Te Mata students armed with water safety knowledge

Students from Te Mata School in the Hawkes Bay are armed for summer with water safety knowledge for a variety of aquatic environments.

The school’s year six students have recently completed an Education Outside the Classroom Water Safety week with activities including Optimist Yachting, Funyak sessions, safe boating, rescue techniques and survival skills with the focus of safest practices and a base knowledge of formal instruction.

The purpose of the week was to follow up from their term three swim lessons and provide the students with other aquatic based experiences and opportunities.

Clive Memorial (one of Hawkes Bay’s Gold accredited Quality Swim Schools) was able to support each class with the delivery of water safety skills such as H.E.L.P and huddle positon, non-contact rescues, lifejacket and survival swimming in clothes.

Swimming New Zealand Education Advisor Fiona Hurley was also on hand to assist the class teacher with follow up support and activities that could be easily adapted from the heated pool into a real life situation.

The week was a great collaboration from Clive Memorial Facility Swim School, Sport Hawkes Bay and Swimming New Zealand to help ensure our kids make safer choices around water.