News release from the Fort Wayne Community Schools:
Forest Park students preparing for Bike-to-School Day in May
(April 14, 2016) – Students at Forest Park Elementary will receive pedestrian and bike safety lessons in preparation for Bike-to-School Day on May 4.
With more students walking and riding bikes to school, Fort Wayne Community Schools is partnering with the City of Fort Wayne and Parkview Health to celebrate National Bike-to-School Day. The event is also part of Kickstart Fort Wayne, a month-long community celebration of bikes, art, music and theater.
On Friday, April 1, students will learn about safe biking and walking strategies and the best route to get to school if they are not in a vehicle. Kate Riordan, active transportation planner with the City of Fort Wayne, will visit fourth- and fifth-grade classes from 12:15-2:30 p.m. to work with students on map-reading skills and share the importance of being safe on and near the roadway.
On Friday, April 15, Parkview Health’s trauma team will visit Forest Park from 12:30-2:30 p.m. to talk to students about bike safety and provide bike helmets for fourth- and fifth-grade students. FWCS and Parkview community nurses and wellness coaches will assist in bike helmet fittings. Bicycle helmets reduce the risk of bicycle-related head injury by about 80 percent, but most bike riders do not wear helmets, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
These safety lessons are being presented prior to National Bike-to-School Day on May 4. That day, Forest Park students who walk or ride their bike to school will be joined by Fort Wayne Police Bike Patrol Officers, FWCS officials, Fort Wayne City representatives and others to promote safely riding and walking to school.
In addition to teaching students how to travel safely, the event is also designed to build awareness in the community that there are many children who walk and bike to school, and adult drivers must be aware and patient as students make their way to and from school.
About Fort Wayne Community Schools
With nearly 30,000 students, Fort Wayne Community Schools is one of the largest school districts in Indiana. FWCS proudly allows families to choose any of its 51 schools through its successful school-choice program creating diversity in each school, including some with more than 75 languages spoken. FWCS offers seven magnet schools focusing on areas such as science and math, communication, fine arts or Montessori at the elementary and middle school level. In high school, students can choose from the prestigious International Baccalaureate program, Project Lead the Way or New Tech Academy as well as other rigorous academic and specialty training programs.
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