Aquatics Center sets foundation for second grade students to develop life-long skill
With the opening of its newest facility this fall, 1,200-second grade students at the Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District will end their school year with the fundamentals for a life-long, potentially life-saving skill.
This year, the district will launch the Safely Educating Aquatic Leaders (SEAL) Swim Program, which is aimed at providing all second grade students the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of swimming and water safety. Facilitated through the opening of the HCISD’s Aquatic Center, a cutting-edge athletic and wellness facility, the building will host the program for all 17 of the district’s elementary campuses. Wellness will also be a focus, as students will learn about the health benefits of aquatic activities.
“Our Aquatic Center provides our students with a state-of-the-art wellness facility to introduce the fundamentals of water safety and facilitate the development of a lifelong passion for aquatic activity,” said Superintendent Dr. Art Cavazos. “We are excited to see the positive impact this initial year will have on our students and the opportunities it will create to encourage an active lifestyle.”
One of the reasons the program was developed was to introduce water safety as many students in the district reside in areas near open water sources, said Sandra Flinn, Aquatics Center Coordinator Flinn, a former collegiate swimmer at Texas A&M University and swim coach for over 25 years, sees the benefits of introducing these skills early on.
“Safety is number one,” said Flinn. “We looked at the statistics and wanted to provide our students with the fundamentals of swimming so they feel more comfortable in the water. That’s our main goal. To help them feel safe so when they do come in contact with water it’s a positive experience.”
