Slow Movers are the Winners!

On Friday, St Augustine's spent the time between assembly and recess to celebrate National Ride to School Day with an active travel carnival. A staple in our school calendar is the annual slow race and our students were excited to have our Phys Ed teacher, Mr Breen, join the Yr 5 and 6 event this year.

The whole school was sitting in the undercover area to watch the races. As the competitors getting ready on the start line, a chant started up - "MIS-TER BREEN, MIS-TER BREEN"

Our Assistant Principal, Ms Peake, gave the call "3-2-1 gooooo slllllllloooooooooooowwwwww" and they … were … off, … very.... very … slowly. It wasn't long before we had our first bike down.

After the first causality many more bikes bit the dust - the cream was ‘slowly’ rising to the top.

Eventually with everyone else eliminated, it was a 1 on 1 duel between Mr Breen and one of our Your Move Student Leaders. The two of them must have been channeling Anna Mears because they were both actually standing still!

After a few more tense moments, fantastic commentary from Ms Peake and a great deal more chanting from the crowd, Mr Breen crossed the line a defeated slow racer. Our Your Move Student Leader claimed victory.

Afterwards, the victor told me that he had been practicing 'track stands' on his way to and from school in preparation for the event 'ever since my first slow race in Pre-Primary'. That statement and the incredible buzz of excitement had me reflecting on the notion that Active Travel Fever has indeed been spreading at St Augustine's for a very long time - it is truly embedded as part of our school culture.