Seven-year-old Kai’ere King has a need for speed.
“I like riding bikes that are fast,” said Kai’ere, a student at H.D. Berkey School in Arnold. “I like fast bikes.
“It’s like the speed of light.”
Kai’ere and his first and second grade peers at H.D. Berkey spent the past week either learning or continuing to learn how to ride bikes.
The school obtained five bicycles through the United Way’s “Build A Bike” program last year, said building Principal Brian Heidenreich. He considered different ideas for what to do with the bikes, but landed on having a bike-riding unit during school to meet a need.
“It’s a big part of childhood,” Heidenreich said. “Any opportunity we can provide to get them outdoors and be active is a good thing.”
Learning bike riding skills at school is a good opportunity for students that they otherwise might not have, said Gannon Warrick, a physical education teacher at H.D. Berkey.
“It’s a fundamental life skill they should learn at this age,” Warrick said. “Everyone should learn how to ride a bike at a young age.”
While Kai’ere had no issues whizzing around the school blacktop on his bike, Warrick said about half of the student body got their first chance on wheels during physical education class.
“They have fun doing it,” Warrick said. “That’s how most kids (in the New Kensington-Arnold School District) get around town, too.”
Heidenreich said there could be a combination of factors of why children might not have had an opportunity to ride a bike before, be it with affordability or kids having more opportunities to do other activities.
The school plans to get 15 to 20 more bikes for next year, Warrick said. He tries to teach students safety, steering and how to work the bike’s pedals.
Students got a chance to ride the bikes for three 40-minute class periods.
“When I told them about riding bikes, they were ecstatic, especially kids that don’t have bikes,” he said.
Max Prince, 7, was happy to ride a bike at school.
“I ride every day,” he said.
Aviona Desir, 6, said she liked learning how to ride a bike, and how Warrick taught her to use the pedals.
“When I get home today, I’m going to ride my bike,” she said.