to Ollie and Oscar's
RACE ACROSS THE USA!
Who will visit the most states first? Who will win this Race? Let's find out!!
Here are the links to Ollie and Oscar's Online Traveling Journals!
They keep track of all their adventures across the country.
Do you want to know when Ollie and Oscar update their journals?
Just add your email address and you will receive an INSTANT EMAIL NEWSFLASH
whenever updates are made!
Ollie's Race!
4 states!!
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Oscar's Race!
11 states!!
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Find all the details about our Traveling Buddy Project here!! You can also learn more about Owney (the real postal mascot who inspired our project) and find resources for this project.
You may be wondering why we first decided to travel through the mail. Well, we read a story 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!). Owney began to ride with the bags on trains across the state—- and then across the country (and even around the world!). 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.
Well, after reading this story Ollie got an idea! He decided that he could do just like Owney and travel with the postal workers... but instead of traveling from post office to post office, he would travel from classroom to classroom meeting kids from each state! So that's how he got started in 2006-2007 school year. Ollie traveled again during 2007-2008 school year. This year, Ollie and his brother Oscar will travel at the same time--in a Race Across the USA!!
Here we are just before climbing into our boxes! Each binder has all the things we need for our trip (with your special help!). |
The first thing you'll see is this instruction page which will remind you of everything you'll need to do to help us have the safest trip! |
You'll also see a clear pocket of books about Owney. Of course, there are lots more to choose from... but we only had room for two: "A Lucky Dog" by Dirk Wales and "All Aboard, Owney!" by Jennifer Sattler. |
Before you send us on our trip, please have everyone in your class sign our Friends' journal. |
There is also a map to color your state. Click here if you'd like to print your own map! |
We also made sure to bring mailing labels for our boxes. The left label is for your return address and the right label is for the next destination. |
If you decide to, you can add a souvenir to our bandana or collar (but it's not necessary!). Mrs. Stamp gave us each a Virginia key chain to remind us of home. |
Within one week of mailing the box, please send the participating classes a postcard! Tell them all about your state (large labels work terrific) so everyone can learn about our wonderful country! Here are the address labels.
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Since we first read about Owney, we have read more and more books about this adventurous dog... we just can't learn enough! You can learn more about him too, in books and online.
You can also learn more about the Postal Service and the United States.
Well, we are off for our race! Please check back to see how it is going!! Don't forget to mail a postcard to each of the other classrooms so they can learn more about your state too.
WOOF!
 Ollie and Oscar
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rs. 
tamp's 
indergarten
