Five Ways the Big Blue Swim School Mobile App Makes Swim Lessons Even Better…
At Big Blue, we are passionate about teaching children to swim. We’re equally passionate about supporting busy families. We designed our mobile app to make it even easier to have a swimmer enrolled at Big Blue.
Every parent or caregiver who brings their child to Big Blue can use the app to manage lessons to ensure a consistent swim experience, track how much your child swims in a given level and track progress overall.
Consistency is key
It’s a simple truth: Kids make the most progress learning to swim when they have consistent lessons. Regular attendance year-round at a weekly lesson ensures your child has the consistency they need to create habits, develop skills and gain confidence.
For busy families, we know juggling all the things going on with kids can be complicated. You want to be able to see instantly when your regularly scheduled weekly lessons are, and when your next lesson is scheduled. The “My Lessons” section of the app shows details on upcoming lessons and who the instructor is for each of your enrolled swimmers.
Here’s how:
- Open the Big Blue app on your phone or tablet.
- Select “My Lessons” on the bottom left.
- Select the weekly lesson you would like information on.
- You’ll see your child’s current Big Blue level and instructor.
- You can move the weekly lesson time by selecting “Move weekly lesson” and choosing from any available weekly recurring times. You can also filter by day or instructor to help you make your selection.
- You can add lessons to your calendar, copy the address to send to someone, or choose to “Get directions” via Google Maps all in the Lesson View.
You can also share that you’ll miss a lesson, change your weekly recurring lesson, or stop the lessons on Lesson View.
Easily make up or change lesson times
We get it; things happen! We also know you want to ensure your child consistently attends swim lessons so they keep making progress. If your child is ill, you have a scheduling conflict, or other issues arise, you can easily let Big Blue know you’ll be missing a lesson and find a convenient make-up time right from the app. You can also move your weekly lesson easily if you need to make a more permanent change.
Here’s how:
- Open the Big Blue app on your phone or tablet.
- Select “Make-Up” on the bottom menu.
- You’ll see the vouchers available to make up lessons next to each swimmer’s name. Select “+” by their name to see the dates of past missed lessons.
Let us know your child will be missing a lesson by selecting “Miss lesson(s)” and selecting one or more upcoming lessons. - To schedule a make-up, select “Schedule Make-Up”. You’ll see details of our make-up policy and can then filter by day or instructor and choose a convenient lesson time under “Add Make-Up Lesson.”
Swimming more makes a huge difference
Consistency with attendance – a weekly lesson year round – is a major indicator of swim lesson success.
At Big Blue, we understand it’s not just about showing up, it’s about swimming! From our carefully designed curriculum to our intentionally small class sizes to highly trained professional instructors, we’ve ensured students at Big Blue spend more time swimming than in other programs. That time spent swimming adds up!
In the app, you can easily see how far your child has swum in their current level.
Here’s how:
- Open the Big Blue app on your phone or tablet.
- Select “Progress” on the bottom menu.
- Under the child’s swim level, swipe left to get to the screen that shows : Total Distance Swum”
Track your child’s progress with SplashZones™
Seeing your child make progress in the pool is what we’re all about at Big Blue. You can get an at-a-glance view of your child’s current level, the skills they’ve mastered at that level, and what they’re still working on anytime in the app.
You can view specific skills your child is progressing at, with videos of each skill. Use the convenient interface to better understand the level your child is at and encourage any practice outside of class.
You can also see the greatest distance they can swim independently. We measure these distance milestones through SplashZones™. On the app, you can quickly see the SplashZone your child has achieved and celebrate their progress as they go from first swimming 3 feet independently to increasing over time up to our most advanced level, when your child will be able to swim 1000 feet without stopping!
Here’s how:
- Open the Big Blue app on your phone or tablet.
- Select “Progress” on the bottom menu.
- You’ll get a quick highlight of your child’s level and the number of skills they mastered on the Progress overview.
- Select a swimmer to see more details.
- Under Student Progress, you’ll see all the skills for your swimmer’s current level. Any with a filled-in red star are skills your child has mastered! Skills still in progress have a white star to the left.
- To see your child’s current SplashZone or their SplashZone progress, click on the “Learn More” button under the blue water drop and you will be able to see their current SplashZone listed as “My SplashZone.”
Refer a friend to try Big Blue
If you’re at the park or playground and talking swim lessons with another parent, or your friend follows up to learn more about why you chose Big Blue Swim School, you can use the app to help spread the Big Blue Difference! Most locations participate in our fantastic referral program. If the referral program is available at your pool, you will be able to access the referral link directly in your app. When you refer a friend, both you and your friend will receive a credit off swim lessons when they enroll in weekly lessons.
Here’s how:
- Open the Big Blue app on your phone or tablet.
- Click “Account” on the bottom right.
- Select “Refer-a-friend” from the menu options.
- If you want to email the referral directly from your device, select “Email referral link.”
- If you want to copy the referral link to share in a text, via social, or anywhere else, press “Copy to clipboard,” and your unique link is copied and ready to share.
