As part of MYP1's Humanities curriculum and the MYP Areas of Interaction we have been looking at our local community and the weather.
Judy Hembrow, a local business person and cycle enthusiast, was invited to school to give a talk to MYP1 about her cycling business and the need of a good cycling infrastructure. Her presentation was very interesting and informative. A follow up visit to a local velomobile company is planned for the not too distant future possibly in collaboration with the PE teacher and Technology (Design) teacher.

Read what some of MYP1 students thought of her visit...

Caroline Bennett
Humanities Teacher MYP1

Student comments:

Judy’s cycling. Judy was here to talk a bit about her life and her cycling in the Netherlands. She came on Friday the 29 of January. She came in the humanities lesson. But I am not sure why we needed to know about cycling. Judy told us how she loved to cycle in England with her family. She wanted to move here because cycling is very active in the Netherlands. But she could not afford to buy a house and live in the Netherlands. So for seven years, she worked till she had enough money to live in the Netherlands. When she finally settled in a house in Assen she had no job and she did not speak the language. So she arranged a small organization called study tours. In study tours, people who speak English had to cycle from Assen to Groningen. It was more successful than she thought that it will be. Judy cycles almost ever day with her husband. Her husband works in a velomobile store. They recently invented a new Velomobile and we were the first ones to see it. Judy also has a dog and two daughters. One is named Alice and the other one is named Eliza. Alice is 13 and Eliza is sixteen. Alice is Caolan’s girlfriend. I really want to know why she moved here just because of cycling. I learnt that she loved to cycle.
By Abdul Shokoya 4/2/10

Judy: Cycling in the Netherlands Judy came to our class on Friday, January 29th. She came during Humanities because her occupation relies on the weather and we are studying weather in Humanities. Judy told us about her occupation as a guide for cycling tours in the Netherlands, mostly in the Northern Netherlands. She told us about the type of bikes she rents and people who come and ask for the cycling tours. She did this by PowerPoint. What I found interesting was one of the types of bikes that people ride. It was called a Velomobile and was like a car, and you lay down in it, with your head sticking out at the top. It protected you from bad weather. What I found most interesting was when Judy said she met people who were actually famous but she didn’t know it. What I have learnt is that the Netherlands has the highest number of people cycling in the world and Australia has the lowest. I have also learnt that many people come and cycle here in the Netherlands. I already know that shark teeth are pointing towards you, you have to stop and let the car go and when it isn’t, you have the right of way. I really enjoyed Judy’s visit and I would like to know more about the different types of bikes and if the Velomobile are for kids to ride in.
by Kenny

Judy came to our humanities lesson on Friday (2010/1/29). She told us about her occupation and the cycling infrastructure in Netherlands. She also showed us some photos of the velomobiles, I found it very intresting. I learnt that if you see >>> on the road, you have to stop.
By Yu Jo Tseng

Myp1 got a special visit from Judy on Friday, January 29th during Humanities, 1st hour. She came and showed us a PowerPoint presentation about her job. She has a very interesting job. She gives study tours on bikes around Assen and Groningen. She gives the tours to people around the world that want to know what the biking infrastructure is like in the Netherlands. Judy said that the best time for tours is in May because of the weather. The people will travel on Monday, take the tour on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and travel back on Friday. Judy shows them what bike infrastructure is like. Bike infrastructure includes bike paths, special signs and stoplights for bikes and bike racks. Her husband is also in the bike business. He makes special fast bikes called Velomobiles. He helps make them. From Judy's visit, I learned more about bike infrastructure and what a Velomobile looks like in different stages of construction. I already knew a little bit about bike infrastructure, but she taught me more about it. Judy's visit was very cool.
by Maegan Hershner

Judy’s visit
Judy paid a visit to our school on 29th January 2010, for the first hour, Humanities. Judy came to Netherlands from UK , and told us all about her occupation, She explained, that she had worked in Holland for about 2 years, doing study guards on cycling infrastructure. When she and her family came over here, they felt a lot of difference between the way cycling done in UK and in Holland. Cycling infrastructure in Holland is much better, as it includes bike paths, tunnels and traffic signs, which make it a lot safer to cycle on bike- paths, than on the roads used by vehicles. Judy’s husband works at the bike factory, Judy showed us a lot of different types of bikes! There was even a velomobile , which looks amazing ,it is mango-shaped machine with maximum speed about 50 kilometres per hour. Amazing! Judy showed us several photos which were taken during winter cycling , and also told us that she advertises her study tours in the UK.
I found Judy’s story quite interesting, especially the description of her job , how she started her study tours. I learned about different types of bikes , plus, I never knew that a bike can get a speed up to 50 kilometres per hour. I already knew a bit about the cycling infrastructure, that it includes special bike tunnels, bike paths and traffic signs.
I would like to know more about bikes and how they are made.

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