Pool Program Boosts Health and Proficiency!
March 12, 2016
“Two years ago, we had one little boy who was deathly afraid of the water. His vision isn’t very good and he was so scared to swim. He would cry and cling to our staff,” Betty Palmbos, Elim’s Pool Instructor, explains. “Now he is so happy in the water. He relaxes when our staff helps him swim. He loves to move his arms and legs in the water. It’s such a contrast from before. It is a joy to see his huge smile and his freedom of movement!”
The students of Elim Christian School have regular access to its warm-water swimming pool. During their time in the pool, they experience relaxation, build swimming-proficiency skills, and gain strength, flexibility, and important health benefits while playing aquatic games. Pool time is also often “class time” when Elim’s staff uses pool games to teach academic skills.
Our staff and students have been blessed this year through the donation of a new pool lift. This new lift provides assistance for students who are unable to enter and exit the water on their own. The lift moves them easily and efficiently into and out of the pool. It also eliminates a lot of lifting for Elim’s staff and dramatically reduces their risk of injuries.
The popular pool program is a huge hit for the students of Elim Christian School, and it also provides many benefits. “The pool allows many of our kids opportunities to socialize. Even our students who can’t speak can interact with friends in the water,” Palmbos shared. “The water also helps with circulation and increases the mobility of our students. They feel freer, and you can see that freedom and peace reflected on their faces. I love to see them smile!”
Non-discrimination Policy:
It is the Standard of Elim Christian Services to admit children and adults to agency services regardless of race, color, national and ethnic origin, to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to agency service recipients. Elim Christian Services does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered policies. Read Full Disclosure.