Grade 4 students in Rainbow Schools learn water safety and survival skills

Close to 1,000 Grade 4 students in Rainbow Schools learned water safety and survival skills this year, just in time for their summer break.

Students participated in the Canadian Swim to Survive program, which included three one hour lessons in a pool and three water safety lessons in the classroom.

“It is important to invest in water safety education,” said Director of Education Norm Blaseg.  “We want our students to be water-smart and stay safe over the summer months.”

He added: “We were pleased to provide this opportunity to our students as part of their regular school day. For many, participation in the program was their first formal introduction to swimming, which further emphasized the importance of the program.”

The students were divided into three groups, according to their level of ability.

In the pool, students learned the basic skills to survive an unexpected fall into deep water. These included rolling into deep water, treading water for one minute, and swimming 50 metres. 

They received instruction on how to complete the basic skills with and without a personal flotation device. All students received a certificate of participation.

Rainbow District School Board thanked the City of Greater Sudbury and Town of Espanola Leisure Services Departments for their assistance in providing this opportunity for students in Rainbow Schools.

For more information on the Canadian Swim to Survive program, visit: http://www.lifesavingsociety.com/swim-to-survive.aspx

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Media Contact:

Nicole Charette, Senior Advisor,

Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning,

Rainbow District School Board, 705.674.3171, ext. 7217