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Group Swim Lessons

Children swimming

Recreation & Wellness offers group lessons to those aged six months and older. All participants will learn to master the skills necessary to promote safe practicies around the water.

Learn-to-Swim classes are taught by certified, knowledgable and caring instructors who can help swimmers and every level feel comfortable in the water and progress to the next level. Swim classes are tailored to the needs of each participant so that each participant can progress at a comfortable pace. Instructors ensure all participants receive the instruction and attention needed to achieve success in class.

Getting Started
  • Review session dates.
  • Review class offerings schedule.
  • Confirm session, level and class offering time.
  • Complete online registration.
  • Review the welcome email, which will be sent the Friday before the start of the session. 
  • Report to class the first day and check in at the check-in table. 
Pricing
Group Lesson Program Pricing Affiliate Non-Affiliate
8 Lesson Session $50.00 $70.00

4 Lesson Session

(Summer Only)

$25.00 $35.00
Private Lesson Program Pricing Number of Lessons Affiliate Price
Private Lessons 4 Lesson Package $80.00
Semi-Private Lessons 4 Lesson Package $60.00
  • Private Lesson Registration Won't Open Until the Week of January 22, 2024
Registration & Session Dates - Fall 2024 & Spring 2025

Fall Semester

Registration Opens 

Registration
Closes

Session Start

Session End

Fall

Session 1

8/19/24 @9:00 am

8/23/24 @ 12:00 pm

8/26/24

9/26/24

No Class 9/2 | 9/3 | 9/4 | 9/5 (Labor Day Weekend)

Fall

Session 2

9/23/24 @9:00 am

9/27/24 @ 12:00 pm

9/30/24

10/31/24

No Class 10/7 | 10/18 | 10/9 | 10/10 (Fall Break)

Fall

Session 3

10/28/24 @9:00 am

11/1/24 @ 12:00 pm

11/4/24

12/5/24

No Class 11/25 | 11/26 | 1/27 | 11/28 (Thanksgiving Break)

Fall

Weekend

8/19/24 @9:00 am

9/6/24 @ 12:00 pm

9/8/24

11/3/24

Sunday’s ONLY | No Class Dates: 10/6/24 (Fall Break)

 

Spring Semester

Registration Opens 

Registration
Closes

Session Start

Session End

Spring Session 1

1/20/2025 @9:00 am

1/24/2025 @ 12:00 pm

1/27/25

2/20/25

No Class Dates None

Spring

Session 2

2/17/2025 @9:00 am

2/20/2025 @ 12:00 pm

2/24/25

3/27/24

No Class 3/17 | 3/18 | 3/19 | 3/20 (Spring Break)

Spring

Session 3

3/24/2025 @9:00 am

3/28/2025 @ 12:00 pm

3/31/2024

4/24/25

No Class Dates: None

Spring Weekend

1/20/2025 @9:00 am

1/24/2025 @ 12:00 pm

1/26/25

3/30/25

Sunday’s ONLY | No Class Dates: 3/16 (Spring Break)

Class Offerings - Fall 2024 & Spring 2025

Monday / Wednesday Schedule

Class Time 

Classes Offered

30 Minutes

30 Minutes

30 Minutes

30 Minutes

40 Minutes

40 Minutes

5:45 – 6:30

Parent Child

Preschool 1

Preschool 2

Preschool 3 

School Age 1

School Age 2

Class Time 

40 Minutes

40 Minutes

40 Minutes

40 Minutes

40 Minutes

30 Minutes

6:30 – 7:15

School Age 1

School Age 2

School Age 3

School Age 4

School Age 5

Preschool 1

Class Time 

45 Minutes

45 Minutes

45 Minutes

7:15 – 8:00

Adult: Learning the Basics

Adult: Skill & Stroke Improvement

Adult: Swimming for Fitness

 

Tuesday / Thursday

Class Time 

Classes Offered

30 Minutes

30 Minutes

30 Minutes

30 Minutes

40 Minutes

40 Minutes

5:45 – 6:30

Parent Child

Preschool 1

Preschool 2

Preschool 3 

School Age 2

School Age 3

Class Time 

40 Minutes

40 Minutes

40 Minutes

40 Minutes

40 Minutes

30 Minutes

6:30 – 7:15

School Age 1

School Age 2

School Age 3

School Age 4

School Age 5

Preschool 2

Class Time 

45 Minutes

45 Minutes

45 Minutes

7:15 – 8:00

Adult: Learning the Basics

Adult: Skill & Stroke Improvement

Adult: Swimming for Fitness

 

Sunday

Class Time 

Classes offered

30 Minutes

30 Minutes

40 Minutes

40 Minutes

2:30 - 3:10

Preschool 1

Preschool 2

School Age 1

School Age 3

Class Time 

40 Minutes

40 Minutes

45 Minutes

3:15 - 4:00

School Age 2

School Age 3

Adult: Learning the Basics

Group Swim Lesson Level Descriptions

Parent-Child Lessons (Ages 6 Months - 3 Years | 30 Minutes | Ration 1:10)

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 try 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 Lessons (Ages 3 - 5 Years | 30 minutes | Ration 1:6)

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

Perschool 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.

Learn-to-Swim Lessons (6 - 15 years | 40 Minutes | Ratio 1:6 Levels 1-3 / Ratio 1:10 Levels 4-5)

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 furhter 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 Lessons (Ages 15+ | 40 Minutes | Ratio 1:6 for Basics / Ratio 1:10 for Improvement & Fitness)

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.

 

Group Swim Lesson FAQs

How do I know which class is appropriate for my child?

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.

What are the instructor to participant ratios?

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

Learn-to-Swim Group Ideal Ratio Max Ratio
Parent & Child 1:8 1:10
Preschool 1-3 1:5 1:6
Learn-to-Swim 1-3 1:6 1:6
Learn-to-Swim 4-5 1:6 1:10
Adult 1:6 1:10
May I sit by my child's class?

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.

What should my child wear to swim lessons?
Participants must have a swimsuit. Hair that is shoulder length or longer must be pulled back or worn under a swim cap. 
My child is not potty trained. What should they wear for swim lessons?

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. 

Can swimmers wear goggles?

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. 

When should my child stay home from swim lessons?
If the answer to any of the following questions is yes, please keep swimmers home from swim lessons:
  • 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?
REGULAR HEALTH PRECAUTIONS

Please keep swimmers home if they have experienced:
  • Diarrhea or intestinal flu within the last 24 hours
  • Green/yellow discharge from the nose, has pink-eye, ringworm, or other contagious illnesses
How do I determine if my child is improving in swim lessons?

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 texting 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.

How long will it take my child to pass a level?
Levels are not designed to be passed in one session, as each swimmer progresses and learns at different rates. Swimmers may continue in the same stage for 2-3 sessions until they are able to master all of the exit skills. It is not uncommon for swimmers to repeat stages more than once. The instructors will continue to build on skills in each session, and it’s important that swimmers are in the stage compatible with their skill-set, so that the classes are composed of children with similar ability levels.
What if I have feedback to give?
Feedback is welcome and may be given to the instructor after lessons. Instructors are also available to answer questions or concerns on working effectively with swimmers. Aquatics staff may also be contacted with feedback.