Our project centers around a stuffed puppy named Ollie.
He wants to travel across the country meeting children from all 50 states!
How many miles will he travel?
How many people will he meet? Let's find out!!

Find out more about Ollie's Traveling Buddy Project!! You can also learn more about Owney (the real postal mascot who inspired this project) and find resources for our project.

Scroll down to read Ollie's Traveling Journal and learn more about his trip!!
Click the button at the bottom of this page to add your email address and
receive an INSTANT EMAIL NEWSFLASH of journal updates!


Where in the USA has Ollie visited?

Create your own personalized map of the USA!
Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida
Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana
Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina
North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Stops 1-5 Stops 6-10 Stops 11-15 Stops 16-20 Stops 21-25
Stops 26-30 Stops 31-35 Stops 36-40 Stops 41-45 Stops 46-50
**Classroom sites with a special page about our buddy Ollie!
(Teachers, please notify us if you add information about Ollie to your site!)

8/4/06
Hello there, I'm Ollie! I'm a collie puppy and I am quite an adventurous little guy (at least that's what my mom always says!). I guess that's how I would describe myself too. Especially when I tell you how I started this little online journal of mine... you see, my mom Mrs. Stamp adopted my brother Oscar and I, and had us all ready to meet her 2nd grade class at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in Manassas, Virginia. But they don't start school until September 5th, so I had some time to start exploring her classroom.

I couldn't believe how many books she has, she must REALLY love to read! (I bet her class does too!). Well, I found this book called, "Owney, the Traveling Dog" by Lynn Hall. It was all about an adventurous puppy named Owney. He was a real dog who lived in the 1800's in Albany, New York. He didn't have a home of his own, so the nice postal workers let him stay in the post office and they took care of him. Owney just loved to sleep on the mailbags!

One day, Owney followed the mailbags as they were put on a railway mail train (Yes, the mail was delivered by train back then!). Owney began to ride with the bags on trains across the state and then across the country. He just loved to travel! The workers at the post offices around the country "adopted" Owney as their unofficial mascot and remembered his travels by placing medals and tags on his collar of all the places he visited.

Remember how I was saying that I'm an adventurous puppy? Well, after reading this story I got an idea! I decided that I could do just like Owney and travel with the postal workers... but instead of traveling from post office to post office, I will travel from classroom to classroom meeting kids from each state! I REALLY love kids!! So that's why I started this online journal, so I can remember all my travels and adventures with the children around the country. (You'll help me, won't you?)

I figure I better show you what I look like so that you'll know who I am when I arrive at your school. The first picture is with my brother Oscar (I'm on the right). The second one is just me. Aren't I a handsome fellow?


Do you like my new tag? It says Ollie on it. Here's a close-up of my tag, because I am so proud of it! The next picture shows me right before I left for my first adventure. Can you see my box in the background? I know it is going to be a bit cramped but I am sure you will give me tons of hugs when I arrive so I will forget all about it!


There are two very important things I have in my box. One is my folder. Inside there is a copy of Lynn Hall's story. If you're good at the computer, you can also read it online! And don't forget to check out some of the other wonderful books and resources about Owney, the mail, and the United States on the Traveling Buddy page. My trip itinerary is also in the folder (and mailing labels too). Please, please help me visit all 50 states before school lets out! A school year seems like a long time but remember, there are 50 states and 52 weeks in a full year... and we don't go to school in the summer!! So, I really only have time to visit for one day. If I stay even one extra day, I won't get to meet children in all the classes (and I would be 2 MONTHS behind schedule! YIKES!). So, I need your help to keep me on track!

I'm also bringing a friends' journal. Please have everyone I meet sign their name in my book (and don't forget to write what school you are at too). Introduce me to students, teachers, parents, even principals! Since I'm only a puppy, I sometimes forget things, so this will help me remember all my new pals!! I wonder how many people will sign my journal...can you make a guess?


If you want to add a small pin or keychain that represents your state or school that would be great too (but, it's up to you). Just add it to my collar or attach it on my bandana. This will make me feel like the real Owney who was said to jingle while he walked (from all his tags)! When you help me write in this travel journal, please write about these things too so that I know who to thank later!

Do you know why I am wearing a bandana with a cherry on it? Well, I'm from Virginia and my town is very close by Mt. Vernon. Do you know a famous person who lived in Mt. Vernon, VA? Yep! George Washington, our first president. I know you have heard the story about President Washington and the cherry tree! We are also only about 45 minutes south of Washington DC, our country's capital. Washington DC is famous for it's Cherry Blossom festival in the spring (they're beautiful!). I am also wearing a green collar because my school's colors are lilac and teal, and green is the closest thing to teal. (Green is also Mrs. Stamp's favorite color, so that may have something to do with it too!)

