This page was last edited on 1/5/00
Please e-mail me if you would like a list of the mileage for Owney's journey.
8/25/98 Owney was mailed to Delaware. He's finally on his way!
8/26/98 A false start. Owney was returned. Because of the bombing, all postage over a certain weight that has stamps must be presented to a clerk at the post office.
8/27/98 Owney was hand delivered to the post office.
1. Delaware should mail by: September 4, 1998
Owney was sent onto the next stop. I took a picture of Owney so
that my class could see what he looked like. If I had kept him until
the children had come to school Owney would have been seriously off
schedule. I'll be sending you some items from the first state. The
children are excited about this.
Janet Laws - Delaware
2. Pennsylvania should mail by: September 8, 1998
"9/12/98 When I woke up today, I found that I had arrived in a new state--PA.
The mailman delivered me to Mrs. Samo's house on Saturday, so I got to visit
with her family, friends, and her pets. Bunnie, the dog, was great fun to play
with; she even shared her milkbones! The two cats, Caesar and Cleopatra,
meowed at me, so I stayed away from them.
On Monday morning, Mrs. Samo took me to St. Clement School, where I met 13
fourth graders who were so happy to see me! They had a welcome party for me
with special PA treats: pretzels from PA Dutch Lancaster County, maple sugar
cookies from Somerset County, and fresh apple cider from Bedford County. I was
hoping to get a Hershey Kiss from Hershey, PA, but Mrs. Samo said chocolate
isn't good for dogs. I liked that crunchy pretzel though!
I learned all about the symbols of PA and two famous Pennsylvanians, Benjamin
Franklin and James Buchanan. I learned that Johnstown, my host city, is famous
for two things. It has the world's steepest inclined plane and it was the site
of three great floods, the worst of which occurred in 1889. It killed 2,200
people. Johnstown was rebuilt, though, and now it is called "The Friendly
City." Now that I have been there, I can tell you that is certainly true.
Mrs. Samo put me back on the road on Monday, Sept. 14th., 1998. I can't wait to
see where I will wake up next."
3. New Jersey should mail by: September 14 1998
New Jersey is the home of the Pinelands which has the largest aquifer in the US. New Jersey offers diverse opportunities to hike in the mountains, swim in at the seashore, watch concerts or sports at the Meadowlands, gamble in Atlantic City, live in the country, or experience a big City.
4. Georgia should mail by: September 18 1998
9/28/98 Whew! I finally arrived at West Side Elementary in Rossville, Georgia. I never knew it was so far from New Jersey to Georgia until I traveled in a box.
It was even hard to way my tail in that box. I'm so glad to be out!
I arrived on September 24, 1998, and was left on the counter in the school
office. I waited and waited for someone to help me. I started to wonder if I
would be found. I was rescued by Mrs. Connolly who must have heard the barks
coming from the box. I was as excited to see her as she was to see me.
It was the end of the day and Mrs. Connolly only had one more class but
luckily it was one of the classes who had been anxiously awaiting my arrival.
The fourth grade Title 1 students couldn't believe that I had finally arrived.
They, along with the fifth grade Title 1 reading class had been doing research
on Georgia, typing the facts in the computer lab, and gluing the facts and
addresses on the postcards. They had really been busy getting the postcards
ready to send to the other states.
Mrs. Connolly works with Mrs. Chambers in the Title 1 computer lab. The
students that come to their class only stay for 30 minutes but they get to
work on the computers every day. Lucky students!
Friday, September 25, was an inservice day for West Side Elem., so I was able
to rest over the weekend from my long trip. I was told to rest well because
they had planned a celebration in my honor on Monday.
Monday arrived and I was refreshed and so excited about the celebration in my
honor. I was taken out into the hall where there were balloons, decorations,
and FOOD. Boy, was I hungry. During the party, I was photographed and video
taped. I learned that West Side has it's own morning TV show and I was to be
a TV star. On the video tape the students explained to the other students in
the school what my trip was all about. I felt like a king! Finally, I was
able to eat the yummy food and I learned that Georgia is known for it's
peanuts, peaches, and Coca Cola. Guess what? That's just what we had to eat
at the party!
I even learned that the people in Georgia say different words than the people
in some other states. I heard words like "Y'all." I guess that just means
that we're all the same in some ways but different in others. I have learned
much traveling to the different states. I guess I'll be the smartest dog
around by the time I reach the White House! I think I'll be much smarter than
Buddy, the President's dog, because I will have traveled much farther than
him.
The students at West Side made me feel so loved and welcomed. I will be
sorry to leave so soon but I know the students in the next school are
wondering when I'll arrive there. Thanks Mrs. Connolly, Mrs. Chambers and the
students at West Side Elementary for making me feel so welcome.
5. Connecticut should mail by: September 28, 1998
Hello everyone from Connecticut!
I arrived safely on October 2nd at Mrs. Mc Kuslick's class of third graders.
I was a little late - I must have been stuck in traffic on the Garden State
Parkway:) But now I'm here in Willimantic and I'm very happy to be off the
road for a while. Wow! What a great bunch of children. They were very
excited to see my box, and they could hardly wait to open it.
The children loved the way the states were colored in. They passed the box
around so they could feel how heavy I was. They also made predictions of
what I would look like. Some thought I would be black. Some thought I
would be yellow. Then they opened me!!!! They thought my mail sack was
cool. We were surprised to see that Owney was a Huskey dog. Here in CT
they love Huskies because they are the mascot of the University of
Connecticut basketball team. They passed me around and felt how soft I was.
One of the girls made me a comfortable bed with my mail bag. Then the
boys and girls brought in some company for me so I would not be lonely
during the long nights.
They couldn't wait to show me to the whole school so on Thursday at our
whole school weekly opening the class put on a presentation. They told
everyone about my special Internet project, they told everyone where I was
going and they said "Good Luck Owney". Then before they put me back into my
box, the class, the teachers, the principal, and some parents went outside
to take a picture of me.
They were very sad to see me go but they will keep checking the Internet
to find out how I am doing.
Mrs. McKusick's Grade 3 Class -
Willimantic, CT
6. Massachusetts should mail by: October 2, 1998
10/13/98 Owney arrived safely in Massachusetts today. The third graders were so
excited. He is so handsome- big blue eyes and a beautiful gray and white coat.
