Untitled from Betsy Anderson on Vimeo.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Building a Sled
Daniel M. and Sawyer were busy building a sled this weekend. They used an old ironing board and other supplies. The sled will be used as a prop in their play about the Serum Run.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Natalie's Dog Sled Ride
Did you know that Natalie went on a dog sled ride with dog's from Ed Stielstra's kennel? Her mom sent me this picture to share on our blog. She went to Boyne Ski Resort with her family this winter. That is where some of Ed's dogs work giving people rides. When Ed found out that Natalie was from our class, he made sure to send some souvenirs to Boyne for Natalie to bring back to our class. Thank you, Natalie for bringing them to us. Did you have a fun ride?
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
MITCH SEAVY: [DALLAS] HAS IT SEWN UP by Dan K.
Mitch Seavey had a promising team, but it doesn’t look like he has a chance for a 2012 Iditarod win.
His dogs got sick and Mitch is very heartbroken because he is racing to win.
His toughest competitor is his son, 25 year old Dallas Seavy, who has the win in his grasp “ if he does what he knows how to do, and that’s run dogs,” Mitch Seavy said.
Seavy said” if he were on the side lines and not racing he would be rooting for Dallas.”
His dogs got sick and Mitch is very heartbroken because he is racing to win.
His toughest competitor is his son, 25 year old Dallas Seavy, who has the win in his grasp “ if he does what he knows how to do, and that’s run dogs,” Mitch Seavy said.
Seavy said” if he were on the side lines and not racing he would be rooting for Dallas.”
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Zoya Scratches by Georgia
Zoya DeNure scratched on the Iditarod. Why? Because her dogs had a eye infection. Since they were sick and they were not eating well, Zoya decided to drop out. In her words she says they were”way off’. But fortunately she did have a great start and she’s hoping that her dogs will get better.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Dropped Dogs
If you check the current standings for the race, you will see that many mushers have dropped dogs along the way. Do you wonder what happens to those dogs? The Iditarod Race Committee has a plan for their care and safety. Many are transported back to Anchorage or on to Nome by airplane. Here's a picture of some dogs on their way to Anchorage. Can you find out who takes care of them when they arrive?
Iditarod Mushers by Georgia
On the Iditarod there will be 66 mushers. 8 have already withdrawn 2 girls and 6 boys. For the mushers who are still doing it, there are 18 girls and 48 boys. The mushers that have set records in the past are Rick Swenson for being the only 5 time winner, Lance Mackey for winning 4 times in a row,Mary Shields for being the first women to finish the race, Libby Riddles for being the first women to win, John Baker for the fastest winning time,Doug Swingley for being the first winner from out of Alaska, Robert Sorlie for being the first winner from overseas.To learn more go to www. Iditarod.com
Deedee is ready! by Norah
In Takontna on March 7, Deedee Jonrowe had her 24 hour break. Not only was the break for her but the dogs too.She took her break as an example to rest, shower, and to give her dogs some time to rest. Deedee is also prepared to camp on the ride to Ruby.She thinks that the trail will remain slow so I think she will definitely be camping.If you want to learn more about Deedee go to www.deedeejonrowe.com or visit www.iditarod.com.
Trent and the Halfway There Award by Norah
If you want to know why Trent Herbst was in 2 place and he still has not taken his 24 hour break,well here’s the answer.He was trying to win the half way there award again! Unfortunately Jim Lanier won it but this is just the first part of the race. Trent is doing great!
