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Rotary bike giveaway pedals success for Norman students
Two students at Wilson Elementary Schools learned recently that, sometimes – if you work hard – you can make your own luck.
They were the lucky winners of brand new bicycles that were given away as part of a series of drawings sponsored by the Norman Rotary Club to help Norman Public Schools encourage attendance and improve academic performance.
The club joined with the Norman Public School District this year to launch the Rotary Success Cycle program with a $10,000 donation, enough to buy 68 bicycles.
Today’s bike drawing is the first of a series of drawings to be held at nine Norman elementary schools every nine weeks. Participating schools will give away a pair of bikes, helmets and locks to students in recognition of strong attendance records.
Students increase their chances of winning a bike by attending school every day. Each week of perfect attendance means another slip of paper with their name will be added to the upcoming drawing. The more slips of paper they get, the better their chances of winning a bike.
“Students have to be in school to learn,” said Norman Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Joseph Siano. “The Success Cycle program provides a fun way to help students to strive for perfect attendance. And, the program supports kids who may benefit from having an alternative method of transportation.”
Schools include Kennedy, Wilson, Madison, Jackson, Adams, Lincoln, Jefferson, Reagan and Dimensions Academy South. More than 3,000 students from grades K through five are participating. The Pioneer Library System also helped supply several bikes for the program.
Norman Rotary President-elect Craig Heaton said the program is intended to help children establish a stronger academic footing while in elementary school and to help the schools achieve minimum attendance rates required for state and federal funding. Schools involved in the Rotary program tend to be on the borderline of that requirement.
“It’s an exciting initiative and another great opportunity for us to contribute to the community,” Heaton said. “Through this first-year program, we hope to improve attendance, raise test scores and make a difference for schools that could use a shot in the arm at a challenging time.”
“Besides all of that,” Heaton said, “We are going to give a bunch of bikes to kids who will really enjoy them, and that’s important too.”