He had a short journey from Conn. to Mass. but he was still tired and slept
all through math class. We decided he thinks math is boring. He really perked up when I read the class his book, Owney the Traveling Dog. We took him out to recess and Owney enjoyed the fresh air.
I just baked a Boston Cream Pie for our celebration tomorrow before we send Owney on his way. He didn't like the sound of clam chowder or lobster or Boston baked beans. He wishes he had time to see some of the sights around Boston like the Cape Cod National Seashore and Plimoth Plantation and the Mayflower II and the Witch House in Salem. We're telling him about all these things and he finds them very interesting. We'll be sad to see him go. One naughty third grader (I won't mention any names) said why don't we just keep him! But, he'll be on his way to Maryland on Oct.14.
Ellen Fennell
7. Maryland should mail by: October 6, 1998
10/14/98 Finally, I made it to Maryland! The boys and girls were very anxious
to see me and pet me. Miss Berman was so excited, she kept me with her
all day. I didn't get fed too well in Maryland because Miss Berman
thought I had been eating too much. She also thought it would be
difficult to serve steamed crabs in her classroom. While I was with
Miss Berman's third graders, they told me all about Maryland and
Baltimore which is the city they live in. They were a little bit
disappointed that the Orioles didn't do better this year, but they are
looking forward to watching the Ravens. They were so good to me and I
really wish I could stay but Miss Berman told me they would always
remember me but they have to send me on.
8. South Carolina should mail by: October 12, 1998
9. New Hampshire should mail by: October 16, 1998
10/29/98 Owney arrived in Derry, New Hampshire just in time to watch the launch of the shuttle Discovery. How fitting that he should be in "Spacetown" USA on the day of a launch. Derry, NH is the hometown of Alan B. Shepard, the first American in space. Owney spent some time running in the fields at the Robert Frost Farm and he saw the "West Running Brook" and the stone walls that Robert Frost wrote about in his poetry. On Friday he marched in our Halloween
Parade. This morning he is going to the Post Office at 7A.M. for his trip to
Virginia.
Susan Fessler
South Range School
Derry, NH 03038
10. Virginia should mail by: October 20, 1998
11/3/98 Dear Friends,
Owney arrived late yesterday afternoon in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He
is enjoying a rainy day today with my Transition class. The students
mailed the post cards this morning and Owney will be boxed up this
afternoon and put in the mail today so he can be on his way to New
York! What a great dog he is. To those of you who have not received
him yet....know that you are really in for a treat. It was lots of
fun. To those of you who will get him close to the end of the school
year....know that will be even better because there are fun things
people have put on Owney and his travel journal is quite clever. I would
love to see him then! Bev, thanks for all you did to put this project
together. It was really worth waiting for.
Many Thanks, Carole
11. New York should mail by: October 26, 1998
12. North Carolina should mail by: October 30, 1998
11/30/98 Owney had a wonderful time in North Carolina. We all held him carefully and read him letters we wrote telling him about our school. Owney decided nachos were not his choice for lunch so Hillary shared from her lunch box. He enjoyed the marvelous 75 degree weather out on our new playground with each of the children carrying him around introducing him to other third graders and teachers. Owney spent the night at Mrs. Shultz's home lounging on the couch
with her mini dachsund Penny. They had fun playing together and sharing
dinner! Tuesday Owney returned to Sardis School to visit students who were
absent the day before and Mrs. Sweat our Asssistan Teacher who was also sick.
I hope Owney doesn't catch our colds! Bearing gifts from our state, Owney
anxiously made the trip to the post office to continue his journey to all of
you. I had been so protective of him for two days that I was nervous about
leaving him at the post office! The ladies there enjoyed meeting Owney too.
Owney's box shows how far he has come so far- lots of tape and stickers!
The third grade students at Sardis Elementary in Monroe, North Carolina hope
you enjoy Owney as much as we did!
Amy Shultz
13. Rhode Island should mail by: November 3, 1998
12/4/98 Owney is alive and well! He arrived in Rhode Island this afternoon. The fourth graders were thrilled. They each got a chance to pet him
and then we quickly wrote our note to the President and packed him up again!!
As much as we would love to have held onto him, we wanted to be fair!!
Hopefully, he will arrive in Vermont the beginning of next week.
The postcards and letters that we wrote were done at a pre-Owney party!!
We had waited so long that we decided to hold the party as a "pep rally" in
anticipation. The kids brought in their favorite stuffed animals to "meet"
Owney. We munched on local favorites - clamcakes (fried dough with chopped up
clams), clam chowder (a hot soup made with either milk, tomatoes or broth and
chopped up clams), coffee milk, and Hoodsie ice creams (small cups of
chocolate and vanilla). While most of the kids enjoyed the treats, it was
agreed that Owney probably would not have liked the clams - after all, that's
really cat food!!
After we finished eating, each child told about the adventures of their
animal. They pointed to the class map and told us where they had taken their
pet and some of their favorite memories. We had a stand in for Owney - Furby!!
Thank you, Bev, for the project and thank you fellow teachers - we have
enjoyed all of your postcards which are on permanent display on our back
board.
Happy holidays!
Marlene Greene
14. Vermont should mail by: November 9, 1998
12/9/98 Owney visited us in Vermont on December 8 and 9. We enjoyed
showing him our fresh white snow. He liked the playground and the slide.
He had maple syrup. We did not write a letter to the president. With all
the discussion of impeachment my students did not want anything to do with
the president so I dropped the idea.
Owney was great! I hope everyone received the postcards.
Owney's Vermont Friends
15. Kentucky should mail by: November 13, 1998
12/14/98 We just received Owney here in Kentucky. The kids have not seen him
yet but we will really enjoy him tomorrow morning. We will walk him to our
post office as soon as we can tomorrow morning. I noticed that we were
supposed to have gotten him and mailed him off by Nov. 13th so we are really behind schedule. We will not be greedy with him either and will have him on his
way as early as we can in the morning! We are so excited!
The postcards should also arrive shortly after the holidays. Be on the watch,
Tennessee - It's coming soon!
