Mrs. DeBruine’s Sixth Grade Classes

I almost felt giddy when I read that Sebastian Schnuelle wandered in circles around a river near Rohn for roughly half an hour.  It wasn’t that I was lightheaded with the thought one of the leaders had lost his way; it was because I made a CONNECTION to Woodsong!  Okay, splendid sixth graders…who knows what I am talking about???   Let’s see if you are as awesome about answering that question as you were with my last one about the dog!   By the way, Zach was the first one to tell us the “athlete’s” name, and Tessa correctly completed the answer.  Colleen Robertia owns Penny.  Sami, you were SO close, just 2 minutes behind Tessa.

After you answer that question, please read on…there are so many exciting stories to share.  You would be the first to know (just like me) if you would sign up for the Anchorage Daily News emails!  For those who haven’t been checking that website, poor William Pinkham is having his share of problems!  His dog, Rincon, chewed through the towline, one of the lenses in his glasses fell out the first day, he has dropped four dogs ALREADY, he fears his face is frostbitten, and lastly, he can’t remember which day he left Nicolai because he’s only had three hours of sleep since Willow!  Who said this race was fun?!  And more connections…sleep deprivation!  Who can be the first to explain that connection to two things we have read???

Here is your next question, but you can’t answer it until someone arrives in Cripple. First musher to arrive there (the halfway point in the race!) receives $3,000.  When it happens, let me know the who and the when, and the first one of you to do so, gets the extra credit!  Keep up the good work!

By the way, check out some of the comments and read what I have to say about inspirational mushers in response to Cole’s comment.

Gee, haw, or is it hike?!

You are fantastic and I love reading your comments!  Great job Arthur; you were the first to find the answer to the question of the day.   I’m ecstatic that many of you are following your mushers at home!

Here is the next question for all of you…We have learned that most sled dogs are 40-50 pounds.  However, in this year’s race, there is a lean, mean mushing machine (sled dog) that weighs only 29 pounds!  Which rookie’s team is this part German shorthair pointer pacing?  You just might discover the answer on this link.

http://www.adn.com/iditarod/

We had a good try and Tanner was close, however there is a musher who beat Doug Swingley’s record-setting time to Nome. This musher broke the 9-day barrier, meaning he made the more than 1,000 mile trip in less than 9 days! Who was it and what was his record-setting time (days, hours, and minutes)?  Ten extra credit points to the winner!

You will love this user-friendly site for checking your musher’s current standing, last checkpoint visited, layovers, and winnings!

http://www.adn.com/2010/03/04/1168400/2010-iditarod-musher-leader-board.html

And if you don’t think the link below is the coolest, then I don’t know what it takes to impress you!  My favorite musher, Martin Buser, is racing along at 11mph and is near the front of the pack.  Linwood Fiedler is currently in first and a few of the mushers have passed the first checkpoint, Yentna Station!

http://www.ionearth.com/2010/iditarod/web/

The Last Great Race on Earth begins in less than 2 hours Central Time; are you ready?!  As of this moment, mushers are in Willow making last minute checks on their gear and dogs.  You can watch live streaming of the Official Restart of the race.   For all the latest on your musher and everything Iditarod, click on my favorite links below!

http://www.iditarod.com/

http://www.adn.com/iditarod/

Ready, set, hike!

The reigning champ, four former champs, and all but one of last year’s top 20!  They are among the field of 71 teams for this year’s Iditarod Race.   To top that off, race officials are rating this year’s group of first-timers as one of the best rookie classes to compete!  If you click on the link below you can see the photos of yesterday’s Ceremonial Start in downtown Anchorage.

http://www.adn.com/2010/03/06/1171086/2010-iditarod.html

Did you happen to check out the live webcam to view the action?   Oh, and by the way….5 extra credit points to the first five of you to comment on the pictures after you click on the link!

Soon, competitors will be testing their abilities in the Olympics which were first held in Greece.  You can test your abilities in terms of word smarts in this Olympic-themed online game.   Have fun and let me know what you think of it as well as how you did!

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/athens_games/gameGreekToMe.htm

Additions to our American League All-Stars Hall of Fame include Spencer and Rachael for December.   The most recent selections from our homeroom include Jessica and Crista.  We have a terrific group with many more who are deserving of this honor and will be recognized during this school year.  Keep up the good work!

Responsible behavior, positive attitude, respect toward others. Those are qualities that we consider when selecting our monthly All-Stars.  Your American League teachers unanimously agree that Austin and Morgan consistently display responsibility by having assignments completed on time and materials with them each day.  In addition, they show their respect for all classmates and teachers.  And last, but not least, you will always see them bearing a smile as they enter the classrooms of GMS.  Our homeroom is outstanding this year, so stay posted for our future picks! For now, let’s offer our congratulations to Austin and Morgan!

Have you ever heard of a game called Exquisite Corpse? Bet you’ll be surprised when you read how it’s played!  It is an old game in which people write a phrase on a sheet of paper, fold it over to conceal part of it, and pass it on to the next player to do the same. The game ends when someone finishes the story, which is then read aloud.  Today, a modern version is being played by thirteen popular authors who are sharing the story online and having a blast!   Here’s how it works… Jon Szieska (author of Stinky Cheese Man and Time Warp Trio Series) wrote the first chapter which starts with a “train rushing through the night,” a ticking clock attached to a bundle of dynamite, and includes twins, clowns, ninjas and a roller-skating baby!  The story has been passed on to Bridge of Terabithia author Katherine Paterson who will add her chapter to the website on October 9.  Every two weeks a new chapter will be written by a different author and as Szieska said, “The story just keeps getting weirder and weirder.”

If you want to be a part of this, go ahead and just start reading!  Every two weeks, there will be a new episode and a new illustration. The story will conclude a year from now and no one knows where or how it will end!   Check it out at this link and let us know what you think!

http://www.read.gov/exquisite-corpse/Book/#page/2/mode/2up