Tag: grade 2

Sports

Young Canadian Makes Tennis History

At the young age of 20, Milos Raonic has become Canada’s highest ranked tennis player, ever. Raonic is from Thornhill, Ont.

He jumped from 156 at the end of last year to number 37 with an incredible two-week run that included a win at San Jose and a closely played loss to the number-one seed Andy Roddick in Memphis last weekend.

He didn’t get to where he is by luck–he’s gotten here by hard work, says his mother. She told CBC Radio this morning that her son has practiced long and hard to get where he is. In fact, when he started out he wasn’t even good enough to play with the other kids his age. The coach said he had to improve if he wanted to join the other kids. So that’s what he did, playing before and after school and on weekends until he was good enough to be allowed to work with a coach.

Sports

Soccer Star Ronaldo Retires

A world-famous soccer player has retired.

World Cup star Ronaldo, who plays for the Corinthians soccer team in Brazil, is one of the most famous soccer players in the world. People call him “a legend.”

He has won two world cups with Brazil and has played on some of Europe’s best teams. He has scored more goals than anyone in the history of the World Cup.

Health Kids Lighter

New Kinds Of Playgrounds In Toronto

Playgrounds in Toronto are changing. Old, boring playgrounds made of wood are on the way out and new, more creative playgrounds are taking their place.

To build a new playground, many safety rules have to be followed. Sometimes, these rules can make the equipment boring and too simple.

Most old playgrounds have a slide, monkey bars and a climber. They are good for exercising the body but they don’t challenge the brain, so kids get bored and stop using them. If kids stop using them, they stop exercising their bodies and then they aren’t as healthy.

Animals Environment

Dwindling Sea Ice Hurting Polar Bear Population

Polar bears need to be really fat in order to have healthy babies. But because of global warming, the bears aren’t as fat as they used to be, and they aren’t having as many babies.

Polar bears get fat when they can hunt a lot of seals. They can only hunt seals when there is sea ice for them to hunt from.

Global warming is making the sea ice melt. The bears don’t have as much time to hunt because the ice melts too early. Once the ice is gone for the year, the bears have to go to the shore.

Animals News

Toronto’s battle over dog parks

There are 49 dog parks in Toronto where people can take off their dogs’ leashes and let them run freely.

However, not everyone is allowed to use the parks. Dog walkers walk people’s dogs when they are unable to because they are working. They often walk up to six dogs at a time. When they come to a dog park, up to six dogs may pile out of their car and run into the fenced dog park. One or two dog walkers can fill up a dog park, leaving single-dog owners feeling crowded out.

Kids News

Toronto’s Snow Day!

Last Wednesday, Toronto braced itself for a huge winter storm. Cities in the U.S., like Chicago, were reporting snow and high winds. That storm was headed for Toronto.

A full day before the storm was to hit Toronto, the city’s airport cancelled flights. They didn’t want planes to be in the air during bad weather because it could be very dangerous.

Kids everywhere in the city crossed their fingers. They wanted the schools to be shut down for a “snow day.” And around 6:30 a.m., they got what they wanted.

Health Kids

Kids Focus Better When They Are Active

When kids are allowed to move around and blow off steam, they are better able to focus on their schoolwork, say a growing number of researchers.

More educators are looking for ways to help kids be active, to help them learn better. For instance, one teacher in Toronto takes her Grade 7 kids outside to identify shapes or call out adjectives that describe what they see.

Or, she’ll have them walking around the class, talking about work that is pinned to the wall—as if it was an art museum. Then she’ll get them to write a poem about what they saw.

Health Kids

Kids Focus Better When They Are Active (ESL and Grade 2 version)

When kids move around a lot in class and on the playground, they do better on their school work.

Many teachers try to get their students moving so they learn better. One teacher in Toronto takes her Grade 7 kids outside where they move around trying to find different shapes on the playground. The teacher will also ask her kids to walk around the room to talk about all of the work on the walls – just like it was an art show. Then she will get them to write a poem about what they saw.

Breaking News Politics Primary

Protests in Egypt (Primary Version)

A week ago, many people in Egypt became angry with their president, Hosni Mubarak. They wanted him to leave the country.

They were upset because many of them don’t have enough money for food or clothes.

The people who are mad at Mubarak think that a new president would be better. But President Mubarak doesn’t want to to stop being the president, and that’s why they are having a problem.

News

Thousands Honour Sgt. Ryan Russell

On Jan. 18, more than 12,000 people from across Canada and the United States attended the funeral of Sgt. Ryan Russell in Toronto. Police, emergency workers and thousands of Toronto residents came to honour Sgt. Russell’s memory and support his wife, Christine and their son, Nolan.

Sgt. Russell died in the line of duty, trying to stop a runaway snowplow. His death affected so many people, even those who had never met him. When a police officer dies, everyone cares.