Swim Lesson Registration
Milestones are done in the lake. Lakes are chosen as needed, and milestone tests out will be scheduled individually or in small groups.
Go to Squidschoolmn.com click on scheduling and prices. You are here.
Scroll down and read the minimum requirements for each level and figure out where your child best fits.
Read our price policies here and on the registration form as some have changed.
Find your community and check session/dates, time slots and what is available in each time slot.
When you register know your pool location aka Parkers Prairie, Lake Crystal, Heron Lake, Cragun's, Alexandria or Crosby (We do not do private, or back yard pools and Lakes will be announced as needed)
Know your session, time slot, lesson type (private 1:1, semiprivate 1;2, family 1:3 or group).
When listing group know the level or levels.
Put all children on 1 registration but only 1 session on each registration. List ages and levels in the order that matches the way you entered the children.
Register for each session separately.
Pick your payment method and pay for lessons asap as we won't hold lessons more that 14 days. You prepay to hold your time slot does not guarantee attendance.
Our in-water staff is our office staff so we will contact you if we have a question and text confirmation.
Incomplete registration will be put to the bottom and dealt with when we have time.
Mr. Rays intro to swim lessons
Age 2-3.5 this is for children just learning to separate from a parent. Drop off your child and be out of sight the entire lesson. There may be tears and that has to be fine with the parents.
SHRIMP REQUIREMENTS
Separate from parent without tears, comfortable being splashed and following basic instructions.
LITTLE OTTERS REQUIREMENTS
*Comfortable dipping whole face in water when asked.
*Comfortable moving and floating in water with equipment or light touch.
*Comfortable in a properly fitted life jacket.
OTTERS REQUIREMENTS
*Comfortable going underwater, blows bubbles with mouth and nose.
*Floats on the back and can remain floating for the count of 30 when adults remove their assistants.
*Can gator roll from front to back, back to front with assistance.
PENGUINS REQUIREMENTS
*Goes completely underwater independently with mouth or nose bubbles, coming up to breath and go into a back float.
*Can jump in, go under, come up, turn around, and grab the pool edge or back float unassisted.
*Can kick on front and back with consistent forward movement and doesn't stop swimming to breathe, talk or when distracted.
KING PENGUINS REQUIREMENTS
*Comfortable with forward movement with full face in the water, with rotary breathing, and going back under and swimming face out of the water.
*Jumps in, goes under, brings self-back up and into a back float.
*Can kick and scoop on the front making forward movement without assistive devices.
SEA TURTLES REQUIREMENTS
*Can jump in water several feet over their head, come to a float, gator roll, and swim to the edge.
*Developing their swim float swim skills.
*Can jump into deep water, surface, get into a back float, and maintain that back float for at least 3 minutes.
SEALS REQUIREMENTS
*Can jump into deep water, get into, and hold a back float for at least 5 minutes, then gator roll and swim to the opposite edge.
*Can swim float swim proficiently for the length of the pool.
*Can comfortably fall in expected and unexpected.
WALRUS REQUIREMENTS
*Can fall backwards into deep water, surface, get into and hold a back float for at least 5 minutes, then gator roll and swim to the opposite edge.
*Can go into water unexpectedly and bring self into a back float.
*Is working on clothing removal in shallow water.
ELECTRIC EELS REQUIREMENTS
*Can go underwater unexpectedly, surface, back float and hold it for 7 minutes.
*Can swim with minimal assistance for 200 yards.
*Understands the difference between lakes, open water, and pools.
DOLPHINS PRE TEST OUT REQUIREMENTS
*Can swim 300yds without assistance or assistive devices and knows when to take a break in a back float.
*Knows how clothing affects their buoyancy in deep water and can use that understanding to look for resources and shed layers of clothing.
*Can maintain a back float with waves or splashing for at least 6 minutes.
TEST OUT REQUIREMENTS
*Holds a back float for 9-11 minutes.
*Gators roll to the front and swim 400-600 yards.
*Can repeat that with summer, fall clothing, and full winter gear.
*Can safely remove extra layers of clothing in water over their head.
10/30-minute lessons 490$
10/30-minute lessons is 690$
10/30-minute lessons is 960$
Lessons maybe rescheduled moved or canceled for these reasons:
The health of the instructor or student
Instructor availability, if an instructor is unavailable due to personal reasons an alternate plan or instructor will be provided, when possible, which may result is two lessons being combine. As long as the lessons moves forward no credit will be given for any parties involved. Example a private lesson may become a semiprivate for that lesson. If the lesson doesn't move forward, the lesson maybe be rescheduled or a single lesson credit maybe given and needs to be scheduled or used in 30 days.
