 On Sunday 19th May, 24 swimmers from Jones Swim Club headed to Peakhurst for the annual Junior Sprint Meet, a carnival for 12yrs & Under swimmers. There were 260 swimmers competing from 45 different clubs from all around Sydney and beyond.
Our team smashed their way through multiple races each and our swimmers made some incredible PB's! We finished the day with a total of 26 medals and a total point score of 274, putting Jones Swim Club in first place once again! This is the 3rd year in a row now that Jones Swim Club have been crowned the Junior Sprint Meet champions! A massive achievement! Congratulations to all our spectacular swimmers for such a successful meet. A big thank you to all the parents who came out to support their kids, and those from Jones Swim Club who helped on the day with time keeping and other important duties. Backyard pools are perhaps the most obvious places which pose a risk of drowning, but even if you do not have a pool at home, the risk of drowning around the home is still very much present. There are many areas both inside the home and around the garden which present as dangers to young children. The Royal Lifesaving Society Australia (RLSA) have found that drowning deaths have occurred in the following places:
Often, it is young children and toddlers who are most at risk of drowning in these places and it is often when supervision is lacking and parents or carers attention is diverted. RLSA recommends that when there are known bodies of water around the home, that supervision is constant. Where possible, bodies of water should be removed - bathtubs emptied immediately, ice and liquids removed from eskies, and buckets emptied (particularly following rain).
The Royal Lifesaving Society Australia also highlights the importance of supervision in social settings, where bodies of water around the home may not always be known and where attention may be divided. On many occasions there may be confusion as to who is watching the children, with adults wrongly assuming somebody else is. To avoid confusion, RLSA advise that in social settings at least one responsible adult is designated the 'child supervisor' at all times. For more advice and fact sheets, and to read a real life story on an esky drowning death, head to the Royal Life Society Australia's website.
Myth: My child is not progressing.
Fact:Learning (in any domain) is rarely linear. Swimming lessons involve learning skills and technique, and as with learning any skills it is very common to see progress accelerate at times, and 'slow down' or stagnate at other times. The important thing to keep in mind is that all 3 of these rates of learning are part of the normal learning curve. In addition, quite often it may seem as though a child is not progressing, however they may be concentrating on consolidating a particular difficult part of the skill before putting it all back together again. It's often at these times parents feel that their child is 'going backwards,' when really the student is simply focusing on mastering a smaller part of the skill. It does not mean that a child has forgotten the rest of the skill, often they are able to put it all back together once they have mastered the component they are finding difficult. You as their parent or carer might be feeling frustrated or helpless in these times of skill acquisition, and we always encourage you to seek out the Supervisor on pool deck for advice. The Supervisor will be able to explain your child's progress and reassure you of the strategies that are in place to ensure your child continues to move through the levels in our system. As a parent or carer, we encourage you to continue encouraging your child! You are your child's biggest supporter, and that support means the world to them. Celebrate the successes, but just as importantly, support the struggles. Myth: We've been learning to swim for years! Fact: Swimming to begin with is not a sport, it is a learning process and like all learning it takes time. According to Swim Australia, the average child who participates in swimming a 30 minute class once a week accumulates 20 hours of lessons per year. That is less than a day spent in lessons spread over an entire year. If a child only swims in the summer period, this is reduced to 10 hours in total for the year - less than half a day. Would you expect your child to make good progress learning other skills such as the piano, or tutoring if they spend such little time practicing throughout the year? Swimming is the same. There are of course ways to ensure that your child is receiving the most out of the year. By continuing lessons year round, including through winter, your child will acquire more practice. Another way to further progress is to increase the amount of lessons - either by doing more than one lesson per week, or enrolling in our intensive school holiday programs. Here at Col Jones, we encourage parents and carers to think of learning to swim as a journey. It opens up the door to enjoying many sports (including the sport of swimming) and leisure activities for life. Myth: You need to wait 30 minutes after eating before swimming. Fact: This is one of those messages that holds some truth. Eating a full meal directly before a lesson or training session is not recommended, particularly if it is an unhealthy choice (think fast food, greasy or fried food). This is because it can be uncomfortable to swim on a full stomach, and if a swimmer had eaten excessively, may lead to vomiting. Instead, experts recommend a small, nutritious snack before swimming such as a piece of fruit, a muesli bar or sandwich. We personally have found that those swimmers who have been sick here at Col Jones have consumed foods such as cakes. That means donuts and hot chips are a no-no! Following their swim, the Gatorade Sports Science Institute advises that swimmers ensure they eat a healthy meal rich in protein and carbohydrates to aid in recovery. As always, water is always suggested for our squad swimmers before, during and after their session. It is sometimes easy to forget that swimming is a workout and students need to replace the fluids they have lost naturally through sweating. Author: Josephine Moss (Swim School Coordinator) Josephine encourages all parents and carers to seek out the advice of the Supervisors (in the red shirts) to answer any concerns and to keep the conversation going about the importance of learning to swim. During January this year, the Hurstville venue was used to shoot a film for the 2019 Sydney Short Film Festival. The short film is aptly called "Chlorine". If you get the chance to watch it you may recognize various scenes from our pool area and change rooms. The film is showing in June at various locations around Sydney. Check out the Sydney Short Film Festival website for more details. 
