Classroom Trackers

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Greetings Trackers!

I am pleased to announce that I have been in contact with five school teachers in the past week who all want to track Santa for Santa as a class. I think this is a really cool idea.

That means making some special arrangements. Technically, each class is registered as an elf under the teacher’s name. They will be working together, collectively sending in reports for their individual areas.

I’ve also agreed to take their questions and reply to them via posts here on SantaTrackers.net. The first of these will be coming out in a couple of weeks.

I’m hoping this is the best way to handle this. Each of these great teachers have agreed to work with me as we test this out.

That being said, if you know of other teachers out there that want to do this sort of thing please put them in contact with me. At least while it is early in the season we should be able to accommodate them.

Some of you are asking about when to send specific reports. Right now, I want to focus on you sending weekly the stuff I asked for earlier – weather reports, mostly.

In about a week we’re going to start looking at rooftops and chimneys. But I’m not quite yet ready for those. It’ll be good to get those out of the way before bad weather sets in and I figure we have about a month still of decent weather, at least in northern areas.

Thanks for all you’re doing!

Let’s Get to Work Sector 3

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Elves of Sector 3 –

It is time for us to get to work. Effective immediately, I need the following information from your local area. Please see if you can send this in over the next ten days:

1. A roof report
2. An elf status report
3. If possible, a Kringle Radio Station ID

Okay, that last one is optional for shy elves. I just listen to a lot of Kringle Radio and I don’t hear enough from Sector 3 elves with the station IDs. It would be nice if we could hear your voices!

Elves in Sector 1 on Alert

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Elves,

The test flights of Santa’s sleigh will be wrapping up in Sector 5 this week and heading for “an extended period in the Pacific region”.

That’s us – or at least mostly us. I suppose it’s possible the sleigh could be on the fringes of Sector 2 at times.

Doesn’t matter. We’ll be in the spotlight.

My source in Flight Command does not say exactly where the test flights will be going. However, in talking with another elf I know who has contact with the North Pole Navy, I know ships of the navy are already headed towards Guam, Japan and the Philippines. I also heard one of the ships assigned to the Indian Ocean is transferring towards Australia and New Zealand waters.

So it looks like a lot of activity is headed our way for the next few weeks in September.

Also, just so you know, I’m looking to organize a chat with the other elf supervisors. Just giving you a heads up for now. If it is going to happen I’d like to do it around the middle of the month.

We’ll keep you posted.

Sleigh Sighting Contest

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Ok, guys – a little departure from the norm here but I think we can have some fun with this. Let’s have a sleigh sighting contest!

I have it on good authority that the test flights of Santa’s sleigh are headed back to Sector 5 maybe as soon as this up coming weekend. They will evidently be over Mexico, the USA and Canada for a week to ten days.

Also – and this is likely getting a little ahead of the news yet to be published at SantaUpdate.com – it appears that Santa is also in Sector 5 somewhere and HE’S IN A SLEIGH. You’ll be hearing more about that soon, I’m sure. I can’t say any more right now.

Anyway – here’s what I propose:

If you’re lucky enough to have clear skies – and even remotely see what you think is a flying sleigh, by all means, grab your phone and snap a photo or video of it. Upload it via a Sleigh Sighting Report.

I will collect these reports between right now and, say, September 7th. For each report you send in your name gets tossed into a hat. On September 8th, I will pull three names out. Those three names will win our first-ever prizes: a nifty SantaTrackers.net magnet.

You see, I’ve got a connection over in the properties department at Public Relations at the North Pole. They’ve been experimenting with some product development ideas and this is one product they have put together. I’ve got a small collection of these things – magnets, coasters, mugs, keychains, stickers – small stuff. None of it is available yet online but I’ve got samples that they are letting me use for prizes. You game?

I am! Let’s have some fun with this!

Disclaimer: this is for elves in Sector 5. And no, I don’t think any of the other Elf Supervisors are doing this (yet). That’s why you should move to Sector 5, because I’m the best.

What Tracker Elves Should Be Doing Right Now

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Santa Trackers Podcast
Santa Tracker Podcast
What Tracker Elves Should Be Doing Right Now
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On the newest episode of the Santa Tracker Podcast Elf Frank Myrrh interviews International Director of Santa Trackers, Elf Crash Murphy.

