What to Expect

Prepare for Your Lesson

Come Dressed to Jump In

Your child should wear or bring a swimsuit and a towel. Shoes should stay with the parent during lessons.

• Indoor locations (current): At the CENTER, locker rooms are available for changing before and after lessons. At Best Western, there is a single-stall bathroom, so we recommend arriving dressed and ready to swim.

• New indoor facility (starting in May): Our new space will include additional changing stalls and a rinse-off station, making arrivals and departures easier for families.

• Outdoor classes (now and in the future): Please arrive already dressed to swim. Host homes are not available for swim family use except in emergencies. A small, discreet child-sized potty is available poolside for young children.

Swimmers under age 3 — and any swimmer prone to accidents — must wear a Splash About brand neoprene swim diaper.

Can I Stay and Watch?

• Indoor classes: Parents are always welcome to stay and watch their child’s lesson.

• Outdoor classes: For most outdoor lessons, we ask parents to drop off to help minimize congestion in residential areas. If you have questions or need to stay for a specific reason, exceptions can be made—just reach out and we’re happy to talk it through.

For Parent & Me classes, one parent will be in the water with the child during the lesson.

Participation & Progress

Each child will receive a colored wristband for the skill level they are currently. The wristband has 11 numbers that correspond with 11 skills. The instructor will punch a hole in the number of each skill as it is mastered.

You can find a key to the wristband skills here.

Skills assessments are performed monthly by instructors to ensure students are progressing at their expected pace.

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What to Bring

  • Swimsuit
  • Swim Diaper (required for swimmers under 3 years old and those prone to accidents)
  • Towel
  • Change of clothes
  • Bag for wet items
  • Goggles (optional)

Need to purchase items from this list? We have a collection of items we recommend that will help get your child prepared for your swimming lessons.

Quick Links for More Information

Teaching Safe & Confident Swimmers

How Can We Help?

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Cancellation Policy
    • No monetary refunds will be given.
    • If you need to drop a class for some unforeseen reason, you must notify us by email or text at least 15 days before the start of a fast-track session in order to receive credit on your Swim Kids Waco account. That credit can be used toward future tuition fees. If you’re dropping a summer weekly or school year weekly class, you must notify us at least 15 days before the next payment date in order to not be charged for the remaining lessons. Payments are due on the 5th of each month, so we need to be notified by the 20th of the previous month to not be charged.
    • We do not encourage switching classes after registering, but if there is a need to change classes, that will be allowed if it is at least 15 days before the class starts and as long as there is an available spot in the correct level of class. If there’s not an available spot, you may be given credit on your Swim Kids Waco account that can be used toward future tuition fees.
    • We reserve the right to combine or cancel any class at any time. In the event that Swim Kids Waco cancels a class, you will not be charged any fees.
    • If at any point we are unable to continue lessons because of government restrictions, you will be given a credit on your Swim Kids Waco account for the number of lessons already paid for but not yet taught.
  • Drop-off Procedures
    • For summer sessions held at our outdoor host homes, we have a drop-off policy since we teach in neighborhoods and do not have enough parking to let parents stay and watch every day.
    • Each day, you’ll drive up to the house, bring your child to the front lawn to their instructor and then get back in your car and drive off (with the exception of the Parent & Me classes). On the last day of class, however, we’ll have Show Off Day when you can park and watch your kids during their class.
    • We always have two unrelated adults present. There might be certain circumstances where we ask one parent to come to the back to ensure that ratio, if an instructor is teaching by his or herself. For our Level 1 and Level 1.5 classes with non-independent swimmers, we will ask one parent to come to the back to watch, as an extra set of eyes for safety.
    • For Parent & Me classes: Please park on the opposite side of the street, 3-5 minutes before class starts, and bring your child in for their lesson.
    • If this policy is a concern to you, please feel free to reach out and we are happy to talk about options 🙂 We’re here to help, and we understand wanting to feel safe about your child’s environment!
  • Makeup/Missed Lesson Policy

    Your child’s instructor is here waiting for you at your scheduled time and making sure your class is the best possible environment for your swimmer, so we do not encourage makeups! However, we also care about the health of our swimmers – so if your child is sick, please do not bring your child. If you must miss a class, please see the following guidelines:

