MIDDLETOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Elementary Physical Education Program

SWIM PROGRAM

 Purpose: To teach students skills that are necessary for basic water survival.
** Swim program is taught at the local YMCA.
*Two life guards on duty at the time of our swim. Classroom teachers are required to attend the swim. The two elementary Physical Education Teachers are in the low end of the pool, teaching students that cannot swim or students that simply did not pass the swim test.

YMCA Pool Rules

  1. Student may not wear any jewelry to the YMCA (this includes ear rings ie. Studs).
  2. Students may not wear shirts or extra clothing of any kind.
  3. Students may not use fins or masks. Swim goggles are fine.
  4. Students with long hair must where a rubber band.
  5. Students must take a shower before entering the pool area (Rhode Island State Law).
  6. Once in the pool area, students must ask a teacher to use the rest room, and also tell the same teacher that they are back. Otherwise that teacher will be looking for them.
  7. Students must walk on the pool deck because they have water on their feet.
  8. Students must take a swim test across the width of the pool using the front-crawl stroke. If they pass the test they get to have a free swim.
  9. Any student leaving the water must use the ladders in the corners or the handicapped staircase.
  10. Students may jump or dive in between blocks 2 and 3. There are no flips, twists, or back dives! Another student may not enter the water until the person in front of them has proceeded to the sidewall of the pool.
  11. Tag or any forms of chase or capture are permitted as long as they are done between the two flags (above the pool).
  12. Under NO circumstances shall a student push another student under water (they cannot tell when another student is inhaling).
  13. Any student that is asked to leave the water is not permitted back in that day and looses the opportunity to swim the next time.
  14. Instruct all students about the seriousness of using the word "HELP."
** Any student that does not pass the swim test will stay down at the shallow end and receive the swimming instruction.

** Instruction is obviously dependent on how many classes you have to teach with.

Pool Instruction

  1. Instruct students that if they get into any trouble just stand up! ( shallow end is 3 ft. 6 in. deep)
  2. The class is taught using an "assembly line" type of technique.
  3. Students begin by laying back and putting their arms on the filter ledge and raising their legs to begin basic kicking skills. Emphasis is on "whole leg theory" which is basically keeping your knees locked and pushing with your thighs. The only parts of the body that is moving is flexion in their feet.
  4. We then discuss the importance of lying "flat" on the water.
  5. We turn over and grab the filter ledge and have the students practice kicking again. Emphasis is on keeping their feet under water, and creating only a small splash.
  6. Using kickboards, the students begin to travel across the pool one at a time. Arms need to be fully extended and boards are on the water rather than underwater. The "whole leg theory" is constantly being stressed at this point.
  7. Students "hug" their kickboards and lie on their back. They again travel across the width of the pool. Emphasis is on keeping their ears in the water and their eyes on the ceiling.
  8. This is usually the point where we begin to teach basic arms. We have the students begin by putting their palms together in front of their chest at about water level. We have the students go through a routine. It is "elbows" out of the water, then we carry "the man" in the palms of our hand as we extend our arms forward. The hand should enter the water "thumbs down." Emphasis should be on trying to keep their hand closed (cupping) and moving as much water behind them as possible. They need to be told that the more water they move behind them, the easier it will be to keep forward momentum!
  9. We then have the students "walk" across the pool practicing the arm movement only. Students walk up and back.
  10. We then practice the "front crawl" using the kickboards. The students use the board as a help. The students take their hand off the kickboard and extend one arm forward. They pull some water back and put that hand back on the board. They continue to repeat the process alternating arms.
  11. We then move right into the "front crawl" which is otherwise known as free-style swimming.
  12. Students then move into "basic breathing". We practice this by having the students hold on to the side of the pool. Emphasis is on just getting their head wet.
  13. Move the class into a ring-formation. Students hold their classmates hand and we go over "storing oxygen" in their lungs by taking three slow, deep breaths. On the third breath, we all go under the water together. Emphasis is on not breaking "the chain."
  14. The last exercise in our group ring is to go under water alone and try to sit on the bottom of the pool.
  15. Lastly, we usually let the students have a free-swim during the last five minutes of the class.
** Sometimes we do not have enough time to get all the exercises done in one period. We simply carry over to the second class the exercises that we did not get done during the first class.