Alexandria Public Schools Community Education

Prerequisites - Class is designed for 4 year olds who have

NO AQUATIC EXPERIENCE! Preschool 1 will help participants adapt to and feel comfortable in and around water. Students will learn to enjoy the water safely by incorporating basic water skills with play and games. In addition to learning basic aquatics skills, children will become familiarized with an organized swim class and be expected to interact with the instructor and classmates. All skills in this class are done with assistance - children should NOT be expected to swim independently after taking this course.

Swimmers will learn the following: * Enter and exit water independently OR with assistance * Jump in from the side into chest-deep water (with a lifejacket) * Submerge mouth, nose and eyes and retrieve objects underwater * Blow bubbles through mouth and nose for 3 seconds * Front float, with face in or out of water, for 3 seconds * Front glide, with face in or out of water, for 2 body lengths and recover to vertical * Back float, with ears in water, for 3 seconds * Back glide, with ears in water, for 2 body lengths and recover to vertical * Roll over from front-to-back and back-to-front * Flutter kick on front and back for 2 body lengths * Introduction to freestyle and backstroke (combined arms and flutter kicking) for 2 body lengths * Introduction to elementary backstroke and breaststroke arm and leg actions * Learn how to put on a lifejacket and what it is used for; experience wearing a lifejacket in the water * Explore treading hand and arm actions in chest-deep water (with lifejacket) * Orientation to deep water * Learn how to recognize an emergency and call for help; recognize the lifeguard * Learn to look carefully before entering the water