Table of contents for April 2020 in K-Zone

GET INTO 1st April Fools Day 2nd Onward in cinemas 2nd International Children’s Book Day 3rd World Party Day 4th World Rat Day 14th International Moment of Laughter 14th Look Up At The Sky Day 17th Blah, Blah, Blah Day 18th International Juggler’s Day 20th Look Alike Day 25th Anzac Day 30th Hairstyle Appreciation Day SPORT 9th Sea Eagles vs Knights in NRL 17th West Coast vs Richmond in AFL 25th Storm vs Warriors in NRL 26th GWS vs Gold Coast in AFL HAPPY BIRTHDAY 4th Robert Downey Jr., AKA Iron Man and Dr. Dolittle 6th Paul Rudd, AKA Ant-Man 10th Daisy Ridley, AKA Rey 15th Emma Watson, AKA Hermione 23rd John Cena SCHOOL 3rd Last day of school in Qld 9th Last day of school in ACT, NSW, NT,…

We Want YOU! Have you made something AMAZING on your computer, console, tablet or phone? To be in ScreenSpace, visit www.kzone.com.au and click on ‘Be in K-Zone’! Go to ‘ScreenSpace’ to submit your epic gaming screenshot, coding creation and digital artwork. Congrats to this month’s ScreenSpace artists! You have scored a Bakugan Battle Planet Resurgence Booster Pack with 10 cards! Remember K-Zoners, it’s all about protecting your identity. Be a safe gamer and don’t talk to anyone online who you don’t know for real.…

K-Z: Hey Simon! What does your job involve? S: My role is to build and manage a team of animators, then work with the director to establish the performance style of the characters. I make sure the team keeps performances consistent. There could be 20 animators working on Peter, and I make sure he acts like Peter in every scene. K-Z: How many animators worked on Peter Rabbit 2? S: At its peak, we had over 85 animators – the biggest animation team ever at Animal Logic. We put people in groups of 12 (roughly) with a lead animator. Each group takes on a scene, which gives them ownership over that part. K-Z: What is the process of animating a scene? S: Once we know the story, we explore the…

Meet Tim Bennett, an Exotic Fauna Keeper who has worked at Taronga Zoo Sydney for six years. Tim appears in Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo! K-Z: Hi Tim! Tell us about your job! T: My main roles are helping to look after our capybaras and herd of Asian elephants. I’ve been working as a Keeper for about six years. K-Z: What training did you have to do? T: I studied at the Taronga Training Institute and did a really fun course called a Certificate III in Captive Animal Management, which teaches you to look after all kinds of animals. Afterwards, I completed a degree in Animal and Veterinary Bioscience at university, to learn more about animals and how we can keep them healthy. K-Z: What’s a typical day at…

MERCEDES In the lead up to the new season, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas are first and second in FIA Formula 1 Standings, with Mercedes chasing a seventh straight set of championship wins in 2020. Mercedes also unveiled revised livery in February (shown on a 2019-spec car), including burgundy streaks on the front wing endplates and airbox, along with the existing silver, black and green design. The racing team has continued elements from the 2019 model to the Mercedes W11, including the engine cover star design with a single red star in memory of former chairman, Niki Lauda. RED BULL Aston Martin Red Bull Racing recently unveiled the RB16 with the return of its iconic matte livery, as well as the new helmet designs for Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon.…

GAMES BY THE NUMBERS 4 Crystal Gems have bashed their way into Brawlhalla from Steven Universe. Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, and Stevonnie are all there. You can also pocket Brawlhalla on iOS and Android this year! 3 is the name of the game for the, uhhh, two-part multiplayer DLC for Luigi’s Mansion 3! The DLC packs stuff in three costumes and three new ScreamPark games. 2.0.0 update for Super Mario Maker 2 links the neat Ninty world with another fan fave: The Legend of Zelda! Play as Link, make Linkified courses and hit new Ninji Speedruns.…

EDIE’S EXPERIMENTS HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS CHARLOTTE BARKLA ILLUSTRATED BY SANDY FLETT When Edie starts at a new school, she decides to make it an experiment. A new school, a science kit and a class full of potential friends – what could go wrong! Between the great slime fiasco, apology cookie surprise and wrinkle cream mix up, making friends isn’t an exact science! READ IT... BETWEEN EXPERIMENTS! MONSTER NANNY TUUTIKKI TOLONEN Halley, Koby and Mimi are being looked after by their nanny, but Grah is huge, hairy and doesn’t talk. Grah is a monster! The trio find that other neighbourhood kids have similar creatures as a nanny. Where did these monsters come from? With no parents around and Grah’s fate at stake, the kids must solve the mystery and possibly…

