Rockford — Valley View Elementary students could barely contain their excitement as they lined up, astride their bicycles, behind Principal Jeremy Karel.
“Let’s go!” one shouted. “Is it time yet, Mr. Karel?” another asked as they waited for everyone in their number to get into place.
Then, following Karel’s lead, they were off — a procession of around 80 students gleefully pedaling their way home on an unseasonably warm, near-80-degree early October day.
What was the occasion? It was the first of two biannual Valley View bike-to-school days. There’s one in the fall, and one in the spring, both organized by Karel and carried off with the help of staff and the Rockford Police Department.
The bike days start with Karel meeting students at nearby Glen Park, where they all hop on their bikes and make their way to Valley View together. At the end of the day, the group bikes from the school back to Glen Park, where parents pick up their kids.
Karel, an avid cyclist, brought the activity to Valley View years ago in an effort to share his own interests with students, and to encourage healthy habits.
“This is just something that I love doing,” Karel said. “We have a neighborhood school community, so it’s advantageous for us here.”
He added that the bike days are well-loved by students, and that they tend to lead to an increase in bike use.
“Oftentimes, when we do this, you see more kids ride their bikes afterwards,” Karel said. “It’s just a really small, fun community thing. It’s nothing flashy. But I think the kids, when you see them in the morning riding their bikes to school, they think it’s the coolest thing.”
Read more from Rockford:
• New admin roles brought this duo back together
• District hopes to ‘build for the future’ with Nov. 4 ballot question
