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Swim Lessons

Show All Answers

1. Do I need to have a season pool pass for my children to take lessons?

No. There is a higher fee charged for those without season passes, so that they are assisting with the costs of operating the pool. If you choose to purchase a season pass, the amount of additional money spent on the lessons will be deducted from the full cost. Season passes are not required during swim lesson times, but once the pool opens for General Swim, everyone must either have a season pool pass or pay the daily admission, whether they swim or not.

2. How do I choose the most appropriate level for my child?

Brief descriptions have been included on this web site, as well as in a handout at the Park and Recreation Office. At the evening registration for Needham residents, the Assistant Pool Supervisor responsible for swim lesson instruction will be available to answer questions, and the office staff will assist at other times. If you have difficulty choosing between two levels, choose the “lower” level and tell the instructor on the first day of your difficulty in choosing. As soon as your child is ready to move to the next level, the instructor will discuss this choice with you. More...

3. Why can’t my three-year old child be in Level One classes?

Young children learn effectively through play and exploration, and the Preschool classes are set up for that purpose. All of the activities that the children participate in are teaching them about the water and their abilities to swim, even though they appear to just be participating in “fun and games.”

4. Can I go in the water during lessons if my child is afraid of taking lessons?

Parents are welcome to join the child on the first day, and the staff will assist with moving the parents gradually away from the water, so that the child can participate with the group and develop confidence in his/her skills.

5. Can my four-year old child, who loves the water but has not had swim lessons, start in Level One?

Children’s success in Level One through Level Six classes is dependent on their having the physical and emotional ability for those levels. Four year olds begin their lessons in the Preschool level, which has been created to be an appropriate learn-to-swim experience for the majority of children in that age group. A few individual children each summer are reviewed by the instructor and Assistant Pool Supervisor and determined to be ready for learning to swim with older children and are moved during the session. The Red Cross does not recommend there being a large age span at any level, particularly at the younger levels.

6. Why are two Preschool classes, offered at the same time, combined together at the beginning?

The two classes meet together, and participate in activities with two instructors. By the end of the second day, the children are broken into two groups, with like abilities, so that the lessons over the three weeks are most effective for the participants.

7. Can I sign up for two classes during the same session to give my child more practice?

No, children should only be registered for one class in order for the classes to be most effective. Instruction is only one part of learning to swim, and children should spend time outside of instructional classes practicing and playing, to learn to depend on their own skills. Some children are able to develop their abilities through play, and others like to participate in the Needham Swim Team, challenging themselves with others with a variety of abilities.

8. What training have the swim instructors had?

All of the full-time instructors are certified by the American Red Cross as Water Safety Instructors. This is a lengthy certification program that reviews the proper form for each swim skill, and provides instructional suggestions for teaching those skills effectively. The instructors are also certified as Lifeguards, which requires the individuals to have strong swimming skills themselves. The Director of the Park and Recreation Commission has a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and a M.Ed. in Special Education and is a former teacher. She participates in additional training with the staff. Occasionally, a lifeguard who has interest in becoming a swim instructor will assist with teaching a class, under the direction of a Water Safety Instructor.

9. Who do I go to if I have questions or concerns during swim lessons?

The first person available to help you is your child’s instructor. He/She has a few minutes before moving to the next class, so if additional time is needed, ask the instructor to contact you later in the day. The Assistant Pool Supervisor responsible for lessons will be on site, and also teaching. You can ask to meet with the Supervisor with your questions or concerns, or arrange a time outside of swim lesson time. If you still don’t have answers to your questions, please contact the Assistant Director of the Park and Recreation Commission at (781) 455-7521.

10. What can I register for if my child has difficulty learning in a group setting?

Park and Recreation offers Adaptive Aquatics. These lessons are one-on-one for children who need individual instruction. Swim instructors are available to teach classes on weekday afternoons, and will contact the parent to set up appropriate times. Some children are able to have a lesson each weekday afternoon, but others need to have less classes available each week. The instructor will notify the parent when 15 classes have been held in the event that the parent would like to register for another set of classes. Parents should contact the Assistant Director of Park and Recreation to check on eligibility. The Assistant Director of Park and Recreation is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and was Director of Special Needs Recreation for Newton Parks and Recreation for 16 years prior to coming to Needham.

11. Are swim classes cancelled when it rains?

In most instances, swim classes are held rain or shine. In the event of thunder or lightning, or when pool water conditions are not appropriate for swimming, classes are cancelled, and notification is put on the Recorded Information Line at (781) 444-7212 Press 2. The decision cannot be made until approximately 8:30 AM, when the morning staff is on duty, and all testing of the pool water and evaluations of the site and weather are completed. The Red Cross suggests that lessons be offered in 10-day sessions. Swim lessons at Rosemary Pool are offered in 14 or 15 days sessions, providing time for days off for vacations or pool closings.

12. Can the swim instructors help my child with the Deep Water Test?

Absolutely! Mention it to the instructor on the first day. If your child has a fear of taking the test, the instructor may try to do the test during the session.

13. Can my other children play in the water while one child is taking a lesson?

No, for their safety. All of the guards are in classes teaching and not available to guard swimmers, and for half of the morning, the Swim Team is using the right hand side of the pool. Other children may play in the sand areas or up in the playground area.

14. How can adults learn to swim or strengthen our skills?

Over the years, classes have been offered for adults, but due to low registrations will not be offered this summer. The Supervisors can offer some helpful hints for skill strengthening, and adults may sign up for private lessons at the Pool Booth. Private lessons are taught by staff who are certified to teach, and choose to teach private lessons when they are not on duty.

15. Why are registrations only taken in person?

A large number of children are registered for swimming lessons, and the information needs to be ready for the classes in a short period of time. In-person registration allows the staff to take care of all questions related to the registration very quickly, without the need of timely follow-up through phone calls related to mail-in registration. A large number of children participate in more than one session of lessons, and the swim instructors are able to report each child’s progress towards the end of the session, so that the appropriate level is chosen for the next session. More time is spent on instruction when children are in appropriate levels, than in testing and moving children into different levels.

16. Why are late registrations not taken?

On the first day of classes, the instructors need to start filling out paperwork for the Red Cross and have it submitted that week. The paperwork is finalized towards the end of the 3rd week, so that appropriate changes are made. In addition, the number of children in each class changes throughout the three weeks, as individuals progress from one level to the next. Levels have a sequential curriculum for the teachers to follow. It is difficult keeping the classes progressing with constant interruptions and new students.

17. How can I register my child if I am not able to be at the Park and Recreation Office during registration times?

There are several options:

• Ask another family to register your child when that family registers their children
• Ask another family member to do the registration (we get to meet lots of nice grandparents!)
• Call the Park and Recreation Office prior to registration to ask about alternative suggestions

18. Does the evening registration line require me to come early and wait a long time?

No. In recent years, most parents coming on the first night of registration were able to register for their first choices of classes. There is no need to come prior to 5:30 pm when numbers for place in line are given out. Prior to the 6 PM start, you can purchase pool passes, get pool pass numbers if you’ve forgotten to bring yours, register a birth certificate for 3-5 year olds, and ask questions about what level of lessons to choose. Once the registration starts, more than 80 families are registered prior to 7 PM, and the process is often faster than those coming during office hours during the day registrations, as a large staff is brought in to move the process along quickly. Some families join together to make it easier…one family registers the children of two families, the other family stays home with all the children!