Rotary sponsors swim lessons

Have fun. No diving. You're a guest. Come in quietly, leave quietly.

Those are the first rules Sisters Elementary School third grade students learn about swimming at Sisters Athletic Club as part of the swim program.

Sisters Rotary has sponsored the third grade swim program for the past six years. Two years ago they added fifth grade instruction to the program at the suggestion of Marti Dale, Health and Physical Education Specialist for Sisters Middle School. The purpose, Dale suggested, would be to refresh their skills and for the fifth graders to learn water safety.

"When she approached us, it just made sense," said Rotary President Kathryn Johnson. "It seemed like the logical next step and it definitely fit in with our goal to support activities for neighborhood kids."

Children learn life jacket safety, survival in deep water, and rescue assists during the water safety component.

Many sectors of the community have come together to make this program possible. Rotary partnered with Sisters Athletic Club (SAC), which provides the pool and the instructors. Dale also secured a donation from the Sisters Schools Foundation for the fifth grade students' swim. The schools each provide teachers and transportation.

"We at Rotary always try to do something community related," Johnson said. "Where we live, kids don't have exposure to swimming. Normally you would have to be a SAC member to swim here. This program gives every child at that age group a chance to learn to swim."

A lot of pre-planning went into sponsoring the event.

"We did research about the best age for kids to start swimming and found that third grade was best," Johnson said. "They teach kids to blow bubbles under the water so they get comfortable. For the fifth grade students they talk a lot about survival skills, so if your friend jumps in the lake you don't jump in after them, plus other life saving techniques."

This year some Sisters Christian Academy third grade students are also participating in the program.

Rebecca Womack, Aquatics Director at SAC, has worked with the third grade program for five years.

"A lot of kids hadn't swum before," Womack said. "In the beginning we are getting them adjusted to putting their faces in the water. At the deeper end of the pool we work with refining their strokes, while in the middle group we work on back strokes and side breathing."

Volunteer and Rotarian Anthony Green started working with the program last year when his son was in the fifth grade and decided to stick around. The first two days of the fifth grade program are a swim review, the third day is water safety and survival training. "The kids get a lot more comfortable in the water. They may not get a lot more improvement in their stroke, but they have more of an understanding of what they have to do to make it better. We get kids who are really focused on learning," Green stated.

Trevor Williams, a certified Water Safety Instructor and Master Swim Trainer at SAC, asks the kids: "You're on a boat that capsizes. What do you do to survive in cold water while waiting for a rescue?" With that thought in their minds, he begins to teach them techniques that can ensure their survival in a variety of scenarios.

Student Will Miner has been taking swim lessons since first grade and learned a lot from the safety program.

"Never grab someone who is drowning," he explained. "They could panic, pull you down, and you could both drown."

The classes are also taught to special needs students.

Occupational Therapist Katie Diez, OTR/L was there to observe one of her third grade students participating in the program. "Swimming is a multi-sensory experience. They've got movement, feel of the water, smells, vision, and auditory. A lot of kids have sensory processing disorder and can either act hyper or shut down." She was happy to report her student was learning and doing well with the program.

Josh Nordell is the Alternative Education teacher at Sisters Middle School and was swimming with a special needs student. "He's learning through doing. He's been able to gain a lot of confidence. Just riding on a different bus can be a challenge, and he learns he can go to different places and excel."

Nordell saw a lot of improvement with his student in just a few days in the water.

"The first day he was holding on so tightly," Nordell said. "Today he was trying to push me away because he wanted more independence. Just to see his smile is the best part."