Announcing another scholarship giveaway!

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***UPDATE: Congratulations Natalie Allen!!! You have won the scholarship for our SAFE Swim I course!

Hello, fishies! We’re giving away another scholarship!

This time, we are giving the scholarship to a child with Autism.

To be entered to win a scholarship for our SAFE Swim 1 Course, all you have to do is leave a comment below, letting us know that your family is interested in teaching one of your littles to swim. We’ll pick a winner in the afternoon on 4/10.

We’re so proud to be able to share these opportunities to learn with all of you. Thank you, On Point Directional Drilling for making this scholarship possible!

—OFFICIAL RULES—

The entry period for this contest runs from Monday, April 4, 2022 at 4 p.m. until Sunday, April 10, 2022 at Noon.

To enter, parents and/or guardians will leave comment on the corresponding Facebook post, letting The School of Yaya’s Fishes know that their family is interested in survival swim lessons. Upon leaving a comment, the registering parent will be automatically entered to win one SAFE Swim Training scholarship, provided by SAFE Swim Foundation. 

Registrants may enter to win once per family.

The contest winner will be drawn on Sunday, April 10, 2022 after 3 p.m. and announced and contacted by phone before close of business on Monday, April 11, 2022 at 6 p.m. Upon contact, a representative of The School of Yaya’s Fishes will work with the winning guardian to select a training schedule that will work for the student, family, and trainers.

This scholarship is valued at $500, based on the average four weeks of Survival Swim Training. Survival Swim Training sessions are everyday Monday through Friday in 10-to-15-minute sessions for the length of the student’s training. While the average length of training is four weeks, this timeline may vary, based on each student’s rate of improvement and task comprehension.

The winner of this scholarship will be selected at random from the pool of registrations.

This scholarship does not have an age limit. Registrants must be either the parent and/or guardian of a minor diagnosed with Autism, or a person over the age of 18 who has been diagnosed with Autism.

Only one winner is permitted per household within 60 days of after a household has a winner.

The School of Yaya’s Fishes and SAFE Swim Foundation restricts winners to the immediately serviceable area only. Any means of transportation to redeem the scholarship will not be provided. The responsibility of cost to travel rests solely with the scholarship winner. Neither Terri (Yaya) Mommsen, nor a member of her Staff, will travel to provide lessons to a winning family. Survival Swim Training sessions must be performed at The School of Yaya’s Fishes facility.

No purchase necessary. This scholarship is not redeemable or transferable for cash. This scholarship is not retroactive and cannot cover the already-paid tuition of a student who has previously been through the program. The School of Yaya’s Fishes, SAFE Swim Foundation, and On Point Directional Drilling and Trenching shall have no further responsibility in connection with the scholarship if the scholarship winner, for any reason, cannot or decides not to use any of the survival swim lessons provided.

Yaya's Bait Shop Boutique now open for business

Yaya’s Bait Shop Boutique now open!

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We’re so happy to introduce Yaya’s Bait Shop Boutique!! 🐠💦

We have shirts, hats, gift certificates, swimwear, and more for every age of fish in our Fishy Family. You can easily get to the boutique at YayasFishes.com (click in “store” in the menu) or on our app.

Here’s how to get to the app:

All purchases made at Yaya’s Bait Shop Boutique go toward improving our facility and providing your children with the best care possible while they’re visiting!

I want to give a big THANK YOU to everyone for supporting our school throughout the years. I can’t wait to see what else is coming up ahead.

Ready… Go!

First Scholarship giveaway of the year

First scholarship giveaway of the year

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***UPDATE: Congratulations to Brittany Cummings for being chosen for a full survival/ swim scholarship to The School of Yaya’s Fishes.🐠💦

Listen up, fishy family! The School of Yaya’s Fishes and SAFE Swim Foundation are holding our first scholarship giveaway of the year.

To be entered to win a scholarship for our SAFE Swim 1 Course, all you have to do is go check out the new School of Yaya’s Fishes App and leave a comment below, letting us know what you think about it. We’ll pick a winner in the afternoon on 3/27.

Here’s how to get to the app:

This scholarship giveaway is made possible by Jonesboro Pediatric Clinic.

—OFFICIAL RULES—

The entry period for this contest runs from Friday, Mar 18, 2022 at Noon until Sunday, March 27, 2022 at Noon.

