Different Strokes Swimming Newsletter December 17th

2021 Wrap Up
17th DECEMBER ISSUE

Hi Everyone,

Here we are again with the Festive Season upon us. What a year it has been! As we head towards Christmas I’m reminded of the determination and dedication of our swimmers. We’re really delighted to see so many of you return to classes after lockdown and pick up your swimming where you left off.

We will be taking a break over the holiday period with our last classes running on Wednesday the 22nd December returning on the 5th January. For those keen to continue to progress their swimming during the holidays, you have the opportunity to book a private lesson on the 29th or 30th December at Rockdale with Rachelle or Fiona.

We are also running Masterclasses in the first week of January for those who wish to get ahead in their swimming. All the details are below.

Further down in the newsletter you will see an outline of the changes we are making to our fee structure in the new year. There will also be a fee increase in January. If you’re keen to keep up classes at the existing prices, jump online before we close for Christmas and purchase at the 2021 rates.

I’d like to take this opportunity on behalf of the team and myself to thank you for your ongoing support and wish you all the very best for the Festive Season and 2022. Stay safe and keep swimming! We look forward to seeing you at the pool when we return next year.

As always, yours in swimming,

Kari Baynes
Director

Photos: Jelena, like the rest of our team, never takes her eyes off our swimmers in the pool. Our Beginner and Treading Water classes at Prince Alfred Park Pool. PC: Kari Baynes

Holiday Operating Hours

We will be taking a short break over the Festive Season.

Our last classes will run on Wednesday, December 22nd in the City of Sydney Pools, while the classes at Rockdale Fitness First have finished for 2021. We have allocated a couple of spots for private lessons between Christmas and New Year with Rachelle and Fiona at Rockdale.

Otherwise, we’ll be right back in the new year with the first classes recommencing from Wednesday, January 5th in City of Sydney pools, with regular weekend classes at Rockdale starting back up from Saturday, January 15th. There will be a limited number of classes running on Saturday, January 8th at Rockdale as one-off sessions before the season properly recommences.

If you’re on an autopay schedule, this will be paused over the break and resume from the first week that classes are back, so please get in touch if you need to adjust these return dates. For those with recurring bookings, barring any timetable updates you will be booked into your regular class from its first occurrence in the new year.

Photo: Kari, Diana and Trish from the DSS team PC: Kari Baynes.

2022 Fees

From the 1st of January 2022, there will be a few changes to our pricing structure and fees.

Class Packs and Auto Payments
In 2022 we will be moving away from class packs and into an auto pay only structure for our programs. This change has been driven by COVID, with auto pays providing us with the ability to turn off payments should we head into another lockdown, saving you money on unused packs.

Class packs will no longer be available for purchase after 22nd December (our last day of operation for 2021). Casual classes will still be available to purchase in the New Year and Swimfit Multi Passes will align with our squad passes from January.

2022 Fees
There will be a fee increase for all classes and private lessons in the City of Sydney pools. Please note the current class fees for Fitness First Rockdale will remain unchanged.

Any packs or auto payment arrangements purchased before 23rd December 2021 will be at the current rates. If you’re keen to keep your swimming progressing, jump online at MindBody or call 0431571161 now to purchase at the existing prices.

January Masterclasses

We’ve had loads of interest in our Masterclass Series 2022. The first one is already booked out!

Masterclasses provide an opportunity for you to really hone your swimming skills by taking a deep dive into one particular stroke. Stroke correction and skill work is critical to your success as a swimmer, and what better time to refine your technique and lift your swimming performance than the start of a fresh new year!

Each Masterclass will run for 60 minutes, and we have capped the group size to a maximum of five swimmers per session to make sure you get the most out of each one. Here are all the details you need to know:

Masterclasses
Freestyle – Tuesday 4th January – FULLY BOOKED
Backstroke – Wednesday 5th January
Butterfly – Thursday 6th January
Breaststroke – Friday 7th January
Freestyle* – Saturday 8th January

*Previously, this was set up as an additional butterfly session, but due to popular demand we’ve shifted it to freestyle.

Time: 9.00am – 10.00am – all Masterclasses
Location: Fitness First Rockdale, 395 West Botany Street, Rockdale – indoor 25m pool
Number of Swimmers: Max. 5
Instructors: Rachelle Ting & Fiona Yau

Fees:
1 x casual = $45
4 x Masterclasses = $160
Fees include pool entry & GST

Prerequisite: You must be able to swim 50m freestyle continuously and be comfortable in deep water.

Equipment: You will need fins (flippers) at every Masterclass. Please bring all your other swimming equipment too.

Next Steps: You can jump on to MindBody and book in, or we can assist you with booking when you contact the office by clicking the button below or calling us at 0431571161.

Book Now!

Book Release: English for Swimming

Some of you might remember the English for Swimming program Michelle Cowans and I worked on pre COVID. The brainchild of Michelle Cowans, this wonderful initiative is now in book form. Navitas Skilled Futures the organisation who supported the program, encouraged Michelle to create this resource for teachers of students in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities around Australia.

The publication provides an essential resource for any teacher wishing to combine English classes with a learn-to-swim program. At its core English for Swimming is designed to assist refugees and migrants build their confidence in English as well as acquire vital water safety skills and the basics of swimming.

We are excited to see this resource in print and very proud to have worked with Navitas Skilled Futures on the such a fabulous program. A huge congratulations to Michelle for all the work she’s put into creating this tool.

If you’d like to check out the resource you can do so here, and if you’re looking for an article to share this one gives a great summary of the program with all the important links!

Photo: Kari Baynes and Michelle Cowans at the launch of the English for Swimming book. PC: Navitas Skilled Futures

There is nothing like the gift of learning to swim!

We have gift vouchers available online at MindBody. You can give the gift of a life skill to someone you care about (or you can send this to someone who needs a hint for your gifts!).

Our gift vouchers come in a range of values to choose from as well as a fully customisable option.

If you’d like to purchase a gift card for a friend or loved one but are having any difficulties with MindBody, please feel free to get in touch and we’ll be able to help you out.

Happy Holidays!

Get Gifting!

Vaccination Policy & COVID Safety

As per our updated COVID-19 Safety Plan (which can be found on our website here), you are required to send your current vaccination certificate for us to verify before your first class. You may do so by forwarding it to us, or sending us a screenshot via SMS. Your certificate will not be stored by us once it has been verified. We have a fully vaccinated team and do require you to be fully vaccinated before joining any of our classes, for the health and safety of our staff and other swimmers.