Maple Grove Municipal Pool Swim Lesson Progress Report
Jul 12 – Jul 23, 1976
Instructor's Opening Notes
Emily came to me on Monday morning of the first week holding her mother's hand very tightly and wearing brand-new yellow goggles pushed up high on her forehead. She told me, quite seriously, that she would like to learn to swim but she would not be putting her face in the water today, thank you. I told her that was an excellent plan and that today we were going to be experts on the top of the water only. She liked that very much.
By Wednesday she was blowing bubbles. By Friday she was floating on her back for a count of eight (she insisted on counting out loud, which made me laugh). By the end of the second week — well. You will read it. She is one of the bright spots of my summer, and I want you to know that.
Daily Coaching Log
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Mon7/12intro Sat on the step in 18" of water. Splashed her own knees on purpose, looked surprised. We practiced "the alligator face" — chin on the water, eyes still up. Five tries; she did four. → very brave for day one.
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Tue7/13breath Bubbles! She held the wall and blew through her nose. Did not like the sting at first, asked if it was supposed to feel like ginger ale. Yes, a little. She accepted this.
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Wed7/14breakthrough First full face-in for two seconds. She came up grinning so wide her goggles slipped. She said, "I went under the water like a real fish person." I agreed she did.
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Thu7/15float Back-float with my hand under her shoulder blades, then with two fingers, then with one. The one-finger float was a triumph. Counted to six.
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Fri7/16kick Kickboard, full width of shallow end. Knees a bit bendy — we worked on "long soft legs, toes pointed." Her kick is naturally rhythmic, which is a real gift. Some children fight the water and some children listen to it. Emily listens.
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Mon7/19absent Sister's birthday — sent home a note with the next day's drills so she could practice in the tub.
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Tue7/20stroke Introduced front-crawl arms standing in waist water. Reach, pull, recover. We called it "scoop the ice cream, pour it behind you." She approved of this metaphor.
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Wed7/21combine Kick + arms, face in, lifting to breathe on the side. First five-yard stretch unassisted. She stood up at the end and said, "Miss Sandra, that was swimming." Yes ma'am, it was.
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Thu7/22deep step Ventured to the four-foot mark holding the gutter. Submerged to retrieve a yellow dive ring from the bottom. → asked to do it again three times.
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Fri7/23final swim Twelve yards, front crawl, side-breathing twice. Climbed out, wrapped in her towel, and announced she is going to be a lifeguard when she is bigger. I told her she has the temperament for it.
Skills Assessment — check what she's got
Tap a box to mark — your check stays on this sheet.
M = mastered P = progressing N = next session goal
Technique Notes & Pool-Deck Sketches
Personality Notes — what I want you to know
Emily is the kind of student a teacher remembers. She listens with her whole face. When I explain a new skill she repeats it back in her own words, often more clearly than I said it the first time. She is also genuinely kind — yesterday she helped Tommy K. (six, very frightened of the wall) by simply standing next to him and counting to ten with him while he put his ears in. I did not ask her to. She just did it.
She is competitive with herself but not with the other children, which is a wonderful temperament for the water. She gets frustrated when her body won't yet do what her head understands — this is a sign of a serious learner, not a poor one. The remedy is the same as it is for any of us: rest a minute, try once more, then move on. She is getting better at this each day.
She is afraid of three specific things, in descending order: (1) getting water up her nose, (2) the deep-end rope, (3) leaves on the surface. We have made friends with #1. We are working on #2 from a distance. We will get to the leaves in our own time.
Recommendation for Session III
I am moving Emily up to Intermediate I — "Sunfish" for the August session, with confidence. She is ready for deeper water with a teacher present, the rest of the front-crawl mechanics, an introduction to elementary backstroke, and her first taste of treading. She does not need to repeat Beginner II. Please do not let anyone at the front desk tell you otherwise — I have spoken with Coach Donnelly and he has the note.
Between now and August 9th, the best thing for her is unstructured pool time. Let her show off what she's learned. Let her splash. Let her invent games. The skills will stay; the joy is the thing that grows.
Parent Comments
Miss Sandra —
Bill and I cannot thank you enough. Emily talks about your class at every dinner. Last night she stood up between the corn and the meatloaf to show her grandfather "the ice cream scoop" with her arms and nearly knocked over the milk.
She told me on the way home Friday that she was proud of herself. She does not say that often. I want you to know what a gift that sentence is to a mother.
A small question — for the two-week gap before Session III, is there anything she should practice in the lake at my parents' cabin? She is begging to go off the dock and I would like to know what is reasonable. Also: she would like to know if you will be her teacher in August. (We would too.)
With real gratitude,
(Emily's mother) · 7/24/76