Kiwi Swim Safe prepares Taranaki teachers

More than 50 teachers from over 21 schools in New Plymouth prepared for the summer swimming season at their school with a Kiwi Swim Safe workshop.

The week before the school term began, Kiwi Swim Safe Cluster Professional Development workshops were held in the Taranaki Region by Swimming New Zealand (SNZ) Education Advisor Cecilie Elliott.

The workshops were primarily for either new teachers or for those teachers wanting a refresher and involved a two hour classroom component followed by a one hour pool session.

The classroom component covered the Kiwi Swim Safe programme ensuring teachers provide the best learning environment for students based around aquatics and incorporating and understanding the importance of dry land activities.

Also covered was each of the pool modules of the Kiwi Swim Safe programme, with activities and skills accompanying each module.

In the pool session it was great to see the number of teachers in the pool session covering the basic aquatic skills and activities that they will be teaching their students.

This is a very hands-on workshop, with teachers coming away with more confidence and knowledge to teach swim and survival skills to their students.

Thanks to Inglewood Primary School who kindly made their staffroom and covered school pool available for these workshops.

Other Kiwi Swim Safe Professional Development workshops were held in Whanganui (at the Splash Centre), Taumarunui (at Turaki School) and Raetihi (at Raetihi School and Community Pool).

Kiwi Swim Safe is a free programme designed to give teachers the skills and knowledge to teach swim and survive to their students.