Bike riding is a developmental milestone for children and a valuable life skill that supports physical fitness, mental health, and transportation. At Cle Elum-Roslyn Elementary School, our Gray Wolves in grades K–2 are gaining these essential skills through a fun and structured biking program—led by our dedicated PE teacher, Amy Starkovich.
Under Ms. Starkovich’s guidance, students are learning bike safety, traffic signs, signals, and basic laws while riding on a specially designed course that promotes control, balance, and awareness. In addition to being fun, biking helps children develop gross motor skills, sound judgment, and confidence.
And the excitement is real! As one first grader exclaimed, "I have a bike and now I can ride it!" Another proudly shared, "I can pedal!"—while others gleefully called out, "I'm doing it!" These joyful moments capture just how empowering and exciting this experience is for our young learners.
K–2 students will continue riding through at least the month of May. Students are welcome to bring their own helmets, provided they fit properly and meet current safety standards. The “2-2-2” helmet rule is a helpful guideline for assessing proper fit. For students who need a helmet, the school provides high-quality helmets—used with disposable hair nets for hygiene and disinfected daily.
The bikes used in the program are Woom bikes, purchased at a generous discount from Ride Roslyn. This exciting opportunity was made possible through the incredible support of the Pac Rats Mountain Bike Team Board, the Hein Foundation, The Suncadia Fund for Community Enhancement, and the Cle Elum-Roslyn School District. Helmets were generously donated by the Fire District, and the bike storage racks were built by dedicated local volunteers from the Pac Rats Coaching Staff.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to bringing this program to life. Thanks to their generosity and teamwork, our students are developing lifelong skills—and having a fantastic time doing it!