Precautions

All precautions towards students and their families also applies to all staff at Paddles. Staff are required to complete the Department of Health COVID-19 Infection Control Training. Staff will have their temperature checked before each shift. Any staff feeling unwell are not allowed to be at work.

All our staff will also be wearing PPE. Admin staff will be wearing a face mask and our teachers will be wearing a face shield.

We will take our usually high standard of cleaning to another level to ensure that the premise is thoroughly clean and safe. Disinfectant will be used regularly with primary focus on high usage items like door handles, bench seats, etc.

Toys have been removed from the foyer until further notice. Only 2 persons (excluding staff) are allowed at the foyer at any time.

Any swimming aids used will be disinfected during the change over period between classes.

Do Not Attend Swimming Classes

If the student and/or parent/guardian:

• Feels unwell and has symptoms (no matter how mild) of fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of smell/taste and/or diarrhea
• Been in contact with person(s) confirmed to have contracted COVID 19 within the last 14 days
• Been overseas within the last 14 days
• Been part of an organisation (school, sports club, dance school, etc) that has confirmed COVID-19 cases within the last 14 days

Dropping Off - Independent Students

Students who are able to independently walk from the car park to the foyer, MUST be dropped off at the car park or parents can lead their child to the front door. Please be mindful that we can only allow no more than 2 people (excluding staff) in the foyer at any time. The front door will be locked to manage the traffic flow.

Parents or guardians must wait in their cars in the car park until classes finish. Staff will ensure students safely get to their swimming classes. Parents must have access to their mobile phones so that staff can reach the parents in the event that any student requires the attention of his/her parent or guardian.

Please ensure that all students are well prepared prior to drop off:

• Are wearing their bathers and a towel or swim robe over their bathers
• Swim bags packed with extra towel
• Goggles at hand or over their heads ready to be slipped on. No loan goggles will be available but new goggles can still be purchased at the Front Desk.
• Slip on shoes must be worn

Parents are encouraged to be on time when dropping off their children. If no parking is available, please just drop your child first and wait for a parking to be available. As we have allowed time for a change over between classes, there will be a parking spot available as other parents will be leaving at the same time. We ask parents to be patient and courteous about the parking situation. Please be aware of children walking in the car park, so be alert and drive slowly.

Once classes have concluded, students can either walk to their parent’s car or a parent/guardian can pick their child up from the front entrance in an orderly fashion.

Dropping In - Families With Babies, Toddlers and Young Children

For families who have infants or young children, please ensure that only ONE parent or guardian brings their children for swimming classes.

Bench seats have been marked and all parents are to maintain social distancing of at least 1.5m.

Parents or guardians are encouraged to bring their infants and young children home to shower and change. If changing an infant is absolutely required, please do so in an orderly and speedy manner. We expect students and their families to vacate the premises before the next class starts to ensure sufficient spaces to maintain mandatory social distances. Everyone’s cooperation in this matter is high appreciated.

When Entering the Premises

Prior to entering the Pool Deck, there are two mandatory requirements for all persons (students and their parent/guardian):

• MUST apply hand sanitiser on their hands. A hands-free sanitiser station is located in the foyer
• MUST have their body temperature checked by a staff member. If a person’s body temperature is found to be out of the acceptable range, the person will be asked to leave the premise and a make-up class will be granted

The front door will be locked at all times to ensure that the number of people in the premises are kept within the required limits. Priority will be given to a parent/guardian with infant and young children, and children requiring assistance to be on the pool deck.

Entering and Exiting the Pool

Entry and Exiting the pool will be staggered by the group levels to allow for social distancing measures.

Penguin and higher groups will be asked to enter and exit the pool at different points as instructed by their teachers and Front Desk staff. All Turtle to Trout level groups will still enter and exit the pool via the pool steps.

Toilets, Shower Facilities and Change Tables

Shower facilities will not be available until further notice. Only toilets are available at this time. We are also limiting 3 families in each change room (i.e. a parent/guardian and a child). Priority will be given to families with infants and young children, and children requiring assistance.

All students are required to change and shower at home.

Good Hands Hygiene

All students and their parent/guardian MUST practice good hands hygiene by regularly washing their hands with soap or applying hand sanitiser. Soap dispensers are available near all the basins and hand sanitisers are located at the entrance of the pool deck as well as in front of the toilets.

Keeping Warm

Students are encouraged to bring two towels. One to wrap around when entering and exiting the premises and one to dry themselves after their classes.

If possible, wearing a robe is highly encouraged.

Paddles is an authorised stockist for Back Beach Co. hooded towel robes. We have always sold these towels well below the recommended retail price (around 10% to 15% discount) so please call or email Front Desk for styles and stock availabilities.

Purchases Over the Counter

We have removed the minimum purchase requirement for payment using EFTPOS. If any parent/guardian would like to make any purchases (i.e. goggles, robes, snacks or drinks) they can simply use the EFTPOS tap and go system. We still accept cash but would like to keep cash transactions as minimal as possible.

No person will be allowed to sit in the foyer until further notice.

Lost and Found

We encourage students to bring the minimum number of items to their swimming classes and to put everything into their swimming bags.

Unfortunately, due to the current circumstances, any items found at the premise will be placed in black rubbish bags and placed in the bins. Parents and students please check personal items after each class and before leaving the premise.

Classes

Class duration is now 25 minutes (except for Squad) and class size is reduced for most groups.

Class time will still occur on the hour and half hour mark with a 5-minute change over for social distancing measures and cleaning.

The number of classes per session have also been reduced and physical distancing will be maintained in the water whenever possible.

Students will still go through the rigorous Paddles Swimming Program and with ongoing assessments. Parents can request (by phone or by email) for progress report at any time and will be emailed to them.

Make-Up Classes

Contact Front Desk (either by phone or email) to cancel any class before the classes start, and make up class entitlement will be granted and can be used at any time until end of this year.

All make up classes from Term 1 will be honoured and can be used any time until end of this year.

Please note we will have a  Lockout Period our first week after reopening with no make-up classes to be booked. This will allow everyone to be accustomed to the new procedures.

Fees and Payment Method

Fees remain the same.

Fees can be paid by:

1. Bank transfer (preferred method)
   Account Name: Paddles Swim School
   BSB: 063 000
   Account Number: 1235 0950
   Ref: Child’s First Name Initials and Full Surname
2. Calling us on (03) 9315 8680 to pay by credit card over the phone.
3. At the counter. Please note we can only limit 2 customers at the foyer at any time.

We thank everyone for their continued support of our swim school and staff. Your patience, cooperation and understanding in these circumstances is greatly appreciated.

We are in this together and we will see this through.

Keep safe and well.
The Paddles Team