SCHOOL HOLIDAY INTENSIVES – Mon 30 Sept to Fri 4 Oct (Morning program only 7.30am-11.30am)
SCHOOL HOLIDAY INTENSIVES – Mon 30 Sept to Fri 4 Oct (Morning program only 7.30am-11.30am)
Our early entry swim classes deliver personal aquatic survival skills and introductory swimming fundamentals such as:
1. The swimming adult is required to wear a loose fitting t-shirt over the top of swimwear. The T-shirt is to promote and develop the infant’s reaching and grabbing skills.
2. Long hair should be tied back neatly.
3. We recommend make up and jewellery (especially dangly or hooped ear rings), is not worn in the water.
4. Finger nails should be kept to a safe and practical length.
5. Be mindful of infant’s feeding time. Ensure feeding time isn’t too close to lesson time. It could get messy!
6. Sick infants are unhappy swimmers! We have a make-up lesson policy in place to take care of an illness absence.
We have one body of water at our swimming centre. To ensure our water quality remains the highest possible, ELSC have a Non-Negotiable Swim Nappy Policy in place which requires ALL children 3 years and under OR NON TOILET TRAINED children to wear:
ELSC reserve the right to ask any person that is not complying with this policy to exit the swimming pool. Lesson will be forfeited.
The Starfish class is based around “water familiarisation” as this is usually the first formal introduction to an aquatic environment for infants outside bath time activities at home.
Parent/Carer is in the water with their infant in this level.
Lessons are delivered in a happy, relaxed and nurturing environment.
Aquatic safety and education are core learning elements of the Starfish for the parent/carer.
Continual movement in the water is encouraged to ensure babies as well as parents/carers remain warm during passive learning activities.
The aim of the Starfish class is to achieve basic aquatic skills, breath conditioning, back float, propulsive movement and promoting a healthy water confidence through games and songs.
Water trickled over the shoulder, head and face are small steps towards ‘breath conditioning’ leading to facial then total body submersion.
Set skills relating to submersion drills will incorporate the use of Trigger Words such as “Baby’s Name, Ready, Go”. Trigger words are very important when teaching breath control and should be used when practicing simple breath control activities, this includes bath time.
Infant Aquatic Familiarisation Class with Parent
Starfish Plus will focus on continual water familiarisation and skill enhancement for the older infant, 12 to 24 months.
Parents are in the water with their child in this level.
Starfish Plus will extend personal aquatic survival skills as part of our aquatic education program for both parents and infants.
Infants will explore their aquatic environment through circuits and set activities aimed to increase an infant’s swimming ability and confidence. Skills such as ‘breath conditioning’ + submersion, monkey grip walk + pull out, ‘unforced’ back floating, simulation falls (self correction) and survival rolls are key learning areas in this level.
Trigger words are still used in this level.
As the infant increases their propulsive swimming ability and confidence, promotion of unassisted swimming and survival skills is extended.
Infant Aquatic Familiarisation Class with Parent
This is not an independent swimming level. Parents are still required to be in the water in Starfish Transition.
Under the swimming teachers’ direct supervision, students will perform ‘advanced aquatic skills’ having completed Starfish Plus or equivalent.
Advance skills include:
In this level parents are ‘gradually’ weaned away from the student. This this is a very gradual process with student/parent ‘detachment’ monitored and assessed by the swimming instructor during each class.
At the completion of the Starfish Transition level students are confident to work under the instruction of the swimming instructor and ready for the independent swimming level of Mini Octopus.
Here’s an email we recently received highlighting the importance of our Water Safety Program.
Hi East Lakes Swim Centre,
I just want to say a huge thank you for everything you do. But in particular I want to praise your Water Safety Program.
On the Easter weekend, myself and my girls were staying at a hotel in Sydney. The hotel had a pool. Both my girls are students at your swimming school. Miss 3 is not yet confident in the pool.
Miss 7 was in the pool. Miss 3 entered the pool when my back was turned and had a drowning incident.
On entering the water, Miss 3 sunk straight to the bottom of the pool. I turned around to see just the very top inch of her head above the water. She was standing vertically on the floor of the pool, nearly completely submerged. Miss 7 realised quickly that her sister could not breathe and swam and lifted her up. She held her above the water and brought her to the side of the pool, where I lifted Miss 3 out of the pool. Miss 3 was frightened and I was very concerned. I monitored her in the coming weeks. I will never be able to erase the image of Miss 3 standing under the water from my mind.
Miss 7 knew what to do and acted calmly and quickly. I believe that this is a credit to your Water Safety programmes at East Lakes. Thank you so much. You really are making a difference to the lives of our children. Please always keep doing what you are doing.
K.W.
28/04/2022