Coming up in PE classes in late May, we will have our Bicycle Safety unit for grades 3-5.  Since these lessons are during Spring testing, some PE times have changed.  For the most part, this unit will be from 5/20-5/31 with minor scheduling differences depending on the class.

Cascade Bicycle Club is loaning us a class set of bikes and helmets.  Students are highly encouraged to bring their own helmets.  This will save us all time since we won’t have to spend so much time fitting helmets, and we can get to the riding.

Our focus will be on road safety, including: ABC bike quick check, signaling, scanning, following rules of the road and signage, watching for obstacles, making eye contact, wearing proper clothing and gear, and being a predictable rider.

The first lesson, we will have a short safety video and bike knowledge written pre-test. We won’t have a lot of time left over, so we may or may not get a short chance to ride the bikes inside while practicing staying in lanes and signaling.

The next two lessons will be outside, and students will get a lot more actual bike safety practice while riding on the playground.

If your child does not yet know how to ride a bike, that is okay!  The student can participate on a strider bike, or can participate by holding traffic signs, cardboard cars, etc.  However, the option that I highly recommend is contacting me to set up a small group or individual bike riding lesson.  Often, with just a little bit of practice a child can get riding.  This is a life-changing accomplishment for a child, and I would be happy to help. Contact me at mlaughlin@lwsd.org. The best times for lessons are before school, although if this is not possible I am sure we can figure out another time. The bikes don’t arrive here until 5/16, so we would have to schedule the ride after that.