August 21, 2026

Dear Amazing Centennial Valley Pediatrics Patients and Families,

We hope this email finds you all healthy and well!

It's Back to School time! For our school age children and families, hopefully you have gotten all the shopping done--the supplies purchased, new clothes/shoes, lunch fixings, etc, etc, ETC! We know this is a crazy time, but it's also exciting!

Read on for:

• Back to school tips
• E-bike concerns
• Fall vaccine planning (believe it or not, Fall is just around the corner!)
• Reminders about CVP classes

Back To School Tips

New school year, new teachers, new possibilities! Here's how to help your child do their very best this academic year:

Develop a healthy sleep routine

• Set a consistent bedtime for your child and stick with it every night. Getting enough sleep is critical for kids to stay health and be successful in school. 
• Create a bedtime routine that is consistent to help your child settle down and fall asleep. For example, a calming pre-bedtime routine may involve a bath/shower, reading with them, tucking them in and saying goodnight.
• Turn off electronic devices well before bedtime--at least 1 hr before sleep. Do not keep electronics in the bedroom, including phones.

Plan for safe travel to & from school
--Taking the school bus

• Remind your child to wait for the bus to stop before approaching it from the curb. Make sure your child walks where they can see the bus driver (which means the driver will be able to see them, too).
• If your child must cross the street for the bus, remind him/her to look both ways to see that no other traffic is coming before crossing the street, just in case somebody does not stop as required. Encourage your child to actually practice how to cross the street several times before the first day of school.

--Driving & carpooling

• All passengers should wear a seat belt or use an age- and size-appropriate car seat or booster seat for every trip in the car, no matter how short. Children younger than 13 years old should ride in the rear seat of vehicles. 
• Teen drivers: Remember that many crashes happen while novice teen drivers are going to and from school. Remind your teen to wear their seat belt and obey speed limits and traffic signs/lights. Consider limiting the number of passengers, and do not allow eating, drinking, cell phone conversations (even when using hands-free devices or speakerphone), texting or other mobile device use to prevent driver distraction. 

--Biking (see separate article on e-bikes later in this email)

• Most children gain the judgment and traffic skills needed to ride a bike alone to school around age 10 (fifth grade). Feel free to ride a bike with your child before this age!
• Practice the bike route to school to make sure your child can manage it.
• They should always wear a bicycle helmet, no matter how short or long the ride.
• If riding in the street, make sure your kids know the “rules of the road.” They should ride on the right, in the same direction as auto traffic and ride in bike lanes if they are present. Use appropriate hand signals.
• Wear bright-colored clothing to increase visibility. White or light-colored clothing and reflective gear is especially important after dark.

--Walking 

• Be realistic about your child's pedestrian skills. Because small children are impulsive and less cautious around traffic, carefully consider whether or not your child is ready to walk to school without adult supervision. Children are generally ready to start walking to school alone at 9-10 years of age, depending on the route.
• Make sure your child's walk to school is a safe route with well-trained adult crossing guards at every intersection. If your child will need to cross a street on the way to school, practice safe street crossing with them before the start of school.
• In neighborhoods with higher levels of traffic, consider organizing a "walking school bus," in which an adult accompanies a group of neighborhood children walking to school.
• Bright-colored clothing or a visibility device, like a vest or armband with reflectors, will make your child more visible to drivers.

Support good homework & study habits.

• Create an environment that is homework-friendly starting at a young age. Children need a consistent workspace in their bedroom or another part of the home that is quiet, without distractions, and promotes study.
• Schedule ample time for homework. Build this time into choices about participating in after school activities. Some children do best with starting homework right away after school, others need a bit of a break before starting–discuss how long this break will be and stick with it. 
• Establish a household rule that the TV and other electronic distractions stay off during homework time. Supervise computer and internet use. Do not allow computers or other screens in the bedroom.
• If your child is struggling with a particular subject, speak with their teacher for recommendations on how to help your child at home or at school. If you have concerns about the assignments your child is receiving, talk with their teacher.

Have a great year!

Electric bikes (e-bikes) have increased in popularity in the last few years, especially among teens and pre-teens. If your child doesn’t have one, they’ve probably asked you for one. You have likely seen kids riding them everywhere, and may feel that you should get one for your child. There are some very important things to know before handing one over to your child, however.

What’s the difference between an e-bike and a regular bike?
E-bikes are faster, heavier and more powerful than traditional bicycles. Because of this, children and teens need additional skills, maturity and safety training before riding one. If you're thinking about buying an e-bike for your child or teen, it's important to understand the risks, age recommendations, safety features and training requirements that can help prevent serious injuries. You should also familiarize yourself with the local laws and restrictions regarding these bikes. 

