St Marys Community and Road Education Scheme
- Details
- Written by: Adam Gatt Penrith City Council (02) 4732 7777 (02) 4732 7958 council@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au https://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au 601 High St Penrith NSW 2750 Australia
Program overview:
The St Marys Community and Road Education Scheme (CARES) is a purpose-built bicycle safety education facility that gives school students an interactive and fun way to learn about road safety.
The CARES program was created to assist in the reduction of risk, injury and death for young road users. It has been specifically designed for Year 4 to Year 6 students, as children in that age bracket are a higher crash risk category of road users.
Council's CARES program, presented by NSW Police Officers, will help to develop children’s road sense, and includes sessions looking at helmets, bike maintenance and road safety. It's a practical, outdoor program, with students participating in an obstacle course before using the simulated roadways to expose them to a variety of real road situations in a controlled environment.
On average, 2500 students attend the CARES program each year. The program not only develops pedestrian and bike safety skills for children, it also fosters an important and positive relationship between children and Police. These positive experiences can have a lasting effect on children’s perception of the police force as they grow.
Eligibility: The program is open to primary schools, vacation care providers and community groups who offer school holiday programs.
Experience: Students should be able to ride a two-wheeled pedal 20-inch bike with front brakes, unassisted. However, trikes and other accommodations can be provided if required to meet the student’s needs. Please contact the CARES Officer to discuss in more detail.
Teaching and learning of curriculum: Road safety is a mandatory part of the Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) syllabuses. The CARES program teaches children how to be safe on the road as a pedestrian and as a bike rider and is delivered in three parts. These are:
- Classroom
- Skills
- Road track
On the Day: On the day, a Police Officer from the Nepean Local Area Command will provide students an overview of the road rules and bike safety class. Students are then able to participate on the mini road course that has working traffic signals, roundabouts and pedestrian crossings. Students are then challenged to ride a bicycle on the course, while r
especting all road rules and applying a demerit point system. Students who obey the road rules and retain their full set of demerit points can receive an award at the end of the day.
What to bring:
- Helmet - ensure it is an approved helmet with the Standards Australia mark or sticker. CARES have a small selection of helmets if needed.
- All food for recess and lunch, including water, as there are no facilities to purchase food.
- Sunscreen and hat.
What to wear: Sports uniform
How to book or find out more information:
Phone: 0467 730 133
Address: Creek Road, St Marys (near Ripples and the Tennis Courts)
Email:
Message to families and school community: Road safety is everyone's responsibility
All types of travel require planning, safe practices and observing road rules and guidelines. School communities can work together to help make getting to school safely easier. Young children require active supervision by an adult whenever they are in a traffic environment.
We all need to reinforce and practice:
- Using safe travel routes
- Modelling how to be a safe road user
- Always following road rules and the road signs
- Creating safer environments
- Assisting students to become independent travellers
Attachments:
A guide to fitting a helmet correctly
Children's colouring activity - when riding a bike