Swim Lesson Registration Process Update
Philosophy
The Mount Rainier Pool strives to provide a fun and safe atmosphere for swim lessons for all ages and members of our community. We believe swimming is an essential life skill and a healthy recreational activity. We are committed to training our staff and community about the importance of water safety. To enhance the quality of our lessons, we follow the American Red Cross standards and work to ensure most instructors are certified. Finally, we work to keep our classes affordable and have scholarship options of up to 90 percent off.
Registration (Resident Priority) UPDATED
| Resident* | Non-Resident* | |
| Current** | (1) Current, Resident Registration: • Saturday – March 18, 8:30-11:15am • Monday – March 20, 5-7pm • Wednesday – March 22, 5-7pm |
(3) Current, Non-Resident Registration: • Monday – March 27, 5-7pm Open for all three class options (Saturday, Monday & Wednesday). |
| Non-Current | (2) Non-Current, Resident Registration: • Saturday – March 25, 8:30-11:15am Open for all three class options (Saturday, Monday & Wednesday). |
(4) New, Non-Resident Registration: • Monday – March 27, 7-8pm Open for all three class options (Saturday, Monday & Wednesday). |
*Residents from the Cities of Des Moines and Normandy Park are given registration priority. They subsidize the operations of the pool through taxes.
**Current student registration is only for those who are currently in lessons and have not had uncommunicated absences from lessons. (This does not include Waitlist Participants.)
Phone & In-person Only
Due to limited open spots, we will not have online registration. Ability determines class placement, not an age level. (Online registration shifts responsibility for assessing ability to the parent rather than our instructors and can lead to an improper class placement that can affect the quality of lessons.) Please see the exact registration dates and times below. To register over the phone, please call us at (206) 824-4722.
- Phone registration:To avoid confusion in assigning class placements, only one person will handle calls at the start of registration. This may result in longer wait times. Our call tree will queue users, and we will answer calls in the order received. Any messages left will be answered after we have responded to all current calls. (If we are overly busy, this may be the next day.)
- In-person registration: People can wait in line as early as 45 minutes before registration opens. Numbers will be issued, and staff will call out numbers as registrars are available. Anyone who comes in early to get a number and then leaves will lose their turn and must get a new number.
- No online registration: Online registration is not available to ensure the quality of classes. As classes have limited capacity, it is essential to register students into the correct classes.
- Create own account: Please help us speed up registration by creating an account. See below for more information.
Instructor/Parent Relationship
Please keep in mind the instructor is only with your child for a short amount of time. We need your assistance with their lesson performance. The same holds true for effective discipline. If there is a method that works effectively for you with your child, and the instructor is not having success, they would welcome your input.
If you have questions or concerns, please leave your name and phone number at the front desk and our staff will contact you before the next set of lessons.
Management staff are available to assist you with your concerns and can serve as a liaison between you and instructors regarding communication. Please email us at info@mtrainierpool.com or call and ask to speak with a manager at (206) 824-4722.
Class Schedule
Below are general class times. Exact class times will be available on Thursday, March 16.
| Class Option | Times | Dates |
| Monday | 4:30-7pm | April 17-June 12 (No class 5/29 – Memorial Day) |
| Wednesday | 4:30-7pm | April 19-June 14 (No class 5/31 – Memorial Day Week) |
| Saturday | 8-11:15am | April 22-June 17 (No class 5/27 – Memorial Weekend) |
Class Pricing
FREE! Spring Youth Swim Lessons (Ages 0-17)
All youth winter (April-June) swim lessons will be free thanks to a grant provided by King County Parks and the Des Moines Legacy Foundation. Youth will cover all Parent & Child, Pre, Levels and Adult lessons for 18 and under. Adult swim lesson participants, 18 and older will still need to pay fees below but may apply for scholarships.
Normal Class (Nongrant/Nonscholarship) Pricing
Class pricing will remain the same through the first quarter of 2023. A review of pricing will come during the Spring. See current pricing below.
|
Parent & Child (6 months to 3 years) |
Pre-Levels (4-6 Years) |
Levels (7-14 Years) |
Adult (15 Years & Older) |
|
| Resident | $47 | $66 | $66 | $66 |
| Non-Resident | $60 | $80 | $80 | $80 |
Scholarship Pricing
We have updated our scholarship program including a simplified process, resident focus, and 90% coverage for all programs! The scholarship program is for residents only. Click here to view our scholarship page for more information.
