| This week we’re celebrating a huge Newshounds milestone, packing our bags for a Squiz the World adventure to the Philippines, looking ahead to next weekend’s Solstice, and finishing with two stories that prove some people really do go above and beyond. |
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Thank You. This Is What Impact Looks Like.
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Last week brought one of the biggest moments in the history of Squiz Kids and Newshounds.
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| As many of you will have seen, the South Australian Government announced a four-year partnership that will see Newshounds rolled out to every primary school across the state. It’s an incredible vote of confidence in media literacy and a recognition that helping kids navigate misinformation online is now every bit as important as teaching them to read, write and count. |
| But before we get carried away celebrating, we wanted to pause and say thank you. |
| Thank you to the thousands of teachers who have welcomed Newshounds into your classrooms, shared feedback, completed surveys, sent us testimonials, and told colleagues about the program. Most especially, thank you to those schools that opened their doors and invited us in so we could show visiting politicians what Newshounds looks like in action. |
| Those classroom visits mattered. |
| Seeing students confidently “Stop, Think and Check”, challenge online claims, and explain how misinformation spreads is far more powerful than anything we could ever say in a meeting room or policy document. |
| South Australia may be leading the way today, but our ambition doesn’t stop at the border. |
We believe every child in Australia deserves access to high-quality media literacy education before they get their first smartphone. And if we’re dreaming big? Well, Squiz-E has already started sniffing around the rest of the world too.   |
| For now, though, the work continues. We’re still advocating, still building, still refining and still making the case for why media literacy belongs alongside literacy and numeracy as an essential life skill. |
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Squiz the World goes to… The Philippines
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Purple ice cream, Christmas in September and why you should never, ever, whistle at night.
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| A country made up of more than 7,600 islands, sitting on one of the most geologically active parts of the planet, might sound like a place of constant drama. And sometimes it is. But the Philippines is also a country of rich traditions, strong communities, incredible food and some truly surprising stories. This week’s Squiz the World explores it all. |
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AFTER YOU LISTEN
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| Discussion starters: |
- Which fact about the Philippines surprised you most and why?
- How does Bayanihan compare with the way people help each other in your community?
- If you could visit one place, try one food or experience one tradition from the episode, what would it be?
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Big Questions from Curious Kids Wanted
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Next Sunday is the Winter Solstice, marking the shortest day and longest night of the year here in the Southern Hemisphere. The good news? From then on, the days start getting longer again.  Meanwhile, in the Northern Hemisphere, people will be celebrating the exact opposite: the Summer Solstice and the longest day of the year. |
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| Every year, thousands of people gather at Stonehenge in England to watch the sunrise on the Summer Solstice. |
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| To celebrate, this week’s Science Short takes a closer look at the science behind the solstice. Why do we have seasons? Why is it winter here when it’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere? And what exactly is happening as Earth makes its journey around the Sun? |
| If you’re new to it, Science Short is our weekly 3-5 minute podcast on Saturdays where we answer the big, small and sometimes wonderfully weird questions kids ask about how the world works. |
| And we’d love more questions! |
| Why do onions make us cry? Why do cats purr? Why can’t we tickle ourselves? Why do we yawn? Why do fingerprints exist? And why do our fingers wrinkle in water? |
If your students have a question you’d like us to tackle, send it to [email protected]. Some of our best episodes have started with questions from kids   |
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Fun Finish: Above and Beyond: Student and Teacher Edition
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| This week’s Fun Finish is all about people going above and beyond. |
| First, Montana Miller from New York. When she saw a Facebook plea from her former fifth-grade teacher, who needed a kidney transplant, she decided to get tested as a donor. |
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| As a student, she says she couldn’t stand him. Despite that, she went ahead and donated one of her kidneys, giving her former teacher a life-saving second chance. |
| Most people might send good wishes. Montana donated a kidney. |
| Then there’s retiring Iowa teacher Kim Rohlf, who decided to farewell her 35-year teaching career by hand-making personalised quilts for every student in her class. Not one quilt. Not two quilts. A quilt for every single child. |
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| Ankeny teacher gives students personalized gifts in her final goodbye |
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| Completely over the top. Completely unnecessary. Completely wonderful. |
Different stories. Same reminder: the world gets a little better when people go above and beyond for each other.  |
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What’s on this week?
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| Here’s what’s happening around the country and the world: |
Refugee Week – June 14 – 20
Learning Disability Week – June 15 – 21 |
Monday, June 15 – International Working Animal Day
– Signing of the Magna Carta (811th anniversary)
Tuesday, June 16 – National Vegemite Day
Wednesday, June 17 – Eat Your Vegetables Day
Thursday, June 18 – International Sushi Day
Friday, June 19 – Juneteenth (US Holiday)
Saturday, June 20 – World Refugee Day
Sunday, June 21 – Solstice |
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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 |