Sally Patterson
Kentucky
16. Tennessee should mail by: November 17, 1998
12/17/98 Holiday Greetings from Tennessee! Owney arrived today after our Christmas party. We are on break until Jan. 4. I plan to have a day of activities with Owney and will send him to Ohio that afternoon. I hope this will not slow him down too much.
Becky
17. Ohio should mail by: November 23, 1998
1/8/99 Wow I finally made it to Robinson Academy in Akron Ohio. It is really cold here. The kids had just finished Christmas Break and they started the week
off with 3 0! They had freezing rain, windchills below -10, and
several inches of snow. I was so glad when Mrs. Swan 0 opened my
box. So were the kids. They enjoyed looking at all the wonderful mementos
that the other classes had included in by mailbag and those that have been
added to my harness. After meeting all of them, a few students took to
meet Mr. Marshall their principal and the rest of the 0. They
added a pin, a keychain and a button. One of the students followed us as a
photographer. We then visited the other 20 classes. All of the kids were
glad to meet me and many wanted their picture to be taken with me. I am
told they are working on a school web page and they promise to have a page
all about my visit. They made a newsletter and included some of the
pictures. A copy of it was put in the mail bag.
The roads were bad when Mrs. Swan went home so she took me with
her. But in the morning the roads were worse, but I had to be on my way,
so she and her daughter dug out the car from the 4 more inches of snow. I
was told that they hadn't seen any large amounts of snow in over 2 years.
It sure is beautiful! But I can't wait to get to 1 and warm up! I
hope my postoffice friends help me speed on my way. I am looking forward
to meeting my friends I haven't met.
Your friend,
Owney
18. Louisiana should mail by: November 30, 1998
1/12/99 Owney had a wonderful day in Louisiana. The weather was a warm
65 degees. All the students brought their own favorite stuffed animals
to help greet Owney. He visited the office, the secretaries, the
cafeteria, the bathrooms, the playground, and attended art class too. We
had a party for him. We had KING cake which is a treat at Mardis Gras
time here in New Orleans. We are only 10 minutes away from the carnival
routes. We also celebrated Evan's birthday, so she said she will always
remember her 8th birthday because of Owney. Thank you so much for
allowing us to be part of Owney's travels. We can't wait to receive all
the other postcards. We had written our postcards and letters since
Thanksgiving so we had to add one cent more to our envelopes.
Lorraine from Louisiana
Click here
,
here,
or
here to see pictures of her class. Use the "Back" button to return here.
19. Indiana should mail by: December 4, 1998
January 19,1999 Owney really arrived in Indiana during interesting weather!!! We have missed 10 school days due to over 20 inches of snow and 2-3 inches of
ice/freezing rain/sleet since Jan.2nd.Then Sunday night we had thunder
and lightning during a rain storm.
Today was our first day back from Christmas break. But Owney arrived
here Thursday. Mrs. Newton took extra good care of him and showed him
the huge piles of snow in the parking lots. Owney thought they would be
fun to climb unitl he realized all of the ice on top of the snow made
them like giant popsicles.
We were all excited to be back to school, but especially excited Owney
was here. The class showed Owney lots of "Hoosier Hospitality." They
popped popcorn for the entire school and Owney visited many classes as
the popcorn was delivered. Did you know that Indiana is a major producer
of popcorn for the U.S.? Owney went to gym class and learned how to
square dance. He went to the library and heard a story about Dr. Martin
Luther King's birthday. We showed Owney how to play basketball and
counted baskets by 2's. We also had our own version of the Indy 500 car
race. Students designed car ramps, measured distances, and raced Hot
Wheel cars. Nathan was our winner and carried Owney proudly back to
class.
A newspaper reporter came and spent some time with us and took a
picture of Owney for our newspaper. It reminded us of the story of the
real Owney and how newspaper reporters told other people about him.
By the end of the day Owney was pretty tired. Mrs. Newton carefully
tucked Owney back in his box and quickly took him to the post office so
he could visit another class and learn more about our 50 states.
20. Mississippi should mail by: December 8, 1998
1/21/99 Boy, am I glad to get to some warmer weather (75 degrees)! I arrived in Mississippi late Thursday afternoon, Jan. 21. Mrs. Carolynn couldn't wait
until she could get to the classroom to open my box. She opened it up in
the office. Everyone was so excited to see me. Mrs. Welsh and Mrs.
Holston, the principals of Pearl River Central Elem. gave me a pin to wear
on my journey. It says, You are a star! I really feel like a star.
Well, anyway, I left the office and went to Mrs. Carolynn's class. The
kids were so excited! They just loved on me and loved on me. The class
next door has been doing reports on the United States, so we went over to
meet them. That was fun. The teacher, Mrs.Polk, played us a tune on her
violin. I just love traveling!
Thursday afternoon I visited several other classes and then the real fun
was on Friday when they had a party in my honor. We had King Cake. This
is a Mardi Gras tradition. I knew all about that because I had some King
Cake in Louisiana. Did you know that they hide a little plastic baby in the
cake? It is so much fun to see who will get the baby. Check out the King Cakes.
I really wanted to go down to the Gulf Coast and see the beach, but there
just wasn't enough time, so they put me in the box again Friday afternoon
and sent me on my way again. I should be in Illinois early next week. I
am braced for the cold weather again. I am kind of glad Bev worked it out
so I could go North and then South; I kind of get a chance to thaw out
some! Ha! Ha!
Owney, World Traveler
21. Illinois should mail by: December 14, 1998
2/2/99 Owney arrived in Illinois over the weekend. We were out of school on Monday for institute day. We were so excited to finally see him. Owney watched us take our state test called IGAP. The fourth grade in Illinois is tested in Social Studies and Science. Owney confided in the teacher that he was glad that he didn't have to take any tests. During the afternoon, we learned about some of the mammals that live in our area. We watched a movie and played mammal bingo. We studied the flying squirrel, coyote, mole, fox, raccoon,and the badger. One of our parents (she works in our school library) made an Abraham Lincoln costume for Owney to wear on his journey. We thought that Abraham Lincoln would be perfect for him since our school is Lincoln
Elementary in the "Land of Lincoln" and Lincoln's birthday is coming up soon.
