News & Announcements

Learning To Swim at TFS!

On Friday afternoons, TFS fourth graders load up on a bus and head to the natatorium on the upper school campus. The students know that aquatics instructor Sara Roberts will make learning fun, and they come ready to rock. This past Friday, Roberts used a few minutes before they jumped in the pool to review the importance of wearing a life jacket and how to make sure it fits. She set up a relay race to give them a chance to practice. They cheer each other on and work together to make sure everyone in the class has had a chance to practice with the life jacket. When the game was over, they headed to the locker rooms to suit up for pool time. 

All incoming lower school students participate in the American Red Cross Learn to Swim program each year. By providing all our students with the basics of swimming, we can springboard into fun and exciting aquatic activities like water polo and synchronized swimming and, if they so choose, competitive swimming in the middle and upper school grades. In addition, the benefit of proficient swimming and water safety lasts a lifetime.

Dr Peevy’s vision is for all TFS students to have a foundation in swimming. Two years ago, the school started the American Red Cross Learn to Swim program with the fifth and sixth grades in the 2021-2022 school year. Then, the incoming fifth and eighth graders participated in the Learn-to-Swim program in the 2022-23 school year. By the end of the 2022-23 school year, the entire middle school had been through Learn to Swim. The program incorporates water safety as an integral aspect of the course, and TFS has certified water safety instructors teaching the classes. In addition, scuba diving instructors from the Aquatic Explorers Society come to campus to teach students how to snorkel.

Currently, the new fourth graders and the incoming fifth graders are participating in the Learn to Swim program. 

“Once the entire middle school had the basics of swimming, we are able to springboard into multiple aquatic activities,” said Natatorium Director Katie Ralston. “We can now do activities like water polo and synchronized swimming. It has also helped to build the TFS swim team, especially the middle school swim team.” 

“The benefit of proficient swimming and water safety lasts a lifetime. TFS students are fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in activities,” said Ralston.