• Review session dates.
• Review the class offerings schedule.
• Confirm session, level and class offering time.
• Complete the online registration.
• Review the welcome email, which will be sent after you register, on or before the Friday prior to the start of the session. 
• Report to class on the first day and check in at the check-in table. 

Parent & Child

This class introduces basic skills to parents and children. Parents learn how to safely work with their child in the water, including how to appropriately support and hold their child in the water and how to prepare and encourage their child to participate fully and learn the skills. Children receive an introduction to basic skills that lay a foundation for learning to swim. In addition, parents are introduced to several water safety topics.

Preschool Level 1

Preschool Level 1 is designed to orient young preschoolers to the aquatic environment and to help them gain basic aquatic skills. In addition, participants start developing positive attitudes and safe practices around the water.

Preschool Level 2

Preschool Level 2 builds on the basic aquatic skills and water safety skills, and concepts learned in level 1. Participants begin to perform skills at a slightly more advanced level and begin gaining rudimentary propulsive skills on both the front and back. In level 1, skills are performed with assistance. Level 2 marks the beginning of independent aquatic locomotion skills. Children continue to explore using simulations and alternating arm and leg actions on the front and back to gain greater proficiency in preparation for performing strokes.

Preschool Level 3

Preschool Level 3 builds on the skills learned in Levels 1 and 2. It is designed to increase children's proficiency in performing previously learned skills. This is accomplished by providing additional guided practice and increasing repetitions, distances, times or levels of refinement. The skills in level 3 are performed independently. Children improve their coordination and control of combined and simultaneous arm and leg actions and alternating arm and leg actions. New water safety topics are introduced, and previously acquired water safety knowledge and skills are reinforced.

Level 1: Introduction to Water Skills

Learn-to-Swim Level 1 introduces basic aquatic skills, which participants continue to build on as they progress through all of the Learn-to-Swim levels. In addition, participants start developing positive attitudes, effective swimming habits and safe practices in and around the water.

Level 2: Fundamentals of Aquatic Skills

The objective of Learn-to-Swim Level 2 is to give participants success with fundamental skills. This level marks the beginning of true locomotion skills. Participants learn to glide and float without support and recover to a vertical position. Participants further develop simultaneous and alternating arm and leg actions on the front and back, laying the foundation for future strokes. New water safety topics are introduced and previously acquired water safety knowledge and skills are reinforced.

Level 3: Stroke Development

The objectives of Learn-to-Swim Level 3 are to expand proficiency of previously learned skills by providing additional guided practice. Participants learn and practice survival floating and learn to swim front crawl and elementary backstroke at rudimentary proficiency levels. Scissor and dolphin kicks are introduced, and the duration for treading water is extended. Participants also learn rules for headfirst entries and begin to learn to enter the water headfirst from a seated position at poolside. Participants who successfully complete level 3 have achieved basic water competency in a pool environment.

Level 4: Stroke Improvement

In Learn-to-Swim Level 4, participants improve their aquatic skills and increase their endurance by swimming the strokes learned in Level 3 for greater distances and with more advanced proficiency. Participants add arm actions to the previously learned scissor kick and breaststroke kick to perform the rudimentary sidestroke and to learn the breaststroke. Participants also begin to learn the back crawl and butterfly, as well as the basics of performing a simple open turn at a wall.

Level 5: Stroke Refinement

In Learn-to-Swim Level 5, participants refine their performance of all six strokes and increase the distances that they can swim. Participants also learn to perform flip turns on the front and back.

Adult: Learning the Basics

Adult Learning the Basics introduces basic aquatic skills and swimming strokes, including the front crawl, breaststroke, and elementary backstroke. Participants also learn skills and concepts needed to stay safe around water, in addition to those who need to help themselves or others in an aquatic emergency.

Adult: Skill & Stroke Improvement

Adult Skill & Stroke Improvement seeks to improve participants' proficiency in basic aquatic skills and the six basic swimming strokes. Participants also learn skills and concepts needed to stay safe around water, in addition to those needed to help themselves or others in an aquatic emergency.

Adult: Swimming for Fitness

Adult Swimming for Fitness focuses on refining the participant's front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke strokes and turns and building endurance. This class can be customized to meet the objectives of the participants, be that swimming on a masters team, training for a race or just getting in a good swim workout.

Swim lessons are organized first by age and then by skill level. The skill stage is listed within each age group in program materials. Please use the class descriptions, as well as skill level surveys to assess where children stand in terms of levels of swimming. Swim instructors also conduct skill assessments on the first day of all sessions and make placement adjustments at that time.

Placement adjustments will be made based on class availability, but adjustments cannot be guaranteed. Current swimmers should discuss level recommendations with the swim instructor prior to registering for the next session.

All swim lessons are taught in accordance with the American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim standards. The maximum ratios are as follows:

In the interest of building trust between a swimmer and the instructor, parents and guardians must observe their child’s class from the observation area. Please do not interrupt the teacher during class time. If a swimmer is having difficulty, parents and guardians may be asked to observe class from a location where swimmers can't see to keep the swimmer focused on the instructor.

Parents and guardians must remain in the facility in the event of an emergency.

Participants who are not fully potty trained must wear a disposable swim diaper, reusable swim diaper (which must be snug and completely cover the disposable diaper), and and a swimming suit. All three garments must be worn for class. 

All participants should use the restroom before entering the pool. All instances of contamination require full closure of the pool. 

Goggles are not a requirement for swim lessons, but may be used for the comfort of the swimmer. Participants wearing goggles will be asked to demonstrate skills without goggles until they are mastered. 

Goggles are recommended for higher levels that will be swimming laps during lessons. Masks that cover the nose are not permitted to allow swimmers to learn breath control. 

• Have you been told to quarantine/isolate by a medical provider or the health department?
• Are you currently awaiting Covid-19 test results?
• Excluding those individuals in an occupational setting wearing appropriate PPE and those who have been cleared for quarantine release prior to 14 days, in the past 2 weeks have you had close contact with someone who has Covid-19? Close contact means you were within about 6 ft of a person diagnosed with Covid-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.
• Are you experiencing a cough shortness of breath difficulty breathing which is new or not explained by a pre-existing condition?
• In the Past 48 hours, have you had at least two of the following symptoms which is new or not explained by a pre-existing condition:
  • Fever, chills, repeated shaking chills, fatigue, muscle pain, body aches, headache, sore throat, nasal congestion or runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea or loss of taste or smell?
• Was your temperature 100.4 or above just prior to coming into lessons today?

• Diarrhea or intestinal flu within the last 24 hours
• Green/yellow discharge from the nose, has pink-eye, ringworm or other contagious illnesses

Instructors are available to discuss swimmers' progress before or after class. Please keep in mind that the instructor may have another class beginning shortly. Additional discussions may be had with aquatics staff via phone or email.

The American Red Cross Swim App is available for download by testing SWIM to 90999. This FREE app includes games and videos for swimmers, plus a swim lesson progress tracker. The app also provides the latest in water safety guidance to help ensure swimmers stay safe in, on and around the water.