First year anniversaries and birthdays are always exciting. They’re a great time to look back on the year’s highlights and look forward to new milestones. At Njswim in Turnersville, we’re excited to celebrate our 1-year anniversary in October.
Turnersville is the newest location for Njswim. We’re particularly excited because Turnersville is our first swim location in Gloucester County, New Jersey.
It was gratifying to have our new community warmly welcome us. After just one year, our students come from many towns, including:
- Blackwood/Turnersville, NJ
- Williamstown, NJ
- Sicklerville, NJ
- Sewell, NJ
- Deptford, NJ
- Wenonah, NJ
- Vineland, NJ
- Philadelphia, PA
A Few of Our First Year Highlights
Free Swim Lessons to Kids
Njswim provided free swim lessons to Washington Township School District kindergarteners and first grade students from late October through December 31 of last year.
This special program, put together by Njswim founder Joe Oehme and Washington Township Mayor Joann Gattinelli, taught swimming and water safety to elementary school children in the community.
Over 150 kids took part in this exciting program, which allowed them to have swim lessons they otherwise may not have been able to experience.
Getting to Know Our Community
Over the past year, Njswim has enjoyed getting to know our community. Along with community outreach programs to promote water safety, we enjoy offering support for community sponsorships and events.
Building A Great Njswim Turnersville Team
Although only one-year old, Njswim Turnersville already has a dedicated team of almost 30 people!
But this doesn’t just happen by itself.
Stephanie Lilly, the Turnersville Location Manager, has a great philosophy for team building. She sees it as her role to “provide guidance, leadership, set a good example, and a supportive environment that leads to a productive and positive team”.
Njswim families benefit from the positive approach and care the teachers naturally offer students and swim families.
Meet Our Njswim Turnersville Manager, Stephanie Lilly
Stephanie Lilly is Njswim Turnersville’s Location Manager and Jersey South Regional Manager.
Stephanie grew up on Lake Hopatcong, and now calls Voorhees, NJ home.
She clearly loves her work as the Turnersville Location Manager and is very proud of the team she has built.
But when asked what is the most fun about her job, Stephanie enthusiastically replies, “Teaching swim lessons! No matter how busy I am, I love being in the water and teaching kids. It’s just fun!”
What Sets Our Swim Teachers Apart?
When asked what sets the Njswim teachers apart from others, she easily summed it up:
“They lead with love, patience, and passion. They are dedicated and passionate about what they do.”
At Njswim, all swim teachers benefit from a comprehensive training program. The program includes an emphasis on childhood development.
Swim teachers learn how to gain a child’s trust so they can enjoy the water and be comfortable learning to swim.
Our swim teachers recognize children as unique individuals who benefit from being taught in a nurturing and supportive environment.
Water Safety at Njswim Turnersville
All our Njswim teachers and staff have American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification.
We limit group classes to only 3 kids. A swim instructor is always right there in the water with them. In addition, other Njswim team members are present during lessons. There are generally 2 lifeguards on deck, as well as the Manager on Duty.
Njswim Turnersville Offers Activities and Amenities
We offer a complete range of swim lessons and activities for children and their families.
Our 8,000 square foot aquatic center has state-of-the-art amenities which are enjoyed by all.
Just some of these amenities include:
- A comfortably heated 90° pool
- Individual changing rooms
- Men’s and women’s locker areas
- 2 parent viewing areas
- Baby changing stations
Some programs and activities we offer include:
- Year-round swim lessons for kids and teens
- Water Babies for our youngest swimmers aged 3 months to 15 months
- Open family swim for members and non-members alike
- Intensive summer swim programs
- Birthday parties
One Unique Swim Program Feature
Our swim teachers observe their students and know when they’re ready to move up to a new swim level. It’s important for students to progress at their own pace. We don’t want our kids to feel bored or fearful at swim lessons. And we know kids feel comfortable with continuity.
So, we let students continue with the same lesson time and teacher as they go through this progression. We know continuity of teachers and schedules mean a lot to young swimmers and their busy families.
Njswim Works to Promote Water Safety
All Njswim locations, including Turnersville, work tirelessly to promote water safety. We know that swimming skills, along with appropriate knowledge, help people and their families and friends stay safer in and around the water.
We always incorporate information about water safety into our swim lessons and outreach activities.
Njswim’s owner and founder, Joe Oehme, is a Board Member of the NJ Swim Safety Alliance (NJSSA). He has been a passionate advocate for teaching water safety to New Jersey’s children for over 20 years—and you can help!
There is a current bill in the NJ state assembly (Bill A618) that would require all NJ school districts to offer instruction on water safety in grades Kindergarten through 12. Read more about it here.
You can show your support for this bill by linking here and letting NJ State Assembly members know you want this bill to become NJ State law. Your support can make a difference and help save young lives.
Learn more about Njswim Turnersville and lessons here. Or contact us today for additional information. Our six other Njswim locations are:
- Florham Park
- Brick
- Lakeside-Roxbury
- Manasquan
- Sparta
- Warren (reopening Spring 2023)
