Missing Waukesha Gingerbread Spotted Across The Globe

WAUKESHA, WI — A missing gingerbread man from Waukesha has been spotted outside the city limits and across the world.

It all began after kindergarten students at Hawthorne Elementary School were reading different versions of the "Gingerbread Man" in December.

The point of reading the fairytale was to learn about comparing and contrasting characters, said Michelle Sanderfoot, a kindergarten teacher at Hawthorne Elementary.

Sanderfoot has been teaching students about the missing gingerbread for 10 years. She has students decorate and bake a gingerbread man at school.

Sanderfoot said the class role-plays that the cookie ran away.

In the past, the class would do writing exercises about spotting the gingerbread man in the hallway or around the school.

This year, the longtime educator asked parents to help by sending in postcards with news of a gingerbread man sighting.

"I thought about my time in school and Flat Stanley [children's book] and how he traveled the world," Sanderfoot said.

She thought a few postcards and letters would come from students' families.

Sanderfoot shared a post with a private teacher Facebook group, and that post was shared.

"The second week it took off. We [the class] kept getting more and more letters and postcards," she said.

The students received postcards and letters from other students in different states such as Florida and Ohio and countries such as Australia and England. Some would send keychains or fact sheets about where they live.

A retired teacher was doing some baking in New York when she "spotted" him by her oven.

"She sent us a postcard and crumbs," Sanderfoot said.

Students from all over sent in their writing projects about the missing gingerbread man.

Students would discuss how the weather is different in those areas and how they would have to travel to get to those places.

Sanderfoot said people have also started emailing the school with sighting reports.

"I'm blown away by what people put in the cards and that they took the time out of their day to do this," she said.

The teacher has a strong hunch the missing gingerbread man will be back in time for Valentine's Day.

Have you spotted the missing gingerbread man in your neck of the woods?