15 Montessori Students Earn a BSAFE Certificate

Century House Montessori BSAFE Certificate Recipients with Chris Ghiorse

On Thursday December 3^rd, BSAFE director Chris Ghiorse visited the Century House Montessori School’s beautiful campus, in Diamond Estate, to award 15 students a well deserved Certificate of Completion.  These students worked with BSAFE for 8 weeks during their school day.  In each class the students focused on bicycle safety.  For many it gave them an opportunity to learn to ride in the safe controlled area on the festival grounds in Road Town.

During the ceremony Mr. Ghiorse mentioned that he was happy to have taught 13 students how to ride and to have seen the other two students improve their level of awareness while riding.  He stressed the importance of always wearing a helmet every time one gets on a bike.

“I really appreciate the financial support Rawlinson and Hunter gave BSAFE to make this pilot program for the Century House Montessori School possible,” said Mr. Ghiorse.  “Principal Morgan’s belief in BSAFE confirmed that it is never too early to get our younger children interested in safety.   Working with this younger age group was interesting because they have absolutely no questions about why they need to wear a helmet.  A well adjusted helmet is like wearing a hat you just put it on and go.  I am not going to push it as a fashion statement, but today when I see some one riding without one I think they look odd and I come from an era where NO ONE wore helmets.  Imagine what these 6 years olds will think about people riding without a helmet in a few years?”

“BSAFE is a free program  designed for public school Class Three students which is slightly older and therefore bigger than the Montessori group I have just finished working with, but when Principal Morgan asked if I could customize an instructional class for their school I was interested in taking up the challenge,” said Mr. Ghiorse.  “I think it worked out well because one family loaned me 2 smaller bikes which enabled me to work with 4 or 5 beginners at once.  Ultimately I would like to see all schools adopt some sort of bicycle safety awareness into their school day curriculum because there are so many students wanting to take part in BSAFE that I just don’t have enough hours in the day to get to them all.”