Dagbok / Diary

Mini reiser frå / Mini travels from:

Noreg/Norway

til / to:

Australia

Bahamas

USA

Skottland / Scotland

Island / Iceland

Mini has come home!

Links to the schools.

Heim / home.

St. Marys, Tasmania

21. okt. 2002

grade23@sts.tas.edu.au

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Hi our class can't wait to get Mini. We will be sending more messages in the meantime. The children are still in the process of learning about sending e-mails. At present they are busy preparing for atheletics carnival which will take place on thursday and friday.

Tasmania is a beautiful clean place. It exports beef, apples, lamb and seafood like abalone to other countries.

Qantas Andvirgin Blue are our airlines and we have Spirit 1 and Spirit 2 as our ferries from Melbourne, which is on mainland.

Will keep in touch. Uma.

29. okt. 2002

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5. nov 2002

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6. nov 2002

I got your message yesterday. Feel free to print the replies and photos from the children. We hope Mini has arrived in Healesville safely.

Please find attached photos of our trip to the post office to send Mini to his next destination.

Chum Creek, Victoria

8.nov 2002

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Greetings to all the Mini Watchers!! Today is Friday and our school has been at a sports day with the other small schools. We have spent the day playing basketball, soccer, tabletennis and badminton. When we arrived back at school Mini was there!!! Our school has only 52 students and we live in a outer eastern area of Melbourne. Melbourne is the capital of Victoria which is the southern state of Australia and we are now moving from spring into summer. The aera around us is a well known grape growing and winery region. many people travel into the city of Melbourne for work each day. It is about 60 km in distance, but only takes 1 hour in time. Many people who come to our school have land around their homes. Not many are farmers, but they have horses, and maybe some cows to eat the grass!! I live on 26 acres and we have 1 horse and 2 dogs who think that they own the humans!!

On Monday I will get the students in my class to Email you and tell you about their homes and school. Thank you for sending Mini to Chum Creek!!!

Peri, the teacher of the senior class at Chum Creek Primary School.

P.S. We have chickens at our school and Mini was very helpful rounding them up at the end of the day today. I will send some photos!!

Peri.

12. nov 2002

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To everybody,

we would like to know about your countries. 1.What is your countryside like? 2.What kind of sports do you like and do a lot? 3.What kind of animals do you have in your enviroment? 4.Is you country usually hot or cold? Now we will tell you about our country! Here it is summer and it is really hot and windy. lately we have been studying on Communication and most of the years 4/5 and 6 are doing swimming. At this school there are fifty-three kids.

Bye from Max and Luke!!!

G'day all in Norway. Howz it goin? my name is Gaz and i'm 12 years old and like sports. Some of the sports i play are basketball, football, soccer and cricket which is just starting up over here because we're coming into summer. What's the weather like over there? It's getting up to 30's over here now and that's pretty hot. We would like to know what's the nearest big town cause we can't find you in the atlas. Hope you all having fun gotta go SEEYA.

P.s mini arrived safely here's some photoes of him.

15.nov 2002

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Dear Minis friends, My name is Rebecca (but I like being called Bec). I go to Chum Creek Primary School. I am in year 6. I enjoy sports and arts. Mini is having a wonderful time here with us, we're taking good care of him. We've been taking photos of him and other things.

Hope he has a great journey. From Bec.

18.nov 2002

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Greetings from Chum Creek in Australia!! We have had some wonderful Emails from California and will reply in the next few days. Mini has been packed in his bag with his passport and heads off to Indonesia tomorrow. he has had many experiences whilst in Australia.He not only went swimming, three climbing, and visiting a farm, but he learned a lot about about how very hot weather we can get in Victoria at this time of year. It has been 33 celcius for 2 days this week. It was great to receive an Email from California telling us about the fog! We had a "total fire ban day" the day we received that message.This means that no person may light a fire of any type in the open as the weather is too hot, dry and windy and this may lead to bush fires. here in Australia we can have many ban days every summer as the temperature can stay at 35 and above for over a week. This dries out the grass and bush and any fire could race through and burn every thing in the aera including homes. It is a very tense time!

We have a large number of kangaroo in the aera near the school and as we are on bush road, the roos often hop into the path of an oncoming car. They do get hit and killed as do wombats etc., but this is not always bad. The killed meat lies on the side of the road and the large wedge tailed eagles feed on the "road kill". These birds are rare, but seem to bread in the lokal area. They are 60 cm plus when young with huge claws. They are wonderful to watch when they drift in the air currents high in the air on warm days.

Even though Mini now travels to Indonesia, it would be wonderful to keep in contact with each of his Host Families. The children in my class are gaining great insight into life outside our small rural community.

Best wishes, Peri and grade 4, 5 and 6 Chum Creek Primary School

22.nov 2002

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Dear Inger,

Thank you for the lovely photos, the children here find it interesting to see and read about a part of the world so very different from here. Today it is mild 25 degrees and the children are enjoying spor. They play Tball (like softball / baseball), volleyball as well as basketball. As we only have 54 children in the whole school, our oval / playarea is not large (about 4 acres of play area). many of my students wish to continue writing to your school. I hope this is okay?

Regards, Peri

Man-O-War Cay, Bahamas

18.sep 2002

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Man-O-War All Age School

Man-O-War Cay, Abaco,

The Bahamas

Hope to hear from you soon.

With kindest regards,

Larry Elkins, Teacher

Grades 3 to 6

19.sep 2002

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Hello,

I read the project information on the bulletin from Connected Teacher. We have digital cameras available and cable internet access. The local post office is next door to the school. Considering the slow nature of the Bahamian postal service, we may have to cut Mini's visit a day or two short in order for the schedule to be met. Otherwise, there should be no problem. I will be out of the country at the end of December but will be able to handle Mini's visit during any other time period.

Regards,

Larry Elkins,
MOWAAS

19.nov 2002

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We were to receive Mini from Indonesia. Does this mean we will receiving him sooner from Australia?

Thank you,

Larry Elkins, Teacher MOWAAS, MOW Cay, Abaco

Hello Inger,

Thank you for responding so quickly. You most certainly use the pictures we send. We will be anxiously awaiting.

