DeeDee Jonrowe;

We are the 6B class from Strathcona-Tweedswmuir School. As a class, we voted to throw our support behind you in the 2002 Iditarod race. We chose you because we admired your history in the race and knew that you had experience and strategies that would put you in a winning position. We admired that you are so determined, strive for goals set high, that you raise your own dogs and that you respect them as the athletes that help you to achieve your goal of winning. Each table group chose a musher but as a class, we closely followed your progress, struggles and accomplishments, from the start to the finish of the Iditarod 2002. We were also involved in the many activities that were posed to us, as well as investigated our own questions about how decision-making affects outcomes, others and ourselves.

In order to follow the mushers as they ran the race, our class created a map that clearly illustrated the challenges and dangers of the northern trail. The map also showed all 26 of the checkpoints. We used the skill of drawing to scale, learned previously in math and art, to make a map to the scale of 7.5cm/80 kilometers. The class coloured the map and some of us drew pictures, or made rip art, to show the harsh winter of Alaska. It took the class about a week to complete the map but it looks great in the hallway, for all to see.

Every morning, as soon as we arrived at school, we checked the daily standings of the Iditarod mushers on the Cabela's Iditarod web site. As soon as we knew the standings, we would move the markers, with the musher's picture on it, to the appropriate position on our map. Then, we would go back on our computers and read the news articles and watch the live cams. Also, as part of our daily routine, we would take turns e-mailing the different mushers at different checkpoints. We hope you enjoyed the emails of encouragement that we sent to you, DeeDee. We also sent digital pictures reflecting our activities and projects to the web page of surfaquarium.com. We hope you enjoy looking at them, too!

We talked about the Iditarod a lot and even incorporated the theme of the Iditarod into grade six math challenges. We call it "musher math"! Musher math included problem solving, calculating your speed and total travel time. One problem we solved was: "A musher must walk behind her sled through the Farewell Burn to help her dogs. The distance to the next checkpoint is 120 miles. If the musher walked 60 percent of the way, how many miles did she walk?" Through the Iditarod we used and learned many different math techniques.

To experience and learn about the struggles of northern temperature, we did an exercise called, "The Northern Experience." During this exercise we went outside in minus twenty degree celsius temperatures! Before we went outside we had no idea what we were going to do. Our teachers told us to make a decision whether we wanted to bring mitts, toques or scarves. Many of us didn't bother to take these items. We were outside for twenty minutes, answering questions like "What items would you want if you had to stay out here for a week?" or "What characteristics do you possess that would help your survival in the north?" Many of us were frozen solid. When we came back inside from the chilly outdoor weather, we discussed what we would have brought and other things we learned about ourselves, and the effects of our decision-making. We realized how extremely important it is to be prepared, for the weather or other hazards of the trail. We felt that we could empathize with some of your struggles with the cold weather during the race!

We all understand that Iditarod mushers have to overcome many hazards such as moose, bears, tree stumps, shifting ice, harsh weather conditions, and many more perils. With these conditions have you ever discovered a checkpoint that will help take care of you and your dogs the best? We came to realize that these hazards force mushers to make good, or poor, decisions on the trail. The decisions may affect the musher, her dogs and even other mushers in lots of ways. What are the most difficult parts, and easiest parts, of the Iditarod? We learned that some parts of the trail are hard on your dogs and you must rest them, so you might have to go slower. We know that the Iditarod Race has a northern and southern route. Do you, personally, find one harder than the other?

We read from your book and enjoyed it because it was informative. We learned about some of the things that go on behind the Iditarod Race. It was very well written, DeeDee! Iditarod Dreams also gave us a better idea about what is required of the mushers and what decisions the mushers have to struggle with. We learned that strategy is very important in successfully finishing an Iditarod race. On the day the mushers started to come across the finish line, we watched the live cam during class and saw you finish!! Congratulations, DeeDee!

During the Iditarod unit we researched topics and orally presented our projects. We learned about the trail, the hazards of the trail, volunteers who help out, strategies, and more. We learned a lot about the dogs, including how much they eat, what breeds are used, some training strategies and more. In one project we learned about the different types of dog breeds used in the race. We were surprised to learn that some mushers use border collies as part of their dog team. Another group made a paper-maché dog, called Info-pup. This dog had flaps on its body explaining how a dog's body works, some physical adaptations they have to be successful in the l000 mile race, and other interesting facts. We learned that dogs use booties on the trail to protect their paws. The last project relating to dogs was about a vet's job at each checkpoint. We learned about what vets look for, as far as injuries go. We had a dog visit the class and were shown the proper ways to look after a dog. These final Iditarod projects were very educational and helped us gain more knowledge about dogs, hazards of the trail, musher strategies, and more.

As a class, we even held a mini Iditarod. Each team consisted of a musher and three other people pulling the sled, referred to as "dogs". The people rotated every ten minutes to ensure that no one got too tired, or never got to be the musher and ride on the sled. The race covered approximately two miles and was about two hours long. There were six checkpoints and hidden in a forested part of the trail were small bottles of serum. Each team needed to find one bottle of serum to "save the children of Nome". At the first checkpoint of the race each team had to make a five-minute layover, this helped link our race to the actual Iditarod. After the race we held an awards ceremony with cookies and hot chocolate. Awards were presented to teams for things such as sportsmanship, the first three finishing places, the first team to make it to "Ruby" and for the most dramatic finish. The winning team got an actual trophy. All in all, the race was very fun and a great experience for everyone involved.

We learned a great deal but also had fun on our mini Iditarod. The students who planned our race included special effects like the serum we had to find, different checkpoints to register at, and realistic effects like layovers and "chance" cards that introduced 'real life' scenarios, such as a hurt dog, or weather conditions! It was hard work going up hills, like "White Mountain" but coming down the gorge was awesome. We learned that being a "dog" in the Iditarod is tough work! We had to try to avoid deep snow, collisions and going up big hills if we didn't have to, in order to conserve our energy. We can see that there is a lot of training involved because we are not as fit as real Iditarod dogs. If we had four legs then our mini Iditarod would have been a lot easier. When you are a dog you have to make a lot of important decisions. If you choose not to obey your musher then your whole team could get into trouble. When you are a musher, you have to make important decisions, too. If you choose to steer your dogs onto a hazardous trail you may injure your dog or get lost. Being a musher in our mini Iditarod race took less energy than you spent, but it was a blast!

Near the end of our Iditarod unit a veterinarian, by the name of Dr. Warren Webber, came to visit us at school. He talked about his experiences in the Yukon Quest, a dog sled race we also became familiar with in this unit. He explained to us why he liked looking after the dogs, and told us the most rewarding part of being a vet in the race was seeing the dogs come in-very tired yet truly happy. Have you ever participated in the Yukon Quest? We found Dr. Webber's presentation to be very educational, and interesting.

DeeDee, the 6B class is very proud of you. We learned so much while tracking your progress and success in the 2002 Iditarod. We learned about perseverance, the importance of striving for goals set high, how our decisions contribute to who we are, and how they may affect others. We still have our map up; projects are still on display, pictures of you and other mushers are posted, too. Although the race is finished, the excitement still lingers in our hearts and in our class. We hope to see you again next year, DeeDee. Know that we will be with you in spirit, cheering you and your wonderful team of devoted dogs on.

Sincerely, Mrs. Duncan-Moore's 6B class at Strathcona-Tweedsmuir