Camp Sherman students learn safe cycling

Students at Black Butte School (BBS) recently completed a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) bicycle and pedestrian safety program. The six-session course was organized through Commute Options by way of a grant from Oregon Department of Transportation.

The school was one of only three in the state to receive the grant, and by far the smallest and most remote. The grant allows for the initial course and for the school to formulate an action plan that may allow the SRTS program to become a regular part of school life.

The students learned basics of bike riding, from identifying parts on a bike and how to make sure a helmet fits correctly and how to actually ride a two-wheeled conveyance. Two of the junior students, who didn't know how to ride prior to the course, were riding with confidence on the bike trail near the school by the end of the sessions. The lessons also covered how to safely navigate through intersections and in traffic and how to stay safe on foot.

Brian Potwin, the SRTS manager and Commute Options instructor, led the course and was assisted by Stephanie Blakelock, the BBS Health and Physical Education specialist. Blakelock, who teaches health and PE three days a week at the school, is committed to helping her students adopt a "fitness for life" attitude. Even though few of the students will actually ride their bikes to the Black Butte School, they may become bike commuters later in life, and many are likely to recreate on their bikes in Central Oregon.

"They'll learn lifelong skills relating to being a good rider or pedestrian," said Blakelock.

The course included several classroom lessons in which the students learned how to achieve greater awareness of their surroundings. They practiced being observant riders and pedestrians and how to avoid conflicts with cars. The class then headed outdoors for some real-time sessions on the bikes.

Commute Options supplied bikes and helmets for the sessions. The students learned to perform a safety check on themselves and their bikes before they practiced turns, stops and starts. Correct hand signals and road etiquette were also reviewed.

Blakelock is planning for the spring, when the school will participate in "Bike-Walk Challenge Month," a friendly competition hosted by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. It's a way to encourage students and families to make their way to school via bike or on foot. Blakelock hopes to organize a drop-off point for the students near Lake Creek Lodge. They can then use the Camp Sherman bike path to get to the school.