Sometimes, the real win isn’t on the podium.
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| Ahead of the Paralympics, we’re spotlighting a simple framework that can transform the way sport works in your classroom. Then we travel to Colombia, where gold hunters once searched for El Dorado and Shakira once dreamed big. Dr Karl is stepping into Squiz Kids HQ, your class can put him on the spot… and stick around for a fire station take on Olympic curling that proves gold comes in many forms. |
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 When Everyone Can Play, Everyone Can Win
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With the Paralympics kicking off on March 6, it’s hard not to reflect on how far sport has come in embracing inclusion — and how far we still have to go.
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| Image credit – Shutterstock |
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| Some of the most powerful classroom moments don’t happen when the fastest child wins or the strongest scores the goal. They happen when a student who hasn’t always been catered for in sport suddenly realises… they can do this. They can participate. They can succeed. |
| Often, it doesn’t take a complete overhaul. It takes creativity. A tweak to the rules. A change of equipment. A rethink about what “success” looks like. When we set expectations and parameters where everyone can experience achievement, something great happens — they do! |
| One practical framework I discovered years ago and have used with much success, plenty of joy and the occasional need for a water break, is the TREE Model, developed to help teachers adjust activities so students of all abilities can take part and shine. |
- Teaching Style – How instructions are delivered and supported.
- Rules – Simplifying or adjusting rules, then building complexity over time.
- Equipment – Changing size, weight, colour, or texture to improve access and engagement.
- Environment – Modifying space, zones, heights, surfaces or positioning.
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| The Australian Institute of Sport has produced excellent, ready-to-use resources built around the TREE model, including practical activity cards that make inclusive sport not just possible — but powerful. |
| As you and your class prepare to watch elite athletes redefine possibility this March, it’s a timely reminder: inclusive sport doesn’t lower the bar. It widens the playing field. |
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Squiz the World is heading to Colombia this week
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From Gold Hunters to Global Pop Stars
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| Join us this week as we strap ourselves into the Squiz Kids Super Fast Supersonic Jetliner and zoom off for an audio adventure to Colombia, where explorers once searched for the glittering treasure of El Dorado, home to the rolling coffee regions that power mornings worldwide, and yes, Shakira began her journey to world stages. It’s geography, legend and rhythm wrapped into one vibrant audio adventure. Find it in your podcast feed or on our website on Tuesday |
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Dr Karl is coming to the Squiz Kids Q+A Hotseat…
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and your kids get to ask the questions!
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| Yes, that Dr Karl. The science explainer, myth-buster, wearer of extremely bright shirts, and long-time voice of curiosity across Australian radio and television. |
| If you’re reading from outside Australia, think of Dr Karl as our very own Bill Nye — same science spark, just dialled up in fluorescent colour.
For those new to it, a Squiz Kids Q+A is when we invite one fascinating guest into Squiz Kids HQ and hand the microphone to kids. Students send in their questions, we choose a mix of thoughtful, curious and delightfully unexpected ones, and our guest answers them on the podcast.
We’re kicking off our 2026 Q+A series with Dr Karl — and we’d love your class to be part of it. Questions can be about science (Why do we hiccup? Could humans live on Mars? What actually is time?) or about Dr Karl himself (Where does he get those shirts? Has he ever blown something up accidentally? What’s the weirdest question he’s ever been asked?).
Send us your class question in an email to [email protected] and if yours is chosen we’ll ask you to send us a voice recording to go into the podcast…. We can’t wait to hear what they come up with. |
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Fun Finish: Fire Station Curling
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| While the world has been watching the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, firefighters in Alabama turned their own station into an Olympic arena — on concrete. With a loaded stretcher standing in for a curling stone and mops for brooms, the crew competed in their very own “Stretcher Push Curling,” aiming to slide that stretcher all the way into the back of a fire truck for a gold-medal moment. |
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| The wholesome, hilarious video spread fast online, reminding us that you don’t need ice to bring spirit, teamwork and a big sense of fun into your day. Whether it’s student-led classroom games or staff-room laughs, there’s always room for a bit of playful competition. |
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What’s on this week?
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| Here’s what’s happening around the country and the world: |
Monday Banana Bread Day this link is to my favourite Banana Bread recipe – I could take or leave the sultanas
Tuesday National Day for War Animals (also the Australian War Memorial’s online Library of 3D Treasures is totally worth checking out)
Wednesday first known European landing in Australia by Dutch navigator Willem Jansz at Cape York (1606)
Thursday Tell a Fairy Tale Day
Friday Schools Clean Up Day
Saturday International Tongue Twister Contest Day
Sunday International Wheelchair Day
World Compliment Day
Clean Up Australia Day |
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Know a teacher who’d love this? Pass it on.
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| We love hearing from you! Reply to this email with any feedback, suggestions, or funny teaching stories, or hit us up at [email protected]. |
Now get out there, and have a most excellent day!
Over and out. |
| – Christie Kijurina, Squiz Kids Educator |