Kindest regards,Larry Elkins

10.dec 2002

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Tuesday, December 10, 2002

Mini arrived this afternoon in the sunny Bahamas. The day started with a rain shower and some over cast. The students came to school in street clothes today. We charge for no-uniform days. It's only a dollar (US and Bahamian dollars are on 1 to 1 par) to wear your street clothes. We use the money to sponsor two children in Columbia through 'Children International".

This afternoon when Mini arrived, the temperature was near 80 F. and the sky was clear, bright and sunny. Mini had an exciting afternoon. He toured the school, visited the waterfront, attended a celebration at the local grocery store, saw a local business, sat on a real Bahamian sailing craft and posed
for a picture with some local delicacies like conch, coconut and lime.

Tomorrow, he will do some activities with the students in grades 1, 2 and 3.

Pictures are coming for the first day.

Regards for now,

Man-O-War All Age School

Christmas in the Bahamas is almost like everywhere else. During the month of December, many people put up elaborate displays in their yards and around their houses. Christmas trees appear inside the homes also.

In the Bahamas, there is a celebration known as 'Junkanoo'. Large groups of people dress up in brightly colored costumes, join in big parades, play music, and compete for prizes for the best demonstration of the 'Junkanoo' tradition. This celebration is derived from ancestral African festivals held during this time of year.

Some of the people on our island go away for the holidays. My wife and I will be visiting family in the United States. Those who remain on the island will be observing the holiday in a special way.

On Christmas Eve, the three churches will have their services, after which, the families will return to their homes to exchange some gifts. Most presents are given on Christmas morning, though.

Upon awakening on Christmas morning, the children check to see what Santa brought them and the rest of the gifts are opened. Mothers prepare breakfast and after eating, the families gather behind the school on the community basketball court. Pastries and beverages are served to all in attendance. Everyone tells of the gifts they have received and then there
is another visit from Santa, who is one of the men from the community dressed in a Santa suit. Each child receives another gift from him at this gathering. Christmas songs are sung, prayers given and greetings extended to other members of the community. After this, the families retire to their homes to prepare for Christmas dinner and to play with new toys and gifts.

Merry Christmas to All from

>Larry Elkins and everyone at
>Man-O-War All Age School

11.dec 2002

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We have to catch rainfall in large cisterns for our potable water supply since we are an island. All of the wells bring in salt water. Some residents have purchased reverse osmosis water filtration units for drinking water and such.

The Bahamas is a member of The Commonwealth of Nations having won Her independence from Great Britain on July 10, 1973.
We hope you enjoy our pictures and reports of Mini's visit.
Regards from the Man-O-War All Age School.

12.dec 2002

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Regards, Larry

Grade 6 made a traditional Junkanoo costume for Mini, which we will send along with him. We sent a not about Junkanoo earlier. Now Mini can celebrate with us.

Larry.

Here is Mini at a math and grammer class with Gr. 2 and doing Christmas crafts with some students during Art class.

Larry.

30 dec 2002

Mini was posted this morning to go to Massachusetts. I also have posted your CD with a note enclosed. I hope you and the class enjoy them.

Larry

I sent Mini First Class Mail the morning I emailed you. I can only wonder what the delay is. I hope nothing has happened!

Regards,

Larry

Massachusetts, USA

Felicia Comeras, Technology Integration Specialist K-8
Northborough Public Schools
Northborough, MA 01532

8.oct 2002

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Hi Inger,

The teacher that will be participating in this project is:
Mr. Baroni
Grade 3
Margaret E. Peaslee Elementary School
31 Maple St.
Northborough, MA 01532 US.

Felicia Comeras
Technology Integration Specialist K-8
Northborough Public Schools
Northborough, MA 01532

Felicia

Felicia Comeras
Technology Integration Specialist K-8
Northborough Public Schools
Northborough, MA 01532

12.jan 2003

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Massachusetts is one of 6 New England States located in the northeast section of the United States. The other 5 states that make up the region known as New England are: Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont. We are in the middle of our winter season right now and so far
we have received over 50 inches of snow. This is about three times the normal amount of snow that we usually receive, so as you can imagine, snow is piled everywhere.

Our school, Peaslee Elementary, is located in a small town called Northboro, which is located approximately, 45 miles west of Boston. Boston is the capital of Massachusetts (MA) and is rich in history.

Our class is a third grade class that is made up of 17 students, 10 boys and 7 girls that are 8 and 9 years old. I am their teacher, Mr. Baroni, and I'm the only male teacher in the building. The children will be sharing with you some of the projects that we're working on as well as some important
information about MA.

Talk to you soon!
Mr. Baroni

14.jan 2003

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See You Later
LOVE ALLIE!!!

15.jan 2003

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Bye for now,

17.jan 2003

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Mini came home with me last night. We played the piano and slept together. My bed is a big bed. It has two pillows on top of it. Mini met my two American Girl Dolls.

Bye for now
Here is a picture of Mini At Gym

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Texas, USA

22.nov 2002

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Howdy Our friends!

Greetings from Texas! If you think the postcard looks good, just imagine what it's like in person! Texas is like a whole other country, browse http://www.traveltex.com

Our friends.

We are about to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. We give thanks for all our blessings. We are thankful for the new friends we have made around the world. You can learn a lot about Texas on this site.

Mrs. Spann Class

From: pspaann@daingerfield.esc8.net

1.dec 2002

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Christmas in Texas.

The Christmas traditions in Texas come from the many countries that have ruled over Texas and the settlers who came here from all over the world. The students in Mrs. Spann's First Grade celebrate some traditions the same. We all look forward to santa's arrival. We write him letters to tell him what we want for Christmas. We visit him at the mall or even at our school to let him know our wishes. We also think of others at Christmas. The school holds a food drive to collect non-perishable food for our neighbors who may be in need. You should see the boxes that have already been filled by first graders.

We make or buy gifts for our family or friends. We make decorations for a tree in our classroom and decorate trees in our homes. We decorate our houses with lights. We send cards to family and friends. We learn about the true meaning of Christmas at the church of our choice.

