faq
Do you provide make-up lessons?
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Because of the close relationship between the Emler teachers and their students, make-up lessons with another instructor are not effective in swim lessons. However, Emler does not want our students to fall behind in their daily goals. Therefore the Deck Manager is available to observe students who have missed lessons. If a student has fallen behind in skills, the Deck Manager will assist with catching that student back up with the rest of the class.
What is the class ratio?
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Emler swim classes can be no larger than 4 students for every teacher. Waterbabies and Advanced Waterbabies classes have six students for each teacher because they are parent participation classes. Statistically, the average class size at Emler is 3.3 students per instructor.
What do parents do during a typical swim lesson?
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a. Check in at the front desk for attendance and to fill out any paperwork.
b. Encourage your child to use the toilet before lessons.
c. Get your child changed into a swim suit and/or swim pants.
d. Wait in the observation room for your child's teacher to hold up a card with his/her name.
e. Walk your child out to his class. Pick up the correct size fins if your child uses them in class.
f. Wait in the observation room during lessons or in a chair on deck near your child's class. Please do not leave the facility during lessons.
g. Watch for a wave from your child's teacher near the end of the lesson to come out on deck for a demonstration of today's goal.
h. Allow your child to slide down a slide to celebrate his/her successful swim lesson.
i. Allow your child to rinse off under the shower on deck. Wrap your child up with his/her towel.
j. Use a changing room to allow your child to change back into clothes.
k. Stop by the front desk so your child can get a stamp on his hand to celebrate his/her developing swim skills.
What are swim pants and why does my child have to wear them?
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In an effort to protect all swimmers from Water Born Illnesses (WBI) the Health Department requires that children who are not potty-trained wear reusable swim pants. Wearing two swim pants with tight elastic around the waist and legs will contain a solid accident in the swimming pool and protect everyone from WBI.
What is the registration fee for?
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The registration fee helps with the cost of administrative expenses. We also pay for insurance on each student with this annual registration fee.
What type of training/certification do your instructors have?
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Emler instructors participate in a rigorous Teacher Training Weekend including 16 hours of classroom training and in-water training. If the teacher trainee passes a final exam and the physical demands of this Teacher Training Weekend, s/he is invited to train for 40 more hours beside one of our veteran teachers in swim classes in the water.
Additionally, every Emler instructor is certified in CPR and First Aid.
Teachers of the Waterbabies Program undergo 12 more hours of classroom and in-water training to qualify as Waterbabies teachers.
Do Emler instructors undergo more training, once they become a teacher?Do Emler instructors undergo more training, once they become a teacher?
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Yes. Emler instructors participate in several H2O (Huddle 2 Optimize) Meetings a year. These meetings include new teaching techniques and safety improvements. EAPs (Emergency Action Plans) are also practiced regularly by each shift of teachers, so Emler instructors are ready for an emergency.
How long is each class?
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All classes except for swim team are 30 minutes long. Although it's possible to keep students in the water longer, experience has taught us that 30 minutes is about the longest you can expect a student to be challenged with new swim skills in the water.
When will my child be able to swim?
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99% of all students learn to swim alone the first semester they are enrolled at Emler. The award winning curriculum along with nurturing, professional teachers account for such a high success rate. The watchful eye of an Emler Manager can identify and assist those students who struggle reaching their swim goals. Each Emler student is evaluated for progress by a manager every four lessons (once a month).
What do you do to make sure the water is clean and safe?
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Emler Swim School is one of the few facilities in town that has invested in the Ultraviolet Light system which is the only proven method to kill all dangerous germs such as Cryptosporidium.
Our pools are monitored continually and fed chemicals electronically the very moment a change in chlorine or pH is indicated. However, in case our equipment malfunctions, we also test our pool water manually every hour that Emler is teaching in the pool.
Who will be in my child's class?