With features designed for busy families, we hope our mobile app makes it easy to navigate the warm and friendly waters of swim lessons at Big Blue Swim School.
Announcing Our 2020 Big Blue Employees of the Year!
We recently held our first virtual company picnic. While we wish we could have been in person to recognize our accomplishments and embrace the challenges we have had to overcome this year, we are so grateful that we were able to celebrate our own Big Moments together over Zoom.
As part of our virtual picnic, we announced our Big Blue Employees of the Year for our five Chicagoland locations. Employees were nominated by their peers and selected by the General Managers and management team based upon their performance and their embodiment of Big Blue’s core values.
If your kids have ever taken swim lessons from the following staff members, please give them a shoutout at your next swim lesson for all of their hard work and love for what they do: teaching kids the lifesaving skills of swimming every day.
North Center Employee of the Year: Sylvia Almazan
Joined Big Blue in June 2019
Favorite Big Blue value: Make Teamwork Happen – Be a champion for others
Favorite swimming memory: Cheering on her high school swim team
Sylvia is North Center’s Employee of the Year because she is always making teamwork happen by covering shifts for absent employees and staying for custodial duties to ensure the facility is clean. Sylvia also runs great classes that are fun, motivating, and safe! Parents and kids love her style of teaching. She also radiates energy by always coming to work with a smile. Sylvia may be quiet, but she makes a big impact by her presence, lessons, teamwork, and by living the Big Blue mission.
Niles Employee of the Year: Tyler Hanson
Joined Big Blue in 2014
Favorite Big Blue value: Radiate Energy – Be the sun
Favorite swimming memory: Swimming in a lake in Wisconsin when he was younger
Tyler has worked at the Wilmette, Buffalo Grove, and Niles Big Blue locations over the last several years. He radiates energy in every level that he teaches. It is hard to find an open class with Tyler! He has built a great rapport with many of our families. Tyler is always looking for new ways to teach and adjust lessons. In particular, he has a passion for improving our Special Needs training and researches ways to improve on his own time. Tyler is the embodiment of showing passion for our mission.
Wilmette Employee of the Year: Lazar Georgiev
Joined Big Blue in March 2017
Favorite Big Blue value: Reach Beyond Your Grasp – Be better today than you were yesterday
Favorite swimming memory: He loves seeing the Babies that he has taught move up to Brights and Bolds, especially when they stick with him as their teacher through all of the levels
Lazar is laser focused on growing his career at Big Blue. He was promoted to Deck Supervisor last year because of his leadership and mentorship skills. During leadership meetings, he brings ideas to the table that he believes will make the company stronger. Lazar has organized team building events and shared his input on the employee experience with the corporate team. He is very reliable and constantly strives to live out the Big Blue culture and values.
Hoffman Estates Employee of the Year: Jacob Lopez
Joined Big Blue in July 2019
Favorite Big Blue value: Show Passion for Our Mission – Be the change you want to see
Favorite swimming memory: When he moved up his first Baby Blue swimmer to the Bright Blue level; he felt so accomplished that day!
Jacob lives the Big Blue values every day. His is always the first Swim Associate to arrive and never leaves before asking the manager if there’s anything else he can do to help. He is eager to learn and always comes to work with a professional, positive attitude. He teaches amazing swim lessons and is one of our most recommended Swim Associates for all levels. Jacob is also very inclusive and welcoming. He is quick to introduce himself to new employees and share teaching tips and advice.
Buffalo Grove Employee of the Year: Joseph Boyd
Joined Big Blue in October 2019
Favorite Big Blue value: Radiate Energy – Be the sun
Favorite swimming memory: Swimming with his families on Sundays
Joseph lives for Big Blue. When he walks into the facility, the energy he radiates is amazing. He is so patient and committed to helping every child unlock their full potential in the water. Parents and children alike gravitate to him for his considerate and understanding manner. The kids that he teaches have so much fun and leave his class happy. Joseph goes above and beyond to help and is always looking for ways to improve Big Blue. He works hard and makes everyone around him strive to be better.
Hear What Families Are Saying about Swimming Lessons at Big Blue Johns Creek!
Our Johns Creek swim school has been open a little over a month, and the reviews are in! Hear what parents are saying about the facility, our Swim Associates and the swim lesson experience.
To learn more about the Big Blue Difference, or to take advantage of the Johns Creek Post-Opening Special, where you’ll receive 50% off the first four lessons, check out our website.
We’re so thrilled to watch all of the Big Moments happening in the pool. We hope to see you at our new Johns Creek swim school soon. If you’re not ready to purchase, sign up for a FREE Trial Lesson here.
Have questions? Call Member Services at 770-308-8227 today!
In Memory of Jonathan Serrano
We are devastated to announce the passing of our dear friend and beloved staff member, Jonathan Serrano.
We were privileged to call Jonathan a member of our Big Blue family for nearly five years. During that time, he touched many of our lives with his endearing kindness and loving spirit. He was truly a one-of-a-kind individual who brought happiness and joy to whomever he encountered. Jonathan lived a life of gratitude and humility that we should all strive to live up to.
