Dow Bay Area Family YMCA
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Dow Bay Area Family YMCA
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Dear Parents/Guardians,
Thank you for enrolling your child/children in the Dow Bay Area Family YMCA Swim Lessons. Your child is in for a fun, safe and positive experience!
Dow Bay Area Family YMCA’s goal is to increase Safety Around the Water. Because Michigan has abundant locations for recreation around water, it is extremely important that children and adults know how to swim and enjoy water safely. Our YMCA is dedicated to this goal by providing a program for all ages and ability levels.
We focus on integrating water safety benchmark skills such as “Swim, Float, Swim” and “Jump, Push, Turn, and Grab” at a beginner level to help children learn what to do in an emergency. At an advanced level, we will prepare them for competitive swimming and lifeguarding. At the Y, we celebrate your child’s achievements, give them a sense of belonging, and build positive relationships.
To foster this, our program will teach the whole child by integrating character and safety lessons into each session. Lastly, we want to increase our communication with you. Therefore, you will receive mid-session and end-of-session progress reports from your child’s instructor.
If there are any limitations or special needs your child may have that could impact their health, safety or ability to understand and follow directions or perform various skills, please let us know before the session begins so we can make the needed accommodations.
All of our Swim Instructors are equipped with the teaching techniques to best reach students with diverse abilities. We know that many parents/guardians (old and new) have many questions. For that reason, we are providing this handbook full of information that you will need to know for a successful lesson experience.
Inside is information regarding locker room usage, policies, and other guidelines. Please take the time to read and review this handbook.
Thank you for choosing our Y to teach your child/children this important life skill.
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Thank you for enrolling your child/children in the Dow Bay Area Family YMCA Swim Lessons. Your child is in for a fun, safe and positive experience!
Dow Bay Area Family YMCA’s goal is to increase Safety Around the Water. Because Michigan has abundant locations for recreation around water, it is extremely important that children and adults know how to swim and enjoy water safely. Our YMCA is dedicated to this goal by providing a program for all ages and ability levels.
We focus on integrating water safety benchmark skills such as “Swim, Float, Swim” and “Jump, Push, Turn, and Grab” at a beginner level to help children learn what to do in an emergency. At an advanced level, we will prepare them for competitive swimming and lifeguarding. At the Y, we celebrate your child’s achievements, give them a sense of belonging, and build positive relationships.
To foster this, our program will teach the whole child by integrating character and safety lessons into each session. Lastly, we want to increase our communication with you. Therefore, you will receive mid-session and end-of-session progress reports from your child’s instructor.
If there are any limitations or special needs your child may have that could impact their health, safety or ability to understand and follow directions or perform various skills, please let us know before the session begins so we can make the needed accommodations.
All of our Swim Instructors are equipped with the teaching techniques to best reach students with diverse abilities. We know that many parents/guardians (old and new) have many questions. For that reason, we are providing this handbook full of information that you will need to know for a successful lesson experience.
Inside is information regarding locker room usage, policies, and other guidelines. Please take the time to read and review this handbook.
Thank you for choosing our Y to teach your child/children this important life skill.
Please arrive/enter the locker room and pool area no more than 15 minutes early. If already prepared, we will ask them to wait on the pool deck, and not to enter the water until their instructor is ready.
We also ask that participants only stay a maximum of 15 minutes after their lesson concludes (unless they maintain an active membership or purchase a day pass).
Swim lessons run in 6 week sessions. Stages are offered for all abilities.
Our Preschool student ratio is set at 1:4 for all lessons. Advanced levels may have a 1:8 ratio. Parent & Me lessons have 1:12. Some classes may have smaller ratios if registration is not full. We must have a minimum of 4 registered students to run a class.
Should we need to cancel a class due to lack of enrollment, we will make every effort to transfer your child into another class. If we are unable to transfer your registration, a full credit will be issued.
The registration start dates for each session are listed in our Swim Lesson Brochure. Our brochure is available online at ymcabaycity.org and printed copies can be found at our Member Service Desk. Class size is limited, so if a specific day and time are needed to fit your schedule, we strongly recommend that you register early on the first day of registration.
For your convenience, there are several ways to register. If you are unable to stop by our Y to register, you can visit us online at www.ymcabaycity.org. You may also register over the phone with our Member Service Desk at 989-895-8596. Due to the high volume of calls our Member Service Desk can receive, we ask that you have your class day/time and credit card information ready.
Please check our Swim Lesson Brochure or our website for registration dates.
