Good morning!
Do you smell good cooking? That means it’s time for Cowboy Breakfast and the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo!
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Cowboy Breakfast, the annual, unofficial start to the rodeo, is set to take place tomorrow, and coming up this weekend is the big San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Bar-B-Que Cook-off & Festival. Who doesn’t love good food?
Monday was San Antonio’s MLK March and hundreds of thousands of people once again took part. What an amazing event. In this week’s KSAT Kids newsletter, we take a look back at how the march began. We also have a look inside the San Antonio Zoo’s new whooping crane exhibit, which has two of the endangered birds that are at risk of becoming extinct.
Coming up next week, KSAT Kids will have an interview with a Northeast Independent School District teacher that uses animals in the class to teach science and an NEISD teacher that uses rockets to help teach math. We’ll also talk to the teacher that helped start KSAT Kids, my wife, about how she uses it in the classroom.
KSAT Kids will also continue to share the latest positive stories we receive, like the one below about a military father returning home from overseas. (Please let us know about them at bspicer@ksat.com!)
And don’t forget -- KSAT has teamed up with the San Antonio Zoo to introduce viewers to Omeo and Libby, two tree kangaroos -- via its KANGAROO CAM! It’s a 24-hour-a-day livestream of their tree kangaroo habitat. Click below to start watching and keep scrolling for all the latest KSAT Kids content.
Keep up the good work, teachers and students!
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WATCH: Live look inside the tree kangaroo habitat at San Antonio Zoo
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Ben Spicer - web editor
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Here’s what can be found on KSAT Kids for Thursday, January 23:
Science
Take a closer look at the new whooping crane habitat at the San Antonio Zoo
Currently, there are only 826 whooping cranes in the world. These endangered birds are at risk of becoming extinct and since the 1970s the San Antonio Zoo has been trying to help these animals. “We were one of the first zoos to ever actually exhibit these birds, and of the first to actually breed them,” animal care manager Quiton Pyle said. The new “Back From the Brink" habitat that was opened last month currently features a male named Madison and a female named Patty. Zoo officials are hoping the two will soon breed and welcome several chicks. “Our main goal here is to actually reproduce a captive population," Pyle said.
Make animal sounds in your home
If you like to find a new and fun way to entertain your family, we found the perfect way to do it. Andrea Cook, senior scientist with Mad Science of Austin and San Antonio, demonstrates how you can use items in your house to make animal noises. Click above to check out the cool video.
Hundreds of students compete in 47th annual Walter Gerlach Livestock Show
Hundreds of North East ISD FFA and 4-H students are hoping their hard work will pay off this week at the 47th annual Walter Gerlach Livestock Show. Tuesday was “goat judging day” and student’s with O’Connor’s FFA Program said it didn’t take them long to learn that when it comes to showing goats, they will always have their work cut out for them. “He’s very spoiled,” Sierra Gray, an FFA O’Connor High School student, said of her goat. “He likes eating a lot. He’ll eat anything.” O’Connor High School agriculture science teacher Bryan Hawkins said for the students to get to this point, it’s a lot of hard work. It starts with learning how to take care of their animals. Hawkins said the students learn a lot about responsibility and many of them go into the medical or engineering field.
History
Throwback Thursday: A look back at the history of San Antonio’s MLK March
Organizers say the City of San Antonio’s Martin Luther King, Jr. March is now the largest in the country. But when the event first started 52 years ago, only a handful of people participated. The Rev. Dr. Raymond Callies started the march on his own in 1968 to call attention to the need for basic infrastructure on the East Side, according to city officials. “He was a lone ranger, just wanting to promote the cause of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King,” said Dr. Keely Petty, chairperson of the MLK, Jr. Commission. Over the years, the event gained traction. In 1987, the City of San Antonio created the MLK, Jr. Commission. The march now has about 300,000 participants every year.
Bandera: How did it get its name?
Many would describe Bandera as remote cowboy country, positioned on the edge of the frontier. So, it comes as no surprise that the town’s name likely stems from the frontier days. However, as it is with many area towns, no one knows for sure just how it played out. "It’s an unknown. It’s a mystery,” explained Rebecca Norton, executive director of the Frontier Times Museum. What is known is that Bandera is named after the scenic Bandera Pass, located north of town on the way to Kerrville. But first, a little translation is needed. "Bandera in English means ‘flag’ or ‘banner,’” Norton said. The pass was identified on maps as early as 1842, but that is where the mystery kicks in. Several theories exist as to how the pass was given its name.
Seasonal
Sign-up your kids for the Buckaroo Que Kid’s Cook-off this weekend
This weekend, the big San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Bar-B-Que Cook-off & Festival will take place and kids can also compete in a special competition. The Buckaroo Que will give kids ages 4-17 the opportunity to show their grilling skills. 50 kids will compete for a grand prize of a banner and a buckle. This year the kid cooks will have an hour to prepare a pork chop that will be judged off of three categories: taste, texture, and appearance. Registration for this competition remains open.
KSAT KIDS AT THE CATTLE DRIVE
The rodeo is right around the corner. Clear your calendar and plan to bring the entire family to KSAT Korral - KSAT’s Western Heritage Parade and Cattle Drive Viewing Party, scheduled for Saturday, February 1, 2020, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at The Pavilion by Hilton.
Watch the parade pass right in front of the party location, experience a cowboy chuckwagon breakfast with Purgatory Provisions, dance two-step to the music of the youth DJ team from The AM Project, ride a mechanical bull, and so much more! Hope to see y’all there…
Who doesn’t love a PARADE?! Kick off the 2020 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo season with KSAT12. Get your tickets here.
Student showcase
NISD students surprised by Army father at elementary school rally
Two Northside ISD students were surprised by their father who has been serving overseas in the U.S. Army. Capt. Abraham Acosta has been with the US Army for 19 years and has been deployed six times. Most recently, Acosta was in Turkey for seven months, including being away during the holidays from his three sons and his wife. On Friday Jan. 10, Acosta finally got to hug his boys at a special surprise assembly at Colby Glass Elementary. Abraham Acosta’s wife, Karina Acosta, helped set up the surprise with school staff to surprise their 5-year-old son, Abraham Jr., at school. Abraham Acosta said he’s going to spend a lot of time with his sons and do their favorite things like playing video games and eating pizza.
Do you know a classroom or school that is doing amazing work and deserves to be featured in KSAT Kids? Nominate a student, teacher or school by emailing ksatkids@ksat.com.