Sixty-six local students with moderate to severe disabilities were able to participate in adapted swim lessons thanks to a Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution award of nearly $4,000 to the Lincoln County School District Spring Adaptive Physical Education Swimming program.

The matching funds of $3,733 allowed the program to provide lessons to students to elementary through high school. Lincoln City Community Center and Newport Aquatic Center donated their facilities and only charged for lifeguard and instructor fees.

“I loved seeing the progress of each student,” Connie Craddock, Adaptive PE assistant for the Special Education Department in Lincoln County School District said. “Some overcoming fears, some exploring what they were capable of in the pool by attempting new skills and activities and the majority of them improved their comfort in a pool setting, swimming and water safety skills.”

The students in Lincoln City went to the Lincoln City Community Center; youth in Newport, Toledo and Waldport went to the Newport Aquatic Center.

Crestview Heights Elementary had six students, Toledo Elementary had three students, Sam Case Elementary had seven students, Newport Middle School had nine students, Newport High School had 12 students, Oceanlake Elementary had seven students, Taft 7-12 had seven students and Taft Elementary had 15 students.

The program teaches students with moderate to severe disabilities to develop gross motor skills.

The skill development is accomplished by providing one to one instruction, small group instruction, and community outings.

Students learn gross motor skills necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle and participate in lifelong recreational physical activities.

It includes instruction on how to access community facilities for lifelong health and leisure.