Pool availability, we do not own the pools we use therefore we don’t control the availability, and we set high safety standards regarding chemical balance and temperature for the pools we use. Issues with chemicals or temp may make the pool unavailable. Poop or vomit in the pool may close the pool for 30 minutes or up to several days depending on many factors.
Weather, we look at year-round and try to make informed decisions 1-2 hours before lessons. We consider pool location, where instructors are driving from and where clients are driving from.
Certain weather like lightning, tornado warnings etc. requires no pool use by the state of MN, so lessons maybe halted and restarted when safe or canceled.
Outdoor pools and lakes air temperature below 72 degrees or high winds may cancel lessons.
Outdoor pools and lakes rain beyond a light sprinkle, storm watches and warnings may cancel lessons.
Winter weather warnings/school canceled in driving area lessons will be rescheduled when possible but maybe canceled.
Winter weather watches will be looked at along with road conditions when deciding if rescheduling is safer.
Dangerously cold temps/wind chills will be looked at alongside road conditions when deciding if rescheduling is safer.
Parents can reschedule/be given a credit for private, semiprivate, and family lessons a limited number of times (see below) based on number of lessons paid for when it isn’t in the best interest of the child to swim that day due to illness or injury. A family emergency or unsafe weather/road conditions. The credit or option to reschedule is held for 30 days and is at the discretion of Squid school, who may ask for documentation. Non medial/emergency reasons will not be rescheduled or given a credit.
School year lessons may be rescheduled, canceled or move locations as needed based on pool, date and time availability. When a makeup lesson location/locations date/dates is made available no credit will be given if the lesson isn't rescheduled by the family or is declined for non-medical/emergency reasons. When multiple locations and or dates are available each family will need to contact squid school to get their makeup lesson scheduled within 30 days. (The lesson can take place past the 30 days) Makeup lessons must be completed by the end of the session.
Summer lessons are not moved or rescheduled when cancelation is necessary. Starting in summer only 2025 we have set aside 1 day a week Friday as the makeup date for the first cancelled date. Any other date cancelations for that week will not be made-up aka rescheduled.
We offer no refunds for any reason. All makeup lessons and credits expire at the end of each session. Lessons sets are paid in full at time of registration. NO SHOWS AT TIME OF LESSON FORFEIT THAT LESSON no notice from squid school required. Notice from squid school see above sections. Notice of non-attendance of a student must be in writing, email, or text 30 minutes before the lesson and clearly state which date and time you will be absent from. A set of 6 or more private, semiprivate and family lessons are allowed 2 absences/reschedule or credit with a DR. note. 4-5 private, semiprivate and family lesson sets are allowed 1 absences/reschedule or credit with a DR note. Group and summer lessons are a no reschedule no credit lesson. Reschedule/credit are at the discretion of squid school and only held for 30 days. All lessons are prepaid and nonrefundable for any reason. You are paying to hold your family's time slot preventing us from selling it to another family. It is not a guarantee of your attendance. We do not control the weather, people's health nor the pools we use and all three can cause a lesson to be cancelled or rescheduled. (See Above) Because we have no dedicated office staff our response time can vary and a preserved late response or no response does not change our policies. All our policies are in line with common swim school industry policies.
Equipment purchases: We are offering buyback program for gently used equipment/wetsuits purchased from us. You get 30% on the new size equipment or wetsuit.
All lesson notifications are done on Google Classroom & if appropriate Facebook. No private messages are required to be sent.
Prior to the start of each lesson and immediately following the completion of each lesson the parents/guardians are responsible for the actions and safety of their children.
Please arrive 10-15 minutes prior to lessons. Please note wetsuit and flipper size on day one so on all future lessons you can get your child into their wetsuit and flippers (if available as some equipment is shared)prior to lesson start time. Our lessons have a small amount of built in equipment time for shared and or additional equipment.
Please prepare your child for the fact that they will be using equipment, Flippers, wetsuits and Swimfins are common.
Water pool side is important.
No swimming prior to the start of lessons as kids get tired and can get cold.
Please don’t grab equipment more than 10 minutes prior to the start of each child’s lesson time.
Remember as trained aquatic professionals we are equipped to determine if, when and what equipment is appropriate for each student for positive progress and safety. Instructors will determine when the students are ready to remove equipment.
At some point all children will start swimming in clothing, make sure you know if and what clothing each child will need.
Reminder we do not control the pools we use and pools can go down with no notice. We also do not control the weather.
Use the bath tub and shower to help your children get comfortable with water in their ears, floating on their back and water over their face.
In the tub and or shower have the children wear clothing during bath or shower time.