Oh, I almost forgot... please help me write 1-2 paragraphs about all the fun we have together and email it to Mrs. Stamp. (I know you can help me write it in my own words!) Don't forget to write the date that I arrived at your school. Send pictures too! She will add it to my online traveling journal so all the classes can hear about the fun we have together.

I have one last favor to ask. Can you also mail all the classes a postcard telling them that I arrived at your school and describing your state for us? This way, everyone will know that I have visited your state and they can learn more about the United States! (That's the best part!) Don't worry about waiting to mail me until your postcards are ready... sometimes it takes more time to do all that cool research!! Just mail me to the next class and then send out your postcards as soon as you can.

That's about it... I leave for Florida in a few minutes. Wish me luck!!
Your pal,
 Ollie


Hi, it's me again! I have some exciting news... remember how I was telling you that there are
lots of books written about the postal mascot, Owney?
Well, some of the authors of those books found out about my trip!!

Irene Kelly is the author and illustrator of "A Small Dog's Big Life, Around the World With Owney."
 She wrote my class a letter and I thought you would like to read it. (Hopefully
that will make up for the fact that I won't get to meet them on the first day of school!)

Dear Students in Mrs. Stamp's 2nd Grade Class, I am an author and illustrator and have written a book about the famous postal dog, Owney. He was a very lucky dog, and you are very lucky childrento be able to participate in a project about him! I would like to meet each of you one day, but until then, I will introduce myself through this email. Here is a little bit of information about me: I grew up in Morristown, New Jersey where I spent oodles of time chasing fireflies, playing kick-the-can and sardines. My next-door neighbor was a lonely (and very clever) retired teacher named Gladys. Gladys had me "in for tea" most afternoons, where she taught me to read by playing Scrabble.  Reading quickly became my favorite thing to do, especially while sitting high up in my backyard maple tree. When I wasn't reading, I was tending to an ever-growing collection of pets:  goldfish, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, turtles and dogs. I loved everything about animals and nature and always had a notebook filled with my thoughts and pictures. One of my first jobs after college was as a book jacket designer and illustrator. Pretty soon, I met my husband, Jeffrey, and we had two children, Derek and Lucy. Both of my children love books and animals as much as I do. One summer, when Derek and Lucy were small, we saw salmon leaping over a waterfall. It was an amazing sight and it became the inspiration for my first book, Ebbie & Flo. My family and I live in New Jersey. We read lots of books and keep lots of pets. A few years ago, we hatched an egg and out came a tiny chick we named Betty. We taught Betty to ride on the handlebars of a bike, pump on a swing and come when her name is called. Everyone, including our dog Nellie, loved Betty. My grown-up life as an author and illustrator of childrens books is not that different from my childhood. I still read and write a lot, and spend tons of time outside. I have tea in the afternoon and still play Scrabble and kick-the-can. When Im not working on my books, I often visit schools to talk about writing and illustrating. I feel very lucky to be a childrens' book author and illustrator, as well as the proud companion to a chicken named Betty and a dog named Nellie. Have fun learning about Owney and maybe we'll meet one day. Sincerely, Irene Kelly

I hope I get to meet her, that would be so cool!


Jennifer Gordon Sattler is the author and illustrator of, "All Aboard, Owney! The
Adirondack Mail Dog."
 She wrote us this note:

Hello, I'd love to help with your project! I don't know if I have any information about Owney that you haven't already found, but I would certainly be willing to send a letter with some ideas about picture book making. Jennifer Sattler

I can't wait to see the letter she sends us! Isn't it neat that we will get to learn more about creating books?


Mona Kerby is the author and illustrator of many books. She has a new book, "Owney, the Mail Pouch Pooch" that she's working on now (It has not been published yet). She had a great idea for us: We can ask a real author questions about how she writes a book and learn more about Owney too!


Well, I guess that's all for now! I'll tell you about my adventures soon!!
Ruff! Ruff!
 Ollie
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1. due to arrive 8/8/06, arrived 8/7/06
(traveled 903 miles)
Mrs. Sullivan's 2nd grade class
Sessums Elementary School
Riverview, Florida

Hi friends,
I arrived in Florida a day early! I hope I stay right on schedule so that I can meet the children in all 50 states!! I really enjoyed my visit with the 2nd graders in Mrs. Sullivan's class. I even had a chance to meet a few Sandhill Cranes that live around Sessums Elementary. I arrived in bright sunshine and left during a thunderstorm, what a change in weather! I'm now bound for MS.
 Ollie


(L) Here I am with Mrs. Sullivan's 2nd graders!
(R) Check out the sandhill cranes I saw at Seesums Elementary!!

