Tag: grade 2

Sports

Dream Weekend For Canadian Football Fans

Last weekend, Canadian football fans had a lot to be happy about.

First, they were treated to one of the best Vanier Cups of all time.

Then, the Canadian Football League’s (CFL’s) biggest prize, The Grey Cup, was also awarded.

On Friday, two very different teams competed for the Vanier Cup, the trophy for Canadian Inter-university Sport (CIS) football.

Laval, the defending champions, boasted an incredible defense which allowed opponents a measly 12 points a game throughout the 2011 season.

McMaster, which hadn’t appeared in the CIS final in 41 years, possessed a strong offense featuring one of the league’s top quarterbacks, Kyle Quinlan.

Science Technology

New $100 Canadian Bill Has A Window

The Bank of Canada introduced a new $100 bill recently – and it has a window in it.

It’s Canada’s first “polymer” (a type of flexible plastic) bill.

The new $100 bill features a picture of Sir Robert Borden, who was the Prime Minister from 1911 and 1920.

The back of the bill celebrates innovation in medical research, including the Canadian discovery of insulin, which is used to treat diabetes.

Sports

Sid The Kid Makes His Big Comeback

Canadians — whether they were hockey fans or not — were glued to their TV sets on Monday night.

One of the sport’s greatest players was making his comeback.

Sidney Crosby had been off the ice since early January after suffering two blows that left him with a concussion.

On Tuesday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins’s captain came back into the game. And boy, did he put on a show!

Crosby scored a goal in the first five-and-a-half minutes of the game against the New York Islanders, flipping a backhander over the glove of goaltender Anders Nilsson.

The Penguins ultimately won 5-0 against the lacklustre Islanders.

Crosby took home four points, with two assists and then another backhand goal in the third period.

Not bad for a guy who hadn’t played in 10 months.

Kids News

Toronto School Bans Balls

Students at Earl Beatty Public School in Toronto aren’t allowed to play with balls in their school playground any more.

The school has banned balls – including soccer balls, footballs, baseballs and tennis balls – from its playground.

Kids can only play with soft, foam balls such as Nerf balls.

The ban was put in place after a parent was hit in the head with a soccer ball and suffered a concussion.

The school’s principal, Alicia Fernandez, said kids were often getting hurt by balls in the playground.

She said they were sometimes scared.

She also pointed out that the school has a very small outdoor play area.

Some parents say the ban is an overreaction.

News

The Small Horse With The Heart Of Gold

Hickstead, the stallion, was not Eric Lamaze’s pet.

In fact, Lamaze wasn’t even Hickstead’s owner. But he was Lamaze’s work partner and best friend.

So after a race last week in Italy, when Hickstead began to fall over with Lamaze on his back, the horse turned to make sure his rider was clear before he fell all the way down. He didn’t want to hurt his best friend.

The gold medal-winning Hickstead died instantly of heart failure, without pain.

Hickstead and Lamaze were a good match. Both came from troubled backgrounds. Horse experts said Hickstead was too small for international competition and had a temper that no one could tame. Many said he would never be a winner.

News

Toronto To Get New Streetcars

Toronto is getting 204 new streetcars.

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) says riders wanted better streetcars.

They wanted more seats and better accessibility for people who are physically challenged.

The new streetcars have a floor that is lower, so they are easier to get on and get off, especially for people with physical challenges.

They have more seats, larger windows and wider doors, including a third door for bicycles.

They are about twice the length of the current streetcars, and can handle 251 passengers.

News

Flood Wreaks Havoc In Thailand

For months, Thailand has been experiencing a devastating flood.

The waters are wreaking havoc in 25 provinces, flooding farmlands, homes and businesses.

The water gathers in the country’s central plains and makes its way south to the sea, going through Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok, on its route.

More than 500 people have died in the floods.

It is estimated that more than three million people have been affected.

At least a fifth of Bangkok is now under water. Bangkok has many canals and rivers that cut through it.

The polluted water is a health hazard; it is up to chest-high in some areas of the city.

Arts Entertainment

Throw Spears, Sing, Dance At Polynesian Culture Centre

You may have seen pictures of Hawaii on postcards, with its beautiful beaches, lush gardens and fascinating volcanoes.

But the Hawaiian islands are also rich in history and culture.

On the north shore of Hawaii’s island of Oahu you’ll find the Polynesian Culture Centre. There, each group of Hawaiian islands is represented in the form of a mini-village from that particular island chain.

Sports

Baseball’s Pujols Hits Three Homers In World Series Game

Many people enjoy the Fall because of the beautiful colours of the leaves, but to baseball fans, the Fall is especially wonderful because it also means the beginning of the World Series.

This year, the two teams competing in the World Series are the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers.

And while both teams are capable of winning the championship–the series is tied at 2-2–the Cardinals have shown they can score a ton of runs, thanks in large part to the play of their first baseman, Albert Pujols.

On Saturday, Pujols played one of the finest games of baseball ever played in the World Series.

Not only did he hit three home runs, he also collected six RBI (Runs Batted In), and hit two singles.

Pujols’ terrific day at the plate put him among baseball’s elite.

Gifts
Arts Kids

Grade-One Students In Canada Getting “Gifts”

This month, every child in Grade one in Canada will receive a free book.

That will be every grade-one child, including those who are home-schooled, or in any school in the country, private or public, French-speaking or English-speaking.

The book giveaway is the product of a partnership between TD (the bank) and the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC).

The bank pays more than $1-million to have 500,000 books printed and sent out to grade-one students across the country. This is the program’s eleventh year.

This year the books the kids will get is Gifts (Cadeaux, translated into French), by author Jo Ellen Bogart and plasticine artist Barbara Reid.