Program fees are non-refundable except under the following conditions:
Participants are urged to attend all class sessions. We have many children enrolled in our programs and we adhere to strict ratios. It would be unfair to other participants to add an additional child to the class, impacting the quality of the lesson. If the YMCA cancels a class for any reason other than Holiday closings, a special make-up class will be scheduled.
Any child under the age of 13 may not enter the pool area without adult supervision. If your child is enrolled in a program, please make sure a responsible adult/ guardian escorts them to and from the program.
It is the policy of the YMCA to make membership and programs available to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, or financial circumstances without discrimination.
Swimming attire must be clean, modest, and designated for pool use. No undergarments, thongs, overly revealing garments, or street clothes allowed. Swimsuits must not be transparent. Children in diapers or newly potty-trained children must wear a swim diaper. Please change diapers in the locker rooms.
Boys 13-17 years old must use the Boys locker room. Girls 13-17 years old must use the Girls locker room. Parents/ guardians accompanying children under the age of 13 are encouraged to use the Private Changing Rooms.
Dow Bay Area Family YMCA is not responsible for lost or stolen articles. You may bring a lock for your locker, but all locks must be removed from the locker when you leave. Any locks that are left will be cut after 48 hours.
Please remove Band-Aids before entering the pool. For the safety and health of everyone in the pool, anyone with an open sore should NOT swim. Participants are not permitted to chew gum or candy in the pool area.
All swimmers are asked to shower before entering the pool area.
Food is not permitted on the pool deck. No glass containers are permitted on the pool deck. Beverage containers must have a lid/top.
So children do not miss the beginning of their class, please allow enough time for them to dress and shower before class begins. Do not forget to ask your child if they need to go to the bathroom before class begins. Students are asked to refrain from playing in the pool prior to their lessons.
Please have your child go to the bathroom before class. If your child needs to use the restroom during class, parents/guardians must escort them to the bathroom. Swimmers ages 3 years and older are not permitted to wear any type of diapers, including swim diapers.
Children who are 3 years old must be potty-trained to participate in our progressive swim lessons.
This is an important step in helping to keep the pool clean.
Taking a shower to remove body oil, sweat, lotions, deodorants, and perfumes enables us to use fewer chemicals in the pool. Also, rinsing with cool water helps to lower your body temperature so there is no shock to the body when entering the water.
Children may wear water shoes, flip flops or sandals in the locker room, shower area, and on the pool deck. Water shoes may not be worn in the pool for swim lessons. The shoes add extra weight to your child’s feet and lead to difficulty learning proper kicking techniques and supporting themselves in the water.
Parents/guardians using their cell phone during swim lessons must have them on silent. If you need to have a phone conversation, we ask that you leave the pool area. There are multiple adults and children that use the pool and it is inappropriate to assume they would like to be in a video or a picture that is captured and shared with others, including social media.
Out of the respect for every child and parent/guardian, and due to the fact that many individuals do not want their photos or their child’s photos on social media, you are not allowed to take any photos or videos of anyone but your own child. If you are taking photos or videos of the entire group, our Aquatics Staff will ask you to stop and delete.
For each child to receive the best possible experience, it is required that every child comes to their lesson with a positive attitude. Being safe is our number 1 priority at the Y.
We want to have a fun learning environment and that requires all our swimmers being safe. We also want our swimmers to be respectful to the other swimmers, their instructors, and our equipment. Failure to be safe or respectful can result in time away from class and potential removal from swim lessons. We want everyone to be successful, but we must maintain a safe environment for all of our swimmers.
Open wounds and contagious diseases/illnesses are reasons to keep your child out of the pool until healed or well. At the Dow Bay Area Family YMCA, we abide by strict regulations regarding blood-borne pathogens and other bodily fluids.
Participants with open cuts, blisters, inflamed eyes, contagious skin rashes, or any communicable disease are not permitted in the pool. Anyone who has or had diarrhea in the past two days should refrain from using the pool.
If children arrive early for class, they must wait on the pool deck until it is time for their class to begin. An instructor will announce when it is time for class. You should accompany your child into the pool area and make sure that they get to the correct spot for their lesson. It is highly recommended that you leave your child’s towel on the bench for immediate access after the lesson.
Please have your child’s name written on the towel to avoid any confusion. Parents/guardians are permitted to stay in the pool area during swim lessons unless the child is having a problem focusing with the parent/guardian around. Chairs must stay in designated areas and clear walkways maintained (4 feet from the pool edge).
