By Charlene Macaulay
Alamanda K-9 College students Tiana and Georgia are gearing up for a different kind of commute to school this week.
They are among the school’s 2000 primary pupils who are being encouraged to ride, walk, skate or scoot to school on Friday for National Ride2School Day, which aims to get families involved in active modes of travel.
Alamanda College Ride2School co-ordinator Allison Pattenden said the school was using this year’s event to launch its own weekly ride-to-school initiative.
“Each week on Monday, we will be holding Alamanda’s Ride2School day, where we will be working towards cutting down the amount of public transport used and increase the rate of students’ active participation,” she said.
“We believe it is a perfect opportunity to embrace a healthier lifestyle as a community.
“Students who ride or walk to school on a daily basis contribute to their minimum physical activity levels of 60 minutes per day.
“In doing this they are also more focused, when walking into the classroom each morning ready to learn, than those who are driven.”
Mrs Pattenden said if the initiative proved successful, the school would apply for a grant to assist with improving bike storage, creating a bike shed or purchasing bikes for a primary years bike education program.