Some of us have different traditions like a pinata to break. Some of us visit relatives in another country, state or town and some stay at home. Some of us open gifts on Christmas Eve and some at Christmas morning. But we all LOVE Christmas.

Pam Spann

24.jan 2003

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3.febr 2003

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4.febr 2003

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5.febr 2003

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You're invited to see my photos on Snapfish! You can order prints of any photo in my online album(s).
Mini is surrounded by native plants of Texas.

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Get 3 FREE 4x6 prints from my album(s)!*

I have shared the following photo album(s) with you:

Mini in Austin, Texas

Here's how to view my pictures:

1) Visit the link below to access my photos on Snapfish.

Pam's photos

2) Type in your name and email address and then choose a password. This ensures the privacy of my pictures and also sets up your own password-protected account on Snapfish.

If the link above does not work, highlight the link below using your cursor. Then copy and paste the link into your browser address window and hit the "Enter" or "Return" key on your keyboard.

http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=311121045072764391/l=12625513

3) If you'd like, you can easily order reprints or enlargements of my photos, right from Snapfish for as low as $0.25 each! Just click the "order prints" button while viewing my photos to place an order.

*Limit 3 free prints per customer; first-time customers only.
http://www.snapfish.com/infothreefree

California, USA

24.sep 2002

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We would be happy to host Mini. My own heritage is from Norway and my parents have traveled there many times. Where would you want Mini to travel on to after a visit in California? We have done many travel buddy projects and have some traveling right now in Pakistan and New Zealand, but we do not have a visiting buddy.

My students work with me only part of the day because they all have special learning needs. They struggle with writing but they have learned how to work together to share about our area and we are always learning about the natural world around us. Many of my students live in the country and have parents who work in agriculture. Many of them have not traveled much so these projects help them learn about other places. They range in age from 5-12.

I hope to hear from you and will send you more information if you would like to send your buddy to Alta.

Much of our class work is online. This site is about our buddy that is currently traveling named Quesla http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/quesla.htm.

Best Wishes,

Cheryl Vitali
Alta Elementary School

16.nov 2002

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Our school is located in the countryside near the city of Reedley, CA. Reedley is called, "The Fruit Basket of the World" and is known for its wonderful stone fruits like nectarines, peaches, and plums. Grapes are also grown for wineries and raisins as well as citrus, avocados, nuts, and other crops. It has some of the most fertile and productive land in the world.
Reedley lies between the Kings River and the eastern foothills that go into the Sierra. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park are within our district boundaries. On clear days, the mountains are very spectacular from the playground.

Our weather is hot in the summer. Spring and fall are pleasant but they can also be hot at times. We have a fairly short winter season of about 2 months where it does get very cold, yet it rarely snows. In the past 25 years snow has fallen long enough to stick to the ground maybe twice! And that is a very short time as well, normally gone by lunch. We do get very thick tule fog that is very dangerous to drive in. It is called tule fog for the plants that were very common in the valley and used by the Yokuts Indians for many things. The fog causes us to have foggy day schedules. We had 3 this week so our school days have been shorter. It also means some days we do not see the sun in sunny California. The sun was out for maybe one to two hours in 3 days. It is unusual to have this much fog this early in the year. Fortunately, it doesn't last long. The fruit trees begin to bloom in late February and at that time, this area is magnificent.

Our school has about 350 students. All of the children are bussed to school. Many live in the country. They do not all live on farms. Many student's parents work in agriculture. All of the students are envious of the swimming pools at the schools. We do not have them in our community. There is a public pool open in the summer and one at the community college.
They do not have one at the high school. Children who compete in swimming during the school year have to travel to other towns to practice. Popular sports are soccer and track. The children also enjoy basketball, baseball and football. Soccer is probably the most common one that many children participate on a team with. We do have a fantastic music program and many students begin orchestra in 5th grade or band. By the time they get to high school, up to 400 students have been in the marching band from all the schools.

Most of the animals around here are domesticated. Common wild animals include coyotes, red-tail hawks, golden eagles, ground squirrels, foxes, migrating birds like egrets and ducks, and deer. In the Sierra, there are black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, mountain goats, chipmunks and marmots.
One summer our teacher saw a California condor in the wild and they are quite rare yet they are making a comeback from near extinction. Kit foxes are also around here. They are endangered.

I meant to have the students write this note, but it has been impossible with the shorter school days. I do not know how long the fog will last. The students have helped make many Web pages about our community and state that are on our school Web site.

http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/home.htm

Check out our buddy, Quesla.
http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/quesla.htm She is in New Zealand right now and heading to Antarctica. We also have a buddy in Pakistan.

We have sent many travel buddies to Australia and have really enjoyed learning about life Down Under! We just had some wonderful candies from Australia. We tried finding Violet Crumbles in import stores. Alas, no luck. The children were not as fond of the vegemite, however we know it is very popular in your country. Students may enjoy checking out some of the
reports and writing my students did on Australia along with Janet Benecke's students in Australia. I have new information from her class this year I still have had no time to try to put online.

Cheers,
Mrs. Vitali's class

14.jan 2003

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I know the students at Alta Elementary School are looking forward to hosting Mini in California. We have many of our projects over the years online at our Web site

http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/home.htm. Our travel buddy Quesla is currently in Antarctica
http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/quesla.htm. This is some of what we have received

http://kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/antarctica.pdf

Tonight I am traveling to Los Angeles to meet with a teacher I have collaborated with for years, Janet Benecke, from Australia. It will be the first time we have met, and I am quite excited. She participated in a project called Patty Reed's Doll years ago. Here are highlights of some of our collaborations.

http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/websterpa.htm

Best Wishes,
Cheryl Vitali

3.febr 2003

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I know that Mini's next stop after Texas is California. Of course around the nation, our thoughts are with those in Texas who are dealing with the tragedy of the Challenger. Rick Husband, the commander of the flight, was an alumni of the university I graduated from, Fresno State. He was the first alumni of the university to become an astronaut and the entire Central
Valley has been watching this space mission with considerable interest and pride. How shocked and saddened we all have been by the events.