He now has a stove top hat and a black yarn beard. Mrs. Hathaway took some
pictures that will be developed shortly and hopefully they can be added to the
website so all the other schools can see him dressed up. We hope to get our
postcards out soon. Thanks for all the interesting things everyone put in the
box with Owney. We added a bulldog pin (Lincoln Bulldogs) and a pencil. Good
luck on your trip to Alabama Owney. He should arrive by Monday.
The fourth grade at Lincoln Elementary
East Hazel Crest, IL
22. Alabama should mail by: December 18, 1999
23. Maine should mail by: January 5, 1999
February 10, 1999 Bowdoin, Maine I arrived at about 10:30 this morning from Alabama. I made the trip overnight. I am enjoying my short time with Bowdoin Central’s 5th grade. There are 42 students in fifth grade here. The class studied about me and all the 50 states last September.
I had lunch with the teachers (I ate dog biscuits), and then I went
outside for recess to visit 5th and 6th graders. I saw lots of trees,
mostly pine and birch. It was sunny and windy. It was warmer than usual
for Maine in February...probably in the high 30s. There was lots of snowy
ice on the field. I saw kids playing soccer, football, tag, and
basketball.
Bowdoin Central School is really small. It was made for 100 kids and it
has 325 kids in grades K-6, so you can know that it’s really crowded. The
fifth grade classroom is in the regular building, but lots of other grades
are in modular classrooms.
I had a lobster pin that says “Maine” on it added to my harness. I liked
it. The class liked me in my Abraham Lincoln outfit.
The class is looking forward to Valentine’s Day and February vacation.
One of our teachers, Mrs. Granger, is going to have a baby in two days.
I really enjoyed my trip to Maine. Here are some facts about Maine: the
state tree is the pine tree, the chickadee is the state bird, our Governor
is Angus King, and the state house in Augusta. The whole fifth grade
visited the Capitol Building in November. I’m looking forward to my time
in Missouri.
24. Missouri should mail by: January 11, 1999
2/16/99 Owney has just completed his visit in Missouri!
Mrs. Hicks's 2nd grade class in Cape Girardeau, Missouri has enjoyed
Owney's visit. Owney surprised us when he arrived here at noon on Tuesday,
so Owney enjoyed the afternoon with us as we worked as scientists ot
investigate different kinds of soils. He also learned about wants and
needs in our social studies class and he enjoyed the many stories we were
reading during DEAR Time. Owney spent the night at school, but he wasn't
alone. Owney met a new friend, Lucky, a stuffed dalmatian that joined our
class on the 101st day of school. We're sure that they stayed up late
talking about Mrs. Hicks's class and Owney's travels.
On Wednesday morning, we officially welcomed Owney to Missouri with our
Owney Party. We had heart-shaped cookies because Missouri is in the
heartland of the United States, and because we go to May Greene School, the
school with a heart. Owney loved his cookie, which he generously shared
with Lucky. We read Owney's story again as we have many new students who
had never heard the story. We introduced Owney to our principal, Dr.
Barbara Kohlfeld, then in pairs, we took Owney around the school to
introduce him to all the students at May Greene. At the end of the day, we
sang a good-bye song to Owney. It was a great day with Owney! Now he's
off to Arkansas first thing in the morning. We'll be sending our postcards
very soon.
Mrs. Hicks's 2nd Grade Class
May Greene Elementary School
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
25. Arkansas should mail by: January 15, 1999
26. Michigan should mail by: January 19 1999
2/26/99 Owney arrived in Michigan today!! My Kindergarteners were so excited
they could hardly contain themselves! They were finishing up an
assembly with a man dressed as Abe Lincoln when he arrived, so they were
thrilled when we opened the box and saw him dressed like Abe! I will
keep him over the weekend to show my Monday class. The whole class is
walking him over to the post office at lunch time. I can't even put
into words the excitement that has filled the school with his arrival.
Our journal entry will come soon and postcards will be go out with him
on Monday. Thank you Bev for a truly amazing experience!
Angela Andrikides
Dolsen Elementary School
South Lyon, Michigan
Michigan Facts
Capital: Lansing
Population: 9,496,000
Governor: John Engler (R, to January 2003)
Counties: 83
Entered the Union: January 26, 1837
Statehood: 26th state to earn statehood
Nickname: The Wolverine State
State Flower: Apple Blossom
State Bird: Robin
State Tree: White Pine
State Fish: Brook Trout
State Stone: Petoskey Stone
State Song: "Michigan My Michigan"
Origin of Name: From Indian word "Michigan" meaning "great or large lake"
The Mackinac Bride is sometimes called a wonder of the world. It is FIVE miles long and links Michigan’s lower peninsula to it’s upper peninsula.
Henry Ford built the first Model-T here in 1908.
Greenfiled Village and the Henry Ford Museum are in Dearborn Michigan.
Apples are big industry in Michigan.
Michigan leads the nation in production of red tart cherries, dry edible beans, cucumbers for pickling, and eastern white winter wheat.
Maple syrup: Michigan ranks 7th in maple syrup production, producing on average 80,000 gallons per year. (behind Vermont, New York, Maine, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, and Ohio)
Freshwater coastland: Michigan has more than any other state! 3,000 miles and 11,000 inland lakes.
Lake Superior is the second largest inland lake in the world.
Christmas Trees: Michigan lead in growing plantation Christmas Trees.
27. Florida should mail by: January 25, 1999
Owney arrived at Buck Lake Elementary School March 3, 1999 at 1:00 in the afternoon. Everyone was really excited and we could see that Owney's tail was really wagging. He must have been excited too. Everyone wanted to hold and talk to Owney and so he visited with each individual child. Then we took him around to visit all the other classrooms before the bell rang dismissing school.
Owney went home with Mrs. Hoffman for the evening and she took him to visit her grandchildren. We ate dinner together and visited for a long while. Owney became very tired, so Mrs. Hoffman took him home and put him to bed. He ate a big breakfast the next morning and returned to school. He wants a chance to get to visit with more friends.
