"Make Sense of Problems & Persevere in Solving Them"

February 26 - March 2, Anchorage, Alaska

Here is a peek at my exciting week!

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Saturday, February 23:

I will travel to Charley's Sled Dog Kennel in Knik, Alaska to meet and greet Charley Bejna's sled dog team, learn a bit about how a sled dog kennel is run, and have some time for pre-Iditarod Q & A with Puckett's Mill Elementary's favorite musher.

Sunday, February 24, 2019:

It just so happens that I'll be in Anchorage while Alaska's largest winter festival, The Fur Rondy, will be taking place throughout the week. Events include a snow sculpture contest, snowshoe baseball game, outhouse races, a fat tire bicycle race, a 25 mile sled dog dash, and the "running of the reindeer". Only in Alaska!

Monday, February 25, 2019: 

Chuck, the boys, and I will be traveling to Willow, Alaska this morning for a dog mushing excursion with Snowhook Adventures! This is a bucket list item for me, and I am so EXCITED.  I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and videos. 

Pre Conference Social – Host: Education Sponsor, ExxonMobil, 7:00 PM.

• We’ll be stepping on the runners of the sled together at this meet & greet, and will share our goals for the week to come.  This will start us off on the week’s adventure! 

Tuesday,  February 26, 2019:  Get in the Sled with us!  Integrate the Last Great Race on Earth into Your Existing Curriculum.

• Speakers and sessions will provide attendees with examples of lessons and activities for classroom use with a focus on STEM and applicable to common core and content standards. A focus on authentic learning techniques, technology, and STEM instruction are key elements of this day. 

• Evening session will be a field trip to the Official Artist for the Iditarod, Jon Van Zyle’s home and gallery.  He and his wife, Jona, will introduce us to their kennel dogs and share a behind the scenes look at their life and their colorful – artistic history.

Wednesday, February 27, 2019:  Get on the Bus!  Site Based, Project Based, Experiential Learning

• This is our field trip day.  We will be visiting Iditarod Headquarters in the morning, enjoying a delicious lunch, and visiting a musher’s kennel (I think it's Matthew Failor) in the afternoon.  We’ll leave at 7:45 and return around 5:00 pm.

• At Iditarod Headquarters, attendees will observe the work day of the team of Iditarod veterinarians who are in the process of examining the dogs who will be racing.  Each dog must pass medical exams and be pronounced fit for the trail.  The veterinarians will be conducting physical exams, recording data, and visiting with mushers.  We’ll be stepping into a serious work environment to gain the opportunity to better understand the focus on dog care before, during, and after the race.  Attendees will be able to observe the examinations, photograph or video record for instructional purposes back in the classroom, and ask questions about the science behind the true athletes who run this race — the Iditarod sled dogs. 

• At Matthew Failor’s kennel, attendees will have the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at a working – racing dog kennel.   The culture of the life of a musher will easily be observed and better understood after this visit.  Not to mention, most likely attendees will get an opportunity to meet any puppies that are at the kennel.

Thursday,  February 28, 2019: Get on the Runners with Applicable Lessons, Projects, and Activities for Your Students

Speakers will include educators who are experts in using Iditarod as a classroom tool to deliver Iditarod based curriculum to students in k-12 classrooms. There will be break out sessions and general sessions with a focus on what we call: SLED:  STEM, Literacy, Experiential Learning, and Differentiated Instruction.

On Thursday afternoon I'll have the opportunity to enjoy a musher "meet and greet" before attending the annual pre-race Mushers Banquet. At the banquet mushers draw bib numbers for the upcoming race. It will be such an honor to see my students' beautiful centerpieces adorning the banquet tables. I'm so proud of their hard work! I will be sure to take lots of pictures!!

Friday,   March 1, 2019:  Theme:  Behind the Scenes of “The Last Great Race on Earth®”

Location:  Lakefront Anchorage, a Millennium Hotel

• This day is designed to deliver information on the race, Alaska, and the icons that have played an important role in 46 years of the Iditarod.  In addition, there will be 2 sessions for the conference attendees which will be small group break out sessions for collaboration, goal setting, and accountability of instruction.

Saturday, March 2, 2019: On this day I will attend the CEREMONIAL START of the 47th Iditarod sled dog race in downtown Anchorage. There will be lots of hustle and bustle happening on and around Fourth Avenue as mushers and their sled dog teams participate in this eleven mile adventure to kick off the Iditarod. I will be honored to be a part of Charley Bejna's dog handler team this year at the start and restart of the race. This will allow me to have a behind the scenes look at all that goes into preparing for and running this amazing race!! Be sure to look for our beautiful Puckett's Mill bandanas on Charley's athletes!

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Sunday, March 3, 2019: The teachers from the conference will board buses and head north to Willow, Alaska for the restart of the race. This is when the race competition really begins as mushers and dogs begin the almost 1,000 mile trek to Nome. Once again I will have an opportunity for a behind the scenes look at the race as on of Team Bejna's dog handlers. After all mushers have hit the trail, we will bus back to Anchorage. 

Monday, March 4, 2019: My flight home begins at 12:35 AM. I'll fly from Anchorage to Atlanta with a brief layover in Seattle. We should touch down at Hartsfield International around 2:00 PM. 

Tuesday, March 5, 2019: I will return to Puckett's Mill Elementary to follow the race and track my favorite mushers using the Iditarod GPS tracking system. I look forward to sharing about my Alaskan adventures with all of my students!

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Special bonus:  The 2019 Iditarod starts on March 2 in Anchorage and restarts on March 3 in Willow.  As an attendee of the teachers' conference, I have the opportunity to volunteer at the start and/or restart of the race! #dreamcometrue