I do not know how soon Mini will be arriving from Texas, but if she arrives before Valentine's Day she will be able to go to Mission San Juan Baptiste with the fourth grade class. I have visited this mission many times and went last spring so I am attaching an image from the mission to this message to
share. She should arrive in time for the spectacular Blossom Trail when millions of fruit trees bloom. Reedley is known as the World's Fruit Basket. Many wonderful stone fruits are grown here (nectarines, peaches, plums, and more). There are also citrus trees, avocados, grapes, and nuts.

I hope these images comes through well. One is of the mission, the other is of Glacier Point in Yosemite. I especially liked this one and my daughter is in the picture (I also have to worry about consent of children's images). Half Dome is behind her. I believe it was Half Dome they used to send the fire falls down during the summer time. That stopped many years ago. Ansel
Adams loved Yosemite and visited every year. On his birthday, he always climbed Half Dome and ate a late dinner in the Awhannee Hotel. This was a tradition even in his 70's.

Looking forward to sharing some of the trivia, treasures, and beauty of California,

Cheryl Vitali
Alta Elementary School
Reedley, CA

Dear Ms. Spann's Class,

Our heart goes out to all the astronauts' families and friends. I spoke with a good friend of mine this weekend who lives in Austin, Texas. Her husband is one of the engineers in Mission Control for NASA, and I know just from talking with her how deeply everyone is feeling this tragedy. I am sure your entire school and city is in mourning right now, as well as our
nation and others, for the loss of these tremendous individuals.

To those who soar and aspire even to the stars in their dreams and lives... Thank you for your courage and inspiration for all of us.

Mrs. Vitali and her students

I mentioned to some of you that I will be visiting Ashley this afternoon in the hospital. I just talked with her dad and I am encouraged by the update I received. If any of you want to write Ashley a brief get well note (don't worry about asking students on this), I will take them with me this afternoon. I know it would mean a great deal to her. Hillary always treasured the notes she received when she was very ill.

Take care,
Cheryl

Some of my friends have been sharing some uplifting quotes and thoughts about the Space Shuttle I thought others might like seeing as well. I think many of us have dreamed of daring to do what these men and women ventured with their lives. I like this quote below shared by Maribeth Bush (from Boston).

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. " -- Helen Keller

January is a month where I often focus on heroes and those who dare to live what they believe. We have studied Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Robinson (a tremendous athlete who opened up opportunities for black athletes in America), and Jane Addams (who spent her life crusading for poor immigrants, improving working conditions, bringing education to the poor, and far more). Right now one of my students is seriously ill, and I cannot help thinking of all the medical breakthroughs of the past that give hope and courage to the present.

My friend, Lynn Thornton, in West Carthage, New York found these sources and this song just written by Ray Soular. Lynn also put u p a simple memorial page http://www.lthorn13619.com/columbia.html.

I also think of the hard work and sacrifice of the many individuals behind the Space Program. These are people who dare to dream and many things that we take for granted in our lives are because of individuals who have dared to live their lives this way.

To keep the whole program in perspective, there have been many successes this link may offer some information:
http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/space_place/framesource_stats.html

10.febr 2003

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Dear Mini-Watchers & Quesla Followers,

This has been a very busy and often troubling year. My students are all looking forward to Mini¹s arrival from Texas this next week and plan on giving a warm California visit. I wanted to send a note out to the group and ask the children to consider questions they might want to send to me or to my students about California. I also wanted to share a little more about the projects we are doing and why I think these types of projects are so special.
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Who are the Heroes in Your Life

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Ask yourself this question. As we all mourn the loss of the Columbia Space Shuttle, we are reminded of heroes and those who are brave enough to follow their dreams as far as they can. Although we all are sad at their loss, we cannot help but celebrate that there are individuals who are so willing to explore and learn they help make the world better.

Take a look at your teachers. They are pioneers in their own way. They are willing to take the time and effort for a project like this because they care so much about children and the experiences they provide them. They are heroes you know. I will never forget the first travel buddy we sent off years ago and when Roger Williams visited Alta. He talked about how children learning to communicate with other countries might one day prevent wars, a war just like the one we are now all worrying about. Wouldn't that be wonderful? The world is not a distant group of other countries; we are connected in so many ways.

Since I began doing projects like this in 1993, I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet many teachers from around this country and around the world. We have become friends, and we share a passionate love of education.

Look at your parents. Everyone can have a bit of a hero in him or her. Interview your grandparents or find out more about your family. You may find some amazing stories that you never imagined. Talk to an elderly neighbor. Heroes are all around you and we all are capable of acting like heroes at times in our lives.

That is a very special way to remember the astronauts and any brave person you might know who has given all that they can.

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California Trivia

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Have a question about California? Chances are I can give you an answer or help my students find it for you.

Here is a little bit about myself: I began teaching in 1977, am married, and have 3 children (22, 20 & 13). I have traveled all over the United States and elsewhere and lived in Alabama during the Civil Rights movement. Yet most of my life has been in California. My great-grandfather was an early pioneer in Escondido (near San Diego). He came after the Civil War and grew grapes and oranges in that area. I have lived in southern California for many years, Alabama, then in San Jose for a long time, and now in the Central Valley of California for 30 years.

The town our school is in is called Reedley. It is known as the "World¹s Fruit Basket." Right now the fruit trees are beginning to bloom. The teacher in Massachusetts mentioned the weather. Well our weather has been different this year. We have four seasons in this part of California and it normally is very cold in Dec. and Jan. Well it wasn't that cold and now we are having freezing temperatures in the morning and then it gets as warm as 60 degrees Fahrenheit in the afternoon. This is a problem, because it is too early for the fruit trees to bloom. They normally start at the end of February not the end of January. Some of my flowers never died off this winter. So we may have more bugs and the weather can still get cold. This will hurt the farmers and the fruit. How is the El Nino year impacting your part of the world?

You may think of Hollywood, San Francisco, beaches and computers when you think of California. You may also think of oranges. Did you know that the number 1 industry in California is agriculture? It always has been. So if the weather patterns change a lot, it really impacts the state. Most of the parents in this area have jobs that are related to agriculture in some way. My husband¹s job is and most of my students parents work is as well.