Class Levels Brief
Below is a breakdown of class levels. For more detailed information, click here. Please work with pool staff to ensure you are in the right lessons.
|
Parent & Child (Ages 6 months to 3 years) |
Pre-Levels (Ages 4-6 Years) |
Levels (Ages 7-14 Years) | Adult (Ages 15 Years) | |
| Class Levels |
P & C 1 P & C 2 NEW |
Pre-1 Pre-2 Pre-3 |
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6 |
AS I AS II NEW |
For more detailed information, check the swim lesson section below.
Current, Transfer And New Students
Please follow the guidelines below for Current, Transfer and New Students. This helps setup your child for success and ensures group lessons best meet everyone’s needs.
| CURRENT STUDENT | TRANSFER STUDENT | NEW STUDENT |
| Student currently attending swim lessons at Mount Rainier Swim Lessons. | Student transferring from program other than Mount Rainier Swim Lessons. (Note-all programs have different ways of assessing aptitude.) | These are students who have not taken swim lessons or have not taken a swim evaluation. |
| Students & parents will be notified the class before registration. * | Must take swim evaluation. (Doesn’t include Parent & Child and Adult lessons). Swim evaluations are offered during Family Swims. | New Students can only register for the first level of each class. This includes parents that neglect to have their child take a swim evaluation. |
Questions About The Appropriate Level
Click here to use this guide on skills for swim lesson levels.
Why Swim Evaluations (Formerly Swim Tests)?
Our goal is to give participants the best experience in our swim lessons! The most important part is ensuring participants are in the right level. This not only helps the individual, but also ensures other participants get the most of their lesson time. (Note – People applying for Parent and Child, Preschool 1, Level 1 and Adult classes do not need to take a swim test.)
Class Capacity
Classes are capped at five (5) for Pre and Level classes, and ten (10) for Parent and Child classes. Overfilling of classes takes away from the experience for all participants. (Note-this is the reason we have strict in-person and over the phone registration to ensure people are in the right class.)
Waitlist (New Process)
Waitlists will now be limited to the first five (5) participants for each class. Participants will only be contacted if a spot becomes available. If you are contacted, please follow the steps below. All steps are taken to ensure we maximize the number of people we can serve.
- If a spot becomes available, we will call participants in order they are on the list.
- Participants have three hours to claim their spot by returning a call to (206) 824-4277. (NO EMAILS WILL BE ACCEPTED!)
- If a spot is NOT claimed within the time frame, we will move to the next person on the list.
- Participants that do not return calls twice for waitlists may be skipped for future spots. (Please make sure your contact number and email are accurate for communications by registering for your own account, or obtaining login information to check it.)
Create Own (Civic Rec) Account
Please help us by setting up an account on our registration software (CivicRec). Please click here to setup an account. This will help speed up the registration process and ensure your contact information is correct for communications including waitlists.
Setting Up A CivicRec Account
- Click here to setup a new account at CivicRec.com
- Click login/create account button in upper right corner and follow directions.
- Please make sure that you list a good contact phone number and email to ensure we are able to contact you.
- Once complete, you should receive a confirmation email. Please use this email to double-check your account to make sure the contact information is correct.
- If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at (206) 824-4722.
Future Classes
Our next set of classes will be public posted the week before the end of the previous session. For updates, please sign-up for our email notification system at www.mtrainierpool.com.
