By Parker McKenzie
Students at Ferntree Gully North Primary School are getting ready for National Ride2School Day on Friday 24 March, an annual event in which more than 350,000 students take part.
The free event is open to all primary and secondary schools in Australia, and Ferntree Gully North Primary School has been encouraging its students to get involved ahead of the big day.
School coordinator Natalie Blenheim said students at Ferntree Gully North already stay active, but Ride2School day is an opportunity for others to embrace healthy exercise.
“We’ve got a pretty large bike shed, so that’s something the students do fairly often,” she said.
“The way the day engages families and kids who wouldn’t normally ride on these one off event days is noticeable.”
Schools that register have access to posters, promotional material, stickers and count sheets to tally up the total amount of students who ride to school on the day.
Ms Blenheim said there is a huge amount of enthusiasm for Ride2School Day.
“It’s a really big event each year and we also have bike education at years three and four,” she said.
“We publicise it through the school community with posters and assemblies, and the kids will be talking about it ahead of the day.”
The event is part of Bicycle Network’s Ride2School program and has been running since 2006. In 2022, 911 schools and a record 370,000 students participated.
Bicycle Network Chief Executive Officer Alison McCormack said Ride2School Day is a day full of fun and colour where students, teachers and parents discover the joy of riding and kick-start healthy habits for the future.
“Riding to school can help students perform better in the classroom. Students who actively travel to school are more awake and alert,” she said.
“Their concentration levels and understanding of content improves. Students who are physically active are happier and healthier, they also become more self-sufficient and build resilience.”
According to the bicycle network, in the 1970s 80 per cent of school children rode or walked to school, but now more than 65 per cent go by car.
Ms Blenheim said it is a “really great event.”
“It’s great to see the students out and about, riding actively,” she said.
“There are so many amazing bike paths and facilities all around here anyway, so it’s just a good thing to keep active.”
For more information, visit ride2school.com.au
