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​How to Register

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1. Pre-registration will open at 8pm on Thursday 16th March, when a link with appear in the green box at the top of this web page, which will take you to a Google form to fill out. It takes 3-5 minutes to complete and will likely book out within the first half hour or less. Pre-registration will close at 10am Friday 17th March. Neurodivergent swimmers, swimmers with disabilities and other vulnerable or high-risk swimmers (that affect their ability to participate and be included in group lessons) will be prioritized as best as possible.

2. After you complete your pre-registration form, your details will be added into my tetris-game-of-color-coded-excel-spreadsheets to match swimmers, and place in their availability (back-to-back siblings if possible). By the end of the weekend you will receive an email either offering you a lesson time, or letting you know you missed out this set.

3. If you are offered a lesson time, you will receive a link to our Jackrabbit Swim booking site, where you can complete your family registration (or log back in), enroll into your lesson time, complete waivers/policies and send e-transfer payment. This must be completed within 24 hours to secure your lesson booking - NO EXCEPTIONS this time please, as there will be a short turnaround before lessons start.

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• Please keep in mind that the Fernie pool will open their group lesson registration for their next set on March 13, so feel free to try your luck there first (if group lessons meet your child's needs). If you decide to cancel, I'm sure someone else will happily take your place in a minute flat. While you can of course choose to double up on lessons if you get so lucky, but I would ask that you consider whether choosing only one will allow another child the opportunity to learn to swim too.

• *NEW* If you would like to match your swimmer with a friend/cousin of similar age/ability, you may now select one parent/guardian to pre-register on behalf of both swimmers. Then if you get a spot, each parent/guardian will complete enrollment and payment separately. Otherwise you can still pre-register separately, and include the second swimmer's name on your form.

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Previous Update:

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Spring is on the way! It feels like it has been all Winter....

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While I cannot confirm the days and dates just yet, I at least wanted to provide you with the details I can, as well as update you as to why pre-registration hasn't been opened just yet, while I keep working hard to make it happen.

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Unfortunately there are still severe staff shortages at both pools, so public swim times in the main pools have been reduced even further this year, especially during after school times and weekends. For Sparwood pool, the only sessions longer than 2 hours are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12-4.30pm, and the last 3 sets it was offered have shown there is not enough demand to fill these times, so it will not be offered again for the Spring set. For Fernie pool, Sundays are still closed for now, and Monday-Thursdays afterschool the main pool is rented out to the Dolphins (with 1 lane for adult lane swim), so only the Leisure Pool is available. This leaves Friday afternoons and Saturdays as the only times school kids can access the main pool, which has proven to be an incredibly challenging time to run lessons as most weeks it has been overwhelmingly busy in there. We have been struggling to find enough space to suitably challenge swimmers and keep them safe, while weaving in and out around other patrons, dodging boats, balls and struggling to hear each other speak. The overstimulating sensory environment has not been ideal or suitable for many swimmers, including myself, and does not provide the kind of learning environment I would like to provide to young learners.
 

A 15 page proposal was submitted last Fall detailing the huge demand and need for private swim lessons and why we need to prioritize vulnerable populations and swimmers with disabilities at Fernie pool, including community feedback from families with kids on the Autism spectrum. While the option to resume teaching in public swimming areas like last Winter was granted (now under the Non-Exclusive Seasonal Use Program), the request to rent a lane to teach lessons was denied before the proposal was read and considered. A second request was made recently to rent a lane in the leisure pool or main pool, after putting forward the safety concerns we have been facing (including multiple swimmers being hit in the head with boats last week), but it was once again denied, due to there "already being a lack of public space at the pool". The opportunity to continue to offer parented lessons (for under 3 year olds) to small groups of four infants was also denied twice, due to it "taking up too much space". 

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Around 30% of swimmers this set have a disability or medical condition, and if I chose to advertise further, I'm sure this number would be even higher. Children on the Autism spectrum are 160 times more likely to drown than their neurotypical peers, so they will continue to be prioritized in our registration process, along with other vulnerable populations who have another disability or condition that limits or excludes them from being able to participate or succeed in group lessons. As someone who supports a disabled partner who has chronic health conditions plus Autism/ADHD/c-PTSD (late diagnosed only last year) and more, I just want ONE thing to be easier on families who provide so much unpaid labor and time advocating for the rights of the person they love.

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I'm not giving up yet, but it does mean that the next set will have less after school options, as I want to offer the most safe and suitable options I can for for swimmers to learn in. Tuesday-Fridays during the day is the most reasonable time we can safely run lessons, and possibly in the leisure pool in the afternoon too. I'll try my best to keep either Fridays or Saturdays too, but they are the absolute busiest. I understand that for some families, Saturdays are their only option due to work commitments, travelling from another town (as there's still no private lessons available across the valley), or due to this meeting their child's needs (as attending school then going to swim lessons can be too overwhelming to do on the same day). This would also be the most suitable day to rent a lane, as only 1 lane is closed off for adult lane swim, so there is still a 5 lane open space available to the public (same as Friday afternoons/late evening). I still have hope that the decision to deny lane rental will be reconsidered for the Fall, or that community feedback will be requested to inform this decision further.

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FAQ

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Why Pre-registration? The reason for pre-registration is that it allows for siblings to be placed back-to-back, allows single swimmers to be matched with another swimmer of similar age and ability, with the same availability, and allows prioritized swimmers (who often have no other accessible options) to have a chance to participate too. There is huge benefit from having a good match, as it often results in a more fun experience, encourages swimmers to challenge themselves more, creates faster progress, and helps to build confidence too. The final reason is that some families have very limited availability, or are travelling from the South Country, so I try my best to accommodate those who would normally miss out on swim lessons for this reason. 

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Who can participate? Swimmers 3 years+ can participate in private or semi-private lessons, preferably who are confident enough to leave the clutches of their parent/guardian already, though parents/guardians can stick around if need be. Swimmers who are too often left without suitable options to meet their needs are especially welcome to join, including neurodivergent swimmers, swimmers with disabilities or delays (diagnosed or suspected), high risk swimmers, Indigenous swimmers, and 2SLGBTQIA+ swimmers. For example, studies show that Autistic children are up to 160 times more likely to drown than their neurotypical peers, so it is important that we as a community support those who are most vulnerable and in need of swim lessons right away.

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Looking for a Match? If you are asking family or friends to find a match for your swimmers, please keep in mind that usually anything more than a 2 year age gap will result in a different ability. Questions you will be asked on your pre-registration form will include - can they float independently, are they comfortable putting their face/ears/head underwater yet, how far can they swim unassisted, can they swim on their front and back, etc. If you don't know their swim level, this is a good guide to see if they have a similar ability, especially if they haven't participated in formal lessons yet or it's been a while.

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Cancellation Policy. Semi/private lesson sets are non-refundable, and no makeup lessons are currently available (due to restricted pool schedules) beyond the makeup lesson week at the end, this includes if 1 swimmer out of 2 cannot attend. With 48 hours notice AND in extenuating circumstances (such as serious injuries or emergencies), Mountain Kids Swim Lessons will endeavor to find a replacement for your lesson in order to provide a refund, with no guarantees. If the Instructor needs to cancel for any reason; lessons will be rescheduled to the makeup week, or a refund given if more than one lesson needs to be rescheduled.

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Any questions? After checking this page for your answers first, please email any questions to Sarah at 

mountainkids.swimlessons@gmail.com

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