Flat Stanley goes to the White House

Flat Stanley goes to the White House

While many of his classmates sent their Flat Stanleys to vacation spots, Savion Mathis had more ambitious plans: The White House. After months of anticipation and suspense, Mathis' buddy Stanley finally returned from his adventure with a letter from President Barack Obama. "I thought he never got the time to read it," Savion said of the letter he sent with Stanley just after the president was elected. Savion made Stanley with a little cardboard, a pair of scissors and some markers in his second grade class at Our Lady of Blessed Sacrament School in West Philadelphia last year. Part of the Flat Stanley Project, schoolchildren create their paper friends and then send them off to explore far away places. Stanley's "host" then shows their guest around and sends them back with a story detailing their adventures. Unfortunately, Savion didn't get an immediate response, leading him to believe that the trip had been a failure. "We said well you know, he's negotiating a contract or he's trying to find world peace somewhere," said Savion's mother Andrea. Then earlier this month, they received a special surprise in the mail. Stanley arrived home along with a letter and pictures of the president and the first dog Bo. "Flat Stanley got a chance to tour the East Wing and study its beautiful rooms," Obama wrote in the letter. Stanley even attended meetings with the president. Savion's favorite part of the letter was its ending: "Together we will make a miracle even better in the years to come. Sincerely, Barack Obama." As amazing as Stanley's journey was, the fun won't stop for him anytime soon. "I feel like I want to send him to Canada," said Savion.