2017 provided perfect weather to mark the 6th year of the YMCA Camp Orkila Water Safety Week in partnership with Orcas Island Elementary School. This year approx. 100 students in 1st through 3rd grades participated in lessons Monday-Friday. Students learned personal water safety, worked on mastery of swimming fundamentals, built stroke technique and practiced boating/lifejacket skills. As well, students, siblings, parents and grandparents alike enjoyed a community swim event on Wednesday night.
In addition to swimming fundamentals and stroke technique, students worked on sequencing skills as a part of the YMCA’s new Swim Lesson curriculum. The two main sequences taught were 1) Jump, swim, turn, swim, grab and 2) swim, float, swim. These sequences vary based on the student’s abilities and are key safety and endurance skills used as major benchmarks in student’s progression through lessons.
2017 Staff
Rebecca Hall – Swim Instructor/Coordinator
Jenny Peterson – Swim Instructor
Kari Swanson – Swim Instructor
Kamlyn Swanson – Swim Instructor
EJ Marchesseli Goddard – Swim Instructor
N’Tanish Zhaney (lifeguard)