Swimming Toward Success at Brooklyn Scholars Charter School

Building life skills is just as important as building academic excellence at Brooklyn Scholars Charter School. Over the summer, Executive Principal Roxanne Thomas, along with her leadership team, partnered with local organizations to allow free swimming lessons for all Summer Learning students. Principal Thomas wrote about how the initiative came together below:

Some dreams take years to become reality. Others just need one person to answer the phone.

For years, Dean of Grades 3-5 Peta Kelly and I shared a vision of bringing swimming lessons to the students of Brooklyn Scholars Charter School. We knew that teaching children how to swim wasn't just another enrichment activity, it was a life-saving skill that could build confidence, courage, and joy.

So, we started making phone calls. And more calls.


Just when it seemed like the dream might stay on hold, Phil Turner from the British Swim School did something extraordinary, he answered the call. More importantly, he shared our passion for ensuring that every child can learn this essential life skill. Finally, someone believed in the vision as much as we did.

There was only one small obstacle. Funding.

Like many great ideas, our enthusiasm was much bigger than our budget. We explored grants, searched for sponsors, and even tried to raise the funds ourselves. Although our determination never wavered, the dollars simply didn't cooperate.

Just when we thought our dream had reached the deep end, Summer Boost came to the rescue.


Not only did the program embrace our vision, but it also made it possible for every participating student to receive swimming lessons completely free of charge. Better yet, the LA Fitness facility was only four blocks from our school. It almost felt as though everything had been waiting for the perfect moment to fall into place.

From there, it was truly all hands on deck.

If there were an Olympic event for creating schedules, Dean of Grades 6-8 Clodette Jean-Louis would certainly bring home the gold medal. Our resident scheduling expert carefully designed a plan that allowed every Summer Learning student to participate in swimming lessons for at least one week during the program. Coordinating buses, classes, enrichment activities, and swim sessions was no small feat, but she made it look effortless.

On the very first day, I could be found doing what principals often do best, walking around with a camera in one hand and an enormous smile on my face. Watching students eagerly enter the pool, celebrate small victories, and encourage one another. Watching the students proudly practice their new skills was a reminder that some of the greatest moments in education happen outside the classroom.


This partnership is about far more than learning how to float or perfect a freestyle stroke. It represents what can happen when passionate educators, committed community partners, and generous supporters work together to remove barriers and create opportunities that our children will remember for a lifetime.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Summer Boost, Ashley Benton, Jessika McLaughlin, Phil Turner, the incredible team at British Swim School, and LA Fitness for believing in this vision and helping make it a reality.

To everyone who played a part in making this happen, thank you for helping our students dive into something truly unforgettable.

Here's to new skills, growing confidence, and a summer that proved sometimes the best lessons happen in the pool!
 
About Brooklyn Scholars Charter School
Brooklyn Scholars Charter School is a tuition-free, public charter school in Brooklyn, New York, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA^®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.

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