SWIM SCHOOL TIMES. Thank you Marg for all that you have done and we will miss you!

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1 SWIM SCHOOL TIMES Ripples Leisure Centre was awarded the 2016 Best Swim School Marketing award at the Swim Australia Awards Dinner on Tuesday 10th May 2016 held at the Sofitel Broadbeach Queensland. Ripples Leisure Centre was awarded this prestigious honour ahead of other renowned swim schools across Australia in recognition of the dedication and commitment of the Ripples Leisure Centre staff in providing new opportunities to access and utilise the Centre, as well as continually educating the community on the importance of water safety and supervision. BRUCE S WATER SAFETY TIPS #5 Always swim between the red and yellow flags at the beach. #6 Empty baths and buckets immediately after finishing, even shallow water is dangerous for little ones. RIPPLES ST MARYS Charles Hackett Drive ST MARYS 2760 Tel: RIPPLES PENRITH 119 Station Street PENRITH 2750 Tel: Amongst the many initiatives delivered we were acknowledged for our work and achievements with: Free Water Safety Road Show delivered to local schools and preschools. Swim School events such as our inaugural Learn to Swim Christmas Party and Mini Carnival events. Partaking in industry and affiliated partner initiatives such as Swim Safer Week, Kids Alive Learn to Swim Week and U-Rippa rips and currents workshop. The Annual Maniah Betham Squad Scholarship. Our 2016/2017 recipient has recently been announced, details on next page. The introduction of this Learn to Swim newsletter distributed every block. Our new progression recognition process including progression bell and monthly colouring in competition. Student birthday initiatives. Jamie Soward s Sowie s Swimmer of the Week award. ltsadmin@ripplesnsw.com.au Website Follow us on: On behalf of the entire Ripples Leisure Centre team we would like to wish our very own Margaret Riley a happy retirement. Marg as she is affectionately known by many has been a fixture of the Ripples Swim School team for over 16 years and has made a valuable contribution to the program both in and out of the water. She has touched the lives of so many by teaching people of all ages how to swim. We are really sad to see her go but we wish her the best of luck in the next chapter of her life. Thank you Marg for all that you have done and we will miss you! Page 1

2 Maniah Betham Scholarship CONGRATULATIONS GEORGIA FIELD! Georgia was awarded the Annual Maniah Betham Squad Scholarship in a presentation held at Ripples Leisure Centre in June. Georgia has been a member of the Ripples Squad and Swim Club for the past 3 years. In her short swimming career this open water specialist swimmer has qualified for State long and short course events and came 3 rd in the State Open water competition in the junior age category. Georgia also qualified for the 2015 open water national championships 18 months before being eligible to swim (due to her age). In addition to Georgia s achievements in the pool she was awarded this honour for her behaviour outside of the water modelling the characteristics of the late Maniah Betham of a hardworking, humble, team orientated and respectful young swimmer. Why you should continue swimming lessons in Winter! At times swimming lessons can be seen as a seasonal activity, especially as the weather outside grows cooler and other activities compete for your child s time & your family s income. There are compelling reasons, however, to continue with swimming lessons year round and to make swimming a top priority for your child & your family s budget. Following are some important reasons for you to consider. Many parents start swimming lessons out of a concern for their child s water safety. Although swimming lessons are never a substitute for parental supervision, they play a crucial part in building layers of protection for young children. The skills and behaviours that are taught in lessons need constant reinforcement throughout the year. The risks posed by drowning don t go away in the cooler parts of the year, so neither should the lessons they are one of the most proactive things a parent can do for their child. In addition to safety issues, continuing lessons is important to build and reinforce existing skills. This is particularly true with children under 5 years whose long-term skill retention and muscle memory are just beginning to develop. A break in lessons that stretches over many months will often result in a loss of skills. Even when parents can t see substantial progress every week, the child is at least maintaining the current ability level, and that is progress in itself. Don t let all the time and money spent on lessons go to waste, keep up their skills. ST MARYS BLOCK 3 DATES 4 July to 25 September SUPERHERO THEME WEEK 4 to 10 July LTS GAMES MINI CARNIVAL Friday 29 July (entries close Mon 25 July) CLOTHES WEEK 15 to 21 August NEXT PAYMENT RENEWAL DATES 21 August to 11 September ST MARYS BLOCK 4 DATES 26 September to 18 December SPRING INTENSIVES ST MARYS & PENRITH Week 1 26 to 30 September Week 2-4 to 7 October PENRITH TERM 4 DATES 10 October to 17 December Ripples Leisure Centre St Marys pools are maintained at constant temperatures throughout the year, so even when it is cooler outside, it can still be a comfortable, year-round, summer experience in the water. With a little extra attention, such as keeping children warm and drying them off well when they leave the pool, swimming will stay comfortable and beneficial all year. Keep these ideas in mind as you continue with your lessons. Swimming is one of the best activities for children and it s a shame if it only happens in the summer. Whenever possible, enjoy your swimming all year round! Swim Australia 2005 & Dave DuBois, Independent Learn to Swim Consultant Swim Australia s Swim TOUR Leader Page 2

