Lake County Gazette

The YMCA will begin offering free Safety Around Water swim lessons next week. The program consists of eight sessions aimed at teaching children water safety skills, which can help reduce the risk of drowning and increase confidence in and around water.

Each session includes exercises to help kids get comfortable in the water, instruction in skills such as "Jump, Push, Turn, Grab" and "Swim, Float Swim," as well as lessons on what to do if someone needs help in the water. Activities are designed to reinforce these skills.

Classes will take place two nights a week—either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday—for four weeks starting the week of August 4, 2025. Participants will receive free goggles, swim caps, swim bags, and a towel. There is also a limited supply of swimsuits for students who need them.

"Safety Around Water consists of eight lessons designed to teach kids water safety skills that help reduce the risk of drowning and build their skills and confidence in and around water. A typical session includes: Exercises to help kids adjust to being in the water; Instruction in two skill sets kids can use if they unexpectedly find themselves in the water: Jump, Push, Turn, Grab and Swim, Float Swim; Safety topics like what to do if you see someone in the water who needs help; Fun activities that reinforce skills," according to organizers.

For questions or registration information, families can contact YMCA Senior Aquatics Director Alie Morgan at Alie.Morgan@gwrymca.org. The Collinsville Maryville Troy YMCA is located at 1 Maryville Town Center Dr., Maryville, IL 62062. The phone number is (618) 346-5600.

The Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 covers Madison and St. Clair counties with several schools under its jurisdiction including elementary schools such as Caseyville Elementary School and Maryville Elementary School. More details about district demographics show it serves a diverse student body—56 percent White, 14.1 percent Black, 24.1 percent Hispanic, and 0.5 percent Asian—and spent $16,872 per student in 2020 for a total expenditure of $104 million (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

District data also indicates there are 418 teachers earning an average salary of $60,392 before pension contributions; most are women (81 percent), with no teachers recording more than ten absences annually (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

More information about school representation within the district can be found at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.