Crash explains what tracker elves should be doing right now. The Regional Tracking Centers in each sector are up and running and the Elf Supervisors are now calling the shots for tracker elves everywhere. Crash explains how direction comes from them and the order of reporting events for trackers between now and Christmas.

Elf Crash is questioned by Elf Frank about a number of topics in this conversation, including why some trackers set up landing zones for Santa on Christmas Eve.

On another topic, the total number of elves tracking Santa for Santa is discussed and Elf Crash explains why that’s a number he no longer plans on sharing.

This is a fast episode full of new and interesting information.

Tracker Alert – Sector 5

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We have reason to believe Santa may be in Sector 5 at this time. Tracker elves are hereby placed on alert status.

North Pole Security has asked that all Sector 5 elves – and that includes us – be shared this information:

Santa’s exact whereabouts are unknown. Recent reports, coming from several sources, indicate that eastern Canada may be hosting Santa at this time. He is traveling alone, without sleigh or reindeer, and incognito. He is on foot much of the time and using public transportation frequently.

We also have information relative to a possible destination for Santa in the coming days. Communications have been intercepted sharing that he may be headed towards northern Mexico.

Please be aware that Santa could be spotted anywhere within Sector 5 within the next 10 days.

If you believe you have seen Santa or have further information that can aid in the search for him you are encouraged to use the reporting mechanism set up for this purpose.

Please share this information with other elves who may not be online at this time.

Thanks!

Hola, Sector 4

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I send you greetings from the all-new Regional Tracking Center for Sector 4 located in San Nicolas, Aruba.

I’m not going to lie: this is paradise.

We’ve already had the crew out to the beach and surfing…and working hard.

We’re a little like Sector 1 in that we have a lot of contact with the North Pole Navy, although our area of concern is the Atlantic, not the Pacific. Even still, it is an honor to work with those elves. They do important stuff.

We’re getting ready for a fleet visit from them sometime in September. I’ll share news of that with you in the weeks ahead.

In the meantime, we’re just getting organized.

We’re ready for your reports and for the first few weeks we are going to focus on the weather.

It might be odd to you but we want you to send in a weather report at least once a week. We prefer to get these from you in our Sector every Wednesday.

Why?

Well, at first it is a calibration thing. We got instrumentation coming from the test flights of Santa’s sleigh and from the North Pole Navy. Also, there’s some satellite stuff going on.

You might think a weather report in August or September might not be important since Santa’s not going to be flying anywhere soon. But, for all the elements mentioned above, we really need accurate current data and forecast data from all over the Sector – especially Greenland.

So we hope you’re paying attention out there and can send in these weather reports every Wednesday.

There are more report requests to come, for sure. But we want to keep it simple for now.

We’re glad you’re aboard and we hope you stick around for the next 19 weeks as we countdown to the launch of Santa from the North Pole.

Let’s Rock, Sector 1

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Hello from our base in Fiji! Our tracking center here in Nadi is now fully operational and we’re tracking both the test flights of Santa’s sleigh as well as movements of the North Pole Navy.

We get a lot of questions about the North Pole Navy. Considering our sector is the one with the most beaches and the most shorelines against oceans it is natural the North Pole Navy is most active in our areas.

We are noting a lot of changes this year in many areas of the sector.

So we will want a lot of fresh reports this year in advance of Santa’s flight.

For those trackers out there who want to get started sending in reports, we’re going to start with weather reports and general property updates. The report calls will grow over time.

So, to begin, plan on doing the following:

1. Weather reports on Tuesdays. Try to include a five-day forecast for your area. This will change come December, but for now this will be the most helpful.

2. Local Christmas Reports will be pretty important each year. Please try to send in one of the these reports every Sunday if you can. They will seem kind of silly early on but these reports give us good information as the season goes on. There is value in doing this one every week.

That’s it for now, guys!

Now Hiring Sector Lead for Sector 3

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Greetings Trackers of Sector 3 in Europe and Africa.

