All BSD Fourth Graders to Take Water Safety Education Classes at the Greater Burlington YMCA
The Greater Burlington YMCA and Burlington School District (BSD) are once again partnering to meet student needs. With the launch of a new Safety Around Water Program, this fall, all 232 Burlington fourth graders will take part in the Y’s formal swim program designed to reduce the risk of drowning.
Through the partnership, fourth graders from all six of BSD’s elementary schools will come to the Y for water safety training. They will attend the program twice a week for three consecutive weeks.
The water safety lessons cover water acclimation, water movement, and water stamina in a beginner, intermediate, and advanced level sequence. Being comfortable underwater is a basic skill. Students will practice different levels of being submerged to gain this skill. They will also learn sequences of swim strokes to demonstrate an ability to swim, float, and then swim again. The program also covers important tasks of being able to jump, push, turn, and grab to perform self-rescue skills with assistance, independently, and then over longer distances with more stamina. Students will learn to keep others safe with the skills named “Reach, Throw, Don’t Go” – an effective mnemonic to help bystanders quickly recall the essential steps of a safe water rescue without putting themselves in danger. Lastly, students will understand their first priority, which is to only swim with permission from an adult, their “Water Watcher,” the designated person whose only job is to monitor children swimming.
Fewer than half of all Americans say they know how to swim, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports major Health Disparities in Drowning; this program aims to bend that trend in our youth.
“Learning to swim is a crucial life skill,” says President + CEO Dan Smith. “This project is not just the Y serving the Burlington community, but saving lives now and in the future,” he concludes.
“I’m really grateful for this partnership with Y and to everyone involved in getting this program started,” said Tom Flanagan, BSD Superintendent. “In BSD, we work hard to keep kids safe and to offer learning opportunities connected to the real world. The Safety Around Water program is helping us meet both of these priorities.”
Flanagan and Smith noted that the partnership continues the work the organizations have done to focus on the needs of Burlington students. This partnership previously included the Y providing gym space for physical education classes during the years when BHS students were learning in the former Macy’s space downtown.
Thank you to WCAX for stopping by to learn more about the program!
