Parent Letter, January 15, 2024
Andrew Bernyk
andrew.bernyk@fresnounified.org
Coach, Middle School Girls
Edward Vinson
edward.vinson@fresnounified.org
Coach, Middle School Boys
January 15, 2024
Dear Edison Region Aquatics Parents & Guardians,
This week, we will again host the next Junior Lifeguard sessions on Tuesday and Thursday after school. Whether your middle school student has attended every session or this week will be their first, we'd love for them to join us!
Parent Meeting Tuesday 1/30 5 PM at the Pool: We will have a parent meeting on Tuesday, 1/30. We will begin the meeting as the students finish cleaning up the pool and changing so that the impact on your schedule is as minimal as possible. This will allow us to explain the schedule and expectations for the season (Junior Lifeguard, Swim, and Water Polo camp in May) and answer any questions. We look forward to meeting you then!
Boosters Meeting Wednesday 1/17: The EHS Aquatics Boosters will meet on Wednesday, January 17 at 6pm at the Seng Residence (1672 W Escalon Ave Fresno CA 93711). Any and all parents and family members are welcome to join to help the Boosters support the 7-12 team throughout the season.
Prizes
We recognize and reward dedication and excellence each session. Prizes are awarded for various achievements, including effective communication through Microsoft Teams, punctuality, perfect attendance, and assistance in maintaining the pool deck, among many other commendable actions. We aim to ensure that every student who achieves perfect attendance in the Junior Lifeguarding program is also acknowledged and rewarded for their hard work and commitment.
Friends
Despite having record numbers in Junior Lifeguarding last week (50 each day!), we have 12 generous high school leaders running small groups. We can ensure friends invited are in the same color group, and we encourage students to bring their friends*! (*They must be current students at either Gaston or Computech)
Swim Team
The swim team, a Quarter 4 sport, starts Tuesday, February 13. Would your student be a good fit? The answer is YES! See the next question:
Personal Bests
Swimming is a very personal activity. Our coaching philosophy is to develop each athlete, focusing on technique and individualized development. We help our athletes see their individual improvement, personal bests, and week-by-week faster times. (Also, on the Swim Team itself, meet and finals scoring relies heavily on having many athletes participate. The bigger the swim team, the better!)
Weight training
One of the most frequent questions I receive as a coach is about weight training. We do pushups/situps to help develop strength throughout the program but do not expect or emphasize any program for muscle gain for our middle school athletes.
Eligibility
To be eligible to participate in Junior Lifeguarding and the Swim Team, students must have maintained a minimum grade point average of 2.0 or above in at least one of the previous two quarters. I will talk to affected athletes if they are not eligible to participate now. (They can earn their way to qualify for swim with a 2.0 or above in Quarter 3 final grades).
Meet Locations
Gaston students meet Mr. Vinson in his classroom, 101 near the main entrance after school. Computech students meet behind the Computech Gym after school.
Pickup
If your student wants an After School snack, they will be picked up from the Computech After School Program after 5 PM. They can also be picked up at 5 PM at the Edison pool (no after-school program snack).
Question? Reach out to either of the coaches. We're here to ensure your young student-athletes have the best possible experience in our Regional 7-12 Aquatics program.
Please reach out if you are interested in volunteering or helping in another way. Putting this program on takes time and resources; we can always use the help.
Looking forward to meeting you at the parent meeting,
Ed Vinson and Andrew Bernyk