Maeroa students revel in water skills course

A group of students from Hamilton's Maeroa Intermediate School are among the first to benefit from a new River Safety initiative being delivered by Hamilton Pools and funded by Water Safety New Zealand
The programme focuses on how young people can be safe in and around rivers, and will see 1100 intermediate school-age children receive tuition from Hamilton Pools' Learn To Swim staff.

Hamilton City Council's Swimming and Recreation Manager Mathew Bayliss says the city is an ideal location for the tuition, which stems from a pilot programme delivered in the first school term of 2015.

"The sessions the team deliver to the students cover basic theory tuition on the elements of river environments, practical sessions on individual and group river water survival skills, small vessel safety relating to kayak and canoe basics, snorkelling, as well as how students can negotiate slippery banks," Mr Bayliss says.

Each student receives five lessons as part of the programme, with the Maeroa students completing the programme in February.

Maeroa Intermediate Deputy Principal Amanda Taylor says the children thrived in the river learning environment and were enthusiastic about the programme.


Photo courtesy of Hamilton City Council

"The students enjoyed getting out of the classroom and learning in a really practical way," she says. "Their response to the sessions was very positive and it was a great way for them to develop new skills and knowledge."

Hamilton Junior High School and Melville Intermediate School students will also participate in the programme in 2016.

"Hamilton's a river city - we have a River Plan which places a focus on enjoyment of the river and recreation on it – and so this is a good fit for us," Mr Bayliss says.

"We're committed to educating our community on water safety, and this is an excellent avenue for us to do that with the younger members of our community."