Yeah!! Allie passed her 'C Diploma' for swimming. This is a big deal here in the Netherlands. She can now fall into a canal and we can have confidence that she will be ok. I think I have mentioned this before, but all Dutch kids take swimming at school throught the 3rd grade. The lessons are centered around being able to survive if you happen to fall into a canal. There are 3 levels, A, B, and C, each with varying degrees of difficulty. For the C Diploma, Allie had to jump into the pool fully clothed with a rain coat on, swim, tread water, and swim under water through a mat with a hole in it. (I think they should make it even more realistic and have to jump in with their bike and a load of groceries.) She also had to swim numerous laps with twists and turns under water thrown in. It is made into a big spectacle starting witht the kids marching into the pool with music and then after they pass, they play Cool and the Gang's 'Celebrate Good Times' as the kids march around the pool showing their diplomas. Parents come to watch and bring bouquets of flowers and gifts for their child. It seems a bit much, but I'm glad all of our practicing of pushing Allie into the canals has paid off.
Yeah!! Allie passed her 'C Diploma' for swimming. This is a big deal here in the Netherlands. She can now fall into a canal and we can have confidence that she will be ok. I think I have mentioned this before, but all Dutch kids take swimming at school throught the 3rd grade. The lessons are centered around being able to survive if you happen to fall into a canal. There are 3 levels, A, B, and C, each with varying degrees of difficulty. For the C Diploma, Allie had to jump into the pool fully clothed with a rain coat on, swim, tread water, and swim under water through a mat with a hole in it. (I think they should make it even more realistic and have to jump in with their bike and a load of groceries.) She also had to swim numerous laps with twists and turns under water thrown in. It is made into a big spectacle starting witht the kids marching into the pool with music and then after they pass, they play Cool and the Gang's 'Celebrate Good Times' as the kids march around the pool showing their diplomas. Parents come to watch and bring bouquets of flowers and gifts for their child. It seems a bit much, but I'm glad all of our practicing of pushing Allie into the canals has paid off.
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