Tabla de contenidos para May 2025 en News Flash

Did you spot Flashy’s egg growing on a tree in the street on page 15 of last month's issue? Eggs grow on trees, right? No? Then what on earth was it doing up there? Oh, Flashy! This month we celebrate Irish Water Safety Awareness Week. Most cats hate water ... but not our Flashy! He absolutely loves it! In fact, he has his swimming costume, his water wings, his — oh biscuits, here we go again! Flashy has lost his swimming goggles! Can you help him find them in time for Irish Water Safety Awareness Week? If you do, let us know by emailing win@newsflash.ie. If you’re correct, you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a super-cool News Flash hoodie. Last Month's Winner David Madigan 3rd Class, Scoil…

The idea of an undersea tunnel to link France and England was first talked about as far back as 1802. However, construction of the Channel Tunnel did not begin until 1988. It was built under a body of water separating southern England from northern France, called the English Channel, which begins at the Strait of Dover at its eastern end. It took 13,000 workers, technicians and engineers six years to build the tunnel. Each tunnel-boring machine used during construction was over 220 metres long and weighed almost 14,000 tonnes. They cut through the seabed at a rate of about 4 metres per hour. The two rail tunnels are 7.6 metres in diameter and 30 metres apart. Each one has a single track. The north tunnel takes passengers and vehicles from…

Author: Donn McClean Illustrator: Emma Byrne Publisher: O'Brien Press Ltd Year: 2020 Age Range: 10+ Available Now Anna loves playing Gaelic football. And she’s good at it too! But when there is a tragic loss in her family, everything changes. Anna and her family even move to a new town. How is the 13-year-old going to deal with her loss on top of starting at a new school? She joins the local football club, but it’s not the same. However, when she thinks she’s hung up her football boots for good, she gets just the sign she needed. This book is a bit of a tearjerker but we loved it. With strong female characters and a great message of hope and encouragement, All to Play For…

Are you someone who keeps going once you’ve made up your mind? Do you set your heart on something and go for it without giving up? Have you ever been called strong-minded? If so, you’re probably a determined person! Determination means sticking with something, even when it’s hard. It’s about not giving up when you face challenges. It’s an inner strength that helps you stay on track and reach your goals – no matter what. Being determined is a great quality to have. But can we learn to be determined? Can we get better at it? And how can determination help us in everyday life? 8 Ways to Be More Determined 1. Learn from mistakes. Your own and other people’s too! Mistakes are part of learning. 2. Don’t fear failure.…

Saint Peter’s Basilica is a magnificent building. It is perched on top of Vatican Hill in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vatican City. It dominates the skyline of Rome and attracts 10 million visitors to Italy from all over the world every year. Saint Peter was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus and was the first pope. He was put to death by the Roman emperor Nero around AD 64. In AD 306, Emperor Constantine became the first Christian emperor of Rome. He decided to build a basilica on Vatican Hill, where it is believed that Saint Peter is buried. Work began in AD 319 and was completed around 30 years later. The construction involved moving a million tonnes of earth to make a platform to support the…

As you know, here at Water Safety Ireland (WSI) we want you to have a brilliant and safe time in, on or around the water this summer. That is why we have created this special water safety mini-mag just for you. It is packed with facts, tips and advice to help you stay safe at the beach, in lakes and around rivers, and even when walking by the coast or heading out on a boat. And with National Water Safety Awareness Week happening May 19-25, there really is no better time to introduce you to Splash the Bear and River the Otter from WSI PAWS programme. Those of you who have met these guys before will know they’re full of brilliant tips and love helping young people like you stay…

Cold water shock is real! Even on sunny days, lakes and rivers can be surprisingly cold. Jumping in suddenly without getting your body used to the temperature can cause cold water shock – a natural reaction that makes you gasp, panic, and breathe quickly. It can be dangerous, especially if your face goes under the water. INSTEAD, TAKE YOUR TIME: Splash your face, arms and legs with water first. Enter slowly, step by step. Focus on keeping calm and breathing steadily. WATCH OUT FOR HYPOTHERMIA! If you stay in cold water for too long, your body temperature can drop. You might begin to shiver, feel stiff or find it hard to breathe. These are signs of hypothermia. If you feel very cold, start shivering a lot, or find it hard…