28. Texas should mail by: January 29, 1999
Tuesday, March 9, 1999
Dear Friends,
Owney visited us today at .The Rice School/La Escuela Rice
in Houson Texas. We took him around school to see students in many classes. Most of the 1250 kids in our school had heard about him when they went to Ms. Smith’s computer classes. We visited his websites and planned on what we wanted to say on our postcards. We have sure enjoyed reading about his travels to other schools! All our K-8 students are studying two languages, and everyone has Compaq computers in their classroom. Our
school is only 4 ½ yrs. old.
Ms. Smith took Owney and her own dog to see one of the seven bayous
that run through the city. He got to see the skyscrapers at sunset -
very beautiful! Houston is the 4th largest city in our country.
While he was in town, Owney saw the Astrodome. He was amazed how large
it is! Houston also has the Johnson Space Center, known locally as NASA.
You can see rockets, spacesuits, capsules, and experiments there, and
even touch a piece of moon rock! We have many great museums, a big zoo,
a symphony orchestra, lots of theaters, a ballet company. People from
over 91 countries are living in our city, and it is easy to find
restaurants and stores that sell things from all over the world.
Owney tasted two regional specialty foods - BBQ and chicken fried
steak! He thought it interesting that people drink iced tea all year
round here!
It was pretty warm while Owney visited. The sun was shining and it got
up to 78 degrees F. We told Owney that it was extremely hot and humid
here in the summer. He was glad he and his thick fur coat were visiting
us in winter! If it were summer, we would take him over to Galveston for
a cool dip in the Gulf of Mexico. It is only one hour away. We would
take him beachcombing for shells! He was surprised to hear we don’t
have any natural rocks around Houston. Since it is built on the remains of an
ancient seabed, we find sticky gray clay underground, which is the
remains of the bodies of sea creatures. There are plenty of rocks around
town now, but they have all been brought in to build streets, ditches,
etc.
Texas is called the Lone Star State. We used to be a country before we
joined the United States, and even had our own presidents. Our old state
capital was called Washington-on-the-Brazos. People in Texas are very
proud of their state. Settlers in Texas won their independence from
Mexico at the San Jacinto battleground where there is a large obelisk
monument.
Our state tree is the pecan, and our state flower is the bluebonnet.
Owney got to see some, because they are blooming a month early this
year! Our state fossil is the Petrified Palm. Our 5th graders get to dig
up some of it in a quarry when they go to camp. (Our school district
lets them go for a week to study environmental science!)
We were very glad to see Owney, and look forward to hearing what he does
in YOUR state!
Ms. Smith’s classes
The Rice School/La Escuela Rice
Houston, TX
barbsmth@tenet.edu
29. Iowa should mail by: February 2, 1999
30. Wisconsin should mail by: February 8, 1999
31. California should mail by: February 12, 1999
Owney arrived in California on Wednesday, March 17, 1999. It was on Saint Patrick's Day. Owney has traveled 22,584 miles on his journey so far. Owney has a lot of badges on his jacket. Our principal, Mr. Hamor, gave Owney a pin from our school. We showed Owney how we do our math. He layed on our desks.
We had a party for Owney. We brought our stuffed animals. Owney met new friends. Since 1/4 of all the vegetables sold in the United States are grown in California, we ate vegetable and fruit salads. We ate tortilla chips because of the Mexican influence in California. The party was very fun for all of us.
A newspaper reporter came to our class and interviewed us. He is also an actor and he read part of the story of Owney to us. He read superbly! We might be in the newspaper.
We had a great time with Owney but he had to hurry off to Minnesota.
32. Minnesota should mail by: February 16, 1999 - revised to 3/22
35. West Virginia should mail by: March 2, 1999 - revised to 3/25
Hello Owney friends,
Owney arrived at Oak Hill Elementary School, Oak Hill, West Virginia, Thursday, March 25, at about 1:45. Since we have Faculty Senate on Friday, we sent him on to Oregon at the end of the school day. It was a quick visit--our principal wasn't even in the building at the time--but Owney did have time to visit music class and get a new button for his collection. We decided he qualified for the Master Mathematician Button for Oak Hill Elementary. We will send postcards next Wednesday.
Many thanks
Sharon Burns
Oak Hill Elementary School
140 School St.
Oak Hill, WV 25901
33. Oregon should mail by: February 22, 1999 - revised to 3/29
3/29/99 We returned from spring break today to find Owney waiting for us. We were so
excited! We all sat on the floor while Ms. Burnett took Owney out of his
box, showed us the pins on his harness, and read us all of the letters in
his US Mail pack. We think some of the letters are missing! Our principal
gave us a key chain with our school name on it to add to his harness and Ms.
Burnett added a pin of Oregon. We took turns holding him and checking out
the pins and then we passed around all of his mail. We brought our favorite
stuffed animals to meet him. He felt right at home with all of the other
dogs, bears, and even a manta ray. We listened to the story of Owney, The
Traveling Dog and thought he was lucky to take so many exciting trips. We
also took lots of pictures. Then we had to get back to work for a while so
Owney just watched and relaxed. Then, we took him outside for recess and
amazingly it didn't rain! There were still lots of puddles so we were
careful to keep him dry and clean. He was a bit bored during spelling and
social studies but he enjoyed playing volleyball in PE. Then we had an
Oregon food tasting party. We had placemats with the state of Oregon and
some state facts printed on them. Oregon leads the nation in production of
hazelnuts, peppermint, and berries, so we sampled hazelnuts, peppermint
candy, and marionberry jam. One of Oregon's first industries was commercial
fishing so we ate a little salmon. Oregon is also a major producer of white
wheat, cranberries, pears, and other tree fruits so we ate bread (with our
jam), dried cranberries, pear slices and apple juice. Everything was
delicious! Owney went with us to lunch (he liked the chili) and recess (he
was so popular that the duty teacher had to rescue him!) and then to math.
He was getting a bit confused with all the talk of cups, pints, quarts, and
gallons and is glad that people take care of his meals so that he doesn't
have to worry about measuring! We introduced him to kids in some of the
other classrooms throughout the day too. Everyone thought he was very cute
and well-behaved. At the end of the day we wrote stories about our wonderful
visit. We all gave him hugs and wished him a safe trip as we left for the
day. We hated to see him go but Ms. Burnett said that the kids in Kansas
were waiting for him so she took him to the post office right after school.