Every month we highlight an aspect of water safety. This month we wanted to draw your attention to the importance of knowing CPR - a set of skills that is critical in many emergency situations, not just aquatic emergencies. According to the Royal Life Saving Society (Australia), in most drowning or near-drowning events, a family member is usually the first on the scene. Knowing what to do in an emergency situation and responding quickly is paramount to increasing a patient's chance of survival. Many children have their parents to thank for saving their lives, as they knew how to perform CPR. The NSW Study of Drowning and Near Drowning in Children found a child is four times more likely to survive a near drowning if parents know CPR and start it immediately. Professor Danny Cass, Trauma Surgeon at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, said the study highlighted that early intervention is a lifesaver, “early CPR has been shown to contribute to greater survival rates with four times as many positive health outcomes.” To download and print a copy of a CPR chart, free of charge, visit NSW Ambulance. The information provided in the chart is not intended as a substitute for completing a First Aid or CPR course. By enroling in a CPR or First Aid course, you can learn how to save someone's life. Royal Life Saving Society (Australia) has many resources available for parents including CPR charts, fact sheets and courses available to enrol in. Visit www.royallifesaving.com.au/families/at-home/training/resuscitation-cpr for more information. DRS ABCD(This information is not intended to substitute the lifesaving skills learnt through participating in a First Aid or CPR course. Col Jones Hurstville urges all our parents and carers to enrol in a course today.)
Danger - Check for danger Response - Is the patient unresponsive? Send for help - Shout for help, call 000 for an ambulance, and ask for a defibrillator if there is one available Airway - Check airway is open and unobstructed Breathing - Look, listen and feel for breathing CPR - Start CPR (30 compressions : 2 breaths) Defibrillator - Attach a defibrillator as soon as it is available
We have looked to Swim Australia to help 'debunk' some of the more common myths. The facts might just surprise you!
Myth: It's too cold to swim in winter. Fact: Parents often worry about bringing their children to swimming lessons during winter. Whilst the weather outside might be cooler, our pools remain heated all year round. In fact, we increase the temperature of our pools to between 32 and 34 degrees meaning that your little ones stay warm whatever the weather. Myth: Swimming in winter gives you colds and flu. Fact: Colds and the flu are viruses. Kids are at no greater risk of catching a cold or flu from swimming then they are from other public places such as school, daycare, shopping centres and playdates with friends. In fact, research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that upper respiratory tract infections (which includes sore throats and sinus infections) are reduced by more than 40% in those who remain physically active throughout autumn and winter. Myth: All ear infections come from swimming. Fact: Whilst outer ear infections can sometimes be caused by swimming in poor quality water, often inner ear infections are generally unrelated to swimming. In addition, Col Jones provides swimmers with crystal clean water provided by our state of the art water filtration and UV treatment plant. Myth: Kids need a break from lessons. Fact: Many students participate in only one half an hour lesson per week. Swimming Australia suggests that this is a very small amount of time from which to 'need a break.' At Col Jones Swim School, we find that having a break can actually be counterproductive as students are going long periods without practicing the skills. If skills are not reinforced regularly, they deteriorate and often need to be re-learnt all over again upon return. This can be frustrating for all concerned, and can impact a child's self esteem. By continuing swimming throughout the year, children maintain and improve upon their skills, making leaps and bounds in their swimming abilities. Technique and skill does not deteriorate, as we often find with children who take a break. Wow! What an enormous response to our second colouring in competition! We've always known we have extraordinary swimmers here at Col Jones Hurstville but we've been astounded at the talent that has been showcased beyond the pool! Our incredible students worked hard and coloured carefully and creatively to produce more than 300 works of art.   Our team of teachers took their role as judges very seriously, staying back after their shifts to choose their favourites and submit their votes. The votes have been counted, and it was a tight finish! We are excited to announce our 4 winners - Doris, Maha, Anushka and Sahara. Congratulations on your outstanding colouring! Enjoy your prizes!  |
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