E-bikes are usually grouped into three classes

• Class 1: the bike motor only works when the rider is pedaling, and it can reach speeds up to 20 mph
• Class 2: includes a throttle that allows the rider to use the bike motor without pedaling or with pedaling. It can reach speeds up to 20 mph
• Class 3: may or may not have a throttle but can reach top speeds up to 28 mph or more–these bikes are not allowed for children under 16 yrs old.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends:

• Children under age 12 years should not operate any product that travels faster than 10 mph. That means no e-bikes under 12 years old.
• If your child is 12-15 years old and you determine that they are ready (see below), only choose a Class 1 bike. 
• If your child is 16 years old, start with a Class 1 or 2. They should not have a class 3 e-bike until they have their driver’s license, since these bikes are only allowed on the road.

Are they safe?
Physicians are seeing a large rise in serious e-bike-related injuries in kids. Some of these injuries are severe, similar to injuries seen in motorcycle crashes– traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, internal chest or abdominal injuries, and even death. E-bikes were reported as the reason for about 155,200 emergency department visits and 301 deaths from 2017-2024, making them the leading cause of injury for school-aged children seen in the emergency room. 

If you have decided that your child could be ready for an e-bike, we highly recommend that you check into the following classes (in person, or online) to help you and your child understand how to operate these bikes, and how to be safer riding them.

Local Hands-On Training

• School-Based Clinics: Bicycle Colorado and E-Bike Safety Advocates run multi-step safety courses (classroom instruction, parking lot drills, and real road practice) directly through local schools, youth non-profits, and Safe Routes to School programs.
• Community Partnerships: The Boulder County Youth Transportation Program collaborates with Community Cycles to distribute specialized safety materials and coordinate youth clinics for students riding e-bikes to school.

Teen-Specific Online Courses

• PedalAce: A comprehensive Online Ebike Safety Course for Teens that explicitly teaches traffic intersection navigation, driving basics, accident prevention, and why helmets matter.
• E-Bike Smart: An engaging, under-30-minute digital resource created by the League of American Bicyclists to teach young riders ages 12 to 15 how to manage bike lanes and common road hazards.

You can also use these downloadable resources to help guide your decision and promote safe riding habits from the start.

• E-Bike Safety Checklist for Parents and Teens to help determine whether your child is ready for an e-bike and what safety features, training and supervision to consider before buying one.
• Family E-Bike Riding Agreement to establish clear safety rules, riding expectations and consequences. A family e-bike agreement can help set expectations and encourage responsible riding.

Rules all bike riders should follow:

• Keep your bike maintained
• Wear a properly fitted helmet. Colorado law requires riders under age 18 to wear a helmet. But e-bike riders should not use traditional bike helmets. Due to the increased speed of these bikes, they actually need a moped or motorcycle helmet. 
• Know and follow the rules of the road if they will be riding in the road. If your child can’t follow these rules, they should only ride on sidewalks or bike trails. 

It's time to start thinking about Fall Vaccines!

Rest assured, we continue to follow the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for vaccines for children. These guidelines have not changed.

Influenza and Covid vaccines will likely arrive in our office in the next few weeks. When they arrive, we will ask you to call and schedule your children's vaccine visit. Please don't call before then--we can't schedule you until they arrive!

• Influenza vaccines are recommended for everyone, 6 months and older.
• Covid vaccines are recommended for all children 6 months- 23 months old, and for older children who have certain medical conditions like asthma, diabetes, heart conditions, neurologic issues, etc. This vaccine can also be given to anyone who desires one. We will carry the child dose (for children <12 yrs old). Older children/teens can get a covid vaccine at pharmacies.

RSV vaccines will be available for infants <8 months old when RSV season starts (October 1), whose mothers did not receive an RSV vaccine while pregnant. These will be available starting in October. Again, we can't schedule these until they arrive in the office. We will let you know when they arrive!

Upcoming classes:

August 29th 10am  topic: preschool blues

September 26th 10am  topic: kindergarten….already??
 

Classes are held at our Broomfield location

Call 303-666-7337 ext.138 to RSVP at least 1 week prior

See you there!

A reminder:

Please, PLEASE, check and DOUBLE CHECK the reminder that you get for your appointments. The office location is in this reminder. Remember, we have two locations. If you come to the wrong location for your appointment, you will likely not be able to be seen and will have to reschedule. We cannot just squeeze you in to a schedule you are not on, and you will be much too late if you try to go to the other office.

We truly regret turning anyone away, but it is not fair to the rest of the scheduled patients to see you late and make everyone else late as well. We know how frustrating this would be for you, so please, PLEASE be sure you know which office your appointment is scheduled in. 

Additionally, please be sure to arrive 15 minutes early. There is almost always paperwork to fill out! (sorry, but that's how it is!). If you're still filling out paperwork when your appointment starts, you miss valuable time with the provider!

Thank you!!