September 26, 2011

Teachers enthusiasm for cycling is passed on to students

Hastings Girls High School teacher Jemma Diedrichs has long held an interest in cycling and is now passing that enthusiasm on to students.

Jemma Diedrichs was one of the original faces of the Hastings Districts Council's iWay programme and gave her support to help increase the number of cyclists around the region.

She has now taken that one step further and introduced a lunchtime cycling programme for students at Hastings Girls High.

Jemma Diedrichs says "each Tuesday the students gather for a ride. It has become so much easier and safer now that the cyclelanes have been painted on the roads while the girls get some great exercise as well."

"The programme is in its early stages but a number of girls have already indicated they are prepared to spend 30 minutes at lunchtime riding around the new cycleways in Hastings and enjoying the fresh air," Miss Diedrichs says.

"Getting out into the sunshine and the great outdoors for a while during lunch will hopefully give the girls renewed energy when they return to the classroom for their afternoon lessons."

Hastings Girls High Principal Geraldine Travers says" the number of students cycling to school has gradually fallen over the past few years. The new iWay initiatives which have sprung up round Hastings are a great way to encourage students back onto their bikes while they get some much needed exercise."

"It's also a great way to reinforce the road safety message under the guidance of a teacher."

Council Transportation Manager Jag Pannu says" a major part of the iWay project is the development of cycle skills training programmes in schools. Over 400 students from around the district have been trained in cycle safety during the past 12 months and the lunchtime rides at Hastings Girls High are another positive step in developing safe cycling."

"iWay is also encouraging schools to adopt a travel plan for students. This would involve the creation of a walking bus and/or a cycle train which would go a long way towards helping improve the safety of students as they travel to and from school" Mr Pannu says.

iWay is an initiative of the Hastings District Council which aims to make walking and cycling easy, safe and fun.

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