Buddy Up Contest

The Buddy Up annual contest promotes groups of students to walk, bike, carpool, or take the bus together.  Healthy habits are more likely to stick when students and their families support each other. There’s safety in numbers as groups are more easily seen by drivers.  Best of all, friendships and fun memories are formed!

School communities are invited to nominate Buddy Up groups each fall.  Notifications are sent to schools to advertise the Buddy Up Contest in Mid-September.   

The 2023 Winners!

Rancho Elementary, ride daily: Amalia (1st grade), Theo, Sol, Alison, Isla, Karol (3rd grade), Wendy (4th grade), Abraham, Haden (5th grade)

“We all ride together in the mornings ringing bells (like a bus) at each friend’s house along the way.  We have several parents, a Rancho flag and even music!  It’s so much fun having a group big enough to take over an entire lane.  And nearly every day people wave to us and cheer for us.  Fun times!”

Neil Cummins Elementary, walk daily:
Henry (3rd grade), Eloise (3rd grade), Natalie (3rd grade)

Henry: “I like when we walk to school we aren’t polluting the air as much as a car. It’s also peaceful to be outside and we get exercise.”   Eloise: “It’s calm, peaceful and quiet. It’s a great way to start the day.”  Natalie:  “It feels calm to walk and it’s fun to be with friends every morning.”

Kent Middle, ride daily:
Mary (5th grade), Liv (5th grade), Simone (5th grade)

Mary: “Biking to school together is fun because we get some fresh air and we get some energy out before school starts.  We love that Ken the SFD/Wolfe Grade crossing guard tells us what day it is, like International Kindness Day today!”

Miller Creek Middle, ride daily: Nicholas (6th grade), Charlie (6th grade), James (6th grade), Sidney (6th grade), Jakob (6th grade)

The 5 boys have been great friends since meeting in Kindergartener at Vallecito. Now that they are big 6th graders at Miller Creek, they ride their bikes to and from school each day. They occasionally stop by Vallecito to say hi to their friends and teachers. They all plan to ride their bikes, rain or shine, even though their parents have other thoughts about rainy days!

Quotes from students:

Sidney: “I like biking to school with my friends because I get to spend time with them, especially since I don’t have classes with all of them.”

James: “I like to bike to school with my friends. It’s fun and I get good exercise.”

Jakob: “It’s a great way to start the day! It’s also a good way to warm up on a cold morning.”

Nicholas: “It’s fun to pick up my friends on the way to school. It’s also great to have friends to help if things happen- like a flat tire or chains falling off which already happened to 2 of my friends this year.”

Charlie: “Biking instead of driving is fun. You get to talk to your friends.”

San Marin High School, carpool daily: Scottie-Marie (9th grade), Parker (9th grade), Gael (9th grade)

The kids started high school this year, so carpooling is a fun way to enter school together and feel like they have a friend group supporting them on this new chapter in their lives.  In the car, they compare homework info, upcoming tests, GOSSIP (moms get to overhear some key info!) and, by the time they get to school, they are really excited to start the day!  It gives them a sense of camaraderie and comfort.  Carpooling also has helped all of our families because we have multiple children going in multiple directions, so we rely on our “village” to get our kids to school every day.

Hidden Valley Elementary, ride bikes daily: Julia (4th grade), Milla (4th grade), Olivia (4th grade)

The Biking Beauties started last year in our little neighborhood of Angela St. and Butterfield Rd. They recently recruited their friend Olivia to join this year and have been successfully riding to and from school together. Olivia and Julia start on Angela St. and ride through a secret passageway to Butterfield where they meet Milla at her gate and cross the street at Colette’s crosswalk together. They then get ready to ride in the fresh crisp invigorating air to start their day at school. The level of confidence and independence completely shines through these budding 4th graders and they love knowing that they are doing their part to help the environment and traffic during busy school times. If they see solo bikers from their school while on their route they also invite them to join so they don’t have to bike alone, Truly epitomizing what Hawk spirit and community mean. They feel stronger together and know that they have safety in numbers not only visually for other commuters but for tumbles or other unknown emergencies. Go team Biking Beauties!

Quotes from students: 

Julia: “Biking with my friends is so fun! We include everyone, we help people who are hurt and help the environment. I love biking with The Biking Beauties!”

Olivia: “I love to bike because I feel more independent and I love knowing that I’m helping the environment.”

Milla: “I love biking because it’s a lot of fun with my friends. The cold air wakes me up in the morning and it helps me feel more connected to my neighborhood.”