 
The kids continue to make progress toward the finish line,
and the 4th graders are on pace to reach there first.
Currently, the 4th grade is leading the 5th grade by 131½
miles. There have been a few comments made by students that
the 4th grade is leading because they have more kids.
However, the 4th grade only has two more students than the
5th grade (43 in the 4th grade, and 41 in the 5th grade).
It
may be good to keep in mind that when the virtual run across
America was done at Russell School during the 2005-2006
school year the 5th grade class finished the journey 3 weeks
ahead of the 4th grade... and that year's 5th grade class
had 15 kids LESS than the 4th grade - and ran in much colder
conditions. How in the world did the smaller 5th grade class
beat the large 4th grade class to the finish line? They did
it by determination and effort. So, nobody should be looking
to make excuses based on the numbers of kids in each
class... the weather conditions... or any other reason that
can be thought up. This is a trek that takes both an
individual and a team effort. Right now, the 4th graders are
simply giving a stronger effort. Does that mean that the 5th
grade can't reach the finish line first? Absolutely not. It
simply depends on how determined they can be to do so. This
would be a good time for the 5th graders to think about the
words of Tommy Lasorda, who managed the Dodgers professional
baseball team for 21 seasons. Mr. Lasorda said, "The
difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a
person's determination."
Alright, let's get to where the classes are on this virtual
Route 66 trip. The leading 4th grade class is between the
New Mexico towns of Moriarty and Albuquerque - out in the
middle of nowhere. They just ran and walked through
Moriarty, a town of about 2,000 people. It is located along
the longest remaining stretch of Old Route 66. The town has
supermarkets, banks, hotels, fast-food and full-service
restaurants, modern service stations and travel centers,
professional services firms, medical practices, and more.
That's not too bad for a small town out in the middle of New
Mexico. However, the 4th graders are about to arrive in
Albuquerque, which is the largest city in the entire state
of New Mexico with over half-million people. It's home of
the University of New Mexico and the Kirtland Air Force
Base. Each year Albuquerque has the largest hot air balloon
gathering in the world. It is called the Albuquerque
International Balloon Fiesta and it is held during early
October. It was started in 1972 with 13 balloons. It
progressed and in the year 2000 there were a record 1,000
balloons that lifted off in a mass ascension. Now the
officials keep it to no more than 700 registered balloons
for safety, and it is said to be the most photographed event
in the world. The average high temperature in Albuquerque
during the month of February is 55 degrees, so the students
should "virtually" experience some nice running and walking
weather. But even in Missoula the weather has been very
nice. This weekend the temperature in Missoula reached the
mid to upper 40s, and the snow is melting quickly!
The 5th grade class is currently in Newkirk, New Mexico.
Newkirk is another of the many old towns along Route 66 that
quickly faded after the Interstate bypassed it. The
Interstate runs right by Newkirk and it has two off-ramps
into town, but even that wasn't enough to keep many of the
businesses open. Folks got in too much of hurry I guess.
Sixty years ago Newkirk was a town of about 115 people with
4 gas stations, 2 lunchrooms, a few cabins, and a trading
post. Today it's just a ghost town along Route 66. However,
the 5th graders are only 33 miles from the town of Santa
Rosa. That is a town of about 3,000 people and is known as
the city of natural lakes. The hot runners and walkers will
even find water slides to enjoy in Santa Rosa... so relief
is in sight! You can also scuba dive, fish, and enjoy a
large man-made lake... which is great for boating and
waterskiing. While in Santa Rosa, don't miss the Route 66
Auto Museum. It has quite a wonderful collection of old
vintage cars.
So, how much farther do the 4th and 5th graders have to go
before they finish New Mexico and enter the state of
Arizona? Well, the 4th graders still have 206 miles left in
New Mexico, and the 5th graders have 337 miles in New
Mexico. At the pace the 4th grade class is going, they
should be done with the state of New Mexico in about 3½ more
weeks (or around March 5). The 5th grade should be entering
Arizona in about 6 weeks from now (or around March 24).
Remember, after they finish their current state - New Mexico
- they only have Arizona and California left to do before
reaching the ocean!
Thanks for stopping by this dry New Mexico milepost to check
on their progress. If you don't mind taking another minute,
the kids sure could use some
encouraging words.
As always, we appreciate your interest in this virtual trek
challenge!
Click Here To Read The Next
Journal Entry > >
|
5th Grade (41 students): Added
48
miles this week. Their total
is 1,234½
miles. They have 1,043½
miles
left and are 54% done with the trek.
