How Do I Make Payments?
At the front desk, over the phone, online, or automatically in our weekly auto-draft. We accept cash, checks, or credit. Our weekly auto-draft takes place every week using the saved debit/credit card on file.
To make a payment online, visit our website at aquajourneyswimschool.com, and from the homepage click the “Parent Portal Login” link.
- Your Login ID is your Email Address.
- If this is your first time using your parent portal, click the reset password link to create a new password.
What if we are Late or Miss a Lesson?
It is helpful to arrive 10 to 15 minutes before your child’s scheduled time slot. This allows sufficient time to have your child ready to go in the water (without rushing) at their scheduled time. If you are late, your child may receive a shortened lesson or speak to the front desk to see if and when your instructor’s next open time slot is. If you have a conflict on a certain day and give us advance notice, it may be possible to make advance arrangements. Please speak to our front desk.
In the interest of your child’s progress and the dynamics of our lessons, we ask that once committed to the program that you make every effort to attend your child’s regularly scheduled lessons consistently. Steady attendance will increase your child’s rate of progress!
What should I bring to lessons?
For your child’s safety and as a courtesy to everyone else, all children who are not potty-trained MUST wear a snugly fitting reusable, cloth swim diaper during lessons. These are available for purchase at our facility. Disposable swim diapers are not allowed in the pool because they are ineffective in preventing pool contamination. Remove diapers and then dress your child in their swim diaper (swimsuits are optional).
All other swimmers can wear swimsuits/trunks, or rash guards. If your child has long hair, try to braid it, tie it back, and use barrettes to keep the hair out of his/her eyes. Swim caps are the most effective method for keeping hair out of the eyes. Goggles are optional. Don’t forget towels!
Can my child eat before lessons?
Do Not allow your child to eat a heavy meal or dairy products 2 Hours before his/her lesson.
You may need to adjust your child’s diet due to their unique digestive system. The stomach may become distended from air and the muscles tighten up across the abdomen, and a child will burp. If there is food in the stomach when this happens, the food will come out with the air and the child may spit up in the pool. The pool filtration system will clear the pool quickly, so if this happens to your child, do not be frightened or distressed.
Do you offer refunds?
Please do not start your child in this program unless you fully intend to complete the entire learning process. Once your child begins lessons, the balance of your tuition is non-refundable if you withdraw your child.
The reason we place this firm financial responsibility on you is — the initial training period is a very critical time of adaptation to a new environment, instructor, and technique for you and your child. It can be a time of very low self-confidence in the water because the child has not had time to acquire and perfect his/her skills in the aquatic environment. If the child’s lessons are terminated during this time, the foremost thing the child will remember about the water is the lack of self-confidence in and around water. One of our instructor’s specialties is working with children with water fear problems, and the instructor does not want to be involved in putting a child in that situation. Therefore, make sure that this program is for you (we know it is for your child) before you register, then stay with it and support your child in every way until he/she is skilled.
What About Vacations/Holidays/or Severe Weather?
Vacations
We remain open for most holidays, so if you haven’t heard from us, we are open. We will notify you if your child’s lessons will be affected by a holiday closure. You will not be charged for any holiday closures.
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- You may choose to give up your time, allowing us to schedule another student, and we will place your child on a “first priority list.” Let us know when you are ready to re-enroll, and we’ll work with you to find the next available time slot that fits your schedule. With this procedure, you do not pay tuition.
- You may choose to have your spot held. You may do so by continuing to pay your regular tuition. If you have paid for the time slot—it is yours.
Holidays
We remain open for most holidays, so if you haven’t heard from us, we are open. We will notify you if your child’s lessons will be affected by a holiday closure. You will not be charged for any holiday closures.
Severe Weather
We are lightening proof! We will remain open during thunder/lightning storms and follow our county’s storm closure procedures concerning major weather systems. If you have not heard from us about lessons being canceled, we are still open.
Our Schedule has Changed. Can we Adjust our Swim Schedule?
We are more than happy to help you find a time slot that works better for your new schedule. We cannot guarantee it will be with the same instructor, so we strongly recommend choosing a time slot that will work for your schedule for the duration of the program.
What if my Child is Sick?
We hope your little one feels better. Please see our attendance policy.
What if my Child has Used Floaties?
Children who have become accustomed to using devices like “floaties” or other flotation devices have become comfortable in a vertical posture in the water. Floaties hold children vertically in the water, while swimming and floating require a horizontal posture in the water.
Why Private Lessons?
Any parent knows that no two children are exactly alike. Every child has his own level of physical skill, unique temperament, and way of learning. Our lessons are individually geared towards your child and their specific needs. Over the course of each lesson, we assess how your child has retained the skills taught in the previous lesson. The goal is to encourage your child to do more and more with each lesson, but always within the boundaries of their physical ability and their personal learning curve.
Why Teach Kids a Back Float?
Until a child is around 5 years old, it is unproductive for kids to try to pick their head up from the water (doggy paddle/tread water) to breathe and maintain that position for any significant period of time. Because infants and younger children have a huge percentage of their body size and weight in their heads, if they lift their heads while swimming, their feet immediately drop, leaving them in a position that is difficult, if not impossible, to maintain until they can be rescued from the water.
Should I Practice the skills my child is learning while we are swimming at home?
Not until you are given the okay to do so by your instructor. Working with your child outside of lessons before they have completed their program may be counterproductive—you could accidentally reinforce the wrong skills. We are more than happy to show you or explain the best way to practice and play in the water that won’t affect what they are learning in lessons. If you frequently swim at home, we would love for you to get in the water at the end of your child’s program so we can demonstrate how to work with your child at home to keep up with their new skills as they grow!
Will my child forget what they have learned in lessons?
Swimming is a sensorimotor skill—so once it is learned, it is not forgotten. It’s very similar to riding a bike. Once you learn, you always know how to ride, but riding a bike after you haven’t ridden in a while or riding a larger bike may be difficult at first.
Your child will not forget what they have learned, but as your child grows it may be more difficult to perform. This is why refresher lessons are so important! Refreshers help to ensure your child can perform the skills in their bigger bodies and give them confidence in their abilities.
Confidence is key!
May Visitors come to Watch Lessons?
Yes, visitors are welcome to observe lessons!
Need to talk with us?
If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call us at (386) 676-9555, and we will be happy to speak with you. We can also be reached by email at info@aquajourneyswimschool.com. We want lessons to be a positive experience for everyone involved!