What our students and teachers say about the Swimming Program
More than half of our students have completed their Term 4 Swimming program for the year. The swimming program includes all students from Transition to Year 6 and is conducted by the good folks at the Royal Life Saving Society.
Across Early Childhood, Middle Primary, and Upper Primary students learn vital swimming and water survival skills.
“The swimming program is an excellent way to encourage safety around water. Students learn lifelong skills about being safe around water, and where and when to swim safely. The instructors are great with the children and they all have a fun time in the pool.”
- Holly, Early Childhood Teacher
In addition to developing life skills, the swimming program aligns with the Health and Physical Education goals of the Australian Curriculum. Beginning in Transition (Foundation) students practise fundamental movement skills and movement sequences using different body parts which includes performing a range of water confidence skills.
“The Swimming Program has been a fantastic addition to our health program, where students learn vital water safety skills that are relevant to the Darwin lifestyle. Not to mention students love the change of routine and being in the water!”
- Tara, Early Childhood Teacher
Moving on throughout the years of schooling students continue to refine fundamental movement skills through coordinating kicking with arm movements to move the body through the water. In their final primary years students learn how to combine surface propulsion and underwater skills in an aquatic environment.
Beyond learning outcomes, the swimming program is fun, provides an escape from the Wet Season heat and promotes an appreciation of water safety.
“The swimming program has proven successful for my class. Not only has this program inspired fun in the water for our students to escape the heat at this time of year, but it has also provided students with an ‘intangible toolkit’ of strategies they can adopt to stay safe in the water. We are thoroughly enjoying our time and although we hope we don’t ever have to implement these strategies, we feel much more confident and safe in the water!”
- Josh, Middle Primary Teacher
Combining fun, games, confidence building, and technical swimming and survival skills creates an unique and effective learning environment that both students and teachers enjoy.
“I like practising the swimming strokes, I feel I am getting more confident...”
- Suhas
“I like that I get more practise in swimming and I get to learn new things like how to do a pin drop correctly.”
- Laila
“I like the swimming program as we practise swimming and we have fun playing games.”
- Austin
