MVSD is partnering with the City of El Monte Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department to offer free swimming lessons for every second grade student in the District though the El Monte Swims Program.
Our first group of second graders from Payne School and Baker School, began their two-week swimming lessons on October 3 at the El Monte Aquatic Center. Students taking part in the program are transported from their school by school bus to the aquatic center, four days per week for 25-minute swimming sessions. They participate in eight total sessions over a two-week period where they learn basic swimming techniques and important life skills for safety in and around water.
During the first lesson, swim instructors evaluate each student’s ability and place them in groups based on their swimming ability. The second graders from Payne and Baker were eager to get in the pool and are excited about improving their swimming skills.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning remains the number one cause of injury-related death among children ages 1-4, and the second leading cause of death for children ages 5-14. Research also shows that children who receive swimming instruction are less likely to drown or suffer a swimming-related injury. While drowning prevention requires layers of protection, swim lessons have been shown to reduce the risk of drowning by eighty-eight percent.
“We appreciate our partnership with the City of El Monte to provide this worthwhile program for our students and families,” said Dr. Raymond Andry, MVSD Superintendent. “Along with learning water safety and how to swim, our students learn to respect the water and have a lot of fun while doing it. The group lessons enable the students to learn skills by watching their classmates and they also gain support and encouragement from each other. We are proud to offer this program to all of our second graders and look forward to all eight of our schools making their trips to the aquatic center over the next couple of months.”