1. PICK A COLOUR! 2. ARE YOU GOOD AT KEEPING SECRETS? I need to tell someone else straight away. I’m an open book. I’m trusted with many secrets. 3. HOW WOULD YOUR FRIENDS DESCRIBE YOU? Infuriatingly literal. Extremely optimistic. The best starfighter pilot in the galaxy. 4. WHAT’S YOUR BEST QUALITY? Loyalty Friendliness Trustworthiness 5. PICK A SHIP! 6. PICK A DROID! 7. YOU NEED A PIECE TO REPAIR YOUR SHIP, BUT YOU DON’T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY. WHAT DO YOU DO? Let them know you’ll pay them back soon. Everyone likes and trusts you. Go get more money. You have plenty. Try to barter, or work for the remaining cost. Want to know your results? Head to…

HELMET HERO Name: Samuel Heroic feat: He's an Origin’s littleBIGidea 2019 winner, and received a trip to NASA's Kennedy Space Center for his innovative Hero Helmet design! FAST FIVE WITH SAMUEL K-Z: Hi Samuel! Tell us about the Hero Helmet! S: The Hero Helmet is a device designed to stop people riding bikes, scooters or skateboards without a helmet. Spending time at the skate park, I’ve seen people sustain head injuries while not wearing a helmet. I did a survey on the helmet habits of kids and my research showed that 75% were badly injured by not wearing a helmet. K-Z: How long did it take to design? S: Once I came up with the idea for the Hero Helmet, my grandad and I worked through the design and how…

S7E1 THE BAD BATCH Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker send clone troopers Cody and Rex to infiltrate an enemy base on Anaxes and investigate Admiral Trench’s battle tactics. Rex and Cody join forces with Clone Force 99 (or the ‘Bad Batch’), a clone commando squad with unique mutations. Sergeant Hunter has heightened senses, Wrecker is super strong, Tech is hyper-intelligent and Crosshair has incredible accuracy as a sniper. The Bad Batch shake things up for the ‘regular’ clone troopers’ tactics, and there are some displays of hand-to-hand combat that are bound to impress! S7E2 A DISTANT ECHO Believed to be dead, MIA soldier Echo may still be alive. Rex is determined to save Echo, and informs Anakin that the clones will travel to Skako Minor to find the clone trooper.…

K-ZONE On a temperate autumn day in April 2000, the first issue of K-Zone appeared on shelves. This 'magazine for kids' was the very first of its kind – the birthplace of cool content and hilare moments for years to come. FART JOKES Imagine being the first human on Earth to trumpet a loud, smelly fart to a cackling audience. The art of comedy owes those first pioneers, because without these brave souls, the world would be a boring (and freshly-scented) place. SLIME Although made popular by toy companies in the late 1970s, various forms have existed since the 40s thanks to several failed scientific experiments. In honour of our favourite gross toy, we send thanks to science for gifting us with the essential item for a pranker’s tool kit.…

I WANTED TO BE A PRO SOCCER PLAYER... Because I loved playing all kinds of sports as a kid, but I grew up in a football family. I was always around football, which gave me joy. THE HARDEST PART OF MY JOB IS… That I don’t get to see my family all the time and miss a lot of events for family or friends. THE BEST PART OF MY JOB IS THAT… I get to play a sport I love, as a job. MY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS SO FAR WERE... Winning the Premiership and Championship in the same season, and playing for the Socceroos. WHEN IT COMES TO TEAM PRANKS… Some mornings in our training locker room, I will hide in someone’s locker waiting to scare them. Players also move another…

1 When I get spare time I will… Grab some couch and enjoy chill time. Help my parents with chores. Use it to plan a series of elaborate pranks on my fam. 2 During a class project I will… Help by keeping out of the way. Organise roles for team members. Create some mad art, or graffiti. 3 If someone falls and gets hurt, I usually… Give a long lecture about being careful. Run to their aid and help as much as I can. Laugh a lot and thank them for brightening my day. 4 If someone told me not to touch some expensive breakables, I would… Brag that I have in the past and nothing bad happened. Deliberately avoid even looking at them. Reassure the person that I’m very…

Q What is the healthiest part of a doughnut? A The middle! Jen, NSW Q Why do birds fly everywhere? A It’s easier than walking! Max, Qld Q Why is it hard to get up for school? A It’s a weak day! Millie, SA Thanos really is a pessimist. He’s a universe-half-full kind of guy. Aaron, NSW Q How do Jedi avoid floods? A Having the high ground! Cal, NSW Q Why did the banana go to the hospital? A It wasn’t peeling well! Garrison, Vic Knock knock! Who’s there? Adore! Adore who? Adore is between us, so open up! Anastasia, Tas Q What do you call a group of dads? A A barbecue! William, WA Q What’s the best fishing music? A Something catchy! Jas, Vic I think Mario…