Worm charming has to be one of the most unusual sports in the world. It is the art of trying to attract worms to the earth’s surface. Although charming is usually used to gather worms for fishing bait, it is recognised (by some, anyway) as a competitive sport in countries such as England and Canada. Every summer, in the English village of Willaston, Cheshire, hundreds of competitors battle it out to see who can ‘charm’ the largest number of worms from the ground. Each charmer is given a 3x3-metre plot in the arena and, along with their counter and collector, they must charm as many worms as they can in 30 minutes. The world record holder is a 10-year-old girl called Sophie Smith (pictured right). Sophie managed to lure an…

Hollywood Star to Wicklow's Rescue Hollywood action star Jason Statham and his film crew have helped restore a monument in Wicklow town! Jason (pictured above) and the crew were filming a new movie at Castle Field and Travelahawk Beach. Because the area has local wildlife and historical sites, they brought in an ecologist and an archaeologist to make sure nothing was harmed during construction. The film team were so grateful for all the local support that they decided to give something back. Not only did they make generous donations to Wicklow Tidy Towns, Wicklow RNLI and the St Patrick’s Day Committee, they also paid to restore two old cannons! The cannons overlooking Travelahawk Beach (also pictured above) are now being cleaned and repainted by experts before being returned to their…

Artist: William Gerard Barry Nationality: Irish Born: County Cork, Ireland (1864) Died: France (1941) Date of painting: 1887 Style: Impressionism Medium: Oil on Canvas On Display: Crawford Art Gallery, Cork The son of a magistrate (judge), Barry was born in Carrigtwohill, County Cork. He studied at Cork’s Crawford School of Art and then, aged 22, went to Paris. Later, he travelled the world, as far as the South Sea islands and Japan. He was killed during WWII, aged 77, when a bomb went off near his home in France. Time Flies was painted in France and was influenced by the French Impressionists who aimed at giving an impression of a scene rather than painting exactly what they saw. It looks like a very realistic painting. It’s not until you examine it…

Eye Spy It’s time for the magnifying glasses again! To solve this supermarket puzzle, all you have to do is find the 10 hidden items! We’ll give you 60 seconds for this one. Time starts … NOW! Your teacher has the answers to all these puzzles (not that you'll need them … but in case you do). Just ask nicely … AFTER you’ve tried them all, of course! Sum It Up Check out this rather lengthy sum and see if you can make it work out so that you end with 15. Careful how you go! Word Search For this month’s word search, we’ve packed the grid with swimming-related words for you to find. As always, we’ve included a secret word not listed below. Clue: The one thing you would…

Hello … I … am … a … sloth. I am the slowest mammal in the world and spend at least 10 hours a day sleeping. On the ground I can travel at about 2 metres per minute. In the trees, where I spend most of my time, I am much faster – reaching amazing speeds of up to 3 metres per minute! I know, wow! I am a three-toed sloth, but there are also two-toed sloths, and we are all related to armadillos and anteaters. I am diurnal, which means I am mostly active during the daytime. Two-toed sloths, however, are nocturnal so they are more active at nighttime. I have very sharp claws. I use them to cling on to the branches of trees and sometimes to protect…

Always Plan Ahead! Remind your parents and guardians to check the weather and tide times, and find out where the lifeguards are. You should never enter water where there are no lifeguards on duty, and always follow local safety signs and warnings. Make sure the adult in charge has a fully charged mobile phone in case of emergency and know how to call 112 or 999 to ask for the Coast Guard. Stay in the Zone! Swim between the red-and-yellow flags. This is the ‘swim zone’ area – the designated safest place to swim. Surfers and paddleboarders must stay in the black-and-white flag area – the ‘surf zone’. These zones help keep everyone safe by separating swimmers from boards. Supervision is a Must! Grown-ups must always keep an eye on…