Our new regional tracking center is operational in Vik, Iceland. My crew of elves are all here, everything is working, and we are actively tracking the test flights of Santa’s sleigh.

As we prepare for the season ahead I have a plan in my mind I want to move forward with.

The very first step is to get one of you on board as our Sector Lead. You can read about this very important job at this link (and apply via that page as well).

I need a capable partner. I cannot always been on SantaTrackers.net to connect with all the elves in our sector. So I need an elf who will be here a lot, post news when I need it and to answer questions from other elves in our sector.

I will need to get approval for this hire from Elf Crash and Elf Sandy Claus in the Department of Elf Resources. But I want to act on this quickly so if you are interested in this job please apply soon!

Time to Get to Work

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Fellow elves of Sector 5, awaken and arise! I send you greetings from our brand new Regional Tracking Center here in Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada.

Cold Lake is indeed a cold lake. We’re kind of far north for the first time in many years. But I’m enjoy the mild summer they have here and, in contrast to other parts of Canada, I’m pleased to report there are no large forest fires in this area. It is pretty and fresh here right now.

Our center is fully staffed, more than 200 elves are here with me getting ready for the season ahead.

Yes, it is still very early in the tracking of Santa 2023 but we’ve got work to do. Santa takes off in a little more than 130 days. Between now and the end of October, there is much we can do to get ready for that big day.

Let’s take it step by step. Over the course of the next few weeks I will be outlining for you the things you need to be doing from your location.

Our steps will begin with very “big picture” type steps. You will be sending in weather, geographical and structural information of a general sort. If you did these reports with us last year then you’ll be just updating information that you sent in before. This means the work will be fairly easy and fast for you to do.

We will also be focusing on two personal elements of Santa’s flight over the next several weeks: your personal home tracking center and, if you choose to do it, a landing zone at your home for Santa and his sleigh.

I’m also contemplating sending out a few prizes in the early going this year. No, I don’t have details of that yet but I wanted to throw it out there that I’m thinking about it. I think it would be fun to have a little contest or two and send out small treasures from the North Pole as souvenirs and thank-you’s for elves who work so hard all year.

What do you think of that idea?

Tracker Timeline Announced

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In the finale of the Christmas-in-July chats at SantaUpdate.com Elf Crash Murphy outlined a schedule for those tracking Santa for Santa in 2023.

Following a week-long training session for Elf Supervisors the first week of August tracker elves will be encouraged to begin sending reports to North Pole Flight Command for review.

Preliminary reports during August and September will focus on physical elements of each sector: changes in residential layout, new construction, previously unreported obstacles and known changes scheduled for mid-to-late December will be the focus of these early reports.

October and November will be dedicated to site inspections, focusing specifically on roof tops, chimneys and landscaping. Proposed landing zones for Santa will for the first time be part of the reporting routine during these months.

December will be dedicated to reporting on environmental conditions, seasonal societal attitudes and behaviors, and local weather reports.

Each of these reporting priorities will be personalized by the Elf Supervisors.

In addition, Elf Crash talked a little about what to expect around Santa’s flight time. Crash announced that tracker elf check-ins will begin on December 23rd and they will happen by sector.

Based on last year’s experience in tracking Santa it is anticipated that required tracker elf reporting on Christmas Eve itself will be limited to late breaking conditions and changing weather conditions.

All tracker elves are encouraged to check in frequently with their Sector’s news page and with the Elf Wall for updates and changes to this schedule.

Tracking Map Now Engaged for Test Flights

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The test flights of Santa’s sleigh have transitioned to a new phase. As the Regional Tracking Centers are announced elves are in training to begin flight tracking. To do that, they need maps.

That same training also applies to tracker elves. So, effective immediately, live data tracking maps have been made available for trackers worldwide via the Santa Tracker map at SantaTrackers.net.

Logged in elves can now see where the test flights of Santa’s sleigh are in real time. This is an exclusive feature for official elves only and it is not available to the public.

Surprisingly, this year’s sleigh is only on version 2. Test pilots are reporting excellent results with Santa’s new sleigh design this year. There are very few problems and the sleigh project is far ahead of schedule.

We will keep you updated on the progress of Santa’s sleigh.