To enter, parents and/or guardians will visit The School of Yaya’s Fishes app, which is available through Apple’s App Store or through Google’s Play Store, then a leave comment on the corresponding Facebook post, sharing their opinion on the new app. Upon leaving a comment, the registering parent will be automatically entered to win one SAFE Swim Training scholarship, provided by SAFE Swim Foundation. 

Registrants may enter to win once per family.

The contest winner will be drawn on Sunday, March 27, 2022 after 3 p.m. and announced and contacted by phone before close of business on Monday, March 28, 2022 at 6 p.m. Upon contact, a representative of The School of Yaya’s Fishes will work with the winning guardian to select a training schedule that will work for the student, family, and trainers.

This scholarship is valued at $500, based on the average four weeks of Survival Swim Training. Survival Swim Training sessions are everyday Monday through Friday in 10-to-15-minute sessions for the length of the student’s training. While the average length of training is four weeks, this timeline may vary, based on each student’s rate of improvement and task comprehension.

The winner of this scholarship will be selected at random from the pool of registrations.

This contest is open to all Northeast Arkansans 18 or older, who are in guardianship of any children that are, at minimum, able to crawl. This scholarship does not have an age limit.

Only one winner is permitted per household within 60 days of after a household has a winner.

The School of Yaya’s Fishes and SAFE Swim Foundation restricts winners to the immediately serviceable area only. Any means of transportation to redeem the scholarship will not be provided. The responsibility of cost to travel rests solely with the scholarship winner. Neither Terri (Yaya) Mommsen, nor a member of her Staff, will travel to provide lessons to a winning family. Survival Swim Training sessions must be performed at The School of Yaya’s Fishes facility.

No purchase necessary. This scholarship is not redeemable or transferable for cash. This scholarship is not retroactive and cannot cover the already-paid tuition of a student who has previously been through the program.

The School of Yaya’s Fishes, SAFE Swim Foundation, and Jonesboro Pediatric Clinic shall have no further responsibility in connection with the scholarship if the scholarship winner, for any reason, cannot or decides not to use any of the survival swim lessons provided.

SAFE Swim training memory book inside

SAFE Swim Training photo books

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Hello, my fishy family! When signing your little one up for SAFE Swim Training at The School of Yaya’s Fishes this season, don’t forget to request a personal copy of our memory book.

We will print your child’s name on the front of the book. Each page features images of your little fish during their time here in addition to motivational quotes, and a list of our sponsors. Books will print once our students have graduated our program.

Don’t forget that sign-ups are now in full swing for the training season. Here’s how to register:

SAFE Swim 1 (Beginner Training): Call or text us at (870) 206-0069 to start the registration process.

SAFE Swim 2 (Maintenance Training): Sign up for classes using our new app or through our parent portal! (If you have any issues contact us) Here’s how to get it:

With the new app, you can download, register, and see what is coming up! You can also send the app to others who may be interested in the SAFE Swim Survival program. To get started, go to My Account and then to “First time student registration”.

Classes begin on March 2. We take on new little fishies from the time they can crawl up, so there’s room for everyone to learn!

Yaya

2022 swim training

2022 swim training season is ofishally open!!

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ATTENTION ALL SHARKS AND MER-PEOPLE!! The School of Yaya’s Fishes is now ofishally accepting registrations for the 2022 swim training season!!

SAFE Swim 1 (Beginner Training): Call us at (870) 206-0069 to start the registration process.

SAFE Swim 2 (Maintenance Training): Sign up for classes using our new app or through our parent portal! Here’s how to get it:

With the new app, you can download, register, and see what is coming up! You can also send the app to others to who may be interested in the SAFE Swim Survival program. To get started, go to My Account and then to “First time student registration”.

Classes begin on March 2. We take on new little fishies from the time they can crawl up, so there’s room for everyone to learn!

If you’re not familiar with us, Yaya is the only person certified in the state of Arkansas to teach survival swim classes. And, to alleviate any concerns for your little, we have three RNs on staff to protect, train, and give quality attention to your child. For more information about us, visit yayasfishes.com.

Here’s to a great 2022 swim training season!! Stay tuna-d! We have more exciting things coming for The School of Yaya’s Fishes, and we’ll be sharing updates on everything right here at yayasfishes.com and on our Facebook and Instagram pages!

–Yaya

L

Vote: Best Swim Instruction Program in Northeast Arkansas

Vote: Best Swim Instruction Program

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Hello, my fishie family!! We need your help! We would love to have your vote for Best Swim Instruction Program for Kids in the NEA Kids’ Directory Best Choice Awards!