The Central Valley is actually a desert climate with an average of about 10 inches of rainfall a year. So how is it one of the most productive areas in the world? The Sierra Nevada is a spectacular natural reservoir of water that is collected in snowfall each year. The spring melt fills the rivers, reservoirs, and water table for this area. Reedley is located in a triangular area between the foothills of the Sierra and the Kings River so the land between has had millenniums to build up the richness of the soil. The real gold of California has always been the land and how fertile it is. The Kings River has been said to be second only to the Nile River in the amount of land that it irrigates.

California is a state filled with immigrants. My husband came from immigrants from Italy. He spoke Italian as a child. Most of my students came from Mexico. We are lucky because we have only a few languages to deal with at our school, English, Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese right now. Some schools in California have a lot more. Where my sister lives in Fremont, the schools have over 100 different languages!

What language are we all learning to speak by engaging in projects like this? Hopefully, we are all learning the language of understanding and respecting each other.

These are some questions you might consider.

Are you interested in the California missions?

Maybe you want to know more about the Native Americans in this area. Some are still in this area.

Do you have questions about the Sierra Nevada mountains? I wound up moving to this part of California because the Sierra is my favorite place in the world to be. I love the mountains.

Perhaps you want to know more about Giant Sequoias or national parks like Yosemite and Kings Canyon.

The beauty of Central California is that it is located in proximity to the major city of Fresno and it is easy to get to almost any climatic zone (or a major city) in a day. I was in Los Angeles just yesterday. It is a large state that has far more than just beaches or Hollywood and has a tremendous diversity of cultures and languages. I have always loved visiting Massachusetts because of all the history in the area. It is also a very beautiful state. California is a state with incredible natural resources and great beauty.

Please send your questions as soon as possible.

Cheryl Vitali
Resource Specialist
Alta Elementary School
Reedley, CA

11 febr 2003

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I will share these questions with students tomorrow. I am going to answer some of them and then see what my children can figure out as well.

About 22,000, less than 25,000.

How warm is the summer?

It can range from the mid to low 90's to over 100 degrees in the summer. Normally it doesn't go over 105. It is normally a dry heat, and it can feel hotter in New York City at 90 degrees with high humidity than 103 in the valley. You get used to it. The temperatures can get this high as early as April and late as October. Normally it is only in July and August that it gets really hot.

How cold can the winter be?

Winter is very short but it can be very cold. It sometimes freezes at night but can get warm in the daytime. It only snows and sticks on the ground about every 20 years or so. The winters are the opposite of summer, it is colder than it seems. I have known people who have moved here from Sweden say it is colder than there. How? Because we have something called Tule Fog. It just seeps up from the ground after a rain. This was a bad year for the fog and we went for weeks without hardly seeing the sun. Not that different from Norway in that way. However if you drive in the mountains or to the ocean, you quickly find the sun.

The lows get in the 30s, today is a high of about 65 degrees. Winter is Dec. and January. I already have daffodils blooming in my yard and need to do some weeding. We do not get much of a break from yard work! I am sure you wouldn't mind that at all.

What sorts of animals live there?

Animals in the wild include ducks, Canadian geese, egrets, vultures, hawks, ground squirrels in the valley, coyotes, foxes (the San Juaquin Kit fox is endangered), rodents, black bears, deer, squirrels and chipmunks up in the mountains, mountain lions, bobcats (you never see these last two), marmots in the high country, and lots of different birds that migrate through. We have Great Horned Owls (I have seen these nesting), barn owls, golden eagles, and one time I saw a California Condor in the wild. My aide and I tried to save an osprey this summer as well in the mountains. Here is a report some of my former students did on condors http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/condor.htm. I also have a link to the time I saw a condor.

What do the students do in their spare time?

I'll ask them.

How is the day at school?

Children are often here as early as 7:30 in the morning. Everyone comes on bus or is driven. School begins at 8:10. The younger children get out at 2:00, the older at 3:00. Often teachers keep younger students until 3:00 for extra help and until 4:00 for upper grades. I run a technology club, another teacher does a music club, and two others started a drama club this year. These are after school. We also have track and cross country teams but no other sports that children compete in.

Most of the students have a main language arts period and math period in the morning. The written language and spelling may be at other times along with science and social studies. The older students have a formal music and P.E. program.

How many hours a day do you go to school?
Half day for kindergarten, 5 hours for grades 1-3, 6 hours for 4-5 and beyond.

How do the houses look like? Are they made of timber?

Most homes are made of wood and stucco. They may have wooden siding. If they have bricks, they must have a wooden wall underneath for protection against earthquakes.

Could you mail us a picture from the town Reedly?

This shows some of downtown Reedley http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/hist.b.html
A walk through historic Reedley http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/walking.html

Two of these photos are of the school
http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/cyber96.html (one is the Kings River).
These were taken by my home http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/kings.r.html
Quesla's photo album has pictures of this area, myself, and the school
http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/queslapa.htm

Quester's has more and shows how this area will look in a couple of weeks.
http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/questerpa.htm.If the Renaissance Faire is happening when Mini is here, I know Mary would love to take Mini. My good friend, Brooke was Queen Elizabeth last year and the year before so I imagine she will be again this year. I have known Brooke all of her life. If she is here by Friday, she will get two trips to the missions because my family is heading to one on Sunday as well and I will take her with me.

What is the main city in California?

Sacramento is the capitol of California. Los Angeles probably has the largest population. San Francisco, San Diego, and Fresno are all very large cities as well. That is about 1/2 hour drive from here. Los Angeles takes about 3 hours of driving and so do San Francisco and Sacramento. It takes about 2 1/2 hours to get to the ocean from here.

12. febr 2003

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How warm is the summer?

It is hot in Reedley.

What do the students do in their spare time?

I like to play soccer. I like to ride my bike. I like to play with my baby sister.

How is the day at school?

School is fun with my friends.

How do the houses look like? Are they made of timber?

The houses have yards and garages. Most are one story high and made of wood. Our teacher lives in a two story house made of stucco. Some homes are old and some are new.

Note: The town of Reedley is not that old. Most building are less than a century old.

