A first for me (without the help of Tee!)

I'm writing my first ever blog entry. I am excited and hope that it reaches all of you. If it does, then I'll try to import a picture or two...

After I returned from Alaska, I had to finish up at school. My last meeting was on July 5. Then I got ready for my birthday on 7-7-7 (same as Sally's). Lots of 7's on that day.

Now I'm finally feeling like summer is beginning.

I read all your blog entries and I, also, had an experience in Alaska that was a "forever" one. My hope is to make a power point presentation that I can share with my former students at a picnic in the end of summer (when I will present half of them with their Iditarod musher's autograph!) and my students in Spetember. Making a power point will also be a new experience for me.

In a few days, I'm off to spend several weeks with my family in Michigan. Then I'll go to yet another conference (this is my fourth since March 2007) in Massachusetts because we are implementing Investigations math this September. Does anyone use this curriculum? Do you like it or dislike it? Why?

I'll read the blog every now and then this summer. My mother has never sat at a computer or owned a computer, so while I'm staying with her, it doesn't happen. But now and then I stay with a sister or brother who does have a computer...and then I catch up.

Again, I am so happy to have experienced Alaska and the Iditarod with all of you. Thank you, Diane, for such a great time.

Cindy Kuperus

Home again...

While I am physically back here in Phil. doing laundry, weeding and watering, dusting, and dreading the 3 weeks of mail that should be dropped off this afternoon - I feel a little disoriented, I definitely left a little bit of my heart in Alaska. In 25 years of teaching and 20 following the Idiarod- this certainly was a 'teachers' conference' like no other. Some conferences have given me great ideas and inspired me in my work with kids but no other conference has, at the same time, tapped into my personal interests and passions so completely. As many of you have stated so well, Diane (and her team) artfully pulled together the many different aspects and responsibiliies involved with this race. No facet of the race was left unexplored and so, she not only trained teachers to share the race with their students with clarity and with joy - she let loose on the world freshly trained ambassadors for the sport! I know that at the B and B's I visited in Fairbanks and Anchorage, every breakfast evolved into a Q and A about the Iditarod, every one wanted to know more about it. And how exciting was it to be chatting with Mary Shields and have her mention that she had just come from Anch. visiting the VanZyle's, and when I said that we had been there, she said, "I know, I heard all about you all!" So many inspiring connections and wonderful memories, thank you Diane!
By now I guess that almost everyone is home, savoring summer but eager to share this experience with colleagues and kids. I bumped into Bonnie at the Open-air Market in Anchorage on Sunday and Karen in the airport Tuesday, we were on the same flight! (Hope you made your connection, Karen - made mine by the skin of my teeth!) Big state - small world! I enjoyed meeting you all and feel certain that the summer class of '07 will stay connected, creative, and supportive of each other's new ideas. I'm looking forward to pulling together my char. ed. curriculum with the addition of the many mushers' pictures I took with our school stripes. I'll post it when it's done and would love your feedback/suggestions.
Again, many thanks to Diane, Terri, Finney, Sarah, and Jane and to all of you for your unique contributions to this experience. Am definitely returning in '08 for the race..... and to see what 'dark' looks like in Anchorage.... and to look for that little piece of my heart I left behind.

Hello to all

Just a note to tell you all that it was a pleasure to meet you, and to spend time with you in such a beautiful place. We miss you. We are still in AK, and will leave on July 11 to go back to NJ.
It was great to see Jane's beautiful picture, and to see T's cute daughters. I wish that the conference had been longer. It was the experience of a life time.Thankyou Diane for all of the hard work, and for allowing us to register late.
We are going on a Glacier Cruise from Whittier today, and it is raining cats and dogs.....
I am hoping we will all stay in touch through the blog..I have to lear how to post pictures on the blog.
Keith and Georgia

Fellow participants,

This picture I took while in AK reminds me of you. It is a field of beautiful wild irises. You all showed your beauty as teachers and people, as well as your "wild" a.k.a. creative side. I can't thank you enough for sharing your ideas; I truly believe it is through other teachers that I gain the most that I can use to be better myself. Enjoy what time you have this summer, keep those ideas you've brought back with you milling around in your mind - ruminate on them, if you will. Rest, relax, refresh, and rejuvinate. I can't wait to hear from you all and what "Idita"ideas you have for school next fall.

Wag more, bark less,

Jane

California Stop for the Roach Family (REVISED!!)

Hi fellow Iditanuts! I just realized when I viewed the blog, that this blog had posted! I thought I had just saved it in drafts. Sooooo! I needed to make some changes, number one being there was not a picture in the original and now there is!!! Yosemite was incredible. The Roach Family; Gary, Judi, Ryan, and Brenan (Whitni had work obligations) had a great time exploring Yosemite National Park. WOW!!! Talk about HUGE TREES and beautiful monoliths! We hiked about 6 miles in the Mariposa Grove! That is my kind of summer workout, enjoying the great outdoors! It was a great follow up to the breathtaking scenery and information packed Iditarod Conference.
I hope everyone is doing well and had, or is having (Georgia & Keith) safe travels. Once again, it was great meeting all of you!

Hi Iditarod Teacher's Conference friends. This is a picture of my husband Gary and my sons Ryan & Brenan. As you can see we have joined up in San Francicso, CA. I just want to reiterate what Tee said, it was great experiencing the Last Great Race Adventure with all of you. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had with a group of talented and energetic educators. Thanks Diane Johnson for an experiential packed learning experience. We had exposure to the "who's who" of Iditarod. The speakers and experiences gave us first hand exposure to the race and provided information that we would have probably never known if it weren't for this conference. The next step is to make it to the race. Let's go for it everyone! Wouldn't it be great to have a winter reunion! A special thanks to all of the past and current TOTT's. Terrie, Finney, and Kim thank you for sharing your experiences and good luck Jane. I wish you the best and know you will do a great job in 2008. Let's keep in touch fellow Iditanuts!

Home Safe in Tn

Well fellow participants I just wanted to tell each of you how much I enjoyed our time together . Please know that I am sincere when I say come stay with me when your near we will have a large time. My door is open. I just wanted to share what I really drive and who my favorite passengers are. Again I just wanted to let each of you how that you have truely made my life fuller. See ya again and e whenever you can.

Tee Hutton

Tn Vol

Vern's shirt

I spent Saturday night back at Vern's, and he has put his t-shirt on the wall in the meeting room downstairs. It's on the back wall to the left of the door. I have been in Talkeetna today, not without a little adventure. I have something in common with Tee now, a flat tire, and my hosts at the Swiss-Alaska Inn here most graciously changed it for me and found a place on Sunday that could fix the tire. Then, I met my sixteen year old friend who lives fourteen miles out of town and we visited. As we discovered all last week, it's small world, and Debbie and Crickett were in town,too. We met for pizza supper with my friend, Amanda, and her mom. Amanda has run the junior Iditarod twice. Martha