he’d let the country down. Now he’s a role model for not giving up! Elijah WINnington… what a WINner. (DAD JOKE ALARM) Okay, I’ll stop now.  

 

SQUIZ KIDS SALUTES

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Today’s Squiz Kids Salutes goes to the kids of Mt George Public School, just west of Taree in NSW – whose efforts to help save the endangered Manning River Helmeted Turtle are just sensational.

The kids have written an excellent picture book about Manny the Manning River Turtle … the book is called Manny Rivers To Cross – see what they did there? – and I’ve stuck a link to it in today’s episode notes. 

It tells the story of Manny, who is caught by poachers and put up for sale on the internet before being rescued by quick thinking animal park rangers. 

It’s beautifully written and illustrated – and full of fun facts about one of Australia’s most amazing turtles. Did you know, for instance, that unlike most turtles which breathe through their noses – the Manning River turtle breathes through its bum … imagine what it’s breath must smell like?

 

SHORTCUT – LEARNING DISABILITIES

Did you know that each week, as part of the exclusive- content we produce for all of our Squiz Kids for Schools classrooms and parents who’ve signed up to our Apple Subscriber Specials, we produce a Shortcut? A ten minute deep-dive on a topic of high interest to kids. And this week’s Shortcut is all about Learning Disabilities. What they are, how you have to be pretty special to have one and what they have to do Harry Potter and Albert Einstein. If it sounds like something you’d be interested in – keep listening at the end of this episode for an edited version of this week’s Shortcut … a little taste, if you will. You’re welcome. 


THE SQUIZ
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This is the part of the podcast where you get to test how well you’ve been listening …

  1. In which country are the World Swimming Championships being held .. hint: it might have been the subject of a dad joke …
  2. What’s the name of the portrait prize competition that was announced on the weekend?
  3. Which part of their body do Manning River Turtles use to breathe? 

 

SHOUT OUTS

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It’s June 20 … Squiz founder Claire Kimball’s birthday … happy birthday to my boss! And if you like Squiz Kids – you should definitely check out The Squiz .. it’s a similar sort of thing, but for adults. 

It’s also a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today … Meg from Hervey Bay, Isla from Middle Park, Alice from McDowell, Thomas from North Plympton, Dylan from West Pennant Hills, Theodore from Frenchs Forest, Emma from Orange, Alice from Stafford Heights and Marlee from Davidson.

And belated shoutouts go to John from Katherine, Jack from Cecil Park, Pepper from Murwillumbah, Luke from Canberra, Hazel from Sydney and Jack from NSW. 

Classroom shoutouts are going to…class 5/6E at Carlton Public School and a happy birthday to their teacher Mrs Elmir, to year 5/6 and Ms Fischer at Craigburn Primary School, class 6N and Mrs Nammour at Caddies Creek Public School in Glenwood and to year 6 Madang and year 2 Midjuburi both from The Hills Grammar School in Kenthurst. 

The S’Quiz Answers:

  1. Hungary
  2. The Young Archies
  3. Bum