UPDATE! Postcard received 9/8/06
"Dear Friends, Have a fun time with Ollie! Love, Blake"
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2. due to arrive 8/11/06, arrived 8/9/06
(traveled 835 miles, TOTAL distance traveled: 1,738 miles)
Mrs. Longstreet's 1st grade class
Leland Elementary School
Leland, Mississippi

I arrived in Mississippi on August 9th; however, I didn't get to visit Mrs. Longstreet's class until the 10th. I was so ready and eager to get out of my traveling box. The secretary called the class to let them know that I was there and a little boy by the name of Rondarrius came to pick me up. I think he was afraid that I was actually a real dog. I sat with the class during their carpet time. I observed really good behavior in the class. Mrs. Longstreet told the class all about me. They even drew pictures and wrote about me. I loved it. I sat and watched. I also spent time with two other first grade classes. However, I don't think they took pictures. But, they did sign my book. I really enjoyed Leland Elem. first grade classes. They were so nice to me and excited to see and touch me. All of the students wanted to rub me. I even met the principal and one of the lead teachers. To get me ready for my next arrival, Mrs. Longstreet took me to Autozone where her husband works. I had the chance to visit a part store. I had the chance to help with a phone call. You will see on my pictures. I loved it! They even signed my book and took a few pictures with me. Thanks Autozone! The nice people at Autozone helped prepare me for my trip to Alabama. They fixed the box (I had to get a new one) and taped it up just right for me. From there, Mrs. Longstreet took me to Office Depot to ship me off. I enjoyed MS.
 Ollie


(L and R) Leland Elementary 1st graders are the best!


I just love meeting new friends!!


(L) I was so happy to meet the helpful people at Autozone!
(R) Here I am working at the desk.

NOTE from Mrs. Stamp, 8/9/06:
We just received an update from author Mona Kerby. She has completed a question and answer page about writing Owney, the Mail Pouch Pooch including the sources she used. Check it out!
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3. due to arrive 8/16/06, arrived 8/17/06
(traveled 423 miles, TOTAL distance traveled: 2,161 miles)
** Mrs. Pritchett's 1st grade class
Fairfax Elementary School
Valley, Alabama

Well, I arrived in Valley, Alabama, on August 17, 2006! Mrs. Pritchett and her first graders were as excited to see me as I was to see them. They took me on a tour of the entire school, where I met Mrs. Holley, the reading specialist, Mrs. Tucker, the principal, Ms. Laura, the school secretary, and Mr. Thomas, the assistant principal. Fairfax is the biggest elementary school in Valley with close to 560 students. Mrs. Pritchett and her class took me out to the memory garden at the school. We read stories and looked up information about Owney on the internet. I had a lot of fun, but I had to load up to move on quickly. Mrs. Pritchett found me another new box to travel in. She was embarrassed that it was a box she had written toilet paper rolls on the side of, but I didnt mind a bit! She told me that she likes to save EVERYTHING! I can believe it! I had a great time in Alabama, and I am excited to continue my journey on to Georgia and the rest of the classes in the good ol USA.
 Ollie


(L)Here I am in the front of Fairfax Elementary! See me in the middle!
(R)Here I am in the memory garden in the back of the school! It was planted for a student who passed away from cancer.


(L) A close up of ME!
(R) Mrs. Pritchett even posed for a picture with me! She thought she was safe behind the camera!
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4. due to arrive 8/21/06, arrived 8/22/06
(traveled 115 miles, TOTAL distance traveled: 2,276 miles)
** Mrs. Johnson's 2nd grade class
Oak Grove Elementary School
Acworth, Georgia

I arrived at Oak Grove Elementary, in Acworth, GA on August 22nd. I was just in time to meet Ms. Johnson's class for Curriculum Night! I got to meet all of the second graders' parents and even the principal, Ms. Lince! Some of the parents even signed my journal! I had a great time in Ms. Johnson's class. We were studying all about maps, and I was able to show them my travels so far. They were able to tell me more about their state. Did you know the Live Oak is Georgia's state tree? They even have a sports team named after their state bird, the Brown Thrasher. I was able to take pictures with everyone in the class, even the principal. I even got a picture with the Cat and the Hat! I can't wait to visit South Carolina!
 Ollie


