100 bears in brave new worlds

The day had come. Time for 100 fourth graders to say goodbye to each of their cute and cuddly teddy bears. Time to pack the bears in boxes and hand them over to the local post office so the bears' journey could begin.

This was the scene in Topsfield, Massachusetts. It was one day in late October, all part of a math-geographylanguage arts skill-building project, coordinated by fourth grade teacher Linda Cristofaro and her colleagues. Here's the way it worked.

The TriTown Educational Foundation donated 100 of the sixinch teddy bears. Students then worked on materials to pack along with the bears-a journal and any other small mementos.

All the students were responsible for coming up with places to send their bears. Many chose friends and relatives. Then the bears were ready to mail. The local post office branch sent over a truck to pick up the bears from the students.

When the bears arrived at their destinations, those with temporary custody were supposed to return a postcard to the bears' owners at Proctor School. The note includes information about the bears' temporary homes, as well as their next destinations.

As the postcards trickle in, they're tacked on to a giant map at Proctor School, so students can see where their bear friends are.

"We hope the bears will get to five different destinations over the next several months, beginning with states mostly in the South and Southeast," explains Linda Cristofaro. "We develop music, art, and drama activities to enhance the historical and geographic learning that occurs as the children complete state-by-state reports. And the students solve math problems as they track their bears."

Based on last year's experience when about 90 percent of the bears came home, students can expect almost all of this year's batch of bears to return this spring.

Some bears returned to their student-owners last year dressed in clothing appropriate for their area of the country-bathing suits for the stopovers in Florida and mittens and scarves as reminders of some of the cooler climates.

"The kids learn about places many have never been, and they make new friends as well," notes fourth grade resource teacher Doreen Kelleher, pictured above, left.