Please meet your child, particularly younger ones, in the pool at the end of class. Check if your child has the correct towel and any other items (goggles, water shoes, etc.). Our instructors are happy to talk to parents/guardians and answer any questions you may have. If your discussion requires longer time than just a few minutes, we encourage you to talk to the Aquatics Manager on Duty or contact the Aquatics Director or Assistant Aquatics Director.
Please meet your child, particularly younger ones, in the pool at the end of class. Check if your child has the correct towel and any other items (goggles, water shoes, etc.). Our instructors are happy to talk to parents/guardians and answer any questions you may have. If your discussion requires longer time than just a few minutes, we encourage you to talk to the Aquatics Manager on Duty or contact the Aquatics Director or Assistant Aquatics Director.
Many times, first time participants can become overwhelmed with the lesson experience. It is not unusual for a child to become upset when in unfamiliar surroundings. Your child may show great apprehension or cry during the first few weeks of lessons. They may not wish to return, or they may pretend to be ill. Be persistent and they will overcome their fears. Our instructors are trained to handle this kind of situation. The best thing you could do for your child is to give your child to the instructor and leave the pool area immediately.
Sometimes parents/guardians feel their child will be more comfortable with them on the pool deck, but this only makes the instructor’s job more difficult and distracts your child and the other children in the class. Please let our trained instructors work with your child.
Bring your child to Open Swim (see our Pool Schedule for available times) and give them an opportunity to show you what they are learning in class. The more opportunities children are given to practice, the faster their progress will be. FREQUENCY is a very important factor in learning.
Practice in the bathtub at home is very beneficial if your child is not acclimating to getting their face and ears wet in the pool. Spend part of each bath time letting water drip over their face, blowing bubbles, getting their face wet and lying on their back to get their ears wet. For some children, this is an unnatural feeling and must be done gradually. Have your child practice floating on their back.
Begin in a small amount of water and then increase the depth. This helps the child become accustomed to having water in their ears and gain an understanding of the buoyancy of their body. For advanced levels, have children practice arm movements for various strokes while standing on the floor. They can practice crawl stroke arms, backstroke arms, breaststroke arms, and butterfly arms. Remember to never, ever leave a child alone in the bathtub or swimming pool.
Children are continuously being evaluated on their progress during class. There is no specific “Test Day”. As mentioned earlier, we want to celebrate your child’s achievements and will mark your child’s progression on an individual basis when they are ready. Readiness is an important concept in learning; a child will never be pushed to perform skills that are beyond their ability.
During the session, you will receive a Mid-Session Report and End-of-Session Progress Report. These will help you see your child’s progress and help you understand which skills need more work. The End-of-Session Progress Report will also list which class your child should be signed up for next session. You may not sign your child up for a class they are not ready to be in. Lesson placement is solely up to the Dow Bay Area Family YMCA Aquatics Staff.
Each child differs in their progress in all activities, including swimming. With our progressive swim stages, we want to celebrate all of their achievements—big and small. Our trained instructors have the experience and knowledge to cater the skills to the child’s individual needs. Therefore, we do not compare one child’s ability to another. Don’t be discouraged if your child does not seem to be doing as well as another child.
Some examples of what may cause slow progress:
Most Swimming Aids are not USCG (United States Coast Guard) approved PFDs (personal flotation device). They are teaching aids to be used like a kick-board or pool noodle. We encourage children to find comfort and confidence in the water without a swimming aid. The beginning stages of the swim program help children gain the knowledge of what to do in the water if they find themselves in an emergency situation without a flotation aid.
If you choose to put a USCG approved PFD on your child during Family Swim, you must always be within arms reach of your child in the water and it must be USCG approved.
The YMCA is always looking for volunteers. If you have any free time during the day and would enjoy volunteering in our swim program, please contact the Aquatics Director or Assistant Aquatics Director. The more help that we have, the more time a child will receive in the water.
We want both you and your child to have a positive experience. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Rob Hendry, Aquatics Director at rhendry@ymcabaycity.org OR Anna Kuehne, Assistant Aquatics Director, at akuehne@ymcabaycity.org
Monday – Thursday
5:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday
5:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Monday – Thursday
5:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday
5:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Please arrive/enter the locker room and pool area no more than 15 minutes early. If already prepared, we will ask them to wait on the pool deck, and not to enter the water until their instructor is ready.
We also ask that participants only stay a maximum of 15 minutes after their lesson concludes (unless they maintain an active membership or purchase a day pass).
Individuals will not be turned away from participating in programs, activities, and/or membership due to their inability to pay. The Y maintains a generous financial assistance program for youth, adults, and families who demonstrate financial need. Funding for this program is provided by fundraising events at the Dow Bay Area Family YMCA and community-wide donors.