3 Name: Rochelle Smith Nickname: Chelle How long have you been teaching? 5 years What is your favourite thing about teaching? Seeing children enjoying swimming and improving their skills. What three traits define you? Dedicated, friendly, enthusiastic What s the one thing you couldn t live without? Family Your dream travel destination? Anywhere that is warm and has beautiful beaches. Favourite movie and why? Don't really have a favourite. But anything from comedy and romance to action. Favourite colour? Blue Worst habit? Having naps during the day when I should be doing work. What do you like most about Ripples? The friendly environment, great facilities and seeing people achieve their goals. I really love my job and being able to teach children and adults a skill for life is so rewarding. Rochelle is not only one of our core instructors she is also one of our on-deck supervisors responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of lessons, assessing students and a liaison for customers and instructors. Instructor of the Block A big congratulations to Rowena Malone for taking out the Instructor of the Block award for Block 2. The Instructor of the Block is a peer award voted by our learn to swim team for the instructor they collectively believe goes above and beyond, supports the team, delivers great results for their students and much more. Some of the comments Rowena received from the team included she is dedicated, hard working and goal orientated, client based driven, very friendly and always willing to help others, great support to the team, Rowena is amazing! What wonderful comments to receive from your colleagues, great work Row a deserving recipient. Rowena is not only an valuable learn to swim team member she is also one of our squad coaches and she is just as dedicated to her students that she teaches out of the water to the ones she teaches is in the water. In celebration of each new 12 week block Ripples Swim School will be hosting a special theme week. This block we have Superhero Week from 4th July to 10th July So we encourage all our Ripplets little and big (that s you too mum and dad) to dress up and transform into your favourite superhero whoever that maybe. Wear a cape, a mask, costume, shirt or even bring a beloved figurine. We will be running a competition for Best Dressed and also have a fun photo station for you to take part in. Page 3

4 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Recently we have received some queries from concerned Learn to Swim customers as well as the general public regarding some of Ripples policies. See below answers to these questions: Can I Take Photos Of My Child During Class? Ripples Leisure Centre permits the use of private photography including during swimming lessons however Ripples reserves the right to inspect, stop or delete any images/video material if they suspect inappropriate photography. No photography or video equipment including mobile phones is permitted in the change facilities at anytime. Please be mindful of others privacy when taking images/video and try to capture as much as possible only your child unless you have gained consent from other parties. Does my child need to wear a wristband if they swim before and/or after swimming lessons? Yes, if your child is under the age of 5 years they must be wearing a yellow wristband whilst in the water (despite their level of swimming competence) and also be within arm s reach of a supervising adult at all times. Please ensure you collect a wristband at reception or from the lifeguard on duty. Children under 5 years without a wristband on and not actively supervised within arm s reach will be removed from the water and returned to parent/guardian. What age can I take my child (of the opposite gender) into the change facilities? Children aged 7 years and under that are accompanied by an adult ARE permitted in the change rooms of the opposite gender. Children over the age of 8 years who wish to be accompanied whilst changing by an adult of the opposite gender MUST use the family change rooms. We have two family change facilities on pool deck the first is located adjacent to the Swim School Office and the second is at the far end of the facility near the 25m pool, this family change room also incudes toilet and shower amenities. It is also important to note that use of cameras and mobile phones are not permitted in the change rooms. Ripples accepts no responsibility for lost or stolen belongings. Patrons are advised not to bring phones, cameras or wallets to the Centre. Lockers are made available throughout the venue. Page 4 Got a burning question about our learn to swim program? us at ltsadmin@ripplesnsw.com.au Your question will be answered promptly by one of our expert team members and your question may even feature in our next newsletter.

5 Sowie s Swimmer of the Week One of the many new initiative we introduced in Block 2 was our Sowie s Swimmer of the Week award. This award is supported by NRL Penrith Panthers superstar Jamie Soward and recognises deserving students for various reasons including good behaviour, trying their best and/or achieving a new skill. Nominations are received weekly by our instructor team to determine our weekly winner. I d like to introduce and congratulate the following Block 2 recipients of this award. Great work! Tahlia Godfrey Jordan Sale Jordan & Layla Kennedy Elizabeth German Jai Gardiner Justin Alyward Maureen Watson COLOURING IN COMPETITION Congratulations to the winners of our monthly progression colouring in competition! May Winners June Winners Mya Crofts - school age Amber Brar - preschool age Te-Arii Aperau-Bob - school age Braton Grigg - preschool age GETCHARGEDUP at Ripples! Ripples is pleased to partner with local company Get Charged Up! Their lockable mobile phone charging station is now available at Ripples for our customers convenience. The Get Charged Up changing station is located on the right hand side of the doors leading onto pool deck. This unit is completely secure with a pin code locking system for your peace of mind. No need to stand by while your phone charges, pick a locker, plug in, walk away, have a swim or watch your kids learn to swim, it s that easy and safe. The charging station also takes all major phones including Apple, Samsung, Nokia etc. so there s no reason not to be charged and connected at Ripples now. Get Charged Up is a proud local company and a big supporter of the Ripples Swim School program. Jamie Soward, NRL Penrith Panthers super star is part of the Get Charged Up team and has put his support behind our program and wonderful students by sponsoring the Sowie s Swimmer of the Week award given to a deserving swimmer for good behaviour, trying your best and/or achieving a new skill. Each instructors will nominate a student for recognition and a weekly winner will be awarded. Answers to Kidz Zone puzzles on page 6: Maze Word scrambler Answer lifeguards Page 5

6 Circle and colour in the pictures of things that are safe when you are at the pool or beach. Help Bruce find his way through the Maze to Clive and his mates! WORD SCRAMBLER Unscramble the word below using the clue. GDSLIAFREU To stay safe at the pool and beach listen to the and follow their instructions. Page 6 Answers to puzzles on bottom of page 5.