Doss On Wheels

2012-2013 Doss On Wheels Chairs
DeDe Church > dedechurch@gmail.com > 502-5249
Christian Meyer > christiansmeyer@yahoo.com > 794-0388
Brooke Denby > brooke.denby@yahoo.com > 358-6559
Kasey Gilliam > kasey.gilliam@yahoo.com > 847-942-8435

2012 Bike Rodeo

All 4th and 5th graders are invited to our Bike Rodeo!
Immediately after school at 3:00 pm on Wed., Sept. 26, we are hosting our 2nd annual Bike Rodeo on the Doss campus. Students need to bring a bike and helmet.

First, students will have their helmets checked by City of Austin workers. Then their bikes will be checked by certified mechanics from Bicycle Sport Shop. Minor repairs will be made at no cost. Students will then participate in several bike safety exercises, including a complex bike course where riders learn to make proper decisions as they face oncoming traffic, pedestrians, and other obstacles. It’s a fun event focused on bike riding and bike safety.

It will take each student around 45 minutes to get through all stations. We expect all students to complete the Rodeo by 5:00pm.

We need your help at this fun event! If you can volunteer for a 30-minute shift, please contact DeDe Church at dedechurch@gmail.com.

2011 Bike Rodeo Photos

Bicycle Safety Tips (PDF document)
Parent Instructions (PDF document)

Our bike-to-school initiative known as “Boltage” is in its second year, and we hope to have even more students self-commuting to school this year.  Studies continue to rave about the benefits for children who begin their day by riding or walking to school.  In addition, we want to take steps to decrease the traffic snarls around Doss and lower the CO2 emissions created by dozens of idling cars waiting in long lines to pick up students.

Through a generous donation from Bicycle Sport Shop, our school has received state-of-the-art, solar-powered equipment that gives students a point each time they bike or walk to school.  Those points translate into cool incentives and prizes.

Last year, more than 600 students self-commuted to school and “binged” in at our Boltage pole.  We had over 15,000 total bings.  Our students biked or walked more than 23,000 miles and burned over 985,000 calories.  In fact, after only one year of participation, Doss leads the nation in number of bings!

Here is how the program works.  Students place a Boltage RFID tag (radio frequency identification) on their backpacks.  Parents or guardians log onto www.boltage.org to register their student and input their home address, estimated mileage to school, and teacher’s name. If you are a new student, or have misplaced your tag from last year, please visit the Bing Machine before or after school on Wednesdays in September for a new tag.  Kindergarten tags will be distributed in the classroom.

Each time the student walks or rides to school, s/he is encouraged to walk under the Bing Machine (looks like a light post) that is near the bike racks.  Once the RFID tag is read, the Bing Machine flashes a light and sounds a bell.  Instant gratification!  The Bing Machine then records the student’s mileage for the day.

Students will be frequently rewarded for self-commuting to school with stickers, stamps, and snacks.  In addition, they will earn a colored wristband for every 10, 20, and 30 bings, as well as other incentives such as lunch with the principal and their names on the morning announcements.  After 80 bings, the student will be entered into a raffle for a free bike at the end of the year.

At Doss, we take bike safety seriously.  We offer a safety curriculum during P.E. classes, an inspection of students’ helmets on Helmet Fit Day, and a bike rodeo where riders learn biking rules.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact DeDe Church at dedechurch@gmail.com.

See below for a helpful diagram explaining the new bike lanes in the neighborhood.