Hugh Neff at Rainy Pass by Sawyer
Do you know that Hugh Neff inspires kids to read so much that he put Cat in the Hat striped coats on his sled dogs in the 2012 Iditarod? He was going over a rocky patch of rocks in a windy, cold storm while he was heading to Rainy Pass (a checkpoint), and he was running between the runners (a part of the sled) and smack!!!! his sled hit the side of the rutty, solid rocks and he almost fell off his dog sled. He recovered and kept on going in the chilly white out. Maybe he almost fell of his sled because he was thinking about eating Green Eggs and Ham just like the Doctor Seuss book.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Silvia Furtwangler’s dog Whistler by Emma and Georgia
Whistler,Silvias crazy dog ran away on Thursday morning before the race from a dog truck. Slivia played a recording of Whistlers teammates barking from her iPhone. She thought that Whistler may come back, but sadly didn´t come.Some employees at Arc of Anchorage offered him an enchilada breakfast in the parking lot and dragged him into the garage with roast beef.She came from Norway and Norway is Nothing like the city. Zoya DeNure and her husband gave Whistler to Silvia. Whistler plans to return to the team in Willow.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Mushers Will See Northern Lights
I just received an alert from the University of Alaska. The northern lights will be visible on the trail tonight if the sky is clear. If your musher is awake and outside there will be a special treat in the sky. To find out more about the northern lights, you can search the internet using the words "aurora forecast." Enjoy!
What a Welcome!
Dear Boys and Girls,
The whole time I was away I was thinking about you at school. I missed seeing you check on your musher and move your musher down the trail on our big Iditarod Trail in the hall. I am so glad to be home. It warmed my heart to see you all this morning and get a big hug from you. I loved seeing the posters you made about hazards on the trail. I loved reading all of your welcome back cards, the poem from Emma and Norah, and the Dog Book that Kenzie made. After my big trip, coming back here felt like getting to Nome. Now I know how mushers feel when they cross the finish line and how happy they are to see their family and friends. Thank you all for being such great fans and supporters of me!
Mrs. A.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Ceremonial Start and Official Restart
Dear Boys and Girls,
By the time you read this, the race will be well under way. I hope you are figuring out how to read the race statistics. It can be kind of confusing at first. This weekend was like a dream come true for me. I had a ball walking the streets of Anchorage before the Ceremonial Start with my new friends, the other two finalists and my special friends Linda and Finney. I'll show you pictures of them as soon as I get back. We found a perfect place to watch the mushers about a block down from the start at a corner. We could watch the teams sprinting down the street towards us and then making a turn. It was great fun watching the dogs pulling and pulling. On Sunday, we drove out to Willow Lake and watched as the dog trucks arrived and mushers finished their final packing of their sled bags. Then we walked to a place where we could view all of the mushers as they left the trail leading across the lake into the wilderness. This was a clear day with a blue sky. The swon banks were taller than I am tall. We all climbed up a snowbank and sat on top in the sun where we could take pictures of every team race by. It was magical to know I was watching this world class dogs and mushers as they began the biggest trip of their lives. I can't wait to share all my pictures with you. It is 11:30 pm sunday night as I write this and I am leaving my hotel room to go work in the communications room. I'll be working 12 midnight to 6am posting information from the checkpoints to the current standings page on iditarod.com. Gotta go for now!
Mrs. A.
By the time you read this, the race will be well under way. I hope you are figuring out how to read the race statistics. It can be kind of confusing at first. This weekend was like a dream come true for me. I had a ball walking the streets of Anchorage before the Ceremonial Start with my new friends, the other two finalists and my special friends Linda and Finney. I'll show you pictures of them as soon as I get back. We found a perfect place to watch the mushers about a block down from the start at a corner. We could watch the teams sprinting down the street towards us and then making a turn. It was great fun watching the dogs pulling and pulling. On Sunday, we drove out to Willow Lake and watched as the dog trucks arrived and mushers finished their final packing of their sled bags. Then we walked to a place where we could view all of the mushers as they left the trail leading across the lake into the wilderness. This was a clear day with a blue sky. The swon banks were taller than I am tall. We all climbed up a snowbank and sat on top in the sun where we could take pictures of every team race by. It was magical to know I was watching this world class dogs and mushers as they began the biggest trip of their lives. I can't wait to share all my pictures with you. It is 11:30 pm sunday night as I write this and I am leaving my hotel room to go work in the communications room. I'll be working 12 midnight to 6am posting information from the checkpoints to the current standings page on iditarod.com. Gotta go for now!
