Rokewood Primary School, located 43 kilometers from Ballarat in the Golden Plains region, is a small school committed to local climate and health action, as part of the Achievement Program.
They decided to put active travel in the spotlight to improve the whole school’s wellbeing and increase physical activity, while reducing their impact on the environment.
Students, teachers, and families participated in the popular Ride 2 School Day event, which saw 84 per cent of their 43 students total number students ride bikes and scooters or walk to school.
Ride 2 School Day is a national event, run by Bicycle Network, that encourages students to use active travel methods, like riding a bike or walking, to get to school.
Teacher Kim said the children were very excited to ride their bikes and scooters or walk with friends and family to school.
“It was wonderful to see all the children participating with their families on the day and having fun and spending quality time together,” she said, adding that it was another engaging way for children to spend time with their friends.
Students could also participate in a supervised active commute to ensure everyone could get involved.
Rokewood Primary has been supported by Hesse Rural Health’s health promotion and community health team, who also provided a smoothie bike for students to make fresh fruit smoothies once they arrived at school.
Teacher Kirsty said the students who had actively commuted were energised and eager to start the day.
“It was great watching the kids get a healthy and positive start to the day, with lots of chatter and laughter between them,” she said.
“We noticed that many parents and teachers were saying that we should do this again. It was a huge hit with the kids!”
The event’s impact has continued, with more bikes appearing in the bike shed frequently.
Rokewood Primary’s principal Ben Cook said the event was a great way to promote and support community connection and physical activity through active travel.
“Involving parents really helped boost participation and support for our event. It was awesome to see everyone excited about active travel and experience how easy it is in practice,” he said, adding that the school is planning to hold more active travel events in the future.
“Engaging with our local community health service and starting small was a big help to get us started. We really encourage everyone to give it a go!”
The Achievement Program is a free program that helps schools, workplaces, and early childhood services create healthier environments.
To learn more about the program or sign up, visit the Achievement Program website: https://www.achievementprogram.health.vic.gov.au/