Reflecting on a massive 2023

As I start planning for 2024, I'm looking back over my notes for 2023 and reflecting on what was achieved in 2023 and how we have progressed as a school community. Our Hands Up Survey results which measured a 27% decrease in car use, a 68% increase in walking and 37% increase in cycling over the 2023 school year are reflective of our strategic and consistent approach to promoting active travel at our school.

We started 2023 with a couple projects still in progress from 2022 - our bike shelter and our crossing guard application. Along the way we added in a new Bike Club and an Interschool Competition, which complimented our standing annual your move goals:

• Community: one active travel whole school community event each term
• Teamwork: green foot trophy awarded at every assembly to recognise the class with the highest % of students using active travel
• Individual: every student to have the opportunity to attend at least one road safety/bike education excursion/incursion per year
• Family: facilitate regular parent pledging to engage the whole family

Below are the highlights and reflections of the progress we made on our goals for 2023:

Create a student team from multiple year levels ✅
Selecting and Introducing Our New Team
Introducing our Student Leaders

Complete bike shelter ✅
A brand new bike shelter!

Crossing guard application approval ☑️
2021 - Starting the traffic warden process
2022 - Long road to children's crossing
2023 - (made significant progress, watch this space in 2024!)

Start a Bike Club ✅
St As Cycle Club (STACC) gets skilled
STACC x STANC = Weekly bike games

Interschool bike competition ✅
2023 WA Mtb School Series Achievements

One active travel event per term ☑️ (3 out of 4)
Term 1 - Biggest ever NR2SD for St As!
Term 2 - Walk to School Day 2023
Term 4 - Treasure Island 2.0 (23)

At least one road safety incursion/excursion or bike ed session for every St As student ✅
RAC Little Legends Road Safety Incursion
Yr 6 Camp Bike Ride
SuperBoost 23 Supercharging St As Bike Culture
Yrs 3 & 4 Constable Care Excursion

Parent pledge facilitation every term ☑️ (3 out of 4)
First Parent Pledges of 2023
Parent's engaged and rewarded
99 Boost to Parent Pledges

Green foot awards at every assembly ✅
Green Footprints Continue in 23
Green foot kicking goals at assembly
Green Foot Lining up for a Turn

As well as working towards these goals, we shared stories of the small wins along the way and racked up a total of 56 stories altogether! Towards the end of the year I went a bit quiet on the stories, but that didn't mean there was less 'your move' activity happening at St Augustine's, in fact the reason the stories went quiet was because I was too busy with the action!

Here's a brief summary of the your move activity at St As in November and December 2023 that wasn't shared in stories:

After a massively successful Bike Month Event on Kuljak Island, all the budgeting, invoices and aquittal needed to be administered. We also had multiple meetings with relevant stakeholders for our school crossing guard application, and with amazing support from the Your Move Team, we made significant progress on this (which at this point in time is still officially in limbo, but indications are positive). I also laid the groundwork for a Map Your Move stencilling activity, with the City of Belmont granting approval for us to paint the footpaths. I helped our handyman with the arrangement and installation of our bike racks and met with Ms Coniglio and Carol-Ann to discuss our successful 2023-24 Connecting Schools Grant package.

In the last week of Term 4 I also officially joined the P & F for 2024 in order to bring the Your Move Parent Co-ordinator role under the umbrella of the P & F. This a long term plan which Ms Coniglio and I hope will assist a smooth transition for the school when my children move on to High School (and maybe it could help me to share the load a little in the meantime 😅😅😅) In saying that when I reflect on the results of our 2023 Hands Up Survey data I feel extremely proud of the contribution I've had the privilege of making to my community with the support of the Your Move team and the structure of the Your Move program.

Now to start planning for 2024!