Mrs. A.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Shining eyes, wagging tails, happy howls--that’s the welcome you get at Martin Buser’s Happy Trails Kennels. As a four time Iditarod Champion, Martin is an expert when it comes to breeding and raising world class sled dogs. He shared his tips with me and the group of teachers that are here for the Winter Iditarod Conference for Educators. He breeds his dogs to be the marathon runners of the animal world. Did you know that running the Iditarod from Anchorage to Nome is the same as running 46 marathons? His dogs are bred to love to run and run and run. They are also bred to love to eat. That is absolutely essential. When dogs put in those kinds of miles they need fuel to give them energy. Eating lots and lots of food is the only way to get that energy so his dogs have to have excellent appetites. Sometimes, a few days before a big race, Martin feeds his dogs a little less than usual so they will be a little hungrier than usual when the race starts. That way he knows they will be ready to eat enough along the trail. A great attitude is important, too. Martin does everything he can to keep his dogs happy. If the dogs are having fun, they’ll give the race their best effort. Let’s wish Martin and his team good luck and happy trails for Iditarod 2012!
Ed and Bolt at the Vet Check
The Iditarod is a tough race so it’s important that every dog that starts the race is as healthy as possible. Vet checks before and during the race are mandatory to ensure the health of these super athletes. On Wednesday morning all of the teachers in my group visited Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla, Alaska for the prerace Vet Check. Every dog is completely checked over by a team of volunteer veterinarians. The mushers who live in Alaska usually have their vet appointments a week or two before the race, but the mushers who come from farther away have their dogs examined on Wednesday. Guess who was there? Our special Michigan musher, Ed Stielstra! He had just finished having his dogs checked. Ed is hoping to improve his finish this year, but doesn’t think he’ll win because his team is young. Most of his dogs are less than 3 years old, including Bolt, the dog Mrs. Perl’s and Mrs. Anderson’s class raised money to sponsor. Ed said that even though they don’t have the most experience, they are a fun group. He has had more fun this training season than ever before. I had a chance to meet Bolt. He’s a friendly guy-at least I think he is because he tried to kiss me! I hope you enjoy the pictures I took of Bolt and Ed.
Mushers Banquet
Dear Boys and Girls,
You made my day on Friday! I could tell you were ready for the “Last Great Race” to begin. Even though I couldn’t see your faces, I could tell you had worked hard to be prepared for the Mushers Banquet. Your speeches were fantastic! How did your placemats come out? Did you enjoy your special snack? Thank you so much for singing the Iditarod Trail Song to me. It put a smile on my face that lasted all day! During the Mushers Banquet here in Anchorage I was able to meet all 24 of your mushers. I will give you their autographs on Wednesday when I return. You wouldn’t believe how much they appreciated your good luck cards. Guess who I met at the Banquet? Hobo Jim! He gave me his autograph, too. Here is a slide show of pictures I took that evening. You might see your musher, so make sure to pay attention!
