Written by: Cheyenne Brading
As summer approaches, water safety is becoming more and more important. At Salem Middle School, staff is dedicated to preparing students for summer activities. One way SMS is achieving this is by teaching water safety. Swim teacher Michelle Stancombe said the pool was built in the middle school because the elementary and high school had already been built.
¨I am thankful that the administration and school board had the insight to add the swimming pool during the construction of the school and knew the importance of water safety instruction,” she said.
Swim classes at SMS are unique for the school as it offers more than the opportunity to learn to swim. Students are tested at the beginning of the school year and then placed into one of three groups. Each group has approximately 14 days to swim during the nine weeks they are in PE class. Students have PE for one quarter each semester, so students have PE and swimming two times a school year. Students bring their own suits and the school provides towels for students. Students learn how to stay safe not just in the water, but on and around the water as well. They learn the five most common strokes in swimming: front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, elementary backstroke and the sidestroke. They also learn basic rescue techniques and procedures.
“Without a doubt, our program, through the years, has minimized the number of drownings in Washington County,” Stancombe said.
She also teaches other water activities like kayaking, standup paddle boarding (SUP) and canoeing. Students have access to snorkeling supplies and other pool equipment to better their experience and knowledge of the water.
“My hope is to give students as many experiences in, on and around the water that I can, so they can enjoy these activities for their lifetime,” said Stancombe.
Principal Kevin Albert agreed with Stancombe’s statement and said he is thrilled it is part of the curriculum at SMS.
“Having access to a swimming pool and teaching water safety in middle school fosters physical, emotional and social growth and can play a crucial role in shaping well-rounded individuals,” he said. “Learning to swim and understanding water safety boosts students' confidence in and around water. This knowledge is a life-long skill that helps students feel more comfortable during family outings, vacations or any situation involving water.”
The swim class maintains basic classroom rules while also implementing safety rules, such as: no running on the pool deck; while in the water, no dunking, no pulling swimmers underwater and no chicken fighting. When entering the pool area, students are to sit down and slide in at the shallow end. At the five-foot depth they may jump feet first and at the nine-foot depth they may dive head first. These rules are in accordance with the American Red Cross guidelines. Students are not to enter by a forward flip or backward flip, jumping sideways or turning a 360 while jumping in the pool.
“Water competency is so much more than knowing how to swim, it is being able to anticipate, avoid and survive water related emergencies,” said Stancombe.