For
many parents with children in the upper school Swimathon is no big
deal. We’ve been doing it for years. But for parents and pupils who are
new to Sciennes, there can be a lot of mysteries surrounding
Swimathon,
how it happens and what’s expected of pupils and parents alike. Wonder
no more! Our aim is to answer all your questions and put your mind at
ease.
Will my child’s teacher be
present while my child is swimming? (‘Swimming’ includes walking,
floating, bobbing, jumping and whatever else your child may do in the
pool).
Yes. Each class is taken down to the pool
by their teacher and learning assistant. Both are poolside while their
class swims. Quite often Ms Noble, Ms Anstruther and Ms Christie are
also by the pool cheering the kids on.
Where do the children change?
There are Girls and Boys change rooms
located beside the pool. Only one class is in the change rooms at a
time. Between each class we do a quick sweep to pick up any lost or
forgotten articles so that they can be returned to the proper class.
What happens next?
Once the children are changed, they come
out onto the pool deck and sit on benches. We divide them into house
groups and brief them on what is expected. At this time pupils are
encouraged to use the toilet, if necessary. Arm bands and floaties are
also distributed.
Children are called to the pool in house
groups (Grange, Lauder, Tantallon and Sienna). There are generally 8-10
pupils per group. Before entering the pool pupils take a quick shower.
Note: P1s have not yet been assigned houses, so we simply divide them into small groups.
My child is quite timid. What if he/she decides not to swim?
All children are encouraged to do their
best. For some that means swimming lengths, for others that means
sticking their ankles in the water. We understand that for some children
this may be their first time swimming. We encourage them to get wet,
but no one is pressured to do anything they aren’t comfortable with.
My child needs arm bands but may not take them when offered.
We keep a close eye on all pupils and can
pretty quickly assess if a child needs arm bands or a floatie. These
are given to the pupil without hassle and they continue on. This often
happens after they’ve swum a few laps and get tired.
What kind of supervision is there?
There is a certified life guard on deck
at all times. In addition, there are parent volunteers counting each
pupil’s lengths/ breadths. This means there is a dedicated set of eyes
on your child. Additionally, your child’s teacher and learning assistant
are watching and encouraging the class. If you’d like to volunteer,
sign up here.
How does my child know how many lengths/breadths they’ve swum?
Parent volunteers count lengths/breadths.
Later in the day your child will receive a slip of paper telling them
how many lengths they swam.
What happens after my child has swum?
Upon exiting the pool, the pupils shower
once again. They are then directed to the change rooms. After they have
finished drying off and changing, they return to the pool deck to cheer
on their friends. Once everyone in the class has swum and changed, the
pupils are given a banana and Freddo chocolate before returning to
class.
Will medals be awarded this year?
Always a contentious question! This year
we are trying something a little different. House points will be awarded
for lengths swum. This puts more of a team focus on the competition.
However, pupils will still know how many lengths/breadths they’ve swum
for sponsorship purposes.
How is money raised?
The easiest way is through
MyDonate. Full instructions on how to set up a MyDonate page for your child/children are
here.
Once you have set up a page a link can be sent out to friends and
family. People can sponsor your child by giving a lump sum or by giving a
smaller amount per length. And if you’re not technologically inclined,
paper sponsorship forms can be picked up at the school office.
Tanya Boughtflower, Vice Chair Parent Council
