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News Items

May 2012
 

Swim & Survive Review  Delivers Report

This comprehensive report acknowledges the significant contribution that our education programmes make to the sector.
 
Click here to read the full report.
 
 
 
May 2012

Gaylene works miracles in the water

After 23 years as a swim teacher and manager at CCS Disability Action Swim School in Tauranga, Gaylene Johnson has retired.
 
Gaylene began volunteering more than 35 years ago at Otumoetai Swimming Club where she is now a life member, then 23 years ago she began the CCS Disability Action Swim School programme.  This programme is aimed at people of all ages, for people with and without disabilities.  She said swimming was an important way for people, not only those with disabilities but to be active and comfortable in, on and around the water.
 
Learning to swim can be a challenge but former nurse Gaylene knows how to create miracles.  "I've taught children with cerebral palsy and they have learnt to swim quite well and managed to achieve well.  Their parents have been so thankful and have come to me and said they never thought their children would ever learn to swim," she said.
 
She oversees a team of 10 swimming instructors, which create a positive learning experience for disabled and able-bodied people wanting to learn to swim.  Gaylene was a contributor and tutor for Swimming New Zealand’s Teaching Swimmers with Disabilities and and ASTA course and is recognised by NZSCTA as a Master Teacher.
 
We wish Gaylene all the best for the future.
 
   
 
 
 
May 2012

SNZ Learn to Swim staff attened ACA Junior Skills Courses

Over the last month Swimming New Zealand learn to swim staff have been attending ACA Junior Skills Courses held in Auckland and New Plymouth as professional development.  On 26 April Donna Bouzaid (who has recently been awarded the SNZ/NZCSTA Gold Coaching Accreditation) presented the New Plymouth course.  Donna is current coach of Aquabladz Taranaki and has had a very successful career which has included being a  SNZ Board member from 2003 - 2008 and  Swimming New Zealand High Performance Coach since 2004.

In 2006 Donna had one of her swimmers get a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games, had a World Junior Swim Champion in 2008,  put two swimmers on the 2008 Olympic Games team in Beijing, and was a member of theteam to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The learn to swim staff that attended her course found her wealth of knowledge and were very excited to sit in onof her course.  The course covered an array of components from athlete-centered coaching, development of effective technique in all 4 competitive strokes, start and turns, communication skills, club based activities and seasonal planning.

It was fantastic to see and hear her theories on focusing on the fundamentals and “Getting the Basics Right” with young swimmers, also about giving children options for self-correction using a critical thinking approach.  She went through dry-land stretching drills and gave the staff loads of ideas to put into place at schools to increase flexibility, strength and muscle development. 

We were also fortunate to take part in a water session with Donna's junior swimmers and construct programs and work with them on these.  Before this we got to observe Donna working through drills and skills with her swimmers and we was truly amazed at how they simply “got the basics right”.

It was very clear that Donna is one very passionate, fun and knowledgeable lady.  We walked away from the course buzzing with ideas and felt assured and confident that what we are striving for within the education team and SNZ is something to be proud of.

 
 
 
May 2012

News about the Timaru pool

Please find enclosed a link to the latest edition of CBay Splash! Magazine.

For more news, photos and updates become a fan on Facebook

Kind regards, The CBay Team

 
April 2012

Aquatic Education instructors completing Swimming New Zealand qualifications

Over the past month, two Wellington swim schools have had staff awarded with Swimming New Zealand Certificates In Swim Teaching in the areas of Teaching Swimmers With A Disability (TSWD)  and the Early Childhood Swim Teacher Award (ECSTA). These qualifications are of a high standard, and were attained by attending the relevant NZCST courses, completing the assignments and then completing the practical assessment.

Donna Galvin has recently completed the Teaching Swimmers With A Disability award and was awarded her certificate in late March. Donna is currently teaching swimmers with autism on a one on one basis at Huia Pool in Wellington. Upon completing her Assistant Swim Teachers Award (ASTA) Donna decided she wanted to learn more about how to teach swimmers with a disability, and decided that the Swimming New Zealand course was the best way forward. She attended the 1 day course, completed her assignment and was assessed by Swimming New Zealand before being awarded her certificate. Donna described the course as “extremely informative” and expressed how much she learnt from attending the course.

“The biggest thing I took away from this course was that you do not teach them like they have a disability, you teach them as individuals with individual needs”

(Sarah Gibbison and Donna Galvin)

Swimming New Zealand’s School Swim Safe Advisor Sarah Gibbison assessed Donna for this award and was very impressed with Donna’s ability to form genuine relationships with her swimmers, and get real results from them in a positive and effective way. Donna clearly showed that she had a very strong grasp of how swimmers with a disability learn, and how she could most effectively use her equipment, environment and time to get the most from her swimmers.

Jacoline Brink has also recently completed the Early Childhood Swim Teachers Award  and was awarded her certificate in late March. Jacoline currently teachers babies and pre schoolers at Tog Zone after beginning her swim teaching career in late 2010. Upon completing her Assistant Swim Teachers Award (ASTA) Jacoline wanted to invest more time into her passion of children, and decided that attending the Swimming New Zealand Early Childhood Course would be a great stepping stone for her to do this. Jacoline completed 3 assignments and her practical assessment before being awarded her certificate.

“I really enjoyed the course – since doing the course I feel so much more confident about teaching under 5s – before the course I never understood why they were the way  they are – now I do know why, and it has helped me to feel more confident”.