The Loud Family The Loud House (TV show) Ten sisters, one brother – and total chaos! Lincoln Loud tries to survive life with his noisy but lovable siblings. The Heeler Family Bluey (TV show) Playful, warm and full of imagination, this Aussie dog family of four shows us how to have fun, fix problems and be there for each other. The Parr Family The Incredibles (Movie) They fight villains by day and do homework by night! With super speed, stretchy arms and invisible forcefields, this family shows that teamwork is their greatest power. Po and Mr Ping Kung Fu Panda (Movie) Po might be a dragon warrior, but his noodle-loving adoptive dad Mr Ping always has his back – proving that family isn’t just about who you’re born to. The…

We didn’t need to go too far to find this month’s person that works in the community. In fact, we didn’t even need to leave the News Flash HQ. When we think of creating magazines, like News Flash, we usually think of the stories and the people who write them. Many people are needed to make magazine content, such as writers, photographers, editors and researchers. But sometimes people forget about the actual magazine and how it looks – the colours, the layout, the design. This important job is all down to the graphic designer! Making you stand out A graphic designer plays a very important role in putting a magazine together. They are the ones that create the look, colour scheme and layout of the magazine – which means they…

Official Name: The Swiss Confederation Capital: Bern Population: 8.8 million Area: 41,285 km2 (about half the size of Ireland) Official languages: German, French, Italian, Romansch Money: Swiss Franc Major mountain ranges: Jura, Alps Major rivers: Rhône, Rhine Switzerland is a small, landlocked, mountainous country in central Europe. It is bordered by Austria, Germany, France, Liechtenstein and Italy. Switzerland became an independent country in 1815. Switzerland has followed a policy of neutrality since 1848. This means that it has not been involved in wars between other countries since then. Switzerland became a member of the United Nations in 2002. It is not a member of the European Union. Geography Switzerland is famous for its tall mountains. The Alps are in the south and the Jura are in the northwest. The centre…

Match of the Month May 25 Liverpool vs Crystal Palace It will be a magical afternoon at Anfield for the final day of the Premier League season as the Reds lift the trophy in front of their own supporters. There were no fans allowed inside the ground (due to Covid-19) when they last won the league in 2020. That will make this occasion even more special as they officially celebrate equalling Man United’s record of 20 league titles. NF PREDICTION: MY PREDICTION: Liverpool Win the PL Liverpool have been crowned Premier League champions after a brilliant 5-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur. It is their second Premier League title – and their 20th English top-flight title overall, matching Man United’s record. The victory meant Liverpool moved out of reach of Arsenal,…

Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of water that flow quickly away from the shore. They form when breaking waves push water towards the land, and that water needs to escape back out to sea. This escaping water finds the easiest path through the surf, creating a fast-moving current. Rip currents can pull even the strongest swimmers out to sea. But the good news is that they don’t pull you under – they just carry you away from the shore. DID YOU KNOW? Rip currents can travel at speeds faster than an Olympic swimmer – but you can survive them by staying calm and floating. HOW TO SPOT ONE! Rip currents can be hard to see, but there are signs to look out for. A gap in the wave pattern…

Have you finished your PAWS lessons? Brilliant! That means you can now receive your very own Water Safety Certificate. It’s a great way to show what you’ve learned and remind others to stay safe around water. Ask your teacher or grown-up to help you visit www.teachpaws.ie, where you can complete the lessons and download your certificate. TEACHERS Each PAWS level comes with a certificate for your pupils to take home proudly. Visit www.teachpaws.ie for free lesson plans, printable resources and classroom support. Free digital lessons are available at www.teachpaws.ie or directly at paws.edco.ie. TOP TIP: Stick your certificate on the fridge, show it off at school, or keep it in your folder to remind yourself of your amazing water safety knowledge! AQUADASH: READY, SET, DASH! Want to test your water…