This term, our Year 7’s are heading out to the Mt Albert Aquatic Centre to take part in a day of Water Safety skills. Across the day, each class takes part in 3 lessons focused on safe entry into deep water, how to wear life jackets correctly and rescues. 

Students are asked to also bring heavy clothing to swim in to demonstrate how heavy it becomes in the water, and how easily swimmers can fatigue. Other highlights include discovering the air pocket that sits under an upturned inflatable raft and just how difficult it is to climb back into a raft floating on the water and we can’t forget the water slide, which provides a great way for us to enjoy a busy day in the water.

This unit is a valuable learning experience for our students and the NZ Water Safety notes: “Sustained efforts to deliver water safety education have driven a steady decline in drowning rates among those under 25, who now account for only 12% of drowning fatalities, despite representing 31% of the population”.

If you would like to learn more about Water Safety in New Zealand, please visit https://www.watersafetynz.org/