at Natomas Park Elementary. This week, two days of blacktop drills. Before doing any riding, ABCQuick Check including adjusting the seat height
Monday and Tuesday: ride in the right lane position, use hand signals.
Wednesday and Thursday: Left turn which requires nine specific steps, plus evaluation by Gina and me.
At Natomas Park Elementary. Monday and Tuesday – blacktop drill day #1, two classes each morning.
Wednesday: after-school coaching. Barbara, Anya and I got 6 of 7 students riding.
Wednesday and Thursday: Classroom instruction.
The team. Mrs Byrd is the PE teacher we work with. Gina is the lead instructor.
Thursday and Friday at Natomas Park Elementary – NPE. Early arrival time – 7:15, two fifth-grade classes each day. Before helmet-fitting, a couple of videos.
While Gina, Jeff and I individually fit helmets, everyone else worked on a bike parts worksheet.
After school on Thursday, BarbaraL and I did a one-hour coaching session for non-riders. Success for the one student who showed up at 2:00.
What did I do this past week? After the ride across the Golden Gate, I has a sore throat. But Monday it was a full-blown cold. Ugh. On the mend a week later. About 95% today .. and well enough to do an after-school coaching session for Project Ride Smart at NP3 (Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep) – a 5-minute walk from my house.
Unfortunately, the temps were in the high 90s and running around on the even hotter blacktop was not good.
Wednesday, day 2 of street rides. Becky reviewing hand signals while Gina gets the jerseys ready.
Thank you to all volunteers: a parent of a 5th grader, Paul, and Laura.
I rode in the park with the first Red group while Becky worked one-on-one with a student.
For the next group of students, Becky went for a ride in the park with a group of students while I stayed on campus and … hurray … got Ramon riding independently. When Becky got back, and came around the corner, Ramon set off from the opposite corner of the blacktop. Such a sweet boy, his classmates cheered him on, so did Becky. Ramon was so happy and proud.
Thursday, day 3 of street rides. Today’s team: Laura/volunteer sweep, LCIs Gina, Deanna, Pierson:
I rode with the Pierson’s red group.
A great picture to demonstrate the importance of having a sweep. This wobbly rider was far behind the rest of the red group.
at Witter Ranch Elementary, about 1.5 miles from my house. I was a volunteer sweep for street rides today. BeckyG and Deanna were the lead LCIs.
ABCQuick Check before leaving campus.
Laura was a new volunteer and I trained her by riding with her for Deanna’s yellow group.
Last Friday, I led the first day of street rides for Project Ride Smart at Regency Park Elementary. I had the Blue group – excellent cyclists, ready to learn more on our rides. Every one of the four classes was great and I had no sweep and a couple of groups with 9 students. I forgot to take pictures, but no problem, I would be back on Monday and Tuesday.
However, on Monday morning, as we were getting all the bikes out of the classroom where they were stored, I tripped on a kickstand and fell. HARD on my left knee. Not good. The PRS team and school personnel moved into action. Cheryl picked up me and my bike and took “us” home. I was able to drive myself to a Kaiser urgent care. Whew! Nothing broken. Two days of rest and I would be just fine (really?). This was me Monday through Wednesday doing RICE: rest, ice, compression, elevate.
Thursday. Nope, I am not 100%. In fact, I need two more weeks of RICE. Sigh.
Friday and somewhat rainy. And cold if you forgot to wear a jacket. I brought an extra rain jacket and loaned it out a couple of times.
Our intrepid team for the day: Diana, a parent volunteer who stayed for the entire day (!), Laurie, Charlie.
In front of the classroom: Pierson.
Uh-oh, a mishap at the skate park had an unfortunate result for LCI Doug – a broken ankle.
Doug’s explanation about the picture: “Weel … Scots are an optimistic people always looking for the silver lining. So here you go! I no longer need to put on kilt hose and garters just to carry my Sgian Dubh. I ken that will come in handy if I’m attacked by a wild haggis!”
The Yellow group – my favorite color – and a great group of kids each and every time.
Diana was a fantastic Sweep. An extra layer of safety.
Laurie rode Sweep for the last two classes.
at H Allen Hight Elementary, about 3 miles from my house, a 20-minute ride. Arrival time = 7:20. A tad early for this retired person. I was there for the last three days, the street rides, when four LCIs are needed.
Five 5th grade classes – on the second floor of the building, a bit of stair-climbing ahead.
Always ABCQuick Check before going for a ride. Thank you Diana, who volunteered to ride sweep for my Yellow group.
