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McNinch Primary School Kindergarten Students Get Bicycle Safety Lessons

Photo by Joselyn King John Grant, kindergarten student at McNinch Primary School, pedals during a bicycle education class at the school.

MOUNDSVILLE — McNinch Primary School may next need a kindergarten bicycle cop to direct traffic in its hallways.

Young students learning the basics of riding a bicycle safely rode slowly indoors through the school Friday as rain kept them and their small yellow-green bikes from going outdoors.

Physical education teacher Ashley Doty watched to make sure there was no speeding or riding too close in the highway. All the students wore safety helmets. She responded quickly when one little guy wobbled and went to the ground, then he got right back on and got going again.

Some of the bikes have pedals, while those just learning to ride are on bicycles that don’t have them. They scoot it with their feet.

“Without pedals, the students are forced to learn how their body moves in space,” Doty explained.

She said after they achieve their balance and learn to glide on their bike the pedals will be put on the student’s bike.

At present, just the school’s kindergarten students ride the bikes, but Doty said she may bring them back next fall and allow the same students to ride them at the beginning of the school year.

The time will be limited, however, as the youngsters grow and become too big for the small bikes, she explained.

Last year, MedExpress Urgent Care in Moundsville donated 22 of the small safety bicycles to the school, along with helmets. Because of the interruption of the school year by COVID, the students didn’t get to ride the bikes until about three weeks ago, according to Doty.

Some were a little wobbly on their bikes and took turns a little too wide. Others, meanwhile, had confidence in the seat and wanted to pedal outside.

Student Jordynn Kittle said she does have advice for her classmates just learning to ride their bike.

“You just have to sit on it and pedal,” she said.

But isn’t it difficult to balance on the bike? she was asked.

“It’s not that hard,” Kittle responded.

Marcus Bellen was succinct in saying how it made him feel when the pedals went on his bike.

“Happy,” he said.

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