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Special - Swimming

At the elementary level students will have the opportunity to learn and practice swimming in a fun and safe environment. All skills are taught using a basic progression technique with strokes being broken down into simple, small steps and introduced with an element of skill and fun. Students will also have the opportunity to progress at their own pace. Additionally, swim classes will focus on developing each child's water safety skills, with a focus on personal safety in and around the water.

Early Childhood & Kindergarten

This program is designed to give students the opportunity to become comfortable in and around the water. As the children become more comfortable in the water, the basic foundation for learning to swim is laid. In kindergarten, students will build on skills learned in the Early Childhood program, and they will begin learning elementary aquatic skills. Also, students will begin to develop good attitudes and safe practices around the water.

Students who successfully complete the early childhood swim program will be able to:

• Enter and exit the water in a safe manner
• Feel comfortable in the water
• Submerge and begin holding their breath in a rhythmic pattern
• Explore buoyancy and float in a front and back position
• Perform combined stroke on front and back (supported)
• Change body position in the water
• Exercise good safety practices in and around water

Students who successfully complete the kindergarten swim program will be able to:

• Explore under water with their eyes open and exhale underwater (blowing bubbles)
• Enter and exit the water using the ladder or the side of the pool
• Submerge their mouth, nose and eyes
• Float on the their front and their back unsupported
• Perform combined stroke on front and back
• Change body position in the water
• Practice and demonstrate personal safety in and around water
• Recognize a swimmer in distress and how to call for help

Grades 1-2

In grades one and two we will continue to build the fundamental skills for learning how to swim. Students will begin swimming unsupported, and lessons will focus on the beginning of true locomotion while laying the foundation for future stroke development.

In grade two classes we will focus on continued stroke development and mechanics of the breaststroke, crawl stroke and back crawl. The students will also become more comfortable swimming in deep water.

Students who successfully complete the grade one swim program will be able to:

• Enter the water by stepping or jumping from the side
• Exit the water using ladder or side
• Use different types of locomotion in the water
• Explore underwater, submerging head with eyes open to retrieve objects
• Perform rhythmic breathing
• Glide on front and back
• Demonstrate beginning front crawl and back crawl
• Exercise and demonstrate personal safety in and around the water
• Recognize a swimmer in distress and be able to call for help

Students who successfully complete the grade two swim program will be able to:

• Demonstrate proper head-first entry into the water and safe diving techniques
• Jump into deep water from the side of the pool
• Submerge fully and retrieve objects
• Perform rotary breathing for crawl stroke
• Demonstrate stroke development of crawl stroke, breaststroke, backstroke and elementary back strokes
• Perform butterfly kick and body motion
• Perform reaching assists to distressed swimmers
• Use the Check-Call-Care system for emergencies

Grades 3-4

In grades three and four, we will work on continuing to improve stroke technique while also working on developing greater endurance and strength while swimming for longer distances. Elements of competition swimming and swimming for fitness will also be introduced.

Students who successfully complete the grade three swim program will be able to:

• Demonstrate proper head-first entry into the water and safe diving techniques
• Use compact and stride-jump entries into the water
• Show continued stroke improvement of crawl, breast, back and elementary back strokes
• Swim underwater
• Demonstrate increased endurance while swimming
• Coordinate butterfly
• Perform basic open turns at the wall
• Participate in distance and timed swims
• Tread water using sculling arm motions and kick
• Perform throwing assists
• Care for a conscious choking victim

Students who successfully complete the grade four swim program will be able to:

• Demonstrate proper shallow diving and safe shallow dive techniques
• Perform starts from the starting blocks
• Build strength and endurance while distance swimming
• Demonstrate stroke refinement of front crawl, back crawl, butterfly, breaststroke, elementary backstroke and butterfly
• Perform flip turns at the wall
• Practice distance and timed swims

Grade 5

The grade five swim classes will focus on the refinement of competition level strokes so that students swim with more ease, efficiency, power and smoothness over longer distances. In this class we will also touch on personal water safety and rescue techniques, and the fundamentals of diving.

Students who successfully complete the grade five swim program will be able to:

• Tread water
• Tread water, kicking only
• Perform survival swimming and survival float
• Demonstrate basic stretching exercises for diving
• Use the Check-Call-Care and create Emergency Action Plans
• Demonstrate and practice proper etiquette of lap swimming
• Use a pace clock
• Use of pull buoys and fins
• Use of hand paddles