Friday, June 17, 2016
London Police Service
Donated Bikes, Helmets and Safety Tips for New Syrian Students at Eagle Heights Public School
Young new Syrian students got a change to learn the basics of bicycle safety on Thursday, June 16, 2016 thanks to a project made possible by Sergeant Sherri Baltzer of the London Police Service. The Bike Rodeo was hosted at Eagle Heights Public School, which had more than 80 mew Syrian students begin at the start of the school year. Sergeant Baltzer is the mother of two children who attend this school and she arranged for assistance from School Safety Officers, along with London Fire and the Thames Valley District School Board.
With the help of Majida Shahatto with the Cross Cultural Learner Centre, translator Alia Awaysheh and an Arabic speaking teacher - the offers were able to communicate with the children and teach them bike handling skills, hand signals and road safety. This opportunity also allowed the officers to gain some proficiency with the Arabic language while building relationships with the Syrian families.
The 28 bikes the children were donated, were collected over a period of three months from friend and family by Sergeant Sherri Baltzer and Lorie Shook, a School Support Councillor at Eagle Heights. Teacher Graham Holmes (with the assistance of his son) then refurbished the bicycles to working condition before they were handed over to their new owners. Each participant was also provided and fitted with a new helmet, generously donated by the Brain Injury Foundation of Ontario.
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