The nine bikes of Christmas
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

Nathan Straus Photo Brownsboro Intermediate students show off their bikes. Left to right: Ashley Wahkey, Joshua Clakely, Carnasha Traylor, Kenton Robertsobahks, Sara Weeks, Rodrigo Reveles, Monica Rojas, George Black. Not pictured: Allison Hall.

It may not be a Christmas sled, but it's the next best thing for nine lucky Brownsboro Intermediate School students. During the BIS holiday assembly ceremony hundreds of BIS students gathered in anticipation to find out who would win a bicycle in the annual Brownsboro Intermediate Bike Giveaway.

Jennifer Settle, principal at BIS, said the giveaway was part of a full-fledged end of the semester program.

"All the students' names were put into a bag today," Settle said. "It's part of a tradition started by Billy Beasley."

Beasley was the principal of BIS until this year, when Settle became principal.

The students gathered in the BIS gym at around 2 pm Thursday, December 20. Here the students listened to the school's orchestra, and the teachers and staff gathered to sing to the students before the big moment.

When each of the nine students' names was called, he or she quickly got up and chose a favorite bike from among those not yet chosen. One student, Rodrigo Reveles, was so excited to receive a bike he danced in front of it to the amusement of the children.

The bikes, Settle said, were donated by "Santa's elves".

Settle also said the other Brownsboro Independent School Districts did not participate in any form of bike giveaway, and this event was a Brownsboro Intermediate only affair.

Once all the bikes had been given away the students dispersed for their final classes.

The winners were George Black, Joshua Clakely, Allison Hail, Rodrigo Reveles, Kenton Robertsobahks, Monica Rojas, Carnasha Traylor, Ashley Wahkey and Sara Weeks. Allison Hail was absent from school due to sickness.

Some students who had not received a bike were disappointed, but it was taken in stride as there is always next year for fourth and fifth graders, and a whole new school for sixth graders.

There are 314 students enrolled in BIS, Settle said.