Welcome back to School!

Pictures: Vern and a pup, Walking with Pups, and a Pup in a Hole.

Hello everyone!

Just a quick note to welcome everyone back to school! (Yes, I know, not all of you are officially 'back', but welcome back in advance to those of you who are still on VACATION!)

I have just returned from a week long trip to Alaska for some meetings. I took a day off and visited Vern and Susan at the Dream a Dream Dog Farm. I wanted to share pictures from the puppy walk that I took with some tourists, Vern, and Susan. The pups have really grown and are so healthy, happy, full of energy, and VERY FAST and powerful. Vern, Susan, and Misha have been working on another trail through the woods for dog and puppy walks, so I got to hike along that trail. It is a bit rugged but the pups love attempting this trail, jumping over tree roots, climbing hills, and crossing little streams. At the end of the trail, perhaps a mile and a half long, you get to sit on a log bench that Vern made and watch the pups climb up and down a very steep hill. I was amazed that the pups can handle such a climb and was glad I didn't have to climb with them!

Vern and Susan send you their greetings.

I am also attaching a couple of pictures that I took--- to share some of the sights I enjoyed.

I hope this finds you having a GREAT week! I look forward to hearing all about your Idita-school year!

Diane


Susan's flowers and Fire Weed

Jean from Ohio

It has been so fantastic reading everyone's emails and updates. I start school tomorrow, students on Tuesday. My welcome door is a musher being pulled by 25 sled dogs, all namesd for my new students. I used a "bubble" and quotes from Jon VanZele's book to inspire my "team." I haven't been very successful in sending pictures, which I have tried, so I'll wait until I return to school and get a "geek" to show me how.

Honestly, I can't stop thinking about Alaska, YOU and the iditarod. I was watching Discovery Channel last night and "SurvivorMan" was going across Labrador with a dog team. No need to say I was envious.

I have also just (3weeks ago) accepted a 4th grade magnet position, changing from 6th grade. I was in need of a change and this came along at just the right time. I'm very excited about teaching the "little" ones and using all my new experiences and art background. Plus I'll be team teaching with a really cool guy who is the 5th grade magnet teacher. This should prove to be an awesome year.

I hope everyone has a great year, too. Soooooooooooo much to do....and so inspired.
Take care...enjoy...be safe .... and dance wildly
Jean

The last two blogs were posted by Cindy Kuperus (NJ)

Hello Friends!

I've been enjoying the recent postings. I remember back to the first day of the conference and how some of us had been out of school for almost a month, but that Georgia and I (and some others) had just gotten out for summer that week (or the day before the summer conference, for Georgia).

Now the tables have turned...some of you are back to school already! We have meetings next week, but our first day with kids is September 6.

Yesterday I had an iditarod party with last year's class (only 10 were able to make it). I shared with them all my souvenirs. There were "oohs and aahs and You're so lucky!"'s heard. When I gave them their musher's autographs, it was as though they had a Hollywood star's autograph!

Then we played an iditarod simulation in the park across the street. Some neighborhood kids were using the space, but were willing to let us use it for awhile; one of them even joined our game as a dog.

The mushers had to put on Alaska clothing (my winter coat, scarf, hat, boots). Fortunately, we've had unusually cool weather this week. They followed their dog (child holding a stuffed dog--bootied by the musher)and sled (wagon) from checkpoint to checkpoint--I only had 4 checkpoints set up. At each, the musher picked a situation out of a bag that either added or took time away from their total race time: i.e. You were caught in a blizzard. Add 24 hours[2 minutes]. At Anvik, instead of an 8-course meal, the first musher received gift certificates to McDonalds. At Unalakleet, instead of gold nuggets, the first musher received gold-covered chocoalte coins. Each team had to declare a 24-hour rest [2 minutes]. It was crazy...but fun!

I took only a few pictures, but they were not worth sending (or even keeping)!

Hello Friends!

Great Website to Share

http://dl1.yukoncollege.yk.ca/yukonquest/


Here is a website someone at my school passed on to me. It is a great source.
Hope you can use it in your schools. Hope all is well with everyone I am now
in my 3rd full week of school.

Tee

Hi, everyone! Today was our kiddos' first day - such excitement! We have a new principal and our whole building is buzzing with optimism. Teachers keep coming by my room to see all the great stuff I brought back from Alaska. I am so ready to start on my quilt, but since my classes are "special" (reading support), I won't actually start them until after Labor Day. I am going to use the star saying that was on the bookmarks this summer for the theme. I've designed the center square and I'll have some of my older students design other squares. I'll have all my younger students put their names on fabric squares to scatter around the edges. The whole star theme is how I'm going to start the year.

Jane, my youngest daughter started high school this year, too. She had a great first day yesterday - thanks in huge part to a teacher who made a huge deal over her - he had "heard" that she made varsity softball as a pitcher. (Tee, tell your daughter that all the hard work will pay off).

