It is swimming time!

At Huili, swimming is not only regarded as a fun and engaging sports activity, it is also an important survival skill, as pupils capable of swimming can stay safe whenever they are in the water.

In addition, many studies have shown that swimming can bring all kinds of benefits to our bodies; it is one of the few exercises that engages every muscle, while helping to relieve stress and improve concentration. Mastering this skill at an early age can benefit children even more significantly.   Swimming courses and activities Swimming occupies a very important position at Huili. Every week, all pupils take part in an 80 to 90 minute swimming classe, while swim team pupils train up to six times a week.

This year, with more pupils showing excellent potential for the sport joining Huili, more professional swimming coaches and full-time lifeguards have been put in place. The swimming pool facilities have been further upgraded, making them comparable to the Olympic venues.

All this allows every Huili pupil to make progress in a quality sporting environment and helps them look forward to weekly swimming classes. In the recent friendly match with Harrow International School Shanghai, Huili used the touch timer for the first time, and achieved very satisfactory results. The dive platform, which meets the standards of international competition, aids our swimmers to achieve even better performance levels.   Character shaping in swimming Swimming lessons at Huili not only teach pupils physical swimming skills, but also cultivate their character. Since the beginning of the new school year, the swimming team's pupils have been given extra morning training opportunities twice a week. These pupils get up at 05:00 and arrive at the school at 6:40 for an hour-long morning training session. As the weather gradually turns cold, the number of pupils participating in the morning training has not decreased but rather increased. Some parents even need to make two morning trips, for example, sending the brother to attend morning swimming training, and then going home before bringing the younger sister to school. Although the training is hard, their persistence best explains the Huili Value of ‘responsibility’.

In addition to the two weekly morning training sessions, the swimming team also has training during the CCA period of each day. With this level of dedication, it is not surprising that the team were winners in the recent swimming contest. In swimming classes, teachers encourage pupils to try all kinds of different strokes, diving and turning skills, according to their capability and psychological adaptation to water, which exemplifies another Huili Value — courage. At the same time, swimming classes also teach pupils safety knowledge and personal survival skills to help them stay calm and safe in the water.

Forging the swimming school team Huili's swimming team is growing stronger. The coach observes every pupil in the day-to-day swimming class and encourages those pupils with outstanding ability and willingness to participate in the swimming team. By evaluating their mastery of different swimming styles, coaches selected potential team members from different grades; the selected members will represent the school when competing against other schools.

This year, we have already formally become a member of the Shanghai School Sports Association (SSSA), which covers 26 international schools and bilingual schools in Shanghai, Ningbo and Hangzhou. SSSA holds several large competitions each year for children of all ages, and we will participate in some of these events, according to the situation of our pupils. We have also applied to join the Shanghai Swimming League, which holds three large competitions a year for different ages. Huili School encourages pupils to take an active part in various professional swimming events.   The 2nd Huili swimming gala At the second Huili Swimming Festival of the primary school on November 13, Huili's ‘little flying fish’ performed well and fought hard to win points for their respective houses. The swimming team pupils also showed their dedication, innate talent and excellent competitive spirit.

Each pupil participated in two competitions according to his or her level and swimming strength. Our young athletes performed at their best and, more importantly, showed the will to persist. After a day composed of three fiercely contested competitions, everyone in the swimming gala delivered a performance they could be proud of.

(Final results)