SuperBoost 23 Supercharging St As Bike Culture

We were lucky enough to receive a Term 2 SuperBoost grant package for Bike Education and Check-ups, and even luckier to have our favourite bike education providers Cyclesense assigned to deliver the package to our school.

Setting up the delivery of the program with Dave from the YM team and Chris from Cyclesense was very straightforward. All we had to do was provide a few preferred times and days of the the week and let Chris know which year level was going to participate, and we had a booking secured for Yrs 4 & 5 for every Monday afternoon for the second half of Term 2. Ms Khose surveyed the classes that were chosen, and determined we required a few hire bikes, which Chris was happy to supply, and organised the funding to be covered by our rewards points balance.

This was the first time one of my own children have been lucky enough to be in a participating class, so I have been able to witness the excitement firsthand. On the weekend before the first session, I sent a message to the class group to see if I could lend a hand to any families who's normal routines did not involve getting a bike to and from school.

I reached out to a friend with a child in the other participating class who extended the same offer to families in that class. We have had a few students take up the offer and Monday mornings and afternoons have been a lot of fun for everyone who has been riding together.

But don't let me forget about the star of the show - the bike education sessions and the bike check ups! The students that I have spoken to have reported back that they are having a fantastic experience during their sessions. All skill levels have been catered for: the team from cyclesense have skilfully created both a safe place for beginners to have a go and learn the basics and for the experienced riders to show off with some friendly (and skill developing) competition.

After the 3rd session, one parent provided me with feedback that she and her daughter are extremely appreciative of the opportunity to have bike education delivered at school. They had spent countless hours together trying to learn to ride, but until doing the sessions at school, it had never clicked. The staff have also been thrilled with the progress that the students are making. It will be with mixed feelings when the final session rolls around, as the students will have earned the privilege to leave the school grounds and go for a ride through the neighbourhood, but it will be the last session for this round of bike education.

A great compliment to the bike education sessions was the bike check up provided in the SuperBoost package. The CycleSense team were able to identify the bikes which may have needed some extra attention and got to work to get them running smoothly. The identified any issues that need further attention and attached a note to the handlebars to provide information the families.

Our Yr 4s and 5s from the Your Move Student Team have been so impressed with the sessions delivered by Cycle Sense that they suggested that we ask CycleSense to provide an obstacle course and co-ordinate bike games at our proposed Bike Month event. The whole school will benefit from the extended effects, or the super boosting qualities, of this grant package.