Mrs. Vitali's class

I enjoyed looking at the images of the bluebonnets in Texas. I have always heard of them but never seen photos. When Mini is here I do plan on burning a CD-Rom with images of her stay to include in the box. That is an easy way to include better quality images that will eventually reach Norway. Along the way, it is also easy for other schools to view images.

The first time we did this I actually made a video of the trip with video
clips, postcards, etc. However that was a lot of work to produce during the summer time. It was pretty easy to make copies when I was done but I discovered it is hard to do videos easily for all countries, the formats are different in Europe and Australia. So since I like doing international projects so much, I do not bother with videos as much. I spent $40.00 toconvert one video. It is just too expensive. However with computers it would not be hard to do some Quicktime movies to burn onto a CD to share.

Just some ideas for all.

Cheryl Vitali

13.febr 2003

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We just finished a story about a hero who saved someone from a volcano. It wasn¹t a story that could be real, but Mrs. Vitali told us a true storyabout a hero in her life.

We would like to share a little of this story. Mrs. Vitali was 15 and
she likes to ski. She was skiing on Mt. Shasta and there had been a
blizzard. The chair lift opened, and she was the first one on with one
other person. When they got to the top, they knew they had made a mistake. The snow was so deep that it came to their hips. If they fell, they could not get up. So they skied very carefully. They skied so carefully they forgot to watch where they were going and went to the an area where avalanches happen. The two of them got separated by about 30 feet. Then it happened. Mrs. Vitali found her weight was not enough to fight the force of the hill and her skis. Slowly even though she tried, her skis went deeper and deeper until she came to a stop. The guy she was skiing with was below her. Above her were huge cracks of snow ready to fall.

Fortunately four guys were coming up. They were not too smart either!
They called for help and waited. Four of them stayed out of the path of the avalanche and were ready to ski for help. The other one came over and spent one hour digging her out of the snow. They quietly talked (very little) about what to do if the avalanche did happen. After he saved her, she was very tired. She felt like cooked macaroni. Every time she fell, two guys picked her up. The chair was closed when they got back. The next morning she went up again at 8:00 in the morning. She couldn¹t find where she had been, everything looked different because the avalanche had happened.

She never forgot this guy and years later they saw each other again. Immediately they recognized each other. He was a hero to her.

Today we also learned about how to think about stuff before you do it. We learned about how to treat someone who is in shock. We talked
about adrenaline and how the body reacts in an emergency.

Two fourth graders in Mrs. Vitali's class

P.S. We are still waiting for Mini to arrive. Tomorrow is the mission trip. Mrs. Vitali is also going to a mission on Sunday so we are hoping she is here soon. We are preparing a special surprise for her arrival.

Mrs. Vitali thought perhaps Mini might be homesick so she has been bringing in items about Norway and that area. We are planning a little Norwegian party next week. Mrs. Vitali is making krumkaca and fruit soup. Mrs. Clemons and Mrs. Vitali will wear Norwegian sweaters (they decided not to do the full costumes) and an accordian.

16. febr 2003

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I will put up some Web pages of Mini's stay. I told Dr. Welty I would send him an e-mail about the project. He totally surprised me tonight when he did this. Cheryl

Dear Mini-Watchers,

I have been having an exciting time in California. The fourth graders will tell you about our trip to Mission San Juan Baptiste on Friday. Today Mrs. Bloom brought me over to Mrs. Vitali's home for the weekend. Tonight was a Fresno State Bulldog basketball game. I didn't need a ticket, because I was tucked into Mrs. Vitali's purse.

What an exciting evening! The crowd goes wild. It was such fun. Mrs. Vitali and her husband are both Fresno State Alumni and love to go to the basketball games. I almost got to meet the famous retired coach, Jerry Tarkanian. The game started badly for Fresno State, but they won by 20 points. Mrs. Vitali was thinking about introducting us after the game, and he left early because the team was so far ahead.

The best part for me though was half-time. Mrs. Vitali got to meet with the president of Fresno State, Dr. John Welty. She admired his Bulldog pin and asked if they could be bought at the Bulldog store. He gave her the pin! And now it is on my sweater. Then Dr. Welty took his picture with me. Did that make me feel special. So now I consider myself an honorary Fresno State Bulldog. What a fun evening!

I need to get to bed, because tomorrow I am going to Mission San Luis Ospispo and Morro Bay. I am hoping I will get to see a California sea otter in the Pacific Ocean!

Mini

17. febr 2003

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(Mini is a travel buddy visiting Alta from Norway http://kurs.rkk.no/iktfag/modul1a/ingerf/) This message has California history and natural history as well with links to parks and more.

I had a fun Sunday (images later) to share about. We left about 7:45 in the morning and headed to San Luis Ospispo. We went to the Mission San Luis Ospispo de Tolosa when we arrrived. Mrs. Vitali had hoped her niece would be able to join us. She is a student at Cal Poly University. After the service, I got another pin so I could remember the beautiful mission.

Why are the missions so important to California history? I feel so lucky to have visited two missions while I am in California.

This link is for the parish now. http://www.missionsanluisobispo.org/parishinfo.htm
This link is for students and teachers: San Luis Ospispo de Tolosa http://www.cuca.k12.ca.us/lessons/missions/slo/SanLuisObispoDeTolosa.html
San Juan Baptista http://www.cuca.k12.ca.us/lessons/missions/Bautista/SanJuanBautista.html

I got to have my picture taken with a statue of Father Junipero Serra. Mrs. Vitali took some more pictures, and she has quite a few of when she went to the mission before.

After that we went to look for her niece. She hadn't come to work yet, so we all went to have lunch. Some had tortilla soup, others tortilla wraps made with fish. Finally we got to see her niece for a little while. Unfortunately she had to work today so she couldn't join us for the rest of the day.

After the Mission we headed towards Morro Bay and decided to go to Los Osos first (Valley of the Bears). From Los Osos we headed to Montaña de Oro State Park. The wildflowers were beginning their spring bloom, and we saw some California poppies only it was too early to see the mountain covered in golden blooms that is where it gets its name from. Montaña de Oro means mountain of gold in Spanish. Only once has Mrs. Vitali seen the mountain in its' full glory.