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The fellow students in your child's class will have been selected on the basis of their similar ability in the water and their close age to your child. Occasionally the Deck Manager will move a child to another class that is better suited for him/her. Do not hesitate to talk with your Deck Manager if you feel your child will benefit by changing classes.
If my child is ready to promote half way through the semester, can he move up?
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Yes. Occasionally we'll have students at Emler who progress faster than their classmates. The Deck Manager will assist you in finding a convenient class time at the proper skill level, should your child need a mid-semester promotion.
Can we enroll for just part of a semester?
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The seventeen levels of swimming curriculum at Emler are designed to completely train each student at that level. We do not recommend students enroll in partial semesters because they will not have the opportunity to acquire all the swim skills on that level. As long as there is an opening in a class, a student is welcomed to join a class late in the semester, and a Deck Manager will assist them in catching up with the rest of the class.
Why does my child wear fins during lessons?
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Emler incorporates fins during swim lessons because they improve body position and enhance propulsion through the water. The younger the swimmer is, the more important the kick is.
Why does my child wear two fins, one fin or then no fins in his swim lessons?
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Each semester the students are introduced to new strokes and longer distances than they have swum before. Utilizing fins near the beginning of a semester will give extra propulsion so the students can accomplish new strokes and longer distances. As the students become more proficient in swimming, we remove one fin and eventually both fins.
Can Emler pro-rate the cost if we are going to miss several lessons in a semester?
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The staff at Emler Swim School realizes that family obligations, religious holidays, etc. may cause our students to miss some of their lessons. Unfortunately, we are not able to pro-rate swim lesson tuition. However, Emler is committed to making certain that all students reach the goals of the level in which they are enrolled even if they have missed some lessons. Your Deck Manager will work together with you to make certain your child achieves the goals of the swim class.
Does Emler teach backfloat drown-proofing to babies?
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Emler Swim School does not use backfloat drown-proofing to teach babies survival in the water. Although we agree that there is a real and present danger of drowning for toddlers in the State of Texas, we disagree philosophically with this survival method of teaching.
Emler Swim School does successfully teach babies and toddlers to swim. More importantly we teach safety techniques that have resulted in hundreds of our students recovering from accidental falls into pools by saving themselves. We have devoted the past 35 years to developing effective young swimmers by using nurturing and effective teaching techniques.
We invite all families to visit their nearest Emler facility to witness babies jumping into the water and swimming back to the wall while smiling and laughing.
Why are Emler prices higher?
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Emler Swim School is one of the premiere swim schools in the nation. The 99% success rate in the first semester gives you the highest return on your investment in the BEST swim lessons in town! Other swim programs may be less expensive, but they require enrollment in several semesters before your child is swimming at goal. In the long run, you may spend less money on swim lessons by enrolling with Emler for one semester rather than paying for other programs for several semesters.
Because teaching swimming is our passion, everything we do is first class and costly. From training every instructor for 56 hours, and heating our pools to 90 degrees, to installing expensive ultraviolet light systems to keep our water pristine; you'll see the value of your tuition immediately.
Teaching swimming is all we do...and we're the BEST in town!
Does Emler give refunds?
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Emler will refund tuition (minus the processing fee) if given a two week notice prior to the beginning of a new semester.
In cases of medical emergencies, Emler Swim School will give credit for future swim lessons.
Why do I have to pay for lessons in advance?
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To reach the exceptional goals that Emler has set for your child requires commitment from everyone involved. Commitment from our teachers to honor the bond they have with each of their students until the end of the semester. Commitment from our managers to work on providing ideal pool conditions for your child to learn and commitment from the parents to finish out the semester until their child reaches the swim goals of the class. Paying in advance for the semester is one of commitments required for a professional, quality swim program.
Does Emler have payment plans?
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Yes, Emler Swim School does provide a way for you to break down tuition fees into multiple payments. An auto debit plan can be arranged with the office staff at any Emler Swim School location. There is a small fee for this service.