    •Makeups are not guaranteed but we will try our best to find a spot for makeups when needed. These spots are limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.
    •To receive makeups, lessons must be canceled in advance by the previous night. You can do this through the Parent Portal, or by sending us an email or text message. Each student can schedule makeups for up to 2 of his or her scheduled classes per semester. The first makeup is free of charge, and the second makeup costs $10. (If we cancel class for any reason, the makeup for that class will not count as one of your 2 allotted makeups.)
    •Makeups must be completed during the session that they were missed. (ex. the possibility for a makeup from a class missed during the 2025-26 school year will expire at the end of May 2026)
    •For those in private lessons, we cannot guarantee the makeup will also be a private lesson – it may be a group class. This is just dependent on availability.
    •Payment is due immediately to secure the second makeup time slot. Makeup fees are nonrefundable.
    •Missed makeups will not be rescheduled.

    Learn How to Schedule an Absence or Makeup

  • Medical Release and Special Needs Policy
    • Before beginning lessons, all swimmers must have a Medical Release form on file. This information will be shared ONLY with the people directly responsible for your swimmer’s care (Ex. the instructor or any applicable staff members).
    • To best serve our special needs and special care swimmers, our staff must be made aware of as much information as possible to properly care for the swimmer. This can be done both by filling out our Medical Information and Release form and by verbally communicating with our staff.
    • Unless otherwise specified, the instructors for these students are NOT registered therapists.
    • A doctor’s release may be required for heart conditions, respiratory conditions, diabetes, epilepsy, and anything that would require special care of emergency procedures. This information will be kept confidential.
    • Parents and/or guardians should inform SKW staff if any health concerns arise after lessons have begun.
  • Low Enrollment Policy
    • In the event that a group class is scheduled and there are 2 or less students in the class, please understand you might be required to switch times to properly fill classes. If you wish to stay in the time slot after management informs you of the need to move, you will be required to pay for the rate of private or semi-private lessons.
    • If you have paid for a group lesson and your child is the only one in the class that day, we will not cancel the class. Rather, he or she will receive a 25-minute private lesson for the same group rate.
  • Pool and Surrounding Premises Rules
    • The following are not permitted on any of the Swim Waco premises:
      • Smoking, vaping, alcohol
      • Glass containers
      • Pets
      • Running, skateboarding, or roller skating
      • Profanity
  • Instructor Information
    • Since our lessons run consecutively, there may not always be time before or after your swimmer’s lesson to speak directly with the instructor. If you’re interested in communicating with your swimmer’s instructor, then please email or call us! If you reach us at a time that we’re unavailable, leave a message and we will get back to you.

  • Inclement Weather Policy
    • We carefully monitor the weather using technology including but not limited to lightning detection devices. Rain will not stop instruction, but heavy rain and/or lightning in close proximity will result in the lesson being canceled for our outdoor summer classes. For our indoor weekly summer classes, our lessons at the Comfort Inn will continue as usually even in lightning, and our lessons at theCENTER will be canceled. In the case of inclement weather that results in canceling a class, we will attempt to notify parents via text first.
    • Please DO NOT ASSUME that your lesson is canceled just because it’s raining in the morning or because the forecast predicts storms. We will determine whether to cancel or not within 30 minutes of your scheduled lesson.
    • If a Summer Fast Track class is canceled because of inclement weather, we will hold class on a Friday at the same time as the initially scheduled class. If a Summer Weekly or a School Year Weekly class is canceled due to inclement weather, we will extend your class by a week at the end of the semester, or try to help you find a make up during the normal session at a different time.
    • Because we are not in control of the weather, if more than 1 class in a session is canceled due to weather, no additional makeups or refunds will be given.
  • 2024-25 Indoor Policies & Procedures
  • Inclement Weather Policy

    •We carefully monitor the weather using technology including, but not limited to, lightning detection devices. For indoor pools that are NOT grounded (the CENTER), class will be canceled if lightning is in close proximity. In the case of inclement weather that results in canceling a lesson, we will attempt to notify parents via text first.

    •Please DO NOT ASSUME that your lesson is canceled just because it’s raining in the morning or because the forecast predicts storms. We will determine whether to cancel or not within 30 minutes of your scheduled lesson.

    •Because we are not in control of the weather, if more than one lesson in a session is canceled due to weather, no additional makeups or refunds will be given.

    •If a class is canceled because of inclement weather, we will offer a makeup class within your session. For Summer fast-track classes, often on the last Friday of the session.

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