Class Levels Overview
Below is a breakdown of class levels. For more detailed information, click here. Please work with pool staff to ensure you are in the right lessons.
|
Parent & Child (Ages 6 months to 3 years) |
Pre-Levels (Ages 4-6 Years) |
Levels (Ages 7-14 Years) | Adult (Ages 15 Years) | |
| Class Levels |
P & C 1 P & C 2 NEW |
Pre-1 Pre-2 Pre-3 |
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6 |
AS I AS II NEW |
Parent & Child (6 months to 3 years, 11 months)
Parent & Child classes are for parents and one child to work on familiarizing their child with lessons. These classes can have up to 10 participants. Effective January 1, 2023, we will have Parent and Child 1 and Parent and Child 2. All people must complete Parent and Child 1 at the Mount Rainier Pool before taking the new class.
| Course | Purpose | Prerequisites |
| Parent & Child Aquatics Level 1 |
· Familiarize children between the ages of 6 months and approximately 3 years with the water and teach swimming readiness skills · Provide safety information for parents and teach techniques parents can use to orient their children to the water |
· No skill prerequisites · Child must be at least 6 months old · Parent must accompany child to each class |
| Parent & Child Aquatics Level 2 |
· Improve skills learned in Parent and Child Aquatics Level 1 and teach more advanced skills · Continue to build on water safety knowledge |
· Comfort level with skills taught in Parent and Child Aquatics Level 1 · Parent must accompany child to each |
Pre-levels (Ages 4 Years to 6 Years, 11 Months)
Pre-Levels have an instructor to student ratio of 1:5. Please refer to the “Finding the Right Level” form or call us for more detailed information.
| Course | Purpose | Prerequisites |
| Preschool Aquatics Level 1 |
· Familiarize children approximately 4 and 5 years old to the aquatic environment and help them acquire rudimentary basic aquatic skills · Help participants begin to develop positive attitudes and safe practices in and around water |
· No skill prerequisites · Children should be approximately 4 years old or older |
| Preschool Aquatics Level 2 |
· Build on and improve skills learned in Preschool Aquatics Level 1 · Increase knowledge of water safety topics introduced in Preschool Aquatics Level 1 |
· Successful demonstration of the Preschool Aquatics Level 1 exit skills assessment |
| Preschool Aquatics Level 3 |
· Increase proficiency and build on the basic aquatic skills learned in Preschool Aquatics Levels 1 and 2 · Reinforce water safety concepts and skills introduced in earlier levels and introduce |
· Successful demonstration of the Preschool Aquatics Level 2 exit skills assessment |
Level (Ages 7 Years to 14 Years, 11 Months)
Levels have an instructor to student ratio of 1:5. Please refer to the “Finding the Right Level” form or call us for more detailed information.
| Course | Purpose | Prerequisites |
|
Learn-to-Swim Level 1: Introduction to Water Skills |
· Orient participants to the aquatic environment and help them gain basic aquatic skills. · Help participants begin to develop positive attitudes and safe practices around water |
· No skill prerequisites · Participants usually start at about 6 years of age |
|
Learn-to-Swim Level 2: Fundamental Aquatic Skills |
· Build on the basic aquatic skills and water safety skills and concepts learned in Level 1 | · Successful demonstration of the Learn-to-Swim Level 1 exit skills assessment |
|
Learn-to-Swim Level 3: Stroke Development |
· Build on the skills learned in Levels 1 and 2 to help participants achieve basic water competency in a pool environment | · Successful demonstration of the Learn-to-Swim Level 2 exit skills assessment |
|
Learn-to-Swim Level 4: Stroke Improvement |
· Improve participants’ proficiency in performing the swimming strokes that were introduced in Level 3 | · Successful demonstration of the Learn-to-Swim Level 3 exit skills assessment |
|
Learn-to-Swim Level 5: Stroke Refinement |
· Help participants refine their performance of all six swimming strokes (i.e., front crawl, back crawl, butterfly, breaststroke, elementary backstroke and sidestroke) | · Successful demonstration of the Learn-to-Swim Level 4 exit skills assessment |
|
Learn-to-Swim Level 6: Swimming and Skill Pro Personal Water Safety |
· Refine strokes so participant’s swim them with greater efficiency and effectiveness over longer distances · Teach participants how to prevent aquatic emergencies in various aquatic environments and to introduce and practice self-rescue techniques |
· Successful demonstration of the Learn-to-Swim Level 5 exit skills assessment |
Adult Classes (15 & Older)
We also offer classes for adults (ages 15 & older). These classes are normally offered outside of youth swim lesson times and lap swim times to help participants feel more comfortable in taking lessons.