Here are the rules:

Voting ends at 5 p.m. on Sunday, February 13, 2022. Must complete at least 50 percent of ballot (at least 29 categories). Only one ballot per person. Multiple ballots submitted by a single person will be disqualified.

Winners will be announced in the March 2021 issue of NEA Kids’ Directory.

How to vote:

You can cast your vote for us on the official form: https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSfz…/viewform…

Again, we would absolutely love it if everyone could help us earn the title of Best Swim Instruction Program in Northeast Arkansas! We have been working so hard to provide your littles with the best care possible while they are here, and this would just be the icing on the cake for us!

Thank you so much.

–Yaya

P. S. Don’t forget to get in touch with us and sign your kiddos up for the 2022 training season!

Yaya talks to one of her fishes on the steps her swim school's pool

Our swim school breaks water on KAIT!

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Oohhhh!!! We are so excited here at The School of Yaya’s Fishes! Our swim school was featured on KAIT last night.

KAIT Reporter Griffin DeMarrais came out to interview Yaya and swim instructor Madline Chamber, and got a first-hand look at the important work we do at our school. 

See the full report here: The School of Yaya’s Fishes saving a life one stroke at a time

We have so many fun things coming up soon, and we miss our little fishies!

While we aren’t currently in the pool, we are scheduling students. We still have some construction left to do on the new enclosure around our swim area before we can begin classes for the year.

The new enclosure will give us so much more time to work with our littles by giving us shelter from wind and rain. It also retracts backward, so we can still enjoy the beautiful days brought to us in the summer!

Reach out to our swim school to get information on pricing and schedules for 2022. And, don’t forget to remind your friends to sign up, too. We want to train and equip as many infants, toddlers, and children as possible with these critical survival skills, making NEA a SAFE Swim Zone.

Love you all!

Yaya

Swim classes will continue into Fall!

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School has already started for most of the children around here. Our youngest started pre-k this year. Where does time go? Speaking of school…The School of Yaya’s Fishes swim classes will continue into Fall. Even though our schedules have changed, the weather continues to be warm enough for outside activities. Pools are still open and trips to the lake still planned.

 Little ones are curious and carefree making the threat of water accidents still possible. So, as you are thinking about preparing your children with life skills they need for their future, remember the importance of enrolling your children into our S.A.F.E Swim training that equips them with the survival skills crucial to being in and around water.

Again, swim classes will continue into Fall, and as your family begins this new school year keep in mind…The School of Yaya’s Fishes is still taking new students, starting at 6 months.

We will continue our endeavor to train and equip as many infants, toddlers, and children as possible, making this a safer Jonesboro and Northeast Arkansas.

Remember…drowning is silent…if they are screaming they are breathing.

Here’s to your lil one earning their fins!

Yaya

 Swimming Lessons for Infants and Toddlers

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I’ve heard it called everything from essential life saving skills to the torture of water boarding. To on lookers, sometimes strangers and sometimes family, infant swimming lessons appear cruel and uncalled for. The new student is “taken” from the parent, many times kicking and screaming, and introduced to the pool. This is just the first in many scary events over the next few weeks. Next, the precious little one hears the call to action, “Ready…Go” and suddenly these little ones grow eight arms and ten legs, trying to cling to anything they can latch on, to no avail. The instructor hears them take a quick breath to scream and that’s the cue…into the water, face first they go. Only to be lifted out of the water by another strange person who repeats the process. Then, on to the back…. The screams that were stifled by the water at first are at full tilt now. What child likes to be “put” on their back…in water? Really? And just to be brought back the next day for more. To me this doesn’t sound like much fun or even  necessary. Until, one day I heard a mama tell the story of the day she was working around their pool, when she looked up to see that her 3 year old had stepped off into water over her head. The mama stood amazed as she watched her precious little one put her newly learned life saving skills into action and reached safety.

Convinced???

Ok, let me ask you a question. Have you ever heard a child drown? Nope? And you probably won’t. Witnesses of children falling into a pool have said that  all they heard was a soft “plunk” and then nothing….No sound!!!! Drowning is silent. Don’t have a pool? It could happen in a bath tub.

So, next time you are deciding whether or not infant/toddler swimming lessons are worth it, remember this:  If they are screaming they are breathing.

Here’s to your little one earning their fins!

Yaya