Sunshine Beach State School students joined more than 350,000 students across the nation who rode, walked, scooted and skated to school on National Ride2School Day, on Friday 13 March.
The school’s student council members encouraged all students and families to leave the car at home and to not only get fit but also help save our environment.Ride2School is a nationwide program delivered by Bicycle Network and supported by the Sunshine Coast Council.
The program is conducted around Australia every year and seeks to support schools to encourage, empower and enable more students to get physically active on their journey to school. Cameron Porter, HPE teacher from Sunshine Beach State School, completely supports the school’s involvement.
“Any opportunity to highlight the importance of physical activity is welcomed.”Evidence suggests a positive correlation between children’s physical activity participation and academic achievement,” Mr Porter said.Over the past 40 years the number of children who are physically active everyday has significantly dropped.
In the 1970s, eight out of ten students rode or walked to school but today that number has dropped to just two out of ten.
Students who ride or walk to school contribute to their minimum physical activity level of 60 minutes per day.
They are also more focused, alert and ready to learn compared to those who are driven. National Ride2School Day was the perfect opportunity for every school community to ditch the car and embrace a healthier start to the day by riding to school.
The initiative also helps reduce traffic around schools and is better for the environment.
Both Sunshine Coast Council and Sunshine Coast police support this yearly initiative and encourage all Sunshine Coast families to participate.
Drivers are reminded to always take extra care on the roads, slow down around schools and watch for students crossing streets on bikes, scooters, skateboards and walking.
