This term, Koru Hub has been taking swimming lessons.

As part of our Physical Education Programme this term, Koru Hub has had swimming lessons on Thursdays. Each week we have been busing to the Johnsonville School Pool where students have been in small groups with an instructor. Their lessons have included swimming skills, as well as water safety.

Some of the activities in lessons have included:

• Kicking with a board

• Starfish floats on front and back

• Arm circles while kicking

• Gliding

• Bubble bubble breathe (freestyle)

• Kicking on back

• Backstroke

• Dolphin kick

• Submerging under water and diving for rings

The specifics of their lesson will have depended on the level that each child is working at in swimming.

The last week of swimming (Week 9), consisted of Water Safety Week. This was the highlight for many of our tamariki. Students got to wear life jackets and ride on the inflatable boat in the pool. Part of this was being tipped into the water, and then swimming on their backs to the side of the pool, so they could learn what to do if they were in deeper water. They also learnt about getting into huddles in the water, and how to move in a group when wearing a lifejacket.

The overall feedback gathered from students in Koru was that they liked learning to kick in the water, diving for rings in the pool, going on the bus and singing waiata, playing on the playground at Johnsonville School, swimming lengths of the pool, learning to float like starfish, and going on the boat for water safety.

Overall, Koru had a great time going to swimming lessons this term.