Tuesday, 9 February, 2021
Heroes at the Australian Open; ice skating Amsterdam’s canals; Old man stars at Super Bowl; and puppies playing footy!
LINKS
Ice skating in Amsterdam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqcMhJsh0Qk
Serena’s catsuit: https://www.sportingnews.com/au/tennis/news/serena-williams-australian-open-2021-outfit-one-legged-catsuit/qjhszklis1ok1exk937lty111
Flo Jo Gallery: https://www.vogue.com/article/florence-griffith-joyner-flo-jo-olympics-track-and-field-athleisure
The Weeknd rocks the Super Bowl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rhadTURsrw
Puppy Bowl … warning: it’s a cute fest…: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCIxotfhQ24
Squiz Kids Survey …. help us make Squiz Kids bigger and better!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QC6G9GZ
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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If you find yourself watching the Australian Open tennis tournament at any time in the next couple of weeks – and there’s a good chance you will – keep an ear out for Hawk-Eye – the robot camera system they’ve brought in to replace the linespeople.
Usually at a tennis tournament, linespeople will stand at either end of the court and call whether a ball is in or out.
But with COVID and restrictions on the number of people allowed on the court at any one time, Hawk-Eye is doing it this year.
And in a clever little twist: the organisers of the Australian Open have programmed Hawk-Eye to speak with the voice of a handful of Aussie heroes.
Frontline emergency service workers – like a paramedic from Victoria (which is a person who drives an ambulance and offers medical help at accidents); a surf life saver from Queensland – and an SES volunteer who saves people caught in floodwaters – have all lent their voices to Hawk-Eye.
Which is a really clever way to honour the excellent and often unrecognised work that emergency workers do. Can I get a hearty Squiz Kid hoorah?
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 the Netherlands – where a massive snow storm and sub-zero temperatures have meant the good people of Amsterdam are able to ice skate on the canals.
Amsterdam is a big city in the Netherlands – renowned for being built on a series of canals. Usually, the canals have boats going up and down them – but with the cold snap, Amsterdam-ers have been able to dust off their skates and hit the canals.
The last time this happened was in 2018 … and because I know you want to see it, I’ve stuck a link in today’s episode notes from then.
SPORTS TIME
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At 43 years old, he’s practically a pensioner in the world of American football – but Tampa Bay Buccaneers halfback Tom Brady entered the sporting history books yesterday helping his team to a Super Bowl victory – and securing for himself a record-breaking seventh title.
The Super Bowl is the grand final of the NFL football season in America. And while most people come for the footy – the halftime entertainment is usually just as spectacular.
Yesterday’s performance by The Weeknd was no exception. The singer’s medley of hit tunes, performed with the backing of a stage full of COVID-safe dancers, hit all the right notes. I’ve stuck a link to it in today’s episode notes. If you’re pressed for time, fast forward to the ten minute mark – when he launches into a performance of his chart-topping Blinding Lights. It’s epic.
SPORTS TIME 2
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Yeah – you heard right. We’re back for another dose of sport because yesterday was just so jam packed. The Australian Open tennis tournament kicked off in Melbourne yesterday, with a big crowd of 30,000 spectators braving coolish temperatures to watch the first batch of first round matches get underway. That’s 5,000 more than even the Super Bowl was allowed to have. One of the highlights from the day – apart from the tennis which saw top seeded women Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka cruise into the second round – was Williams’ eye-catching one-legged lycra catsuit – which the champ said had been inspired by one time track and field superstar, Flo Jo – aka Florence Griffith Joyner – who used to run races in a similar get-up. There’s a link to Serena’s winning outfit in today’s episode notes – as well as a link to an awesome Flo Jo gallery.
ANIMAL KINGDOM
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We promised yesterday that if we found any video of the Puppy Bowl, we’d bring it to you. Well the gods have smiled and peak cuteness is upon you all – because not only has video surfaced, but so have details.
The Puppy Bowl – if you missed yesterday’s edition – is the Super Bowl for puppies. It’s a televised event in which two teams of rescue puppies play with toys – and one another – on a miniature football field. It goes to air in America before the Super Bowl – involves 70 puppies with each one adopted out by a viewer by the end of the broadcast. It’s genius.
The winning team yesterday was Team Ruff – beating Team Fluff by 73 points to 69.
The link to the video is in today’s episode notes … you’re welcome …
SURVEY TIME
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Did you know Squiz Kids has just celebrated its first birthday? (kids cheer)
And like every one-year-old – we’re in a hurry to grow up.
We’ve got big plans for the year ahead – but to make sure we grow in a way that works best for you – we’ve launched a survey for parents, carers and teachers to find out how you use Squiz Kids and what you’d most like to see from us that would make it bigger and better.
There’s a link to the survey in today’s episode notes.
Please take a moment to fill out the survey. It only takes a couple of minutes and I’d really appreciate it.
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’s the name of the city in the Netherlands where people are ice skating on frozen canals?
- Which team won this year’s Super Bowl?
- Name the singer who wowed with the Super Bowl’s halftime show?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s February 9 … birthday of actors Tom Hiddleston (better known as Loki) and Michael B. Jordan of Black Panther fame.
It’s also a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today …Lucas from Adelaide, Sophie from Morpeth, Jaxon from Oran Park, Ben from New Gisborne, Ulani (yoo-LA-ni) from Abbotsford, and Lawson from Dee Why.
Some belated birthday shout outs… Cooper from Marshall, Lincoln from Narraweena, Florence from Abbotsford, Aria from Chipping Norton and Connor from Lysterfield.
And remember yesterday we talked about Squiz Kid Millie – who’s in quarantine with her mum in a hotel in China? And she asked if any of you might have some bright ideas on how to pass the time? Well, it turns out you do have bright ideas.
Senior H at St Brigid’s Primary School wrote in to suggest origami, paper planes, build a fort or dress up as a ghost – as potential hotel quarantine activities. Nice work St Brigids!
And Grade 6 from St.Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Mansfield came up with some clever ideas too .. including: travel the world using Google Maps, search up random facts, read a book, build a fort, make a recipe book, write a book, bounce a ball against the wall (though that one might annoy your mum and neighbours…) and – my personal favourite – watch tv and sleep
There you go Millie! We hope that helps! Be sure to write and let us know which ones worked out best.
Classroom shoutouts… Class 3/4D at Rangebank Primary School, class 5/6 D and Mrs D’Atri at Heany Park Primary School, Class 1/2B and 3/4P at Geraldton Grammar School, and Mr Place’s 5P class at St Francis Xavier Primary School.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Amsterdam
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- The Weeknd