We are still preparing our postcards but they will be in the mail soon!
Ms. Burnett's Third Grade
Hiteon Elementary, Beaverton OR
34. Kansas should mail by: February 26, 1999 - revised to 4/2
37. Nebraska should mail by: March 12, 1999 - revised to 4/5
4/8/99 Greetings from Grand Island, Nebraska.
Owney arrived on April 7th, 1999. It was an exciting time, unpacking him,
and looking at the things that came with him. We took class pictures, and our Principal, Mr. Nichols, gave us a Jefferson All Stars pin, as well as one that says Nebraska. Owney watched as we worked, and then it was time to go home.
Today, the Grand Island Independent Newspaper reporter and photographer
came to see our mornings activities with Owney. We were working on postcards when they arrived. Then, we played our favorite spelling game, Sparkle. We changed it a little, to WOLF. Heres how to play :
Use a list of spelling words.
1. Everyone stands up by their chair.
2. The teacher gives a spelling word.
3.Each person must then give a correct letter,If they do, they are passed Owney.
If wrong, they must sit down.
4. After the last letter is correctly spelled,the next person says WOLF.
5. THE NEXT PERSON THEN, MUST SIT DOWN TOO.
KEEP SPELLING UNTIL THE LAST PERSON IS LEFT STANDING. THAT PERSON WINS.
****************************************************************************
Betty Foster, phone :(308)385-5922
Teacher,Grade Three, 'It is the supreme art of the teacher
Jefferson Elem. School to awaken joy in creative expression
1314 West 7th Street and knowledge."
Grand Island ,Ne.68801 ALBERT EINSTEIN
******************************************************************************
40. South Dakota should mail by: March 26, 1999 - revised to 4/8
4/13/99 Owney arrived late yesterday afternoon from Nebraska. We all got to
look at him before Mrs. Dupre' took him home for the night. While he was at
Mrs. Dupre's house, he became friends with her Schnauzer, Cassie. Cassie
really hated to see him leave in the morning. She had never seen a dog with
an Abe Lincoln beard, although Schnauzers take pride in their own beards!
Today Owney's second grade pals at Grandview School were so excited
to finally get to see and hold him. He went out for recess with Becca, and
he watched all 84 of our second graders (4 classrooms) practice for our
assembly we'll be doing for parents on Friday. It's called "Where in the
World Are Grandview Second Graders" and is all about habitats, etc. We think
that Owney has probably seen lots of habitats too. He also read a book with
Max, watched us all make fish and plants for an ocean scene, visited our 5th
grade buddies with some of our students, and visited with our principal. Ms.
Cowan gave Owney a Grandview School sticker with our cougar mascot on it. We
also put a small red "Rapid City, Star of the West" pin on his halter. We
really enjoyed looking at all his other pins and key chains. We especially
liked the little Owney pin!
This afternoon we had our special party for Owney. Each student
brought one or two special stuffed animals or Beanies to enjoy our party
also. We sampled potato chips, popcorn, beef jerky, bread, and honey, all
South Dakota products. Owney was the star when two TV stations arrived at
the same time with their cameras. Our students told the reporters how much
they had enjoyed EVERYTHING about Owney, especially getting all the postcards
and having Owney visit our classroom. (He was on both ABC and NBC local
news. They crowded him in along with city election news.) Mrs. Dupre' read
the story about Owney again, and we talked about the real Owney's life over a
hundred years ago. Everybody wanted their picture taken with Owney, and then
we had to give him goodbye hugs. This was a day we'll remember for a long
time!! After school Mrs. Dupre' mailed him in his box to ND. We know
they'll enjoy his visit too.
P.S. Another Owney is in South Dakota right now too! A teacher from
Letcher, SD has been sending me messages about their Owney. She had lots of
special events planned for her school, and she even had our governor, Bill
Janklow, declare this week Owney Week in South Dakota!!
39. North Dakota should mail by: March 22, 1999 - revised to 4/12
Owney was here on April 15 (Thursday) for the entire day. He arrived that
morning at the post office. The postmaster enjoyed hearing about Owney so
she quickly called us at school when he was off the truck. We were there
to rescue him within minutes!!!
We enjoyed the morning showing off Owney and trying to figure out where
all of the buttons and keychains were from. That was hard!!! We re-read
the story about Owney and spent time reading the journal notes in his box.
The kids in 3rd & 4th grade here really wanted to send Owney in a new box,
but we were worried Owney might get scared in a new home....so we patched
the box up and it continues.
Owney took part in reading class where we were working on the book The
Mouse & the Motorcycle by Beverly Clearly. Owney wasn't very excited
about that so we quickly got him to lunch. He just seemed so tired. When
he didn't eat any Chicken Nuggets or Tater Tots we sent him with the kids
out for recess. It was very cold out (only about 30 degrees) and very
windy (40+ mph), so one of the 3rd graders kept him inside of her coat to
warm him up. Owney sure seemd to like all the attention he got. Many of
our parents stopped in throughout the day to check him out too. One of the
dads was reallly bummed that he missed him as he came right after he was
in the mail.
In the afternoon, we decided to have our "Owney" celebration. We ate
homemade puppy chow (a North Dakota favorite) and watched the movie, "Air
Bud: The Golden Receiver." Owney loved watching this movie as it was so
funny and it was of course about a dog!!! Owney seemed to like the puppy
chow but by the end of the day he was ready for a nap. We made him stay
alert until the local newspaper came and wrote up a story about Owney and
took our picture. We said goodbye to Owney with some tears in the eyes
and carefully put him in his box for a rest. We're pretty sure he'll be
ready to go by the time he reaches Colorado!!! He should be there by
Monday, the 19th!!!
38. Colorado should mail by: March 16, 1999 - revised to 4/15
Owney arrived at Ute Pass Elementary at 12:00 noon on Monday, April
12th. Mr. DiFiore, our teacher, wasn't sure if Owney was in the office,
however, he was right! As our teacher brought him into our room, we all
cheered! The class was very glad that he had finally come. We passed
him around the room and everybody looked at all the pins that were on
his little harness. You would not believe how many pins he has! We put
a pin on showing our school mascot and colors, green and gold. We gave
him our goodbyes! Have fun with him!