(L) The kids even showed me where Georgia was on the map! How nice!
(R) Here I am hanging out with Dr. Seuss in the reading corner!
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5. due to arrive 8/25/06, arrived 8/30/06
(traveled 258 miles, TOTAL distance traveled: 2,534 miles)
** Mrs. Sopher's 2nd grade class
Marshall Elementary School
Orangeburg, South Carolina

Wow, what a day I have had in South Carolina at Marshall Elementary!! I arrived just in time to meet the students and get hugs from everyone before we were off to lunch. Yum, yum...we had pizza! I met so many wonderful students and teachers in the cafeteria. Boy those 4th and 5th graders are BIG! I had a private session with Mr. Fogle, the principal. We had a good talk about my adventures so far, and he signed my journal. After lunch we headed out for recess...whew was it hot. I stayed with Mrs. Sopher so that I wouldn't get dirty...of course I didn't mind, but she wanted me looking my best for my trip to North Carolina. And all the buzz was about the pending tropical storm...would it close the schools? I joined the class for their activity time in Music, and met Ms. Corry. She had some other animal friends there and tried to talk them into coming with me, but they decided to stay there with Ms. Corry. They wanted me to stay, and they were such fun that I almost stayed, but Mrs. Sopher reminded me that I needed to visit North Carolina. So I left them there, but we promised to keep in touch!. The wonderful students took me outside and we took some pictures so that I could remember each and every one of them. After taking a short tour of the school, we came back to the cool classroom to do some final work. Wow did we have fun. We sang some songs and had a great time. I went home with Mrs. Sopher and got to meet her family (which includes two big and one little dog!) I snuggled with the other dogs for a good night's sleep before it was up early to catch my flight to Asheville, North Carolina. What fun I had in the Palmetto state where milk is the state beverage!
 Ollie


(L) Here I am with Mrs. Sopher's Class. What a great group!!
(R) I just love math!
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6. due to arrive 8/31/06, arrived 9/5/06
(traveled 197 miles, TOTAL distance traveled: 2,731 miles)
** Mrs. Nelson's 2nd grade class
Evergreen Community Charter School
Asheville, North Carolina

Today I arrived in Asheville, North Carolina, "Land of the Sky". The kids here at Evergreen Community Charter School welcomed me to their classroom right before they had to leave for home. We snapped a few photos together and read a story about - guess who?! That's right, my friend, OWNEY!

Tomorrow, the Evergreen kids will take me around the school to get autographs from other kids and school workers. I can't wait to see the school. The kids were telling about their nature trails, greenhouse, and the school weather station. Kids here at Evergreen love to study nature and the environment!

When I was in the classroom today, I met another animal friend named Fluffy. He is a wolf. Fluffy told me that he is going on an adventure too! Ms. Kim (Mrs.Nelson) and her class are going to the post office on Thursday to mail Fluffy to Georgia. Fluffy was a little scared, but I told him not to worry! Well, I'm off to bed. I have a busy day at Evergreen tomorrow and then I'm off to Memphis in the afternoon. Talk to you soon!

Love,
 Ollie


(L) I had a blast meeting the children at Evergreen School!
(R) It was fun sharing my Friends' Journal too.


(L and R) Of course you know that I loved reading with my new pals!!

UPDATE! Postcard received 10/11/06
"Dear Friend, Ollie arrived safely. We had a lot of fun playing together! Your friend, Aamon"
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7. due to arrive 9/5/06, arrived 9/8/06
(traveled 502 miles, TOTAL distance traveled: 3,233 miles)
Ms. Hopper's 1st grade class
Kingsbury Elementary School
Memphis, Tennessee

Hi everyone!

Wow, what a great time I had in Memphis! I arrived at Kingsbury Elementary late on a Friday afternoon, after everyone had gone home. I was pretty lonely sitting there all weekend, but once Ms. Hopper's class got to school Monday morning, the fun started. Memphis is in Tennessee, which is known as the "Volunteer State." I thought I'd better try it out, so I volunteered all over the school. I think I was a great help. Ms. Hopper's class told me all about their city and their state. Did you know Memphis sits right next to a huge river? It's the Mississippi River. They have big riverboats and barges that go up and down the river. It sounds very exciting.

