By Foss Swim School
Foss Swim School has a number of locations around the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, but our new Apple Valley school has extended our proven swimming curriculum to a new audience. As our southernmost location in the Twin Cities, our Apple Valley school is already enrolling new students who had few options for our type of swim school within a reasonable distance, and we can’t wait to start teaching them on April 22!
We are still putting the finishing touches on our newest school, so we have been meeting with families and students in nearby schools for preview lessons. We are excited for our ribbon-cutting with local officials on April 16 and getting our first chance to put the new pool to work!
Here are five things to know about our new Apple Valley location:
Refreshed look, new flooring, new flow; same warm water and amenities
If you’ve been to another Foss Swim School, you may notice our Apple Valley school features some new design choices, new colors, and new elements like our benches. We are always looking for ways to make our spaces friendly and welcoming, so we took the opportunity to make some updates! We also are installing a flooring material that is new to FOSS and offers improved slip resistance. Our changing area layout has been tweaked to improve traffic flow. Some things will never change, though, like our 91-degree water that makes swimming more enjoyable, private changing stalls, Dyson dryers, shower bays on the pool deck, a large viewing area, shop and more.
Engaging with the Apple Valley community
As our first school in the area, the Apple Valley location can also draw from nearby suburbs such as Eagan, Rosemount and Lakeville. We have been busy introducing ourselves to our new neighbors, and will be conducting presentations at local schools as part of our mission to promote water safety. Residents in the area may not have had access to our type of swim school, with quarterly-based once a week lessons for anyone, from babies to teens and adults, and options for swimmers with special needs. So we will also be attending community events to get the word out!
A great crew of local teachers
Among our 15 teachers hired to date, we have one who was herself a graduate of FOSS, a teacher who once taught in Tunisia, an airplane mechanic, and one teacher who is taking mermaiding classes. That’s right – we’ll have a trained Mermaid on staff! It’s a fun, eclectic group, with a number of younger college-age teachers and another group who are moms, giving us a range of personalities and teaching styles to engage with kids of different ages. What they have in common is a passion for kids and child development, and all have are trained in the Foss Swim School approach. We can’t wait for you to meet them!
Convenient location for families
Our Apple Valley location is a few bocks east of the Apple Valley city center. Near the Apple Valley high school, we have a number of restaurants and shopping destinations nearby. We also share our building with a pet store, and have enjoyed going in to see the little critters!
A perfect setting for our proven curriculum
Our proven FOSS Swim Path® curriculum meets all students wherever they are on their swimming journey in terms of age ability. Our U-shaped pool is our classroom, and is specially designed for teaching. We can section off swim areas of different lengths and shapes to support different activities. Ample seating gives parents a front-row view and helps them understand and support class objectives. In addition to our Learn-to-Swim program, we also teach older and more experienced swimmers how to Swim Stronger and Swim Faster. Our classes for babies and younger swimmers have been filling fast, so be sure to enroll soon if you want to swim at Apple Valley this spring!
Stop by and check us out any time and spread the word! We can talk more about our program, costs, and availability. We also offer some need-based scholarships to help make our classes accessible to even more families. No appointment is necessary to drop in and learn more, and you can sign up online to try a free preview lesson – it’s a great way to start your Swim Path® journey!