“There were lots of things that I thought I knew about teaching under 5s but since doing the course I realise that there are reasons for them doing what they do and I now know how to manage that better”

   

(Susan Hargreaves, Jacoline Brink and Sarah Gibbison)

We wish both Jacoline and Donna the very best for their swim teaching futures, and look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.

April 2012

New Learn to Swim Pool for Christchurch

Congratulations to the Christchurch City Council on the opening of their learn to swim pool at Pioneer Stadium. 

The 16 metre, four-lane is dual – depth depending on children’s needs, it’s water level can be changed from 0.75 metres to 1 metre in a short space of time providing a shallow, confidence building environment.  The facility also includes changing rooms, toilets and shower. 

“This innovative feature makes the pool perfect for teaching kids of all ages and abilities, from pre-schoolers up” says John Filsell, Recreation and Sports Unit Manager.  In 2006 the council identified as part of its Aquatic Facilities Plan that a new, shallow pool was needed at Pioneer to provide swim education opportunities for younger children and to free up space in the pools for the other users.

    

 

April 2012

 

Hauraki District Council - Learn to Swim Classes a Success

Click here to view this article

 

 April 2012

 

Quality Swim School of the year

Congratulations to Easyswim Swim School, Wellington who were awarded the Quality Swim School of the year award.
 
This is the first year Swimming New Zealand have included this award in its annual awards to recognise a Swimming New Zealand Quality Swim School that has embraced the Swimming New Zealand learn to swim qualifications, has shown positive impact on their local community and has shown positive impact on their swim teachers skills and abilities through the Swimming New Zealand qualifications.
 
Easyswim in conjunction with Khandallah School have also recently upgraded their school pool building. Click here to see the article.
 
Congratulations to owner/operater Todd Morton and his team.
 
        
 
April 2012

State Kiwi Swim Safe School of the year

Congratulations to Matahui Road School, Katikati who were awarded the State Kiwi Swim Safe school of the year award.
 
This is the first year Swimming New Zealand have included this award in its annual awards to recognise a school that has embraced the State Kiwi Swim Safe programme, that has impacted the children's swimming and water safety skills at their school, has impact on the school teachers ability and has had significant impact their local community.
 
Congratulations to pricipal Kate Stagg and her school.
 
       
 
March 2012

Kiwi Parent Magazine

Swimming - a core life skill for kiwis.  Click here to see this article.
 
    
 
January 2011

Hauraki District Council

In December, 10 Lifeguards from Waihi, Paeroa and Ngatea attended the ASTA course.  The lifeguards became swim teachers in January.  Hauraki District Council offered three weeks of intensive learn to swim lessons to the community in each town.
 
This was the first time that intensive lessons were offered in the community and the progress of the children was dramatic.  When assessing the lifeguards for their ASTA we spoke to parents sitting on the side, many of whom had a tear in their eye as they were so proud of their child and were blown away by their progress in the pool. 
 
Many of the children would not put their head under on the first lesson and the end of the intensive lessons the children were learning to kick on their front and back.  This is an outstanding achievement by the children and the lifeguards turned swim teachers.  Congratulations to the Hauraki District Council and the team for implementing a much needed intensive programme in the community pools. 
 
September 2011

Assistant Swim Teacher Award (ASTA) update

Swimming New Zealand recommends that all swim teachers have first aid training, however from 1 September 2011 a First Aid Certificate (US 6401 and 6402) is no longer required to complete the Assistant Swim Teacher Award.

Swimming New Zealand has been working with Skills Active in the development of the National Certificate in Recreation and Sport (Aquatics) Swim Education.  This has now been completed and released to the swimming industry and public.

The certificate is made up of two parts.

1.    Aquatics in Action
2.    Swim Education

Swimming New Zealand’s Assistant Swim Teacher Award now meets the training and assessment requirements of the Swim Education section of this certificate.

For those swim teachers wanting only the ASTA qualification the process remains the unchanged.

·         For swim teachers who have already completed ASTA there is a simple process to update their existing qualification to meet the new requirements of the new certificate.
·         For those in the process of completing their ASTA they will receive the updated information so they can meet the new requirements.
·         For all ASTA course participants after 1 September 2011 the course content and assessment process meets the new requirements

The Aquatics in Action portion of the certificate is managed by Skills Active.

For all enquiries regarding this new qualification please email

Chris Morgan
National Learn to Swim Manager (Swim Schools & Clubs)
chris@swimmingnz.org.nz

September 2011

Special Needs Swim School Back in Business

Miniswim is a private swim school predominantly catering to children with special needs.  Unfortunately due to the Christchurch earthquakes damage was done to the swimming pool and the pool had to close their doors for a while.  Owner Chrissi Tukaki said a lot of her clients didn’t understand why they couldn’t swim anymore and had to physically come down and look at the broken pool. 

Now Miniswim has opened its doors again and with the assistance of Halberg Trust students from Ferndale School are now able to take part in water confidence and safety classes.   Even though Ferndale School does not have their own swimming pool they are still able to take part in the State Kiwi Swim Safe programme.  Swimming New Zealand has given the teachers the tools, knowledge and resources to better prepare their students for lessons.   With the classroom module the teachers have been able to extend the children’s water education to other areas such as sending photo montages home to parents about water safety.  Swimming New Zealand is pleased to see Swim Schools re-opening after the devastating closure of so many swimming pools in Christchurch.