Dig Out Those Bikes!!

Let's hear it for Cooper and Hogan who made their initial bike to school trip for the spring this morning! Way to go, fellas!

The weather is getting better by the day - dust off those bikes and helmets and get ready to roll. Gloves and thin stocking caps under the helmets might be needed for the morning rides for a while, but don't let that stop you!

An ABC Quick Check is in order after a long winter storage:

*Check the air in the tires. Chances are they've naturally deflated quite a bit over the winter. Not sure how much to inflate? Check the side wall of the tires like you would on your car to see what the recommended PSI is. Somewhere between 40 and 60 PSI is a good bet.

*Give the brakes a squeeze and make sure they are working properly.

*Look at the chain and make sure it is on the chainring, isn't broken, etc.

*Do a quick spin around the driveway to make sure that everything feels right. Chances are that your kid grew like a weed over the winter and his/her saddle needs to be raised!

If you find mechanical problems, any of our wonderful local bike shops will be willing and able to help out. Tell 'em Activate Omaha sent you! :)

Now is also a great time to review safe riding rules with your kids. Helmets EVERY time! Also, please be sure to use caution when encountering the loose gravel still on our streets, especially in the intersections. Extra braking time is required!

Got great photos of your family biking to school that you want to share? Feel free to send them our way!

Westbrook Update

Yesterday's visit to Westbrook Elementary just confirms what we already knew: this school and these kids are awesome! The Dynamic Duo of Principal Cindy Vann and Teacher Leader Glen Jagels are so great to work with.

We went to the school assembly to help celebrate the 2nd Quarter awarding of the Golden Shoe Award. Westbrook offers a walking club before school in addition to encouraging kids to walk and roll to school each day. Frequent Walker cards are used to track particpation, and each fully punched card is entered into a drawing for a quarterly prize! This quarter's prize was a flag football set, which was won by Paul, a frequent walking 4th grader.

The really big prize, though, is the coveted Golden Shoe Award, which is given to the classroom with the most overall particpation. The 5th graders were sad to give it up, but they were beat out this time by the 2nd grade!

A delightful bonus from the morning was to see the presentation of nearly $1700 to a representative from the American Red Cross. The Wildcats raised this money for Haitian relief, and the leadership shown by some of the older students in the school to organize and coordinate this was very impressive.

Watch for some safety improvements coming soon to Robertson Drive in front of Westbrook as we work to get the street changed to one-way during drop off and pick up hours.

Safe Route Sunday

Here is a chance to make a difference to help keep kids safe on the sidewalks.  No formalities, no rsvp's ... just find a drift that is blocking a sidewalk and clear it.  Corners, especially closer to schools, are in serious need of help so that kids can get across the streets without having to scale giant snow/ice mounds. 

Spread the word to your friends! 

Here we go again!

It bears repeating:  please shovel early and often for the school kids.  Even if you think kids in your neighborhood won't be walking to school, they are likely to still be walking to the bus stops!

BRRRRR!

Holy Cow!  It's COLD! 

School is starting up in Omaha again this week.  Between the cold weather and the piles (dare I say, mountains) of snow piled up everywhere, walking to school is going to be challenging! 

First, please remember that although many kids will be arriving via family car, there are still plenty of kids that will be braving the elements.  Please be extra cautious as you drive near schools, and keep an eye out for little people emerging from behind show piles as they attempt to cross the streets.

Second, please keep these little folks in mind when you are trying to decide if/when to shovel your sidewalks.  Many kids don't have a choice but to walk to school, and they deserve to get there safely - as do the kids that have to walk a short distance to their bus stops - so shovel early and often for their sakes!  (And don't forget to go around the corner if you live in a corner lot!)

Third, don't let the cold weather be a barrier to walking with your kids to school.  If you dress in layers, it can be done quite comfortably!  Once you get moving, you'll be surprised at how quickly you will warm up.