May 15
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Connections students question: When will we do this again?
Connections Homeschool program supports innovative approaches in education and fun opportunities unique for students. In March we had very little snow on the ground. Our skiing club couldn’t get out on the trails as we had in previous years. We needed to find another activity. A great alternative to skiing in the winter is Fat Tire biking the beaches. Cycological and Saw and Cycle in Homer both rent Fat Tire Bikes, so we put an invite out to our peninsula-wide students.
We set a date for the ride and everyone met at Bishops Beach in Homer, for the first Connections Fat Tire Bike Ride. It was a little overcast and windy on the beach. Everyone bundled up for the weather. We had a brief safety meeting and started peddling towards Diamond Creek. Part of scheduling the event was ensuring that we could hit low tides mid-day. Our low tide was a negative 1.5 at 11:30 a.m.; there were tons of exposed boulders, tide pools, and flat sand to ride. We peddled up the coastline, hopping rocks, crossing tide pools, and scraping the edge of the ocean surf. As we moved up the beach we hit several little showers along the way. After peddling four miles up the beach we stopped in an accumulation of driftwood and took a lunch break. After refueling we started the trek back to Bishops Beach. Everyone improved their riding on the way back to Bishops Beach.
Connections provides a unique opportunity for students across the peninsula. Students were able to get outside in the winter, exercise, and learn how to ride the beaches of Homer. The only question posed by the students was, “When will we do this again?” What a great opportunity for our students!
Story contributed by Jacob Parrett, secondary advisor, Homer Connections Homeschool
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