School Of Fish Swimming Lessons
Private & Group Lessons: Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Anna Maria Island, Parrish, Palmetto
School Of Fish Mission:
Our mission is to help all ages: 1) Learn critical survival skills, develop safe swimming habits and a healthy respect for water, 2) Develop skills and techniques that are commensurate with their swimming performance goals, and 3) Participate in an activity that contributes to a lifetime of well-being.
In addition to safety and skill development, SOF strives to create an enriching experience by optimizing the instructor-to-student ratio. SOF offers cost-effective group classes and delivers an appropriate level of direct instruction for participants at different skill levels. Each instructor has an area of expertise and brings genuine passion to swim instruction that inspires students to achieve measurable outcomes.
SOF features distinct programs to meet specific needs of each age group, skill level and individual goal: Early Childhood (6 months to 3 years old), Pre-Kindergarten to Junior (3 to 11 years old) and Pre-Teen, Teen and Adult (11 to 18 years, and adults all ages, including children, and adults, and special needs).
SOF offers progressive programs that create continuity, visibility and encourage bi-directional feedback. Each SOF program has a specific session description, prerequisites, session skills/goals, weekly assessment tracking sheets, and certificates of achievement that include instructor feedback outlining strengths, skill development and recommendations with respect to the next SOF program level.
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Instructor Biographies
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ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: “Miss Maria” Barringhaus has more than 30 years experience in swim instruction. In addition to her Red Cross WSI certification, she has helped many students and adults overcome aquaphobia; instructed children with special needs, including the (Manasota BUDS); she specializes in instructing
children with disabilities, and is a certified elementary education teacher/tutor. As the owner of SOF, she has thoughtfully created a team of highly effective professional swim instructors with superior knowledge, experience, and the highest quality of delivering exceptional instruction.
Education :
2005 – 2007 University of South Florida – Sarasota, Manatee Master of Arts in Education – Elementary K-6 Endorsement: ESOL, ESE Resource, Special Needs (Children and Adults)
1991 – 1993 New York Institute of Technology, Westbury, New York Master of Arts – Industrial Organizational Psychology
1985 – 1988 Maryville University, St. Louis, Missouri Bachelor of Arts – Business Communications
1983 – 1985 Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri Associate of Arts – Humanities
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: “Miss Cailei” Meluch has been a swim instructor for three years, and is also the SOF Team Leader. She has been swimming since she could walk both competitively and recreationally. She spent summers growing up as a certified lifeguard and is first aid and CPR certified. As a recent University of South Florida graduate, she started her first year teaching elementary school in August 2019. She has experience teaching students of all ages and skill levels and is passionate about teaching children survival skills as well as refining their techniques in the pool. Miss Cailei specializes in teaching children with special needs including children with Autism; non-verbal, sensory, speech and language impairments.
Education:
Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education
Elementary Education Teaching Certificate Grades K-6
ESOL Endorsement
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
"Miss Chelsea" Rademaker has over 15 years of experience teaching swim to all ages, skill levels, including children with special needs. In addition to The School Of Fish WSI certification, she is a certified Special Education elementary teacher and tutor. Her leadership skills and ability to manage expectations for our students and parents/caregivers surpasses the average expectation in delivering superior customer service.
Education:
2007-2011: University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL - Bachelor of Science-Electronic Media and Psychology
2012-2014: University of South Florida, Tampa, FL - Master of Arts-Special Education
Endorsements: Special Education, PreK-3, Reading, ESOL
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: "Miss Ashlyn Kratsch" is an avid swimmer and an amazing school teacher. She loves sports, and swimming is a major part of her life. She strives to provide all children with opportunities to excel in every ability and skill level. She understands that all children need
differentiated instruction whether in the pool or the classroom – which makes her an exceptional SOF swimming instructor. Her compassion and passion for the sport of swimming, and helping children become winners is insurmountable. She is highly qualified to teach swimmers with special needs. She is also a certified elementary education teacher and tutor.
Education:
May 2014: Master of Education in Early Childhood Education
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
May 2013: Bachelor of Arts in Special Education
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, Florida Academic Scholars
CERTIFICATIONS:
Professional Education
PreK/Primary (age 3-grade 3)
Preschool Education (birth-age 4)
PreK Disabilities endorsement
ESOL endorsement
40-hour Child Development Associate
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: "Miss Jessica Nunemaker" is a sports enthusiast. Miss Jessica likes to "swim with the sharks" -- as she is seriously focused on helping children, young teens, and adults find their comfort zone with learning how to swim, and become their personal "best." She works diligently toward developing skills that promote safety and a life long love of swimming as a "gateway" toward a healthy life style to stay in tip top shape. She is also a highly-effective certified elementary education teacher and tutor.
