Iditarod and Ikidarod

I feel like I was just typing this newsletter.  This week was almost non-existent!  The kids read “Woodsong” in our reading series this week and next week we will read “Iditarod Dream” from the Harcourt Series and continue to learn more about the Iditarod from several different texts.  We will be following the race online each morning which begins on March 7th.   I am thinking about having our Ikidarod on March 6—13 depending on time and snowdays.

We are going have a dog sled building challenge.  Level 1 will be designing and building a sled at home with a parent, and level 2 will be bringing the supplies to school and building one with classmates here during a couple of building sessions.  Students may do both, as I would like to have all kids involved here at school, but want to allow them to go crazy at home too!  I am  in need of a one dog, dog sled for my Alaskan Husky and would be interested in paying a team some cash if they would like to sell me there sled to use and keep as an example for the future!  Nothing quite like a little cold hard cash as a motivator!  I will send home the description sheet next week, but basically the sky is the limit at home.  For designing and building sleds here there will be more guide lines.  I will be looking for some battery powered drills and a few small hand saws to borrow for the building sessions.  This will be a new adventure for us here at school.  I will be bringing my dog “Baloo” (Alaskan Husky) from home to pull and test the home and class built sleds, and we will do a human dog sled event as well.  We had a ton of fun last year and I apologize in advance for your kids all wanting to have dogs at home now!