Montaña de Oro State Park Links
http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=592
http://www.pickatrail.com/sun/m/america/montana_de_oro.html This link will show many other places in California. Sequoia and Kings Canyon is closest to our area and in our school district. Yosemite is a little further.

The brochure from the park gave us some of the information below.

Here is a little history about the park.
500 years ago this area was inhabited by the Chumash Indians. About 20,000-30,000 of them lived from Morro Bay down to Malibu. They also inhabited the Channel Islands and one of their creation legends has them traveling from these islands to the mainland when they overpopulate the islands. They travel on a rainbow bridge made by the goddess, Hutash, who created them.

Want to read more? This is a link to the book http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/015202106X/jimbo2/002-9151923-1736854.

200 years ago Don Gaspar de Portola came with his troops in 1769. This was the beginning of the decline of the Chumash. The Mission period had begun and native Americans moved inland. Most died from diseases brought by the Europeans. Middens and village sites are still in the park. Middens are garbage dumps and this is how archaeologists often learn about past cultures.

The Chumash Indians http://expage.com/page/chumashindians

One hundred years ago The property changes owners many times after California becomes a state. It was used for grazing sheep until 1892. Later there was a the Pecho Ranch and Stock Company. There were crops raised and dairy. Alexandar S. Hazard hoped to grow timber for California and planted hundreds of eucalyptus trees in Hazard Canyon. However the wood wasn't usable for construction.

Note: This is part of a statewide planting of eucalyptus groves that a couple of Australians started. They got a lot of money and then left before the people who planted the groves found out they were worthless as timbers. There is a grove in this area as well.

History of eucalyptus in California http://wwwlibrary.csustan.edu/bsantos/euctoc.htm. Find out more for yourself. There are many colorful stories about how it came to this state.

In 1965, the property was purchased by the State of California for a state park. The name of the last owner, Irene McAllister, is what remained.

The park covers 8000 acres and seven miles of shore. There are many trails and we walked along one of them for awhile.

What is really interesting is how the Pacific Plate grinds against the North American Plate. The cliffs show how this has tilted the sedimentary layers and lifted them out of the ocean. I had a picture taken when I sat on one of these layers and listened to the pounding surf.

What else can be caused by the plates pressing against each other? Do you have evidence of this geologic activity where you live?

Otter watching Well it was already a beautiful day. Mrs. Vitali was very hopeful that sea otters would be present in the cove by Morro Bay. So that is where we headed next. We were lucky. There were two otters eating in the bay. You could hear the one breaking the crab and chewing on it. We kept hoping they would come closer to shore, but they were happy where they were. Eventually they playfully headed together out toward the mouth of the bay. They were so fun to watch.

Here is another great book The Adventures of Phokey the Sea Otter: Based on a True Story http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0964860007/qid=1045490319/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-9151923-1736854?v=glance&s=books

A link to Monterey Bay Aquarium http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/efc_fo/fo_otter.asp.

Study a little more about these delightful animals. They are still endangered. Are there any endangered species in your area you have been able to watch in their natural habitat? That is always special to experience.

After the otters we watched wind surfers. They used a sail to catch the wind and ride on the waves. It looked like a lot of fun. One man was doing flips in the air. When he went as far as he could, he walked back up the beach and did it again. More were out further in the ocean.

Well after all this we then walked into a few shops and found a place for dinner. I posed with some carvings and statues in a store Mrs. Vitali's daughter likes to call The Cat Store. There is an old cat (age 16) that is always there sleeping on her perch. She likes to be petted but not held. Visiting the cat is a tradition her daughter remembers from when she was little.

After dinner it was time for the drive home. Monday is a holiday for the Presidents' Birthdays.

Here are a couple more links:
George Washington http://www.pointsouth.com/csanet/greatmen/washington/washing.htm
Abraham Lincoln http://www.thelincolnmuseum.org/index.asp

Do you have special holidays to honor famous leaders in your country? Both of these presidents had a tremendous impact on our nation and are honored by all Americans.

Hope you enjoy all of this history and natural history links of California,

Mini & Mrs. Vitali

How many people do live in Reedley?
There are about 22,000 people in Reedley. Our school is in the country.

How warm is the summer?
Hi in the summer it is often over 90 degrees and sometimes up to 110 degrees. The summer is pretty hot. We visit whoever has a pool! Mrs. Vitali goes floating on the Kings River. It is mostly warm and cool in the summer.

In the winter it is mostly cold not that warm. Well it does get cold, but it doesn¹t snow here.

What sorts of animals live there?
There are many kinds of birds in California. Hummingbirds, Red Tailed Hawks, eagles, condor (these are very rare), pelicans, and ducks. There are black bears, bobcats, mountain lions, deer, chipmunks, squirrels, foxes, bees, coyotes, rattlesnakes, king snakes, rats and mice.

What do the students do in their spare time?
In our spare time we always read. (Great answer, but I doubt it is true for all students.)

How is the day at school?
We start school at 8:10 and end at 3:00. Most at the time we get out at 4 :00, because of Homework Club, Drama Club, or Tech Club. A day in Alta school is pretty normal. We start with math or language arts bellwork, math, spelling, then at 10:00 we have recess, after recess we have reading, then we do social studies, then we go to lunch, then we go to lunch recess, then we have music or PE, if we have music some fifth graders go to violin, then if it is Wednesday we have D.A.R.E., if not we have English, then we have science, and then we go home.

Note this is 5th grade schedule. D.A.R.E. is a anti-drug awareness program that is done in all schools.

How many hours a day do you go to school?
We are normally at school about 7 hours a day.

How do the houses look like? Are they made of timber?
Not all homes are made of timber. Some have stucco and cement.

What is the main city in California?
The main city in California is Sacramento.

Written by Luis, Jordan, Maribel, Tracy, Jackie, and Ernie (Tech Club students)

I have part of the site up (and all of the framework). Here is Mini's
first day http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/mini212.htm.
Here is the basketball game
http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/mini214.htm. I am going to add the
images and details for yesterday.