Education:
May 2011: Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education
Elementary Education Teaching Certificate Grades K-6
Bloomsburg University Cumulative -- Elementary Education program
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: "Miss Lyn" has lived in the Bradenton area since 2004. She has been swimming competitively since the age of 5 through summer and age group swim teams, high school and into college and masters level teams. She is an avid swimmer, boater, jet skier, water skier, scuba diver, paddle boarder and beach bum. She earned her bachelors degree in psychology with a minor in human development at Colorado State University as well as her Paralegal Certificate. She is American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor, Lifeguard, First Aid, CPR, AED, Scuba and USA Swimming Official certified. She believes in teaching a healthy respect for the forces of water and has years of experience teaching all ages including her own two children starting them at the age of six months. Her teaching style is gentle while instilling love, respect, safety and skills in and around the water especially in order to live and enjoy the Florida lifestyle.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:“Miss Marybeth” Boulerice grew up in the water spending endless summer days refusing to get out of the pool. She is Florida born and raised from the city of Lakeland. She moved to the Sarasota-Manatee area four years ago to attend New College of Florida. Formally a pre-school teacher, she is also a tutor for Busy Bee Tutoring while going to school full time pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. This will be her third summer of teaching swim with The School Of Fish. She is passionate about working with children and helping them explore new experiences while in a fun and safe environment. Miss Marybeth specializes in teaching children and adults with special needs.
Education:
2020 - New College of Florida, Sarasota FL, Bachelor’s in Psychology
June 2016 - Lakeland Christian School, Lakeland FL, High school diploma
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: “Miss Dallas” Rosenthal has been tutoring for Miss Maria’s tutoring school, Busy Bee, for over 7 years, helping kids learn how to think for themselves and unlock their true potential. She learned to swim at a young age and has been involved in many outdoor water-related sports since then; including boating, fishing, water skiing, snorkeling, and scuba diving. She is a certified scuba diver and has enjoyed recreational scuba diving for years. She has many young siblings and has helped them alongside Miss Maria to achieve their own swimming journeys. Miss Dallas loves working with children of all ages and helping them to succeed.
Education:
Associates Degree in Science through SCF’s dual enrollment program
Bachelor degree in Technology Management
Parenting courses through Growing Kids Gods Way and Focus on the Family
Experience:
10+ years of tutoring and home-school educator
Scuba diving certification
Boating safety certification
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: “Miss Kelsey” Lutzi grew up in the sun-saturated city of Miami, swimming every day since the young age of five. Since then, Miss Kelsey has pursued strengthening her swimming skills through consistent lessons, and eventually becoming a swim instructor through School of Fish Swimming Lessons now in her third year. She’s currently finishing her Bachelors in Elementary Education at the University of South Florida. While fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming an elementary school teacher, Miss Kelsey works as a private tutor through Busy Bee Tutoring, alongside teaching swim. Her specialties are language arts, fluency, and reading comprehension. Miss Kelsey speaks English and Spanish, and has worked with a number of ELL/ESOL students, as well as ESE students. Her passion is to empower students and children by teaching them the skills to accelerate in their academics, overcome their fears, and pursue their goals. In her current position, she is able to do that in and out of the pool, and looks forward to helping more children in the years to come.
Education:
High school diploma from Braden River High School
Studio Art USF Tampa
Graphic Design USFSP
Currently finishing Bachelors in Elementary Education at USFSP
Child Centered Experience:
Babysitter - 10 years
Private Tutor - 6 years
Swim Instructor - 3 years
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: "Miss Katie" has been a swim instructor for School of Fish Swimming for 4 years. She has been in and around the pool before she could walk. As a child, she took drown proofing courses, joined competitive swim teams and anxiously watched her father coach his swim team. With a love of water at an early age, she became a lifeguard and WSI and CPR/First Aid certified in high school. She was the lifeguard and instructor at her school as well as the summer camp. Miss Katie loves swimming and the water almost as much as she loves watching kiddos learn how to be their own kind of fish! In addition to her SOF WSI certification, she is a certified Special Education teacher. Miss Katie's leadership and management skills allow her to connect and exceed expectations when teaching children of all skill levels and abilities.
Education:
2012-2016 Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA
Bachelor's of Science in Education
Dual certification: PreK-4 general education, K-8 special education
Other certifications: Florida ESE certification K-12, Florida PreK-Primary (PreK-3) certification
