When Rockley Public School students earned a reward for their Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) program, the students overwhelming voted for a bike day – combined with a lunch of healthy burgers and salad.

The small country town of Rockley, in central NSW doesn’t have many places for students to ride their bikes. Recognising the scarcity of footpaths for riding, students concluded that developing their bike riding skills was necessary.

The day began with the students using the Safety Town website to learn why it is important to always wear a helmet when riding a bike and how to wear them correctly.

This was followed by a science lesson where the students created ‘helmets’ for their eggs and dropped them to see if the eggs were protected. This reinforced the understanding of the importance of wearing a helmet when riding.

As Savannah in Kindergarten stated when asked why she should wear a helmet, “Because if you come flying off your bike the helmet will save your head!”

Next was a visit from Constable Cooper from Rockley Police Station. Some interactive discussion and a fun quiz about the road rules and signs was enjoyed by all.

When asked what was one thing he learned today, Tobias in Year 6 replied, “Wearing a helmet lowers the chance of getting a concussion or hurting yourself.”

A healthy lunch of burgers and salad was served, fuelling the students for the physical activities that were to follow.

The students first walked the riding course with their teaching Relieving Principal Mrs Tracey Watson, who combined both direct instruction to the students, with discovery learning; where students developed solutions to the problems they would face while riding their bikes themselves.

This ensured the students not only knew how to use the course safely but understood when and where to stop, how to give way to others and to walk their bikes across the pedestrian crossing.

After a quick check of their bikes – tyres, brakes, handlebars and chains the students were allowed out onto the course (set up on the oval).

Here the students applied their learned knowledge to;

• navigate safely around the course

• identify and obey the road signs, including stop, give way and pedestrian crossing

• pass other riders safely, using their bell appropriately.

  
  

The day was a fantastic success.

Students learned the importance of wearing a helmet, how to wear it properly and how to use streets signs when out riding.

When asked if he would use what he has learned today when out and about on his bike, Tanner in Year 1 replied with enthusiasm, “Yea!!!”