Cheryl

Cheryl

Working on recent projects got me busy on some unfinished items as well. I finally put up the images from last year's celebration. Although it is very late, there are some timely things online. It includes a link to our current exchange with Norway and a special peace message I'm sure many will enjoy.

http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/if2002.htm

Thinking of all of you and may peace truly prevail on Earth,

Cheryl

19.febr 2003

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Today is our special Norwegian party for Mini. I spent most of my evening
in the kitchen making fruit soup and krumcaca (a special Norwegian cookie
made on a special iron one cookie at a time). My principal and I both wore
Norwegian sweaters. I'm already too hot right now. I also have on a
traditional Norwegian pin and my Valkonien crest pin.

I am lucky, because my mother has done a great deal of research on my
father's Norwegian heritage. A book of her research is in the University at
Oslo. The clan of Valkonien traces back to Paavo Valkonken (both spellings
are used) about 1500 A.D. on the Malkola farm in Finland. The pin
represents either white, purity, or flame and they were thought to possibly
be keepers of the flame or fire. Eventually a descendent, Anders Valkonen
moved to area of what is now Sweden, and later descendents moved to Norway and then America.

My grandfather shares a common ancestor with Queen Sonja of Norway 10
generations back, Steinar Tordsson Fjagesun who was the sheriff in Seljord.
My grandfather and grandmother's families were early Norwegian immigrants to America.

The Old Muskego Church was built in 1843 by one of my ancestors. This was
the first Norwegian Lutheran church to be built in America. It was built in
Racine County, Wisconsin on what was swamp land. It was often a way station
for the early immigrants and many died from typhoid and other diseases
because of the swampland. Eventually it was no longer used and housed
chickens. Finally its' historic significance was recognized and the church
was rescued. It is now a historic monument in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Some of the students asked if I still had relatives in Norway. I do have
cousins in Norway and have met many of them when they have visited my
parents. Both of my parents started to learn Norwegian when I was in college
and are literate in the language. They have made many trips and my mother
has done a lot of research in Norway. She was thrilled to find the
connection with Queen Sonja because she then was able to trace back to the
first Norwegian King, King Harald Halvdansson Harfagre who died in 933 A.D.

Her family's history in the United States goes back before the Revolutionary
War. It is fascinating what information you can find when you search family
history. I am fortunate my mother has gone to this effort for about 25
years.

I will share photos of the day later and include the pin I mentioned and a
small model of the Old Muskego Church.

Cheryl Vitali

Two students wrote the text for last's Friday's events and helped with the
digital images as well. It is now online at:
http://www.kc-usd.k12.ca.us/alta/mini213.htm.

Cheryl Vitali

I am in the fifth grade. I am 11 years old. I have 3 sisters and 5 brothers all together. With my mom and dad, this equals 11 people altogether in my family. I live in the country. My family is happy there. My mother works sometimes picking fruit. I am not sure what my father does. He works long hours every day. We have 2 dogs. We are going to get a new dog. One is a Chihuahua and the other is mixed. We have chickens too.

I was born in Mexico and was in first grade when I came to the United States. I do not remember that much about Mexico. It was hard because I didn¹t speak English. I didn¹t know how to read. Now I have learned a lot more. My favorite subject in school is English, but my favorite is recess. In my free time, I go to my friend¹s house to play or do our homework together. It is fun. My favorite food is homemade tamales, posole (my mom only makes this for special occasions) and homemade tortillas. And there are lots of other Mexican foods I like but I can¹t name them all. One is made with cactus and chiles. Mrs. Vitali likes that and I bring it to our class party at the end of the year. I help my mom make pastries and sweetbreads. One has pumpkin in it.

I help my mom take care of the baby and clean up. I like to play tag and run. I do track and cross-country. I would like to be a teacher, but it will take a lot of energy and hard work. It would make my parents proud. They do not have a lot of education.
They came to the United States so we would have a better education and more opportunities.

I enjoy learning about other countries. Today we learned some about Norway. Mrs. Vitali made fruit soup and krumcaca. I liked the soup and cookie. We have done some quests. They are a lot of fun. I have done AustraliaQuest. We had an Aborigine party and Mrs. Vitali brought different foods. Then we did MayaQuest and learned about the Mayans. After that was AmazonQuest. We had foods from Peru and learned about the Incas and the rainforest. That quest was scary because of a vampire bat and a flood. Then there was GreeceQuest in Turkey and the islands of Greece. We learned about the Greek gods. The last was ColumbusQuest. These were fun and exciting. I hope one day I can travel to some of these places. I would like to go to Mexico and see the Mayan ruins. My ancestors may have been Mayan. I would take pictures because they help tell the story.

Your friend,

Seilaa

20.febr 2003

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Hi, this is Ashley. Mrs. Vitali is typing for me because I have a lot of work to catch up on. I am happy to be back at school. Thank you for your notes. I missed 31 days of school and most were in the hospital. My brothers were glad to see me. My friends were happy to see me today. My teachers were happy to see me today. My dog ran around when I got home.

I am so glad no one bugs me in the middle of the night! Hospital food is terrible. French fries are cold and tasteless. It is good to be home.

Your friend,

Ashley

Note from Mrs. Vitali: We are thrilled to have her back. I was so pleased and surprised to hear she would be able to return this quickly. She is doing well.

21.febr 2003

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We have thoroughly enjoyed hosting Mini and I will be getting up the rest of
the pages as soon as possible. I have a rather busy weekend so it will be
until at least next week that I have them up, unless I have a sleepless
night before then. There are some letters being finished and the otter
page will also be completed so all the links will eventually work on the
site.

Mini went to the Post Office yesterday at lunch time and is off to Scotland.
I shared the site with a professor I met from UCLA 2 weeks ago. She really
liked the Mini site and will be checking back on where Mini is. I haven't
had time to contact the local paper during Mini's stay, but later in the
year we often invite them. If I can find time, I will see if I can get an
article about Mini's visit in the paper. People in the town of Reedley
enjoy seeing what we are doing at Alta. Even the people at the post office
get fun out of seeing me come in with a special package for another country.
In a big city that wouldn't happen, but in a small town like Reedley you
really get to know each other.

I grew up in big cities so I know what it is like. I like living in a small
town in the country.

Thank you so much for all your letters and for having Mini visit.

Mrs. Vitali