The Katz JCC, Cherry Hill is pleased to announce its new swim program, JSplash Swim School, will officially open in January 2021. JSplash is funded by the Charles A. and Ethyl Blumenfeld Donor Advised Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation, Inc.
The JSplash Swim School at the Katz JCC is a year-round learn-to-swim program designed for children as young as eight weeks old through adults, whose mission is to teach swimmers of all ages and abilities the skills to be safe, comfortable and responsible in and around the water. Swimmers will learn survival skills through stroke development in an engaging, trusting and safe environment with highly trained staff.
“We’re thrilled to announce our new swim program is ready to roll, and we can’t wait to see swimmers of all ages in the water again soon,” said Amanda Halliwell, Fitness & Wellness and Membership Director of the Katz JCC. “Svetlana Barker, our Aquatics Director, is the individual behind every component of this program, and we are grateful for her dedication to developing JSplash.”
JSplash creates a lifelong appreciation for swimming, fosters fluid progression of skill development, builds physical, mental and social skills in a small group setting, and forms long-lasting relationships. Certified instructors are thoroughly trained by a JSplash Master Instructor, must pass comprehensive instructor exams in and out of the water, and are CPR and first aid certified.
JSplash offers Bubble Babies, a parent and baby bonding class for children as young as eight weeks through six months, which is designed to orient parents and infants together in the water, in a soothing and low-pressure environment. Young children, through three years old, will benefit from Bubble Babies as they become more comfortable in the water and provide a foundation for water safety and independent swimming.
Pre-school programs are designed for children ages three to five of all skill levels and are made to accommodate a wide range of abilities. Children will work on a variety of skills as they progress, such as breath holding, floating and kicking, floating on their front and back independently and increasing distance and beginning strokes. By the time they reach Level 3, they will begin to focus on stroke development, treading water and endurance.
JWaves Kids, for swimmers six to 12 years old, consists of five levels that helps children gain confidence in the water and evolve into a great swimmer. Children will be introduced to skills that lead to independent, forward profession in the water. Lessons includes a combination of games and drills, and students practice breath holding, submerging, floating and kicking. As they progress through the levels of JWaves, their stroke development will be refined, their distance swimming will extend and the fundamentals of difficult strokes like breaststroke and butterfly will be introduced while learning turns and diving.
Lessons are held in a 3:1 swimmer to instructor ratio. Each lesson is 30 minutes and children can move up when they are ready. Instructors wear clear face shields, and all equipment is sanitized after each lesson. Upon entering the JCC, all individuals must complete a COVID health screening and temperature check. Sanitization stations with hand sanitizer, and wipes are available at various locations throughout the building.
The JSplash Swim School begins registration with a free evaluation class to introduce your child to our school and assess their comfort level in the pool. A student can enroll at any time during the year! Siblings receive a 10 percent discount on lesson fees and a 10 percent discount is available for children who take lessons more than once a week.
For more information, please visit katzjcc.org/swim-lessons or contact Svetlana Barker, Aquatics Director at [email protected] or (856) 424–4444 x1144.
