Swimmers Of All Abilities Benefit From Drownproofing

Ms. Ferrell and Ms. Dingman’s fifth-grade classes from High Point Elementary entered the Arundel Olympic Swim Center in Annapolis with mixed attitudes. Smiles were plastered on some faces, while others donned a look of nervousness. The children were split on two sides of the room, 28 kids on one side, 23 on the other. Cathy Bellarin, the teacher specialist of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools Drownproofing Program, took advantage of this division, standing in the center of the room and using a few rhythmic claps to silence the children and give her time to provide instructions and safety precautions for the day’s activities.

That afternoon, the students were to begin their lessons in Drownproofing, a two-week program for fifth-grade students in Anne Arundel County to make them comfortable in and around water. Students begin with personal water safety, then advance to lifejacket exercises, then to non-swimmer rescue exercises. They end by learning cold-water survival techniques.

These practical exercises are conducted once per day for four days over the course of about a week. Students have in-pool practical lessons as well as classroom lessons that prepare them for their pool exercises. On the days between pool lessons, students learn about their next exercise. This preemptive learning ensures that students are ready for their exercises in the pool. “When they come here, it’s all skill; we just take that content and build on it,” Bellarin said.

Skill is a relative term, however, as not all the children involved in the program have equal ability. Luckily, Bellarin is a “big believer” of inclusion. Bellarin explained that some students conduct their exercises in the shallow water to make non-swimmers comfortable. She noted that 29 schools had 40 percent of their students in the shallow end during last year’s Drownproofing courses. Since 2012, about 1,400 students who started in the shallow end passed the deep-end test by the last day of the course.

Dave Dyke, a High Point grandfather who volunteered as a chaperone, said he appreciates that aspect of the program. “I like that it includes everyone. There are a lot of kids who never get a chance to do the water thing, so it’s good to build that confidence.” He added that the program is built on “a lot of patience and a lot of accommodations.”

Bellarin is no stranger to accommodations. Organizing 78 public schools and five private schools to participate in Drownproofing is no easy task. The process involves scheduling schools, staggering buses, coordinating with parent volunteers to make sure they understand their duties and working with teachers to provide the appropriate coursework for their students.

There are plenty of capable helpers on Bellarin’s side, though. Nancy Schlegel, the lead Drownproofing instructor, typically ensures that parent volunteers understand what’s expected of them while also overseeing the pool exercises. A Drownproofing instructor for 21 years, Schlegel does more than just teach important water safety techniques — she soft-heartedly teaches respect. She strives to create an environment where kids “learn but they’re not intimidated, and they respect each other.”

By the time the High Point Elementary students had finished their first day of Drownproofing activities, the nervous faces from before had all turned to smiles. Through the chattering teeth and shivers, friends exchanged details of their day while drying off. Most students jumped at the chance to share their experience.

“It’s pretty fun, a little bit better than school,” said Vinny. Another student, David, said that he enjoyed the pencil dive exercise, while his classmate Emma remarked that the pencil dive was the hardest. A few more students jumped in to share their opinion, each mentioning something he or she enjoyed and many mentioning how cold they were.

High Point Elementary is just one of 79 schools participating in Drownproofing this year. Last year, the program taught 6,181 fifth-graders. This year, Bellarin estimates that number will jump to about 6,300. The sessions began on September 1 and the Drownproofing program for this school year will end June 9.