Swimming lessons help save lives. Principal Gretchen Smith says, “The drowning statistics for Aotearoa this summer have been dreadful. Learning to swim is crucial for water safety and swimming is a vital skill for all students to develop.”
“Christchurch is surrounded by beautiful beaches and rivers and it is vital that young children are taught basic skills to ensure their safety in outdoors or indoor water environments. By teaching children how to swim at primary school, we hope that this will help develop a life-long love of water sports, and the necessary knowledge they will need for water safety.”
“Each year we commit to providing swimming lessons for our students as formal lessons are beyond the reach of many of families within our school community. Swimming lessons help tamariki to develop important swimming and water safety skills in a controlled and safe aquatic environment. The skills and knowledge they gain can be used when they swim outside school hours at community pools, beaches, and in rivers.”
“Christchurch is surrounded by beautiful beaches and rivers and it is vital that young children are taught basic skills to ensure their safety in outdoors or indoor water environments"
Principal Gretchen Smith
“We sought funding from NZCT for swimming lessons for the entire school, from year 1 through to year 6, with a specific focus on our middle school students in years 3 and 4. The quote for the middle school was larger than for the junior and senior schools because it includes a swim week in every term. Year 3 and 4 children are the group who typically make the most progress.”
“Swimming lessons should only be provided by those with the appropriate qualifications. Although teachers receive tuition in the teaching of swimming, the progress that children make in a proper facility with a trained coach does not compare with what we as a school are able to offer.”
“As a decile 2 school, it is difficult for our whānau to contribute to or pay for professional swimming lessons. Funding from NZCT makes a huge difference by taking the pressure off the already strained budgets of our student’s families and whanau.”
Te Huarahi / Linwood Avenue School is a Year 1-6 contributing primary school situated in the heart of Linwood.
Linwood Avenue School has been awarded a grant of $8,000 for swimming lessons from the NZCT.
