At what age can my child start classes?

Saint Street Swim welcomes children beginning at 12 months to 3 years to participate in classes with a parent or caregiver. Although we strongly encourage you to enjoy swimming and other pool activities with your child prior to this age, at 12-to-18 months children are more aware of themselves and usually are excited to socialize with other children. They are learning to imitate the actions of their instructors and peers, with the comfort of their parent/caregiver close by. Since children this age are expanding their communication skills, they are able to follow directions from the instructor. In addition, they are able to recognize and follow along with the songs we sing to accompany our swimming instruction.

As your child grows and feels more comfortable in the water, he or she will be more confident and willing to participate in, and learn from, one-on-one instruction with the swim instructor, as well as through watching and interacting with their peers in their group lesson. All of this sets the stage for gaining the necessary skills for water safety and eventually swimming on their own.

When can my child participate in a class without me in the water?

With swimming safety as our primary concern, Saint Street Swim welcomes children beginning at 3 years of age to participate in a class without a parent or caregiver. At this point, the child must be able to follow class rules. During class, they must sit on the stairs in the pool with their classmates until the instructor invites them to take their turn. They must be able to understand and follow the instructor's directions to prevent unsafe situations. At 3 years of age, most children are able and pleased to do these things, which allows them to participate in and enjoy a swim class with just their peers.

As an exception, we do offer an advanced toddler class, only for children who have been enrolled in our parent/child program, who are very advanced swimmers, and who are able to follow the above-mentioned safety rules.

How long will it take my child to learn to swim?

The instructors at Saint Street Swim have observed how each child learns to swim at his or her own pace. Our instructors work with each child to help build a positive attitude toward swimming.

Our instructors teach swimming techniques one element at a time, so the children can improve their strokes. With regular positive experiences in the water, preferably with consistent swim instruction, children will progress. We have seen the progression in our students who participate regularly in our programs once or twice a week, both seasonally and year-round.

How many students are in each class?

Saint Street Swim classes are kept small, to ensure that students receive the highest quality and most direct instruction. Our classes are limited to four students per instructor, with the exception of our Parent/Child classes, in which five students and their parent/caregiver participate.

What is your make-up policy?

We offer make-up classes in the event that a class is cancelled due to extremely bad weather, situations out of our control, or a teacher conflict. Under any of these circumstances, parents are contacted to reschedule the lesson.

What happens if there is a bad storm during a lesson?

For safety reasons, we will cancel and reschedule classes if a severe lightning storm occurs in our area.

Can I sit on the pool deck and watch my child's class?

At Saint Street Swim, great measures have been taken to ensure your child's safety and success in our programs. Our pool area is our classroom. It safely accommodates the lifeguards, instructors and the children in the pool, as well as a changing area at the far end. Your child's instructors will have more success and ultimately your child's full attention, if you observe classes in progress from our observation room.

What temperature is the water?

At Saint Street Swim, we maintain a water temperature of 88 degrees.

How can I find out more about my child's progress in swim class?

During your child's enrollment at Saint Street Swim, you may have questions about your child's progress. Every 12 weeks, you will receive a progress report on the last day of the session, in accordance wih our session schedule. You can also leave a message for your instructor at the front desk, and they will call you at their earliest convenience to answer your questions.

Very Important Notes for Saint Street Swim Parents

If your child is under the weather, or is not potty trained:

Please do not bring sick children to Saint Street Swim for lessons. Children with a high fever or diarrhea should not attend their lesson.

Please do not leave the facility if your child is not potty trained or needs help going to the restroom. They may require your assistance.

All students who are not potty trained must wear a disposable swim diaper.

With regard to our parking lot and surrounding parking areas:

Please obey the parking signs in front of the building and drive very slowly, using extreme caution, when entering and exiting our parking lot. Please do not park, idle, or drop off children in front of the entry door. We have a lot of little children coming and going from our facility constantly, and we want them to be completely safe.

With regard to getting around inside our facility:

Students, instructors, and staff are the only people allowed on our pool deck during class. Please observe your child from our upstairs observation room.

Please exit through the rear door (near the changing bench) with your wet swimmers. Wet swimmers are not permitted in our lobby or upstairs in our observation room, as they make surfaces in our public spaces very slippery, which can be dangerous.

Please do not bring strollers into our facility.Strollers are difficult to maneuver throughout the facility.

Finally, if you have any questions about Saint Street Swim, or for your child's instructor:

Please ask our staff at the front desk, and they will be happy to assist you. If you have specific questions for your child's instructor, please leave a message at the front desk and they will contact you.