Taranaki and Whanganui Schools Practise Water Survival Skills

Primary and Intermediate schools in Whanganui and Taranaki have been spending time with Swimming New Zealand over the past six months working on their water safety skills.

Swimming New Zealand Education Advisor Cecilie Elliott has been working with the schools doing classroom based Dry Land Survival Skills Days in term four last year and term one of this year.  

The schools visited are part of the Swimming New Zealand Kiwi Swim Safe programme, including Manukorihi Intermediate School where every classroom and all students participated in the sessions with the emphasis on making safe decisions when they are in, on and around water.

All the sessions focus on developing water skills for life and ensuring students learn essential skills to survive in all aquatic environments.    

This is followed up with their teachers covering these skills in their swimming sessions with Cecilie also giving them the opportunity to wear lifejackets and complete obstacle courses in another visit.

In the Dry Land Survival Skill days’ students learn about safety at the beach, life jackets, they also practise mock rescues and a variety of dry land exercises focusing on all the muscles used in swimming, including survival skills.

Also included in the day is information on Water Safety New Zealand’s Water Skills for Life initiative.

If you would like to know more about being a Kiwi Swim Safe School or having Swimming New Zealand visit your school, click here.