You made my day on Friday! I could tell you were ready for the “Last Great Race” to begin. Even though I couldn’t see your faces, I could tell you had worked hard to be prepared for the Mushers Banquet. Your speeches were fantastic! How did your placemats come out? Did you enjoy your special snack? Thank you so much for singing the Iditarod Trail Song to me. It put a smile on my face that lasted all day! During the Mushers Banquet here in Anchorage I was able to meet all 24 of your mushers. I will give you their autographs on Wednesday when I return. You wouldn’t believe how much they appreciated your good luck cards. Guess who I met at the Banquet? Hobo Jim! He gave me his autograph, too. Here is a slide show of pictures I took that evening. You might see your musher, so make sure to pay attention!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Tuesday
Dear Boys and Girls,
Just imagine a class with 50 students from all over the United States. That was the group I had to teach Tuesday morning. Each of the finalists for Teacher on the Trail had to make presentations to teachers who came to Anchorage to learn about the Iditarod. In the room there were teachers from California, Maryland, Montana, Vermont, Florida, California, Wisconsin, and more. Over the past few weeks, I have been working on my presentation, but I was still nervous. I showed a Power Point presentation with pictures of the dog collages you made in September. Remember when we took them to our Senior Friends? I told all of the teachers about how we display them on a bulletin board to represent how we are all working together like a team to learn as much as we can this year. I also showed them your creative "Dogs, Dogs, Dogs" poems and your Dog Breed Posters. They were very interested in your projects. One teacher from here in Alaska said she is going to make the dog collages with her class on Monday. Isn't that cool? Once my presentation was over, I listened to the other finalists and their teaching ideas. both of them had fantastic ideas. I hope we can do them in class when I return. The rest of the day, we continued learning about the Iditarod. I listened to a presentation by Nancy Yoshida. She was in the Iditarod in 2010, but had to scratch because one of her dogs ran away. She wrote the whole story in a book that I am bringing back to school for you to read. After that, I listened to another musher, Angie Taggart. Her dream was to do the Iditarod. She worked for ten years to make her dream come true and finally competed last year in 2011. Angie started by getting a job at Dee Dee Jonrowe's Kennel. Little by little she learned all of the skills she needed. She also bought dogs to build up a team. Finally, last year she was ready to hit the trail. During the race, she wore a sport video camera on her head. CNN made her videos into 4 short videos that you can watch to learn all about what it must feel like to be out on the trail for the first time. After Angie's talk, we all had to go on a field trip to the gallery of John Van Zyle. He has a kennel of siberian huskies who are perfectly trained. If they want to be petted, they have to sit on top of their houses and wait quietly. You wouldn't believe how well behaved they all were for us teachers. Next we went in John's house and learned about his artwork and the many books he has written or illustrated. Did you know he is the official artist of the Iditarod? By now, I bet you are tired of reading all the things I did. It's very late here, so I am going to say good bye for now. I'll write more about my trip soon!
Just imagine a class with 50 students from all over the United States. That was the group I had to teach Tuesday morning. Each of the finalists for Teacher on the Trail had to make presentations to teachers who came to Anchorage to learn about the Iditarod. In the room there were teachers from California, Maryland, Montana, Vermont, Florida, California, Wisconsin, and more. Over the past few weeks, I have been working on my presentation, but I was still nervous. I showed a Power Point presentation with pictures of the dog collages you made in September. Remember when we took them to our Senior Friends? I told all of the teachers about how we display them on a bulletin board to represent how we are all working together like a team to learn as much as we can this year. I also showed them your creative "Dogs, Dogs, Dogs" poems and your Dog Breed Posters. They were very interested in your projects. One teacher from here in Alaska said she is going to make the dog collages with her class on Monday. Isn't that cool? Once my presentation was over, I listened to the other finalists and their teaching ideas. both of them had fantastic ideas. I hope we can do them in class when I return. The rest of the day, we continued learning about the Iditarod. I listened to a presentation by Nancy Yoshida. She was in the Iditarod in 2010, but had to scratch because one of her dogs ran away. She wrote the whole story in a book that I am bringing back to school for you to read. After that, I listened to another musher, Angie Taggart. Her dream was to do the Iditarod. She worked for ten years to make her dream come true and finally competed last year in 2011. Angie started by getting a job at Dee Dee Jonrowe's Kennel. Little by little she learned all of the skills she needed. She also bought dogs to build up a team. Finally, last year she was ready to hit the trail. During the race, she wore a sport video camera on her head. CNN made her videos into 4 short videos that you can watch to learn all about what it must feel like to be out on the trail for the first time. After Angie's talk, we all had to go on a field trip to the gallery of John Van Zyle. He has a kennel of siberian huskies who are perfectly trained. If they want to be petted, they have to sit on top of their houses and wait quietly. You wouldn't believe how well behaved they all were for us teachers. Next we went in John's house and learned about his artwork and the many books he has written or illustrated. Did you know he is the official artist of the Iditarod? By now, I bet you are tired of reading all the things I did. It's very late here, so I am going to say good bye for now. I'll write more about my trip soon!
Mrs. Anderson
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