I think the coolest thing about Memphis must have been the music. Have you ever heard of Elvis Presley? He used to live here. He has some very neat songs. My favorite one is "Hound Dog." I, myself, am not a hound, but some of my best friends are. Ms. Hopper's first grade class had such a fun time playing with me, they didn't want to put me back in my box. They knew all of you were waiting to see me though. I'll be leaving this afternoon on my way to Kentucky. I hear the grass there is blue! I guess I'll find out soon enough!
Love,
 Ollie

P.S. I got to have my picture made with Mr. Higgins, the principal, and the whole class.



NOTE from Mrs. Stamp, 9/8/06:
We received a wonderful note from Jennifer Gordon Sattler, the author and illustrator of, "All Aboard, Owney! The Adirondack Mail Dog."

A big "Hello" to Mrs. Stamp's second grade class! I hear that you guys are doing a project that will travel the United States, just like Owney did! I first heard about Owney when I was reading a book of stories of the Adirondacks. I found out that he started his journey in Albany, New York, not far from where I live. I thought, "I can't believe that this is a true story! Kids should know about this amazing dog!!" My publisher wanted me to do a book about the Adirondacks. I told him about Owney. "Terrific!" he shouted. And I started drawing.  I only had a couple of pictures of Owney, and they weren't very cute. I knew that he had to be a mutt (my favorite kind of dog) and that he was scruffy, with lots of different colors. So, I drew lots and lots of dogs. Have any of you ever done lots of drawings of one thing? Like horses or volcanoes? After a while, it starts to get easier, doesn't it? Well, eventually I knew exactly what the Owney in my book should look like. After writing all of the words, I did sketches for each page. I made tons of mistakes and did a lot of drawings that were just plain stinky. I bet you guys NEVER make mistakes when YOU draw!! Well, if you do, then maybe you should be an artist someday! I sent the sketches to my publisher. When he looked at them and said he thought they were good, I started to paint. What kind of paint do you guys use in art class? I used acrylics for this book. When I finished all of the paintings, I sent them to my publisher and he sent them to a designer. She took the painting I did for the cover and turned it into a stamp. Pretty cool, huh, Mrs. Stamp? The designer also put all of the words I wrote on top of the paintings. Then all of the pictures were sent to China. There, in a giant printing press, they turned my paintings into a book. The books took a LONG boat ride from China (just like Owney did over 100 years ago) back to America. I hope this answered any questions you guys might have had about how I made my book. Good luck with Ollie!! I would love to see what you're working on. Send me a letter someday! Your friend, Jennifer Gordon Sattler

(L) "Me working on some flamingo pictures. You can see more of my pictures on my website."
(R) "This is a GIANT piece of paper in real life. As I painted each picture (on a
separate, nice sheet of heavy paper) I checked it off. I kept this big paper (called
a "storyboard") in my studio. It's about 4 feet long."
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8. due to arrive 9/11/06, arrived 9/18/06
(traveled 273 miles, TOTAL distance traveled: 3,506 miles)
Mrs. Finnegan's 2nd grade class
Lost River Elementary School
Bowling Green, Kentucky

Hello from the Blue Grass State! I arrived in Kentucky on September 18th, but the children in Mrs. Finnegan's class had already gone home. Luckily, Mrs. Finnegan was still at school when I arrived, and I got to spend the night at her house. I was so excited to be in a house again, but when I arrived, I didn't get a very warm greeting from her cat, Mr. Bo Jangles. However, he let me sleep in his bed and we became good friends. Then, I left the next morning to meet more friends in Kentucky.

My new friends were so excited to see me. They all wanted to pet me and show me off to their friends at Lost River. Before I met their other friends, Mrs. Finnegan's class told me that the grass in Kentucky was not really blue, blue grass is just a name of a type of grass. They also let me know that the world's longest cave system, Mammoth Cave, is located in Kentucky! Also, the students informed me that Kentucky's state fruit is the blackberry. I wanted to ask Mrs. Finnegan and her class if we could take a field trip to Mammoth Cave and eat some blackberries, but they told me that I had an excited class in West Virginia waiting on me! I can't wait to meet them either! I'll let you know when I get there!

 Ollie
PS: My friends in Kentucky gave me a nice warm hat since fall is going to be here shortly.


(L) Here I am ready for a good night's sleep... thanks Mr. Bo Jangles!
(R) My pals at Lost River Elementary!


