Dear Thornton Creek Community,
May is Bike Everywhere Month and we are planning several activities to encourage families to participate. This a state-wide event organized by Washington Bikes and supported by Cascade Bicycle Club. More information can be found
here
, and details for our specific activities are given below.
SAFETY
I'd like to remind everyone that safety should always be first when riding. Here are some safety tips:
- Only ride in conditions, locations, and with equipment consistent with your comfort and experience level.
- Always be familiar with a basic pre-ride safety check and safe operation of your bicycle (see link below).
- Please always accompany your children when riding, especially the younger grades.
- Helmets are mandatory in the city of Seattle (and should be properly fitted).
- When riding in darkness a front white light and rear reflector is required by law. A flashing rear red light is highly recommended.
THE BIKE FAIRY
Fridays beginning April 26, when students ride their bikes to school, they will have a headlight & taillight combo installed onto their bike during the school day. This will be while supplies last, but historically it has lasted about three Fridays. If you get skipped, or if your student rides and then you take the bike home directly, please contact me to make arrangements. The bike lights were provided by
Mend Bicycles
of Wedgwood at cost.
FRIDAY BIKE TRAINS
Bike trains will run Fridays April 26 through May 31 (pending availability of parent volunteers).
- The northbound train starts in the parking lot of the Metropolitan Market at 7:20 a.m.
- The southbound train starts at NE 94th St and 30th Ave NE at 7:25 a.m.
We need three parent volunteers per train each Friday (two in front, one to bring up the rear) to ensure the safety of the children. Parents are of course encouraged to ride along whether you are a parent volunteer or not! Interested in leading a bike train? Please sign up at
SignUpGenius
.
BIKE EVERYWHERE MONTH
This is a state-wide event, supported by Cascade Bicycle Club, where all citizens are encouraged to ride your bike everywhere.
We will encourage students to log any minutes spent riding
anywhere such as school, parks, the grocery store, etc. We will be sending spreadsheets home in Kid Mail, and there will be an online option to log minutes. Do your best to estimate time riding, and help your students log minutes as thoroughly as they can! We could qualify for the
Golden Pedal Award
(won by Thornton Creek for three years in a row through 2017).
BIKE TO SCHOOL AND BIKE EVERYWHERE DAYS
May 8 is National Bike-to-School Day, and May 17 is Cascade Bicycle Club's Bike Everywhere Day. On May 8, we will distribute popsicles at the end of school (in front of the main entrance) to students who have ridden their bike to school that day. On May 17, we will have a "celebration station" including additional small prizes. James Wiker, the owner of Mend Bicycles, will be performing helmet and safety checks for students after school. More information can be found here:
https://cascade.org/bikeeverywhereday
CELEBRATION AT THE END OF THE MONTH
If we reach our goal participation by students during the month of May, we will arrange a party such as cookie or ice cream bar day in early June. In previous years this was a pizza party for classrooms reaching the threshold, but to foster inclusion we plan to
include all students if the school collectively reaches our goal
. The final details such as specific food provided will depend on our final budget and will take food allergies and intolerance into account.
PARTNERS AND SPONSORS
Thank you everyone, please do not hesitate to contact me with questions, comments, or concerns!
--Tristan Osborn on behalf of the Bike Committee.