Jonathan lit up the room with his positive energy, smile, and passion for changing lives. Whether Jonathan was in the water teaching swimmers or running training for our teachers, he made everyone around him better. It was impossible to have a bad day if you were with him.
His passing leaves us with heavy hearts but also with the opportunity to carry on his memory. Jonathan was the embodiment of our mission and values. He gave energy to all those around him and expected nothing in return. This is why we are honored to announce the creation of the Jonathan Serrano Leadership Award. This yearly award will be given to the individual who demonstrates exemplary commitment to living our shared values just as Jonathan never failed to do.
Awesome Teachers!
Your kid loves to have fun! So do Big Blue teachers when teaching lessons.
Turn the Crying into Smiling!
New experiences can be overwhelming for kids. Learning to swim is no different. At Big Blue Swim School, we make sure that experience is as comfortable as possible, but it’s still not uncommon for kids to cry at their first swim lesson. It’s OK. It’s normal.
Why is your child crying?
- It is a new experience. The pool is a new place for your child. There are new sights, smells, sounds, people and interactions in the pool environment. It can be sensory overload
- Separation anxiety. Separation anxiety can happen over night and can happen at any age.
What can parents do to help their child through their swim lesson?
- Stay in the viewing area, not on the pool deck in their direct sight line.
- Offer continued support and encouragement. When you are in the viewing area, give your swimmer a little wave or a quick thumbs-up to let them know they are doing great.
- Reinforce desired behaviors. At Big Blue, we love to give high-fives for every little accomplishment throughout a lesson. Each level has a set of skills that must be completed before moving up to the next level, swimmers will get a star checked off in your family account for each skill they complete. Once all skills have been completed, your child will receive a ribbon and move up to the next level.
- Talk to the managers or Deck Supervisors. We encourage parents to chat with us. We’ll tell you our approach, what’s working, and what lesson changes we can make to smooth the transition into swimming. We listen to your thoughts as well, and together we come up with a plan that’s best for your child.
How we help your child quickly gain confidence.
- Our teachers are trained to be reassuring, to make eye contact and show a big, genuine smile even for little successes. They also adapt to each swimmer’s learning style so your child learns to swim in the way he or she processes information best.
- We move on to the next skill only when your child is ready. Every swimmer learns at a different pace, so we will never rush them through a checklist of activities just to move them up to the next level. We take teaching seriously and we take your child’s safety seriously. That’s why we’re patient, thorough and make sure everyone has fun. In our years of experience, we’ve learned that fun goes a long way.
So relax. Your child’s tears and anxious expression soon will be replaced by a big happy, "I can do this!" grin. Because everything we do is aimed at making sure Life’s Big Moments Start Here at Big Blue!
What to Look for in a Teacher
Does your kid love their teachers?
It takes a special person to be a good teacher, someone who can create an environment where kids not only learn but also discover the joy of learning.
What makes a good teacher? Research shows that while it’s important to hold teachers to objective standards, the best classroom instructors possess more than state certification, advanced degrees, and classroom experience. The best have something extra, and research has identified these intangibles that make classroom magic happen.
You can’t pick your child’s teacher, but you can choose your child’s instructor for extracurricular activities, such as swimming, music lessons and other pursuits, so look for these same qualities in those instructors.
Volumes of research shows that top teachers:
- Believe that all students can learn
- Have confidence in their teaching ability
- Connect with students
The best teachers believe in their own abilities. In a landmark study, teachers were asked how strongly they agreed or disagreed with the following: "When it comes right down to it, a teacher really can’t do much because most of a student’s motivation and performance depends on his or her home environment"; and "If I try really hard, I can get through to even the most difficult or unmotivated students." The results of the study found links between student achievement and teachers’ belief in their own ability to succeed.
Successful teachers also have the ability to connect with students. In 2007, clinical psychologist Jeffrey Cornelius-White synthesized 119 studies from 1948 to 2004 covering on teacher-student relationships involving a total of 355,325 students. He found that teachers’ warmth and empathy had strong correlations to higher levels of student participation, motivation, and achievement.
Big Blue Swim School knows what makes a good swim teacher, and we hire only the best. Your child’s teacher gets ongoing training in ways to identify his or her learning style and adapt the lesson so swimmers learn fast. Our teachers receive full-time pay and health insurance, benefits they won’t find at other places. So we attract the best and hire the best. We go the extra mile and beyond to make sure your child receives the best swim instruction and the best swim teachers.
Top teachers do more than teach – they believe in their students and in themselves, and they use academic knowledge, close observation and social skills to make magic happen every day. In the pool and out!
Boat-to-Float Challenge
Our Hoffman Estates location challenged our other locations to a Boat-to-Float contest. Check out our teachers’ creativity and the fun they had building their boats.
- Niles taking charge
- Buffalo Grove on the throne
- Wilmette gets the whole staff on a boat
- Hoffman Estates with the original boat-to-float
Go to our Facebook and Instagram page to vote for your favorite.