(L and R) Here I am with new friends and a special, new hat!!
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9. due to arrive 9/15/06, arrived 9/21/06
(traveled 485 miles, TOTAL distance traveled: 3,991 miles)
** Mrs. Ferguson's 1st grade class
Ridgedale Elementary School
Morgantown, West Virginia

Hello Everyone,
I arrived in West Virginia on Thursday, September 21st. I could not wait to get out of my box. I am so glad I had my new hat from my friends in Kentucky. It was so cold when I got to West Virginia. The boys and girls were at Art class. I surprised them when they came back. Mrs. Ferguson read the story about Owney while I visited with each of the children. I got lots of hugs and kisses. Then I watched the children take a math test. They are really smart! Soon it was time to go home.

These children live near Morgantown. Morgantown is the home of West Virginia University. Let's go Mountaineers! The children gave me a pin that has the flying WV in a heart. Everyone here is a Mountaineer fan.

Did you know West Virginia used to be part of Virginia? West Virginia became a state during the Civil War. There are 55 counties in West Virginia. There are two panhandles. A panhandle is part of the state that sticks out from the rest of the state. The northern panhandle is very skinny and lies between Pennsylvania and Ohio. You can stand on one side and look across West Virginia into the other state. Isn't that funny! The eastern panhandle is wider but it is very crooked. It lies between Maryland and Virginia.

When people think of West Virginia they usually think of coal mines. There are lots of coal mines in West Virginia. People have to go deep in the ground to bring out the coal. Coal is used to heat homes and schools and to produce electricity. People can visit a real live coal mine in Beckley, WV.

After school I got to meet a real puppy. He belongs to, Marissa, one of the little girls in this class. Her mommy is a teacher in this school and she brought the puppy to meet me. You will see Mr. Moore, the custodian holding both of us.

The next morning I got to meet the principal, Mr. Graffious, and the Secretary, Mrs. Smith. I helped the children do their morning work and reading lessons. At 11:30, Seth's mom came to take me to the post office. Before going back in my box, I kissed everyone goodbye. Now I am off to see all my new friends in Maryland. I can't wait to get there.
Love,
 Ollie


(L) I made tons of new friends in Mrs. Ferguson's 1st grade class.
(M and R) Luckily I got to meet these 2 boys (who were absent when I arrived) before I left early Friday morning!


(L) I enjoyed meeting Marissa's puppy and Mr. Moore too!
(M and R) In the office, Mr. Graffious and Mrs. Smith were both so kind and friendly.

UPDATE! Postcard received 10/3/06
"I took a picture with Ollie. I hugged...." Our postcard arrived torn in 1/2 (in a special bag from the US Postal Service)! We can't wait until WV "solves the mystery" and tells us what the rest of the message was! :o)
UPDATE! Email received 10/10/06
"To Mrs. Stamp's Class, Each child in our class wrote about 4 or 5 of the postcards. We think your card was written by Joshua. His uncle lives in Virginia. So he wanted to make your card. The message on each card was a little different. I think the rest of the message was something like this: I hugged him. I miss him. Love Josh Sorry it came in that condition. Love to you, Mrs. Ferguson's class PS Have you received post cards from any other state? We have only gotten one from Florida so far."
UPDATE! from Mrs. Stamp 10/10/06
We have received a postcard from Florida and you, in West Virginia. We can't wait to get some more!! Love, Mrs. Stamp :o) PS Don't worry about the postcard... we just have to remind those postal workers to be careful with the postcards and Ollie!
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10. due to arrive 9/20/06, arrived 9/25/06
(traveled 212 miles, TOTAL distance traveled: 4,203 miles)
Mrs. Poland's 2nd grade class
St. Rose of Lima School
Baltimore, Maryland

Wow! What a great time I had in Baltimore today! I arrived after dismissal on Monday, so I went home with Mrs. Poland, whose two golden retrievers thought I was quite curious. I think they were jealous of my hat! At school today,the children were thrilled that I made it safely to them. Everyone had a chance to care for me during the day. They were all very gentle and loving. I even got a chance to listen to one of their stories on a tape. Those headphones were big!! I also made some extra friends. The second graders have some pet monkeys that they take home on the weekends. They have a journal just like me! I also went to music class and the music teacher let me play the xylophone. That was a new experience! I was sad to leave Baltimore so soon--I didn't even get a chance to have a crabcake! Maybe next time! I'm off to neighboring Delaware. I can't wait to see what they have planned for me!
Love,
 Ollie


(L) I love listening to books with my buddies!
(R) The monkeys and I shared some of our best stories too.