P.S. - We gave him animal crackers and he sure liked them!
P.S. Again - Be sure to check out our classroom website.
-Mr. DiFiore's Class
Ute Pass Elementary
Chipita Park, Colorado
41. Montana should mail by: March 30, 1999 - revised to 4/19
Hello From Montana,
Mrs. Kosmicki¹s Third Grade class was so excited when Owney arrived at the
end of the day on Wednesday, April 21. We just had time to get Owney out and
let him stretch his legs before it was dismissal time. Mrs. Kosmicki took
him to a staff meeting so that he could meet the other teachers in her
building. Everyone was impressed with all of his pins and liked his Lincoln
costume. Then Owney went home with Mrs. Kosmicki to rest up before his big
day at Alkali Creek Elementary School in Billings. Owney got to meet her two
cats, one dog and a hedgehog. He thought the dog was great, but wasn¹t too
sure about the others!
Students arrived at school with their favorite stuffed animals to share
with Owney. Many also brought special treats to share that had the flavor of
life in Montana. Of course, huckleberries were a big treat. We had
huckleberry taffy, huckleberry stick candy and huckleberry jam on fresh
Wheat Montana bread. Wheat Montana bread is a wonderful product from central
Montana where the wheat is grown, processed and baked into delicious goodies
all within one small area.
We also enjoyed bread with cherry jam from cherries grown around Flathead
Lake, one of Montana¹s biggest lakes, and chokecherry jam from wild
chokecherries from bushes on the mountains and prairies of Montana. But, of
course, our snacks would not have been complete without some good old
Montana beef jerky! UMMMMM--this was Owney¹s favorite treat.>br?
Owney watched as our Fifth Grade buddy room came down and played a fraction
game with us. We also shared with him some of the exciting and interesting
things about Montana. He heard about Pompey¹s Pillar just outside of
Billings. This is where Lewis and Clark stopped during their travels. He
heard about Grasshopper Glacier near Cooke City where a swarm of
grasshoppers got caught in the glacier long, long ago. He heard about lots
of wild life and farm life and beautiful scenery in Montana.
Then, sadly it was time to tell him good-bye and send him off to the eager
students in Arizona.
Good-bye, Owney, have a safe trip!
36. Nevada should mail by: March 8, 1999 - revised to 4/22
48. Arizona should mail by: May 7, 1999 - revised to 4/26
5/3/99 Owney did arrive in AZ the end of April but unfortunately late enough in
the day that I didn't receive it until Monday, May 3. Our secretaries
were concerned with the condition of the box and the excessive tape. A
sheriff's lieutenant and fire chief were concerned that it could be a
bomb. The assistant principal assured them it was safe and a stuffed
dog that a classroom was eagerly awaiting.
The students loved Owney and we went through the mail bag and looked at
all of the pins on Owney. Of course, we added one of our own. Owney
has a pin for initiative the citizenship award we were working on that
week. The students felt Owney had shown a lot of initiative to travel
around the country.
Owney was put at a table with some students that had shown exemplary
behavior with a subsitute teacher the previous week while they did their
work. He went up in the Reading Loft with Walden while he read a book
to him and tested on the computer for comprehension. Owney liked the
story and the 100% Walden received on his test. Johnny was able to take
Owney to lunch and let him share his cafeteria food but was careful that
Owney and the other students showed their best table manners. Owney
enjoyed playing on the swings, slide and bars. He was careful to stay
out of the dirt. The other students in the other classes enjoyed
hearing about Owney and his adventures. They were jealous that he
didn't get to come into their classrooms. We did share Owney with the
kindergarten class that studies mail.
Owney went with the class and Mykala to Music. He sat on the piano
while the students played songs on their recorders. He said he almost
recognized the tune but couldn't remember the words to sing along.
Owney got to go to afternoon recess and play again with the students.
He enjoyed the time outside but was ready to come in and hear Mrs.
Wieweck read the story in our Literature book. All of the students got
to hold Owney and tell him good bye at the end of the day before Mrs.
Wieweck packaged him up to send him to Washington. They were sad to see
him go but were happy they did get to see him and hope all of the
students in all 50 states get to see him before the end of the school
year.
When asked if Mrs. Wieweck should do this again next year, they all said
Yes in a loud voice. They asked if they could join her class that day
so they could see him. Yes I would like to be a part of the project
next year. All of the postcards have been mailed out and should be
arriving. I haven't received postcards from Maine, Conn., N.J., N.Y.,
Delaware, Tenn., Florida. The others are coming in as Owney arrives in
their states.
Thanks again for letting up be a part of the project. The students have
learned all about the United States and are more familiar with where the
states are. I have a U.S. map rug that the students sit on and crawl on
to explore their country. It has been great along with the map on the
wall that I have the postcards around with yarn to the state. They keep
counting the postcards and tell me how many more we need before we have
all the states.
Marjorie Wieweck
2nd Grade
Oak Creek Elementary School
Cornville, AZ
42. Washington should mail by: April 5, 1999 - revised to 4/29
Dear Owney Friends,
Owney finally arrived in Washington State on Friday, May 7th. We had thought that he would arrive a week earlier and he missed our United States feast we held in his honor. We showed Owney pictures from the feast and told him all about the amazing foods we sampled. The recipes we received were wonderful. We tried out all of them. The North Dakota recipe for Fleischkuechle was a favorite. Hearing about all that food made Owney hungry so we fed him some Washington State apples.
Owney was able to participate in a very special day at our school - Grandparents and Special Friends Day. Students had invited their grandparents or special friends to spend the morning in our classroom. Owney was excited to meet all the students and their grandparents. He happily posed for lots of photos. Students worked with their grandparents to create a book for Owney's mailbag. In the book they wrote or drew pictures of where they would like to take Owney in Washington State. It is a collection of their favorite Washington places.
Owney attended a special lunch for the grandparents and heard the whole fourth grade class play harmonicas as part of the entertainment. He barked along to "When the Saints Come Marching In." He also listened to our school choir perform. Then, we had a recess. Owney watched the students play a basketball game called bump. He didn't stay outside too long though because it started to rain.
