Mrs. Morin's class enjoyed running an "Accelerated Reader" (AR) Iditarod. We began this race when we returned from Christmas break. Students were divided into 4 teams with 5 students on each team. Each team chose a name. We were the Alaskan Baltos, the Running Mushers, the Huskies, and the Alaskan Racers. Each team chose a musher to watch during the Iditarod. We chose Jeff King, Dee Dee Jonrowe, Jerry Riley, and Doug Swingley.

Accelerated Reading is done throughout all grade levels in our school. As students read books, they earn AR points. Mrs. Morin made a trail on the bulletin board and used paw prints for each team. Each week, the points earned for that team were multiplied by 10 to come up with the number of miles run by that team during the week and the team's paw print was moved along the trail. Also, the student on each team who read the most for that week received the title of "Lead Musher".

The AR Iditarod would have a surprise ending whenever the real Iditarod ended, so students had to keep reading, never knowing quite when the race might suddenly end! Prizes were awarded for members of the lead team each week and at the end of our race. The student reading the most for the duration of the race received an official Iditarod t-shirt. Lead mushers for each team who received the most "lead musher" titles received a husky key chain. Leading teams each week enjoyed sodas, cookies, or caramel apple suckers.

We enjoyed both the real Iditarod and the reading Iditarod! By the time the AR Iditarod finished, the teams had each mushed between 1,000 and 1,200 miles! What an accomplishment!