(L and R) Second graders are so much fun!! The kids even gave me an "I love St. Rose's" pin!
THANKS!
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11. due to arrive 9/25/06, arrived 9/29/06
(traveled 69 miles, TOTAL distance traveled: 4,272 miles)
** Mrs. Russell's 1st grade class
Our Lady of Fatima School
New Castle, Delaware

Hi everyone! I arrived late Friday afternoon in Delaware. The children were having Spanish class and I didn't get to spend any time with them. Mrs. Russell took me home with her. I spent time with her two daughters and her two dachshunds. I had fun, but I couldn't wait to get to school Monday to visit the first graders at Our Lady of Fatima. I arrived Monday morning to smiling faces and cheers. The children were so excited to see me. I had many many pictures taken with the boys and girls. I even got to meet the school secretary, the Spanish teacher, the art teacher and the other first grade class. The children really enjoyed listening to the story about the real traveling dog. We went outside and took a picture. Then I watched the children take a reading test. They sure are smart. I was very excited to get a Delaware pin added to my scarf. It is the shape of the state of Delaware.

Did you know that Delaware is called the First State? Delaware was the first state to sign the Declaration of Independence. Delaware has three counties. OLF is located in New Castle County the Northern county. Kent County is in the middle of the state and Sussex County is the Southern county. They have several beautiful beaches in Sussex County. Did you know that Delaware is the second smallest state and you can travel by car from the Northern tip to the Southern tip in about 2 hours? Delaware is surrounded by Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The residents of Delaware are lucky to be so close to so many states. The University of Delaware's Fighting Blue Hens are not far from OLF. The U of D is Mrs. Russell's alma mater. I learned so much about the state of Delaware on my visit and now I'm off to the Garden State of New Jersey.
Love,
 Ollie
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12. due to arrive 9/29/06, arrived 10/4/06
(traveled 152 miles, TOTAL distance traveled: 4,424 miles)
Miss Siersma's 3rd grade class
White Rock Elementary School
Oak Ridge, New Jersey

Bark! Bark! I arrived Wednesday afternoon. The secretary called a student down to get me. Miss Siersma was so excited to see me that she screamed. All of the students couldn't wait to meet me too. I came just before last period so I went to library with them. I listened to some great stories. Because I arrived so late on Wednesday, I decided to stay until Thursday. The principal kept me overnight. He wanted to read all of the information that I brought in my box. I couldn't wait to see the students on Thursday. I knew it would be a fun day. One of the students brought in a stuffed dog so I wouldn't be lonely - that is who I am with in the pictures. Thursday started with getting to see a monarch butterfly hatch. That was awesome! Then I listened to some really neat stories about Owney. I went to art in the afternoon - I wore a smock so I wouldn't get paint on my paws. Before I left I received 2 cool pins. One is a New Jersey pin and the other is a White Rock Elementary School pin. I had a great visit in New Jersey!

Love,
 Ollie


(L and R) My new dog pal and I enjoyed listening to stories about Owney (and swapping our own stories too!).


Check out my new pins from the cool 3rd graders in Miss Siersma's class! Thanks again!

UPDATE! Postcard received 10/27/06
"New Jersey-- State Nickname: The Garden State; State Motto: "Liberty and Prosperity". The horse is the state mammal. Atlantic City is where the street names came from for the game Monopoly. The purple violet is the state flower. Dear friends of the USA, We loved having Ollie in our class! Ollie came to library and art with us. He was here during a fire drill. We hope you have as much fun with him as we did! From Miss Siersma's class."
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13. due to arrive 10/4/06, arrived 10/10/06
(traveled 178 miles, TOTAL distance traveled: 4,602 miles)
** Ms. Seuferling's 1st grade class
Voluntown Elementary School
Voluntown, Connecticut

Woof! Woof! I arrived at the Voluntown Elementary School. School was closed for a four day weekend. I got to sniff around the office. The secretary called down to the first graders to tell them that Ollie arrived. We walked down the long hallway to go find the first graders. Ms. Seuferling met me with her class. Children and adults were so happy to see me. We took pictures near the Chinese New Year Dog made in 2006. Mrs. Weirs first graders were also excited to see me. It was fun to take pictures with both groups. The first graders gave me a Mystic Aquarium pin from Connecticut to place on my scarf.

I get to go on a field trip to East Lyme, CT. We are going to an Apple Orchard. Oh, great we are taking a cart ride through the forest to view where apples are grown. What a fantastic day with two new other friends, "Volly" bear from Voluntown, CT and "Greenie" bear from Greenville, Ohio!