CREATURE NEWS This giant funnel web spider was handed in to The Australian Reptile Park in February, so the raw venom could be used to create life-saving antivenom. The spider was the biggest funnel web seen that season, and was named Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson to honour its size. Funnel webs are very dangerous, so do not approach these spiders in the wild! ENVIRONMENT NEWS Physicists at the University of Cambridge have discovered that sand dunes can communicate! The dunes don’t speak, but use elements (like wind or water) to signal to neighbouring dunes that more space is needed to avoid collisions. The physicists are currently experimenting with sand and a rotating water tank to replicate the process. Understanding how the dunes move and communicate would help humans adapt to…

JOINING ACAPOP! KIDS E: A good friend sent me the Acapop! KIDS flyer with the audition details and said I should send in a video. There were three rounds of auditions; two were video submissions and the last one was in person in Dallas. I recorded my first song, ‘Shallow’, with the group late last year. FAVE ACAPOP! SONG SO FAR  E: That’s really tough because each song was so fun to be involved in. I love how each song has a personality, cast and setting. If I had to choose one, I would say ‘Shallow.’ It was filmed in my hometown in Texas and was my first video; it has a special place in my heart. RECORDING A SONG TOGETHER  E: The actual recording of the song may take…

A peal of thunder startled Penny as Gemini dropped the tumour into a jar. ‘Tumour excised,’ he said. ‘Permission to commence reconnecting synaptic pathways?’ Gemini was effectively about to rewire Ethan’s brain. ‘Proceed,’ Penny said, trying to keep her voice steady. Gemini began reconnecting the millions of neural pathways in Ethan’s brain. Penny scanned Ethan’s brain on the monitor. In the sections that Gemini had repaired, Ethan’s brain was firing as normal. Two hours later, Ethan’s heart was beating normally and the damage to his brain was almost reversed. ‘One per cent connections remaining,’ said Gemini. The windows lit up as lightning cracked. Then came a great zapping noise from above. The nurses glanced at each other. ‘What was that?’ Penny asked them urgently. ‘I think the building’s been struck!’…

Don’t Have A Cow! Would you eat a steak if the 'meat' was actually made entirely using plant matter? Companies have already been working on creating a realistic steak using a 3D printer and veggies like peas and beetroot. Fake meat makers, like the company NovaMeat, have already managed to produce a steak that imitates the texture of the real deal. While there is still some work to be done in imitating the flavour of the fake meat, their attempt is the closest replica to date. Roving all over NASA will launch another Mars rover in August 2020, to land on the red planet in February 2021. The new model is based on the older Curiosity rover (which has been on mission since 2012) but also has new features. The…

NEW FRIENDS Gaming alone is fun, and it’s more fun with friends. With the new Buddy Adventure feat, you can’t say ‘Pokémon NO’ to Pokémon GO! We all have a favourite Pokémon, and Buddy Adventure lets you elevate them to ‘best bud’ status in Pokémon GO. Your buddy will follow you around on the Pokémon GO map. LOTSA HEART Hang out with your buddy to level them up. Walking, treating, playing, battling, visiting and snapshotting together will score hearts. One heart levels ’em up to Good Buddy, and 300 hearts earns Best Buddy. Combine feeding and opening presents with those other Poké pursuits to get your buddy excited to earn more hearts! BUDDY PERKS Rank up a Pokémon to Good Buddy to see their mood. Once you’ve upgraded to Great…

MARVEL’S HERO PROJECT STREAMING NOW ON DISNEY+ This series reveals the amazing changes caused by young heroes in their communities! Kids like Hailey, who helps loved ones with Alzheimer’s, or Austin, who grows an urban garden to feed the hungry, are real superheroes – and Marvel is celebrating them! The show looks at the lives of 20 kids and in each episode, Marvel surprises the heroes by welcoming them into Marvel’s Hero Project and featuring them in their own Marvel comic. WATCH OUT FOR: ART! THUNDERCATS ROAR SATURDAY APRIL 4 AT 1:15PM ON CARTOON NETWORK Don’t miss this sneak peek of the new show! Lion-O, the newly appointed Lord of the ThunderCats, must attempt to lead his team when they crash land on the mysterious and exotic planet, Third Earth.…

1. Mrs Jewls’ class are trying to collect one million nail clippings. 2. The chained up cupboard is used to protect paper clips. 3. There is no 24th floor in the 30 storeys of the school building. 4. Joy has Oppositosis. 5. One library rule is that you must check out a book before you can hug the walrus. 6. Mr K once walked upstairs with a paper bag on his head and stacked it. 7. To prepare for the 'Ultimate, Ultimate Test', Dee Dee studied cabbage for two whole nights. 8. Mr Kidswatter was sucked into the Cloud of Doom. Wayside School: Beneath The Cloud of Doom is out March 17! Check your answers over at…