Twin Day: Last Day

This student was MY twin!  The students looked GREAT dressed in pairs for their reward of filling the "straw basket"!  Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to take all their photos.  We even had a group of quadruplets!

We welcome summer and swimming and vacation and no homework and sunny, longer days and NO SCHOOL!  

But we will miss our friends and our teachers and learning and challenging our brains.  

Then we will return, in the fall, happy to see one another again and to start fresh, energized and ready for a new year of challenges.

Summer is a beautiful thing. . . . Enjoy!

Mr. Brambley and the Iditarod Race

Today we had several special guests visiting Shalom: Mr. Herb Brambley, along with his wife, and their sled dogs, Scout and Dexter!  

 Mr. Brambley had so much to teach us!  He is a teacher at Southern Fulton Elementary School and lives in Breezewood, PA.  He was the Target Iditarod Teacher on the Trail in 2010, during this time he traveled the entire length of the Iditarod Trail from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska!  

 

 Mr. Brambley brought in his dogsled, gear, sledding boots, and gloves to share with the children.  The preparation needed to survive in such harsh Alaskan winter conditions is unlike anything we experience here in Franklin County. 

 Here Dexter is putting on his "boots" for the snow and ice.  Students learned how important it is for a musher to take proper care of his/her sled dogs' feet.

 In this picture, Dexter is attempting to demonstrate how he pulls the sled.  However, the All-purpose floors were a little slippery and didn't have much traction.

 The sled is made of Ash and very light weight.  Mushing and sled racing is all about speed.

 Mr. Brambley is teaching us the names of the ropes and guides used to pull the sled.

 The sled has two brakes.  Can you find them?  It also has an "anchor"!  It is there, too.  Do you see it?

 The picture above is a musher's campfire and stove.

 Another look at Dexter pulling the sled.  He was a very well trained rescue dog!  The children loved to pet him as he walked through the aisles during the presentation.

 LOTS of questions!!

Thank you, Mr. Brambley!  

We had a wonderful time. . . . and we will never read The Bravest Dog Ever, The True Story of Balto in the same way.

To visit Mr. Brambley's website click here.
To order Mr. Brambley's book Cotton's Tale click here.

FIELD DAY!

Beautiful Weather + Sunscreen + 12 Squirmy children + Loads of Games and Activities = A GREAT Field Day!

 The 5th grade "glowbugs" in the distance.

 Lots of water and water bottles are needed. . . Thank you volunteer parents for carrying our much needed supply.

 The Junior class always runs the games.  These two were our super heroes for "field games."

 Thank you Lovely Ladies!

 Playing FREEZE tag.

 Someone was hiding behind the teacher.  But he/she wouldn't allow for pictures, as you can see.

 Preparing for Krazy Kickball, after eating our delicious lunch hot lunch.

 Our Krazy Kickball leaders!  I remember once upon a time having one as a 2nd grader.  Time flies!

 Famous "Wagon" rides pulled with the Gator.

 Playground fun.  Boys are NOT allowed. . . I think.

 Those were some very impressive monkey bars abilities!

Another successful Field Day for the record books!