I am going on a car ride to West Warwick, Rhode Island. I left Voluntown on the 12th and arrived in Rhode Island on the 12th. This time there were no post office stops. I went from school to school. LOL! I met the principal and he will bring me down to the first grade there.
 Ollie


(L) I met the Chinese New Year dog... instant pals!
(M and R) The apple orchard was a wonderful field trip.


(L, M, and R) The cart ride brought us a terrific surprise, a STAR inside an apple!


(L) It was a blast meeting Volly, Greenie, and the children at Voluntown Elementary!!
(R) First Grade teachers Mrs. Weir and Ms. Seuferling were tons of fun too!

UPDATE! Postcard received 1/25/07
"Dear Ollie's Friends, Ollie made his visit to CT during the fall. He traveled by hand to Rhode Island to gain time of travel. He had an exciting day with us in Voluntown, CT. We used colored pencils to color in the USA map, each time we got a mascot or postcard from another state. We have 26 kids in our first grade! He have the largest state forest in CT called Pachaug State Forest. We are looking forward to snow! No snow yet! Living in CT has many things to do. This year we will see a play with the Junie B. Jones character. We love to hear Junie B. Jones--book 18 now. We live 40 miles away from the Atlantic Ocean. Our 100th day of school is February 1, 2007. With love, Ms. Seuferling's First Grade (13 kids) and Mrs. Weir's First Grade (13 kids)"

 UPDATE! 8th Graders Write News Article About Ollie's Travels, 3/11/07
Click here to view the VJHS Express!
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14. due to arrive 10/9/06, arrived 10/12/06
(traveled 25 miles, TOTAL distance traveled: 4,627 miles)
** Mrs. Gemma's 1st grade class
Greenbush Elementary School
West Warwick, Rhode Island

I arrived in Rhode Island, the Ocean state on October 12. The kids were so happy to see my box in the office. Mrs. Gemma brought the box up to the room and the class opened it up right away. They told me that I was so cute! They all got a chance to hold me and look at my pins. They had a RI magnet, so now I have a new souvenir of my trip. Mrs. Gemma told everyone about Owney and all the traveling he did. Wow! Were we ever impressed! We took a class picture and then got ready for the Reading Buddies to come. They liked me too. They all took turns signing my journal. We listened to Robert Munsch stories together. They were so funny! After lunch I did science with the kids. We did an experiment with clay and water. We were shaking up the clay in our vials and dancing around the room. Everyone looked so silly! I was giggling at what they were doing. When we were getting ready to go to computers, Mr. Andrews, our school principal stopped by for his daily visit. I was introduced to him and he even signed my journal. We all then went to the computer lab. I got to sit on top of Mr. Levesques computer while the class worked in the lab. When we came back to the room, Mr. Gemma was there. He came to work with us and to meet me. Of course he signed my journal too. When Mr. Gemma got ready to leave, I got packed up and ready for my trip to MA. It was fun meeting Mrs. Gemma's class, even if it was only for a day!
 Ollie


I had a fun time laughing with the kids in Mrs. Gemma's class!

UPDATE! Postcard received 10/19/06
"Roger Williams founded the first permanent white settlement in Rhode Island at Providence in 1636 on land purchased from the Narragansett Indians. Rhode Island is also called the Ocean State. We have over 400 miles of coastline and many beautiful beaches. Our state tree is the Maple. Our state bird is the RI red hen and our state flower is the violet. Our motto is HOPE. We hope you can visit our lovely state someday. We are the smallest state. From Greenbush School, Mrs. Gemma's 1st grade"
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15. due to arrive 10/13/06, arrived 10/17/06
(traveled 53 miles, TOTAL distance traveled: 4,680 miles)
** Ms. Mulkern's 1st grade class
St. Joseph School
Needham, Massachusetts

I arrived after school ended on Tuesday in Massachusetts, and was waiting to meet the children in 1A Wednesday morning. It was a cold crisp morning - it's already starting to feel like winter here! The children were very excited to meet me. We studied the map to see which states I had already visited.

We had a fun and busy morning practicing our spelling rules, and working on addition. At recess, we gathered lots of colorful leaves that have fallen off the trees out back, and tried to identify what types of trees are on our playground. The children performed the play "The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything" for me. They did such a great job! They are performing the play for the kindergarteners next week.

I was sad to say good bye to the children at the end of the day. They showed me on the map what states I will travel through to reach Maine. Many of them have been to Maine before, so they had great stories to share about the state! What a fun day!
 Ollie
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Click on the running dog to see Ollie's continued adventures!