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Classes & Schedule

Littles

age 2 to 35 months
30 Min Class Class Ratio: 12:1 Class Ratio: 6:1 Class Ratio: 4:1 Adult Participation: Yes

Our “Littles” classes are 30 minutes long and structured as “parent and me”, with full or partial parent participation in the swimming pool, depending on the level. We offer swim classes for babies as young as 2 months old. Babies who are 2-5 months old can enroll in our “Bathtime Babies” class, where both parent and child enjoy one-on-one, uninterrupted time, and will learn water safety skills that help them be safe and comfortable during bathtime. Babies and toddlers who are 6 months+ progress into Level 1, where they will begin to build life skills using our unique “Jump, Turn, Swim” methodology which teaches children to turn around in the water and swim back to the edge to safety. Level 1 swimmers also learn how to go underwater for a full 10 seconds, which is the beginning of water safety. In Level 2, children begin to learn the basics of swimming and will end the level knowing how to kick 5 feet through the water to a destination and how to float on their backs.

Tots

age 3 years
30 Min Class Class Ratio: 4:1 Adult Participation: No

Children who are age 3 will enroll in one of our Tot-level swim classes. All 3 year-olds, even those without any prior swimming experience, will start in level 3, and then progress into levels 4 & 5. Parents don’t participate in the water during our tot-level swim classes. All Tot classes have a small class size and a 4:1 ratio. In our Tot levels classes, your child will learn how to kick up to 12 ft through the water, how to hold their breath underwater, and they will advance their “Jump, Turn, Swim” safety skills. You will be amazed at just how much your child will learn during a 30-minute class using our play-based approach that utilizes fun inflatable rings, toys, and fins.

Kids

age 4 + years
30 Min Class Class Ratio: 4:1 Adult Participation: No

Any child who is age 4+ and does not have prior swimming experience will start in level 6, where they will learn basic water safety skills and will quickly advance to learning how to hold their breath underwater, kick 15ft through the water unassisted, and how to float on their back. In levels 7-9, children will learn how to swim with freestyle arms and get side breaths while swimming. All Kids classes have a small class size and a 4:1 ratio, and are 30-minutes long.

Advanced

age 6 + years
1 Hour Class 30 Min Class Class Ratio 10:1 Class Ratio 4:1 Adult Participation: No

Our Advanced classes are for children ages 6+ who want to master the 4 strokes – freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke. In Levels 10 and 11, children will learn how to swim competitively, before graduating to our STEALTH swim team. As part of STEALTH swim team, your child will learn how to build their swimming speed, increase endurance, improve technique, and they will regularly compete in swim meets.

Semester Based

Emler Swim School of Portland – Beaverton Washington Square operates on a semester basis: Spring, Summer, and Fall semesters. Secure your child’s spot for the entire semester by completing payment upon registration. This guarantees your child’s place for the entire semester and ensures consistency of instructor and students in the class. Below are our key details for the upcoming 2024 semester:

Spring: (18 weeks long) (1/22/2024 – 5/26/2024)
Registration is Closed. Semester has ended.
Summer: (14 weeks long) (5/27/2024- 9/1/2024)
Registration is Closed. Semester has ended.
Fall: (20 weeks long) (9/2/2024 -1/19/2025)
Registration is OPEN!

 

Additional Swimming Programs

There are even more ways to enjoy Emler Swim School! We offer additional programs outside of our regular lessons so the fun doesn’t have to stop.

Swim Camps

In the summer, we offer swim camps weekly for children to learn the basics of swimming in a fast-tracked daily program.

View Swim Camps
Private Lessons

We offer private lessons for children who benefit more from a one-on-one environment and/or to help master specific skills.

View Private Lessons
Swim Parties

Emler Swim School offers an amazing weatherproof venue where you can host pool parties year-round!

View Swim Parties

Meet Our Team

Alona Fowler | General Manager

Email Alona Fowler
What is the best part about working for Emler every day?

The best part about working for Emler everyday is interacting with kiddos and seeing their progression on a daily basis, seeing their smiles and excitement when they’ve reached a milestone and witnessing parents (at times with tears in their eyes) as they see their little ones reach those milestones.

What do you believe makes you a great general manager?

What makes me a great manager is my ability to build relationships by connecting on a personal level and having interactions with our families to celebrate their milestone moments with them on an individual basis. I firmly believe that creating solid relationships is one of the most important parts of our role in this world.

Share a childhood memory about your experience with swim lessons.

During my time in rec swim lessons when I grew up in California, children were given the opportunity to jump off of the diving board as a reward for passing the program. I remember my parents telling me about how “graceful” my jump was because at the time I was a competitive gymnast. I didn’t realize that a jump could be considered “graceful!”

What favorite memory do you have from working at Emler?

My favorite memory so far is with a child that started in our Waterbabies program last session and had a really hard time not crying, even with mom, which kept him from progressing. He turned 3 at the start of the spring session and went into Aquatots, but his anxiety increased exponentially as mom was no longer in the water with him. Each week we tried a new tactic to get him comfortable and week by week, he would allow teachers small moments of cooperation, but even then, mom and dad had to be out of the sight of the child and couldn’t enjoy those small achievements. Last week was a breakthrough moment – he not only allowed mom and dad to be on deck watching him but he had his first official submersion, did not cry when he came out of the water and was excited to stay in his class! Mom was in tears. After months of struggle, this child had what we at Emler call “when magic happens.” Those moments are what make my part in these family’s lives essential, taking part of watching a life-saving skill begin to take shape is truly the most rewarding part of my job.

Share a childhood memory when you were brave and overcame fear.

I grew up living on a sailboat in the most northern coastal town in California (Crescent City). During a heavy gale, the spreader on the top of our mast broke and my dad told me I was the only one small enough to be hoisted up to be able to fix it. I naturally have a fear of heights and so just the mere thought of being pulled up the mast, which is 28 feet up into the air hovering above the ocean gave me a major tummy ache. I hesitantly sat down on the small wooden seat, held onto the the ropes, and my dad pulled me up, checking in with me every few minutes. I distinctly remember praying the entire way up for protection. Once I got to the top, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had been so scared of the height and potential of falling that I wasn’t paying attention to what was around me. I could see a panoramic view of the lighthouse, castle rock (a large rock island near our favorite surf spot), the mountainous redwood forest and the city. Although it was incredibly scary, it ended up being one of my greatest memories of not only facing something extremely frightening and overcoming fear, but witnessing one of the most beautiful sights of my gorgeous childhood town.

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