| Course | Purpose | Prerequisites |
| Adult Swim I—Learning the Basics |
· Help participants gain basic aquatic skills and swimming strokes · Teach skills and concepts needed to stay safe in and around water and to help themselves or others in an aquatic emergency |
· None |
| Adult Swim II —Improving Skills and Swimming Strokes |
· Improve participants’ proficiency in basic aquatic skills and the six basic swimming strokes · Teach skills and concepts needed to stay safe in and around water and to help themselves or others in an aquatic emergency |
· Participants must be: o Comfortable in chest-deep water. o Able to put their face in the water. o Able to perform strokes that can be recognized as front crawl, breaststroke and back crawl, each for 15 yards. |
| Adult Swim III —Swimming for Fitness (Not offered at this time) | Not offered at this time. As more and more people complete the first two levels of adult lessons, we will explore adding this when there is sufficient interest. | |
Find the Right Level
Click here to use this guide on skills for swim lesson levels.
Private Lessons Delayed Until May 2023
The Mount Rainier Pool updated its Private Swim Lessons but has placed them on hold to focus on group lessons. The goal of the updated process is to give working families more options to take lessons around their busy schedules. We hope to have this program updated by May 2023 as we are focusing on community programming and free lessons before adding these services back.
Flyer
Click here to download a flyer.
More Information
For more information, email us at frontdesk@desmoinespool.org or call us at (206) 824-4722.
Cancellation and Refund Policy (Update January 17, 2023)
People dropping out of swim lessons takes open spots away from others and effects the quality of lessons. For swim lessons, a $10 service fee (plus pro-rated first class, if needed) will be added for refunds, and no refunds will be processed after the first class. Again, this is to improve the quality of programming and maximize attendance in classes.
Click here to view the Admissions and Refund Policy. Please complete the attached Refund Request Form to start the refund process
Grant/Scholarship Expectations
People that signup for free lessons, but do not attend take valuable water safety trainings take valuable space away from others.
- Participants must have all absences excused by pool management staff. Call (206) 824-4722 to excuse your absence.
- Participants will be given one courtesy unexcused absence, but any additional unexcused absences could result in forfeiture of your scholarship award and will be factored into future scholarship applications.
- Participants will forfeit any portion of their fees that were paid towards the class to hold your spot. This includes any cancellation within one full week of a class.
Make-ups
There are no make-ups for classes. Each participant will be able to attend free Practice Times in order for participants to improve their swimming abilities outside of scheduled class times. See section below for more information on practice times.
Practice Time
We believe to master swimming, it is not only important to take lessons, but also practice in between those lessons. Practice cards allow class participants free practice time during swim lesson times. Times change depending on each swim lessons schedule. To view the current schedule, click here.
Opportunities Past Swim Lessons
Lifelong swimming is a goal of our organization. Beyond using family, lap and open swims. You also have the following opportunities after completing swim lessons.
- Lifeguard Prep Courses and Training: The Mount Rainier Pool offers trainings for lifeguard and water safety (swim lesson) instructors. We offer opportunities for those willing to work at not only the Mount Rainier Pool, but other local pools and bodies of water. The district offers free training and certifications for those that are willing to work at the Mount Rainier Pool. For more information, visit our jobs page.
- Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club (SMAC): SMAC utilizes our pool for training and meets. Click here to visit their site.
- Mount Rainier High School: MRHS’s Boys and Girls Swim Teams utilizes our pool for training and meets. Click here to find out more.
- MRP Swim Club: In past years the Mount Rainier Pool has offered a free swim club for youth that wish to work on their swimming skills outside of lessons. For updates on this and other swimming programs, please sign up for our email notification system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coming Soon. If you would like to have a question answered, email us at info@mtrainierpool.com.
Contact
Do you have more questions or would like to speak to someone in person? Our front desk is here to help. You can call them directly at (206) 824-4722 or email them at FrontDesk@mtrainierpool.com. Office hours are:
Monday-Friday, 9:30 am-1:00 pm & 4:00-7:00 pm
Saturday, 9:00 am-1:00 pm