Four special needs students at Holy Rosary High School and four adult helpers created a splash at the Bioclean Aquatic Centre this term as members of the Raider Sharks that collectively swam all the way to Marwayne. From left, Drew Segberg, Carter Macnab, Sandra Palik, Ty Fleming, Jennifer Malone, Wanda Nolter, Rick Lucas and Josee Peters. Supplied Photo
The Bioclean Aquatic Centre turned into a shark tank for a feisty group of Holy Rosary High School students who learned new life skills by swimming laps.
The Raider Sharks team of four students, who need special assistance in the water, swam a zillion kilometres in just a few short weeks and celebrated the feat with medals and a day of bowling earlier this month.
The accomplishment could be yearbook material for swimmers Josee Peters, Ty Fleming, Carter Macnab and Drew Segberg.
They did it with the help of educational assistants Sandra Palik, Wanda Nolter and Jennifer Malone under the direction of learning assistance teacher, Rick Lucas at Holy Rosary.
“As of June 8, we surpassed our individual goals of swimming to Blackfoot (9 kilometres) and our cumulative team goal of swimming to Marwayne was met by the four team members,” said Lucas.
“If we count the laps and minutes the adults swam, then we’ve almost doubled our goal. We are extremely proud of the efforts of our students.”
The Raider Sharks were born last fall when Lucas and Palik started swimming with two teens, basically at the same time, as the pool kicked off an open-lap challenge to swim to Vermilion.
According to Lucas, when he discovered how determined his female shark, Peters, was to log laps, she jumped at his suggestion to create a school team with the thumbs up from school officials and families.
She also named the team, designed the logo and set some personal goals in the pool.
“My goal was to swim to Marwayne,” she said, with mission accomplished.
“Swimming makes me so happy. I look forward to doing more swimming because it is fun. The best thing is to not stop swimming and keep going.”
Each of the students has an inclusion and intervention plan at school and swimming goals ranging from grit and physical fitness goals to increase laps or minutes in the wave pool, to endurance, and communication and social goals.
Improving problem-solving and practising patience came with the challenge, along with the fun of being mobile in the pool.
That’s the way it’s been for the Sharks’ Drew Segberg.
“I enjoyed swimming laps. I started with three laps and added a lap each week. I recommend swimming as an activity for others. I had fun,” said Segberg.
The whole experience was also rewarding for Lucas who got to see each Shark progress firsthand, week after week.
“I find it incredibly interesting and rewarding working with students with diverse individual needs,” said Lucas, singling out his student shark, Peters.
“I have witnessed huge growth in grit and determination as she set goals for herself to meet or beat her last week’s numbers.”
Lucas says the key to teaching inclusive kids is kindness and generosity, along with patience and respect to build a meaningful relationship.
“Once you get to know them and develop a relationship with them and their parents, then you can effectively design programming to meet their needs and ultimately help them transition to adult life,” he explained.
Lucas says the programming opportunities with the swim group, for instance, will help students achieve goals beyond high school.
“Whenever any of our students achieve and succeed, it is cause to celebrate. It has been an absolute joy and privilege working with these students and their families in my role as a learning assistance teacher,” he said.