I hope everyone is as excited about the new year as I am. I'd love to hear how all of you are doing.

Debbie

More quilts

Jane and everyone,
Yesterday I talked with my two teammates about making the quilts. We really wanted all our students to participate, but with 70-some kids, the trick was how to do it. My partner who teaches science and social studies said she wants to do them through her 3 classes, so 3 quilts will come from my middle school. She's talking about tying this in with the 5 themes of geography. Just let me know to whom to send the additional 2 quilts.

Debbie, your quilt instructions and tips are great and will guide us through this. Also, "churning" butter with the heavy cream worked! I was so excited!! I'll be doing this all day this Saturday for a Girl Scout event.

Hot, hot, hot here in NC and drier than a bone. Our area is enacting water restrictions, and we're surrounded by various shades of brown as plants and crops wither.

Our students come on the 27th. We just finished the schedule pickup which is a scary time for the 6th graders and their parents. I'm "Iditaroding" now, too. Our team decided to call our list of materials that students bring to class "Mandatory Gear" and my "Materials on Desk" list on the white board now is titled "Gear on Desk". That list tells the kids what items to have on their desk that we're using that day in class. Our 6th grade will walk to Nome again this year for our Healthy Active Child activity.

Have a good school year.
Martha

Wildly Successful Thanks to YOU!

Greetings from the desert! I know you all are having particularly hot summers this year. I feel sorry for you; we're used to it.

School started for me last Wednesday. I have a class full of leaders - so my challenge is to keep them engaged. We've already used the Iditarod every day. It's so easy to stick in. My oldest daughter started high school last Monday and after praying for her ALL day, when I picked her up I got the first day report. She loves her school and teachers. She has actually become a different person altogether - very animated, outgoing, and happy.

I remember some of you start later, some of you have started, some of you start soon...I'm excited for you all. Set all of those notes you took at conference right in front of you so you remember to utilize your ideas. And please keep communicating. We have so much to share and learn from each other.

OK, here's the big news. As of today, I have quilt commitments for every village on the trail after Anchorage. Isn't that exciting? I'm sharing the list with you.

Anchorage
Nikolai - Jennifer, CA
McGrath - Martha, NC
Takotna - Tee, TN
Ruby - Jean, OH
Galena - Judi, NE
Nulato - Nancy, NJ
Kaltag - Judi, NE
Unalakleet - Debbie, MO
Shaktoolik - Judi, NE
Koyuk - Judi, NE
Elim - Judi, NE
Golovin - Bonnie, FL
White Mountain - Judi, NE
Nome - Jane, AZ

As you can see, Judi R. has committed her entire 4th grade team! Now, just because every village has one commitment, it doesn't mean we can't use more. Did any of you meet Gail from Anchorage? She would be thrilled to receive a quilt. Also, I know of 3 teachers in the Mat-Su valley who would like to receive one as well. So, please don't say, "I don't need to do one." We'd love to have more. If we have to double up donations to villages, we might do that.

I never dreamed it would be this easy to get the quilts dedicated. Thanks to you, the awesome teachers of the summer conference (and a few others), it will happen. That means so much to me.

Susan Butcher Information

There are video clips and interviews with Susan Butcher on Insider as well. They are in the 2006 segments. Some are in the Behind the Scenes section and some are in the daily segments. During 2006 she was out at some checkpoints. Terrie Hanke saw her in Ruby. Check it out.
Jane

Does anyone know how....

Hi, again.

I found some great videos on Susan Butcher's website but can't seem to download them. Is there anyone who might know if this is possible? They are links from her site, so I don't know if it's possible, but I'd sure like to try! You can find them by going to SusanButcher.com and selecting videos from the menu across the top of the page. One is an interview from Good Morning America she did after she was diagnosed with Luekemia and the other is from the Alaska.org site that is a "promo" for Alaska that features her and the race. Any help/advice would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Debbie

Hello Again!

All of these messages and connections are wonderful! Debbie, thanks so much for the quilt tips. Sounds great! I'm going to try them. Martha, I've been looking for language help for a year now. That's great information.

I've truly enjoyed hearing about all of your summer adventures, some extended Alaskan adventures for sure! My post-Alaska experience was a trip "home" to St. Louis, MO. It was great, but I picked up some ticks while hiking and am slowly recovering from "tick fever". ICKY TICKY!!! So, I'm a little behind on the news.

The best part to me is seeing all of the enthusiasm you have to use your new experiences with your students. They are gifted to have teachers like you! I'd love to see you all at work in your classrooms - I'm sure it's truly dynamic.

Check my August edition of Teacher Times for new lessons. I could still use a few more quilts - although I'm overwhelmed at everyone's participation already. Thank you so much! These villages will be honored at your efforts.

Happy back to school. Keep in touch! Keep blogging!
Wag more, bark less,
Jane