The City of Mountain View offers an American Red Cross Learn to Swim Program with some additional enhancements to provide the highest quality of swim instruction available. Our classes are taught by qualified and certified instructors. Classes may have volunteers or aides assigned to help increase the attention and practice your child receives. Lessons are tailored to age (infant, preschool, school-age) and skill level.

Helpful Hints for Registration

• Children must be 5 years old before the first class for Levels I through VI. No exceptions.
• Weekday classes meet Monday through Friday the first week and Monday through Thursday the second week of each session except Session I.
• Please register children for the appropriate level based on his/her skills.
• Participants will be tested on the first day of class. If a student’s ability does not meet the minimum class requirements, every effort will be made at the pool to transfer the student to the first available class at his/her level.
• Classes will not be overloaded to accommodate children registered in incorrect level.
• Students may be registered for only one class per session.
• Students progress at different rates and may take more than one session to pass a level.
• Children in diapers must wear a swim diaper during class. No exceptions.
• Classes that do not meet the minimum enrollment will be cancelled. Participants will be notified, and our best will be done to find another class.
• Our goal is to offer a ratio of 1:8 for Parent and Tot and Level I through VI and a ratio of 1:5 for the Water Readiness; however, this may not always be possible.

PARENT AND TOT (GUPPY) PARENT AND TOT I
Have fun with your child learning to enjoy the water in a safe and comfortable environment. Instructors will assist parents and tots in water adjustment, water entries/exits, underwater exploration, arm and leg movements, water safety and more. This class is designed for children ages 1 to 3 who cannot swim. Each child must be accompanied in the water by an adult, one child per adult. Children must wear a swim diaper.

PARENT AND TOT II
Have fun with your child learning to enjoy the water in a safe and comfortable environment. Instructors will assist parents and tots in underwater exploration, arm and leg movements, floats and glides water safety and more. This class is designed for children ages 3 to 5 years, who have a level of comfort in the water. Each child must be accompanied in the water by an adult, one child per adult. Children in diapers must wear a swim diaper.

WATER READINESS (FROGS)
This class is designed for ages 3-1/2 and older who are comfortable in a class setting. Completion of a Parent and Tot class is recommended. Children will be in the water without a parent, and without a flotation device. The focus will be on increasing comfort in the water, improving skill consistency and emphasizing the introductory skills for Level 1. Children in diapers must wear a swim diaper.

LevelS I & II (GATORS & TIGER SHARKS)
LEVEL I (GATORS)
Introduction to Water Skills-This class is for children ages 5 and up who have some level of comfort in the water and in a small-group learning environment. Students will learn elementary aquatic skills, including floats and glides, underwater exploration and kicking in a controlled direction. Water safety sills and practices in and around the water will also be taught.

LEVEL II (TIGERSHARKS)
Fundamental Aquatic Skills–In order to enter this class, your child must be able to enter and exit the water independently, float on their front and roll onto their back (with assistance), and demonstrate alternating combined stroke on front using any type of arm and leg action.

Level III (SEALS)
Stroke Development-In order to enter this class, your child must be able to enter the water by stepping or jumping from the side, submerge entire head (5 seconds) and blow bubbles/bob head (5 times), swim on front (combined arm and leg action) 15’ unsupported, swim on back (combined arm and leg action) 10’ unsupported, float on their front and roll onto their back (unassisted).

Level IV (MANATEES)
Stroke Improvement-In order to enter this class, your child must be able to jump into deep water from the side, front-glide and back-glide 10’ each (unsupported). In deep water change direction from horizontal to vertical position, swim front crawl and demonstrate rhythmic breathing 15 yards, back-crawl 15 yards, butterfly kick 15 and tread water for 30 seconds.

Level V (DOLPHINS)
Stroke Refinement-In order to enter this class, your child must be able to swim underwater at least 3 body lengths, tread water using legs and sculling for 1 minute, demonstrate 25 yards of front crawl and back crawl; and 15 yards of butterfly, breaststroke, elementary back stroke; and swim on side with a scissor kick.

Level VI–Swimming Proficiency and Lifeguard Readiness/Fitness Swimmer
In order to enter this class, your child must be able to complete a shallow dive from the side; swim underwater at least 15 yards; demonstrate a flip turn while swimming on front and back; tread water for 2 minutes; swim 50 yards each front crawl and back crawl; and swim 25 yards butterfly, breaststroke, elementary backstroke and sidestroke. Sessions 1 and 3 focus on Fitness Swimmer. Sessions 2 and 4 focus on Lifeguard Readiness.

ADULT/TEEN SWIM LESSONS (15 years and older)
For the non-swimmer and beginner, basic strokes and water safety will be taught. For the beginner to intermediate-level swimmer, with some swimming ability, additional strokes will be taught with an emphasis on building endurance.

WATER SAFETY INSTRUCTOR

The American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor Course provides instructor candidates the training needed to teach courses in the American Red Cross Swimming and Water Safety Program by developing their understanding of how to use the course materials, how to conduct training sessions and how to evaluate participants' progress. Concepts and features of the Water Safety Instructor course include:

• New minimum age prerequisite of 16 years of age to enter the course.
• Shortened course time of approximately 30 hours (including pre-course session).
• Clearly described and applied teaching strategies, including:
  • Explain, demonstrate and practice;
  • Task setting;
  • Station teaching; and
  • Guided discovery.
• New instructor manual provides tools and information needed to plan and conduct courses. A CD-Rom will be packaged with the instructor's manual with information and tools for individuals managing a swim program, as well as conducting and administering learn-to-swim courses.
• New video segments that bring to life the realities of what to expect from their students throughout the levels for the brand new instructor.
• Video segments that focus on effective class management and effective teaching strategies in the aquatic setting.
• Various video segments show typical examples of basic skills and common progressions including breath control, swimming on the front and swimming on the back.
• Video segments also show some typical performance of the strokes as they progress through the levels. This video depiction helps instructor candidates visualize the description of the strokes in the written skills performance criteria charts that they will then be able to use when evaluating their students' performance.
• Supported by video, the instructor candidates work to develop their ability to observe and assess, often referred to as having a photographic eye, which will help them to identify weaknesses and determine how to intervene to move their students to the next level.
• Learning activities, games and drills are built in throughout the course; some are led by the instructor trainer while others are led by instructor candidates. This helps instructor candidates improve their strokes and understand how to integrate activities, games and drills effectively into their teaching.
• Multiple opportunities for instructor candidates to practice their teaching skills through formal practice teaching assignments as well as leading mini-lessons.

Whether you want to splash around with kids and teach them to swim, help children or adults refine their strokes or teach diving safety techniques, you can do it as an American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor. Qualified instructors can also help prepare swim coaches to prevent and respond to emergency situations.

LIFEGUARD TRAINING