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Bass Coast School Awarded For Traffic Safety

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This week, Bass Coast Shire Council’s Walking School Bus Facilitator, Don Turner, presented a Traffic Safety Award to Newhaven Primary School.

By Bass Coast Shire Council - 26th November 2007 - Back to News

The award was from the Victorian Association of Traffic Safety Education Teachers.

"This Award for Excellence recognises the work that Newhaven Primary School has done to incorporate bicycle safety education into the school program," explained Mr Turner.

"The school council constructed an all-weather gravel track around the school grounds.

"The students use this track to practice their bike riding skills before progressing to on-road riding," continued Mr Turner.

"This includes changing from paired riding to single file, negotiating on-coming traffic, stopping safely in an emergency, and keeping to the left."

Mr Turner said the school has placed a lot of importance on bike awareness and education.

"Newhaven Primary School was one of the first in the state to establish a Riding School Bus," said Mr Turner.

"Council, RoadSafe and the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation helped fund this program and supported the school to establish it.

"In 2006, the Newhaven Riding School Bus was runner up in the VicHealth Awards. And the program has recently expanded to include teachers and students from the nearby non-government school. "

The school has also permanently established a Bike Ed Challenge course in the school grounds with co-operation and funding assistance from Council and the South Gippsland Community RoadSafe Committee.

"Newhaven Primary has really made good use of the track," said Mr Turner.

"They use it for their Bike Ed instruction, and neighbouring schools use it for their programs," explained Mr Turner.

"The school also hosts the Bass Coast District Bike Ed Challenge, with teams coming from schools across the Shire to compete.

"There are volunteers from the community and the local Secondary College, as well as representatives from RoadSafe, VicRoads and Council helping with scoring and conducting safety checks on bikes and helmets."

Newhaven Primary School also co-hosted a Bike Ed Instructor course in 2007.

"This was attended by nineteen people, including teachers and parents from six local schools across the Shire," said Mr Turner.

"This has resulted in a significant increase in the quality and quantity of Bike Ed programs conducted in Bass Coast this year.

"That course also trained volunteer parents so they could start another Riding School Bus in a neighbouring school. So the benefits are being shared by the whole community."

Mr Turner congratulated Newhaven Primary School’s Physical Education teacher, Marc Ibrhaim.

"Marc has worked tirelessly over a number of years to promote safe cycling," commended Mr Turner."

Mr Ibrhaim thanked the Newhaven Primary School staff, parents and School Council for their support, particularly Dave McDonald (a local parent) and school principal, Matt McKittrick.

 

 


Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com



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