Warmer waters for Waitohu School

Waitohu School students have been reaping the rewards of warmer waters in their school pool after being able to spend more time learning how to be safer in and around the water.

A Kiwi Swim Safe School for more than four years they successfully applied for funding through a pub charity to purchase a heat pump for the pool which was installed in Term 1.

With the warmer water temperatures the school was also able to open up the pool for local swimming instructors to run lessons out of the pool.

These sessions supplemented the fantastic lessons the school teachers run on a daily basis and KiwiSport funding made it affordable to parents to have their children involved in swimming with these instructors and participate in this hugely important learning opportunity for their children.

The school plan to continue this system in 2016 using both local instructors and school teachers to provide consistent lessons during the term.

Principal Maine Curtis says the heat pump has made a huge difference.

“On miserable days when we wouldn’t usually take our classes swimming we now can,” he said.

“Having this surety of access to the warm water makes planning a guaranteed programme possible. We see big smiles from both teachers and students”

Waitohu School has a roll of approximately 250 students from years one to six.