Elementary school has traditionally been all about the “Three R’s”: reading, writing, and arithmetic. Add swimming to that formula, and you get a recipe to prevent childhood drowning. Miami-Dade Public Schools are doing it by bringing swimming pools to the kids, instead of kids to the pool.
“We are in the business of saving lives,” said swimming instructor Elaine Economys.
The school district has six portable pools. They set them up at schools in zip codes which have the highest number of accidental drownings or near drownings, such as Golden Glades Elementary in Miami Gardens.
The point is obvious, because Florida leads the nation in drowning deaths among little kids. The swim lesson program teaches children in kindergarten and first grade what to do if they find themselves in the water.
“And it’s awesome to see the growth from kindergarten, nervous students, kind of afraid of the water and when they’re in first grade, they’re excited, and they’re passing that on to the younger students,” said Crystal Spence, the principal of Golden Glades Elementary.
The kids go back to class after a half-hour of swimming lessons. Parents love the concept.
“It develops that non-fear factor, and understand that if they fall in the water, how not to panic,” said James Holliday, whose son, he says, is now confident in the water.
After 10 lessons in the portable pool, the students graduate.
“We take them to a field trip to a big pool and they actually get the experience of jumping in deep water and then swimming to the side,” explained Economys.
When they finish the program, the children know how to swim, a skill that may be as important as the Three R’s.