That afternoon Owney watched TV commercials about the different states that students had made. The commercials made Owney eager to continue on his journey. We added a Seattle Space Needle pin to Owney's collection and said our good-byes at the end of the day. He is now on his way to Idaho!
Danae Powers
The Bush School Fourth Grade
Seattle, Washington
43. Idaho should mail by: April 9, 1999 - revised to 5/3
May 13th--Idaho Falls, Idaho
Owney arrived in the Gem State on Wednesday, May 12th! Washington was kind
enough to mail him to Mrs. Ward's home address. She was afraid if he were
mailed to the school, Owney would be lost in the black hole called
"District Mail" for a day or two. Owney was put on the Ward kitchen table
and was not to be opened until the next day at school during the party. Ha!
Within an hour, the Ward's could not stand it any longer and Owney's
package was opened. All the kids in the neighborhood visited and heard the
story of our famous dog!
Owney arrived to a wonderful, typical May day in Idaho, warm in the
morning, windy at noon, and snowing by the end of the school day. Our
classroom is a Gifted and Talented pull-out program. Sixty students from
eight different schools (4th-5th grade) have participated in the Owney
project this year. Each student is bussed to the G/T center one day a week,
either on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. We have enjoyed the many
postcards and letters from each of you during the year!
We even had one student, Alison Rope, travel across the country this year
with her family to Washington D.C. where she visited the Smithsonian
Institute and the exhibit on Owney.
Our gifted program was finished for the year in April. However, each
student received a hand delivered invitation to an afterschool "Owney Party."
On May 13th, Owney met all the students from Idaho Falls! What a neat
surprise! Owney was beautiful and much bigger than we had anticipated. We
enjoyed the many badges and keychains, and especially the Lincoln costume.
We added our Idaho potato button, ate pizza, played games, and took a
million pictures of Owney.
Then Owney was rushed to Mailboxes, Etc. and mailed to Wyoming! Wow! What a
great activity! We hope Owney has a great summer and rests well for his
trip next year!
44. Wyoming should mail by: April 19, 1999 - revised to 5/6
Well, I guess we're down the home stretch - after many months of
waiting, my kids and I were thrilled to meet Owney! We got him on
Monday, May 17, and sent him off again on the 18th - he ate burritos
with us and went to recess and p.e. He took a plant assessment and
helped us write our postcards, so he had a busy day! This has been
great for my kids - looking at all of his buttons and journal entries
was great! Now he's off to Utah!
Amy Bell and her 25 fourth graders
45. Utah should mail by: April 23, 1999 - revised to 5/10
46. Oklahoma should mail by: April 27, 1999 - revised to 5/14
Owney arrived on Monday, May 24, 1999. He went home with me and my 5 year
old enjoyed him tremendously. As I escorted him down the hall on Tuesday,
many students asked why I carried a "real" dog to school. As they realized
he was not "real" they began to investigate all of the attachments.
This was a great "last few days of school" activity. Students found all of
the items in the Mail Bag very interesting, looked at all of his tags,
reviewed all of the abbreviations for the states, and worked on calculating
distances to other states from Oklahoma. We enclosed information about
Oklahoma and a newspaper with articles about the recent tornado. I mailed
him on Tuesday afternoon.
Take care!
IvaB in OKC Õ¿Õ
47. New Mexico should mail by: May 3, 1999 - revised to 5/17
May 27, 1999
Today was a great day in Eunice, New Mexico. I arrived from Oklahoma in just a day and a half. School ends here tomorrow so all the children were afraid they were not going to get to see me! As soon as Mrs. Burns and Mrs. Raybon opened me they took me over to the natatorium to an end of the year swimming party. Everyone was excited to see me. I wanted to go swimming but they wouldn't let me. After I attended the swimming party I went over to the central office and they gave me a nice star pin to put on my hat. I had my picture made with Mr. Fowler, the superintendent, and the nice office ladies. They all had a good time looking at my buttons. We returned to the elementary school and I took a tour of the school. I met the principal and had my picture made with him. The school nurse checked me for ticks and fleas since I am going on to Hawaii from here. Everything was great and I got a clean bill of health for the next leg of my journey.
Today is the last day of school so everyone came in and I watched them clean out their desks and say good-bye for the year. They put a Mettie Jordan button on my vest. Kevin made a key chain for me. All the kids had a good time looking at my buttons and reading my journal. I am getting ready to go to the post office for my trip to Hawaii. I had a great time in New Mexico!
The itinerary for Owney is amazingly tight. In order for Owney to make it to the president before some schools close for the summer, we will need to mail Owney by the dates listed below.
49. Alaska should mail by: May 11, 1999 - revised to 5/20
Onwey has not been seen in Alaska. We think he may be exploring on Mount McKinley or fishing on the Kenai Pennsula. An all points bulletin has been issued. If you find Owney, have him call home.
Fall 99
Owney was discovered in the mail room at Government Hill Elementary waiting the classes to come back to school. He was able to visit with the 99/00 Owney and then return to California to visit there too.
50. Hawaii should mail by: May 17, 1999 - revised to 5/24
10/99 Owney visited with a class in Hawaii.
51. The president
Dear friends of Owney,
After visiting 48 states, spending the summer in the 49th state (Alaska), a trip back to California for a party with the 99/00 Owney, and then finally Hawaii, the 50th state, last year's Owney made it to the president! It was a good thing the students in Nevada had added a friend (Zoney) to keep Owney company.
A package from the White House was waiting for me when I returned from break. I found Owney, his mail sack, and a packet from the president, including a letter personally signed by Bill Clinton! What a cool way to start the new year! We took pictures which I hope to post, but here's what the letter said:
Dear Students:
Thank you so much for sending Owney and Zoney to me. I hope they enjoyed their vacation at the White House. My staff will miss them very much.
Education is so important to me. I am encouraged to learn about young people who, like you, are working hard and doing well in school. An education can help you become anything you want to be.
Sincerely,
Bill Clinton
My principal asked me, "Now what?" Any ideas?
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Owney the Traveling Dog, by Lynn Hall
What to do when you get news from Owney
What to do when Owney visits your school
Lesson extensions
Products you may want to use with this project
Related traveling dogs
See a picture of our Owney the Traveling Dog
